Fall League 2003
Draft Preview
Summer has come to an end and you know what that means. The temperature is falling. The daytime is becoming depressingly shorter. And the C.R.F.C. fall basketball league is officially up and running. Our fall league is always loaded with talent, but without question this is by far our most talented league ever. With eleven teams, 20-minute halves, and a bunch of knee slapping teams names, brace yourself for 13 weeks of excitement! And now let us run through each team and how they drafted.
Warriors
What would this league be without the legendary Edwin Harmon stepping up in the "lead off" spot of the draft? Edwin knew exactly what to do with his number pick. He went with Christopher McMahon. Chris goes into hibernation during the summer so you don't get any looks at him during the previous league. So that means that the Tim Gaspars, Brian Ripleys, and the Kevin LaPiere's have no idea what this guy is about. Put it this way. We probably shouldn’t bother with the league leaders because he will lead the league in scoring. He will lead the league in rebounds. And he will lead the league in blocks. To follow up that pick Edwin went back to back and drafted Dan Salazar and John Chisholm. We all know about Dan Salazar. Dan can shoot the ball from anywhere and at a high percentage at that. He is very smart and knows the game. John or as he is known on the court, cheese, is a guard with good handle and a solid shot. Edwin finished up the Warriors roster by selecting the guy known as the "mad bomber". Chris Sullivan is a make it or break it kinda guy. Some days he will carry a team on his back and other days he will break his team's back. With McMahon and Salazar navigating the ship, I'm sure Sully will only pull the trigger when needed. Finishing the roster is a gentleman by the name of Rajko llincic. He is from parts unknown and there isn't much known about his game. Any team with McMahon on it is tough, having Salazar and Bomber for a supporting makes this team even tougher.
Traveling Jim's Dart Swingers (feat. DJ Hot Sauce)
After last season Mr. Jim Desilva got out of the circus business and decided to put together a basketball team. The lead singer is non-other than Mr. Seventeen magazine himself Greg Poulos. Like McMahon, Greg takes took the summer league off to travel around the world and promote his new clothing line. Well he is back and "pretty boy" is out to prove to all of the skeptics that he still has it. For his next pick Jim went with his gut feeling and drafted John Mayhall. John formally known as "hot sauce" had a disappointing season over the summer. However Jim feels his coaching ability along with having Poulos as a teammate will help John find his game. With still no legitiment big man on his roster Jim went with Kevin Walsh. Walsh has become a regular here at C.R.F.C. He rebounds well and is probably the best passing big man in the league. For his last two picks Jim balanced off his guard position by drafting Dart Danier and Fred Clark. I had no idea that Dart was a swinger but, I was aware of Dart's defensive ability. This guy plays excellent defense and is always around the ball. Fred Clark is another new comer so check back midseason and I'll let you know about him.
The Western Grip
This team was once known as Mama's Kids. Team captain Sujit Sitole felt that there was a need for change. So, after consulting with his recently hired assistant coach Cullen Roberts, the two decided to change names to The Western Grip. Suj rolled up with the 3rd pick and went with the king of soul James Brown. We all know that this guy is great in concert, but the real question that everybody is asking: How is he on the basketball court? I have a very reliable source that tells me that this guy is a beast! He is 6'5'' and weighs 250lbs. I’m not sure if our rims are built for players like this, but we will found out soon enough. With his next pick Suj/Cullen went with the Larry Izzo of the league, Neild Montgomery. Neild has continuously gotten better since his rookie season (2 leagues ago). For his 3rd selection Suj drafted Cullen Roberts who might be the first person ever in basketball history to be a player/assistant coach. Cullen dominates on the defensive end. He is a quick leaper who can block shots and rebound with the best of them. Finishing up the Western Grip roster are Godfrey Chua, who can play both the point and 2-guard position, and Lewis Venezia, who is relatively unknown.
Joey Diesel Wannabees
Originally this was my pick. But I traded with Brian Ripley since he had the double pick at the end of round 1. Admiring how I conduct myself on a daily basis, Ripley felt the need to name his team after yours truly, which I am flattered by. Recently I stopped coach Ripley and asked him if he wanted to include anything in the draft review. Ripley made it very clear that he was unhappy playing for Jimmy Desilva. He felt undervalued and wanted to make it well known that he (Ripley) "was the numero uno" of Travelling Jim's Big Love Machine. Ripley continued attacking Desilva like Shockey did to Parcells (although comparing Desilva and Parcells isn't very fair to the Tuna). During the 5 minute conversation, Ripley just wanted to make it clear that he can win in this league. Ripley knew exactly what to do with his very first pick ever. His name is Jon Olinto and he can play. Jon was another one of those players that sat out the summer league. Expect Olinto to pick up right were he left of. Olinto can score (good jumper, great handle) and play awesome defense. He is capable of guarding a bigger player such as Alon for example or he can take on a smaller, quicker guard like his teammate (Ripley). With his next pick Ripley went with some size. So he grabbed the silky-smooth Christian Lehman. Christian a friend of the veteran Ashwin Raj and according to Ashwin, Christian won't let coach Ripley down. Christian is about 6'4'' and has a real soft shot around the rim. Ripley continued with the "big man" theme by drafting Tim Brady. Tim is coming off a championship year with Ghettofabulous. Tim's game is solid. He is a good rebounder who will occasionally give you a big day scoring. With Ripley's last two picks he selected Michael Gallant and LJ Sun. If Rip can get some production out of these two guys then we might be talking about preseason number 1.
Boogie Fever
Let us all take a guess on who the captain of this team is. Josh is known to have the most disappointing names for his team and he continued his trend by naming his team Boogie Fever. Josh might not be able to select names for his teams very well, but he does know how to draft. Josh for his first round selection, with Alon Zaibert. Alon finished among the league leader in points and rebounds during the summer league. Word has it that Alon once rode the pine for the Israeli national team. With his second round pick Josh went with Mike "papa Roache. Mike is a solid player who makes everyone around him better. Mike will give you double digits in scoring while grabbing 5 boards a game. He will even entertain you some by earning a technical foul here and there. Mike might be the Rasheed Wallace of the league. Another thing that Josh is known for is his sandbagging jobs. Josh has been known to talk down a player in order to draft him in a later round. Steve Brueger might be another one. Steve is a big man 6’ 3’’ who has a nice touch around the rim. Josh also rolled the dice and drafted Matt West. Matt played in the league years ago and stopped right before the league went under. Well now we have new owners across the board and Matt is back. And to solidify his guard spot a little Josh finished his roster with Jeff McCarthy.
Van Stry.com
It took him a few try’s at it, but it seems like Kevin Van Stry is finally learning how to draft in this league. Despite his off year KJ felt the need to go with Jared Perrine with his first pick. And before I continue let me make something perfectly clear. Jared’s initials are J.P. not J.C. His off season had everything to do with his team and nothing to do with his talent. With a poor team around him, Jared would have had to perform a miracle for his team to win the championship last season. With the team he is playing with now Jared can and will hang with the big boys (McMahon, Olinto, Alon) this season. To compliment Jared, Van Stry went with a man by the name of Chris Dionne. Chris is a big man who can do a little of everything. He shoots some, he can rebound a little and plays good defense. Chris is a nice addition. KJ’s other picks were Alex Brown, who also can do a little of everything. Erik Van Stry, Kevin’s brother, who hasn’t played basketball since 1978. But, Erik does know the game and will help not hurt this team. And then you have Serge who has quietly become a fan favorite here at the club. Serge’s game has gotten a lot better over the past year and his nothing to be desired with the effort that he puts out.
Boy Toys
If I didn’t know any better I would think that there was something fishy behind this name Boy Toys. And I’m still waiting for explanation from captain Kevy Kev. Keep in mind as I’m writing this up that some of these teams actually start with a stronger roster than others depending on the level of play by the captains. This is one of the teams that is solid from the top. In my opinion Kevy Kev is underrated in this league. Kevin has a drop off with his game for a couple of season but, for the last couple of leagues, Kevin has been lights out. Now Kevin is paired up with Jim Meldrim, who has been good for so long that he is the leading scorer in C.R.F.C. history. The Cal Ripken Jr. of the league, although I think Ripken has more hair at this time. With his other pick Kevin went with Thomas Page, who Kevin also drafted during the summer. Tom got off to a slow start during the summer season but, progressed into one of the best big men in the league. Tom has a nice shot from the outside and is capable of dominating inside. Kev’s other picks were John Little, Fritz Sainthelemy, and Jonathan Mozenter. Little is a guy with a motor that will not stop. He can shoot some and play a little d to go with it. Fritz is an unknown but, Kevin tells me that he is a player and there isn’t a guy in the league who will give you more hustle than Jonothan Mozenter.
Scoobie Snacks
I think that we should have the best and worst team names award. I’m not sure if my vote would go to Boogie Fever or Scoobie Snacks. Tim Hinkel thought of this one and I starting to wonder if the family life is taking away Tim’s sanity! Luckily for league’s website designer, he was able ignore who the voices were telling him to draft, and go with the players who he really needed. First pick was Kurt Knepsheild. Kurt is one of the most well rounded players in the league. He has one M.V.P., Defensive Player, and has been an all-star for the past 3 seasons. Kurt has established himself as one a top gun in this league. With his second pick Hinkel went with Tony Sears. Tony looks like he has cut back on the scoobie snacks and lost a few pounds. Now that Tony is 20lbs. lighter you might be talking about a double-double/game out of the big man. With his next couple of picks Hinkel chose Brain Ripley’s brother Craig, and Ashwin Raj. Craig, like his brother, is fast. Not as good on offense, but much better on defense, than Brian. Ashwin is a league veteran. Ashwin is known for his rebounding and his also for his patented reverse lay up. Wrapping up this team is big Jorge. George Watson will get some minutes at the center position and some advice to the new guys of the league-make sure you call out any screens that George may set!
Old School
Another new captain took the stage in this season’s draft. This time it was Aaron Coffin’s turn to take on the captain status. With his first selection Coffin went with Tim Gaspar who unfortunately had a change of heart about playing. Timmy recently signed his life away to his girlfriend so who knows if the flashy point guard will ever be able to play basketball again! To help out Aaron in this time of need Matt the wolverine decided to come out of retirement and go for one more championship. Matt hasn’t played in the league for a while so to update anyone who is unfamiliar with his game: Matt is pound for pound, the best rebounder in the game and is virtually unstoppable when he drives to the hole. Then you have Matt Wrobel. Matt is a solid scorer who can get you anywhere between 8-12 rebounds per game. The only downside to Matt is that he is sometimes selfish with the ball. But, with Wolverine and Coffin playing alongside, I’m sure that Wrobel will be fine with the whole passing thing. Then you have Richard Show. Rich is a big man who can fill the lane. 6’3’’ is tall enough to assume that the guy can rebound. Aaron’s final picks were Matt Gentile and William Carter. Matt played during the summer and showed some talent. Matt is a decent shooter and is able to handle the ball when needed. William is new to the league and is talent is unknown. With the action of my boy blue, Old School is another favorite on rolling far into the playoffs.
Section 8
And now we have my boys, Section 8. As far as the name goes you can take it they anyway you want. Because my team has the ability to take it to the street or we can get flat out bucknutty, you chose. On the back to back picks I went with Kyle Hoffman and Kevin LaPiere. I’m welcoming back Kyle after a short layoff. The kid easily has the most consistent jump shot in the league. LaPiere is a big guy who has an awesome shot. Mama’s Kids’ captain Sujit Sitole showed off LaPiere during the summer league and I was impressed enough to draft him early. To solidify my bench I took Emre Koksal, Chad Groff, and Bill Santo. Emre is a guy who if he plays within himself, can be a real help. Chad Groff scares me a little since he is no longer playing for a contract. No doubt that this guy has the skills to be an elite guard in this league, but without a contract being held over his head and with him now owning a couple of championships, he now has nothing to really play for. I’m confident that Chad still has some fire left inside the belly! Bill Santo is a nut on defense who will run around until he turns blue in the face. Good defender and an okay rebounder.
*Late addition to Section 8*
Kim Knauf-you remember the girl who buried the 3-pointer in Josh’s mug to win the game. Well she’s back!
