New Kids in Town Claim Top Spot

FOLSOM: Week 2 Power Rankings

By James Doran | Folsom League Coordinator

1. Game Time (1-0)

Last Week: Won 77 – 72 vs Chuck Taylors

The Roseville take over is here, and it’s dominant to say the least.  Game Time edged out a late comeback by the preseason favorites Chuck Taylors in their season opener. The game was actually a little more lopsided than the final score dictated. GT was up by a comfortable 16 points at halftime thanks to a fast break clinic led by Tyler Alexander and Zach Jacobs. Zach turned some heads in his Folsom debut. He finished with 31 points and 8 boards while going a perfect 10/10 from the free throw line. Tyler would finish with 22 points, but seemed to let off the gas in the second half as the game was pretty much decided. This team has good chemistry and can score from all positions. Expect to score at least 80 points to beat them. Game Time will look to retain their #1 ranked status in a big game against Locker Room Talk on Tuesday.

 2. Locker Room Talk (1-0)

Last Week: Won 80 – 46 vs Expansions

Locker Room Talk took exception to their #3 preseason rank and opened a can against the Expansions on Tuesday. This one got pretty ugly as LRT exploded for 53 points in the second half. The three headed monster known as Joe Visman, Mike Martz and Tanner Phelps combined for 68 points, led by Joe’s 34 points and an impressive dunk to boot. Something tells me that will be a recurring theme this season. The supporting cast doesn’t care about getting buckets which helps. Ryan Benander and Monte Burtz want to get in the trenches and make life miserable in the paint for the opposition. LRT goes up against Game Time on Tuesday in what will be a must watch game.

3. Chuck Taylors (0-1)

Lost 72 – 77 vs Game Time

 The Chuck Taylors may have been a little over valued in the preseason. Maybe they just need a couple weeks of building some chemistry. As mentioned, they “hung around” against Game Time, actually cutting the game down to 3 points in the final few minutes before running out of time. Mark Payne was dominant as expected, his statline: 33 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. The Taylors were also missing some key pieces in the game, so their season opener could have turned out a lot differently. CT will look to get in the win column in week 2 against the Ballbarians.

4. Ballbarians (1-0)

Won 67 – 66 vs Scrappy Hour

The Ballbarians grinded out a nailbiter against Scrappy Hour, edging them by a single point. They didn’t do themselves many favors as the Ballbarians would go down by as many as 16 points before making a thrilling comeback. Scott Lacrosse had just 6 points, but they were the biggest 6 points of the game. Lacrosse nailed 2 dagger threes in the final minutes to help the Ballbarians to victory. Defense was key in that second half, Ballbarians would finish with 14 steals that led to some easy layups to help their comeback. If this team plays defense like they did in the second half, their ceiling is high. They get the Chuck Taylors in Week 2.

5. Scrappy Hour (0-1)

Lost 66 – 67 vs Ballbarians

Despite being shorthanded to just five players, Scrappy Hour hung tough against the Ballbarians. Conditioning may have been a factor in this one. It appeared a win was in the bag until a furious rally by the Ballbarians crept up on them, and Scrappy Hour eventually lost the game by 1. With a full roster, this team should be a contender. Ron Jacobs fought off double and triple teams all game to finish with 27 points and 15 boards. Dillon Gugin and Vuk Mitic didn’t have the best shooting games which may have been the difference. They still had 13 points a piece. If Scrappy Hour can hit the three when Ron commands the ball inside, they will be a tough team to beat. They will play the Expansions in Week 2.

 6. Expansions (0-1)

Lost 46 – 80 vs Locker Room Talk

Another team missing some vital pieces to the roster, the Expansions were throttled by Locker Room Talk in their first game. It didn’t help that the ball was just not going in the basket. Expansions shot just 16/51 (31 FG%), which just isn’t going to lead to many victories. On the bright side, Roseville transfer Bryan Todd looks like a player and Alex DiManno is another rookie that can shoot the long ball. Let’s hope they have a full roster for their game against Scrappy Hour on Tuesday.