Princeton Generals Earn the Top Spot After Comfortable Win Over the Princeton Pelicans

PRINCETON: Week 2 Power Rankings

By Phil Jackson | Princeton League Coordinator

With Week 1 in the books, the league is certainly shaping up for excitement and competitive play.

1. Princeton Generals (1-0) 

Solid all around team play from the Princeton Generals in their season opener against the Princeton Pelicans. The team was led by 18-year-old Ashwin Narra who finished with 17 points and shot 50 percent from 3-point range. Narra was accompanied by Phil Jackson with 16 points and 2 steals and Michael Montella with 11 points and 7 rebounds.

The team posted a solid 32 total rebounds and shot nearly 50 percent from the field. For a group that has never played together, the team also scored 67 total points in their first game together. The Generals come in at No. 1 in the rankings mainly due to the fact that they lead the league in PPG, points allowed, and rebounds. 

2. Life Time Lakers (1-0) 

A bit of a rocky start early in the night, but the Life Time Lakers were able to pull out a win in their season opener against The Fundamentals. The team was led by their crafty guard and team captain Kosty Yablon with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. A solid amount of these assists went to Angelo Sosa 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Craig Swiney 15 points and 3-3 from 3-point range. These three totaled for 51 of the teams 54 points in their first win.

It should also be noted that for a team with one player over 6’0, the Lakers dominated the boards with an impressive 26-17 total rebounds. The Lakers come in at No. 2 in the rankings mainly due to their solid scoring performances from their trio. They also lead the league in assists per game at 17. 

3. Princeton Pelicans (0-1) 

The Pelicans lost in their season opener to the Princeton Generals. The team was led by Ahmed Ghrael 12 points, 5 rebounds and 1-1 from 3-point range, Shawn Davis 11 points, and Bryan Wilson 10 points. The Pelicans were searching for a rhythm all night in which they were able to come close to a lead and bring the score to 33-29 to end the first half. They were then out-scored in the second half 34-14 and were not able to stop the bleeding.

Overall the team was able to move the ball, and get good looks for a lot of their players. The Pelicans come in at No. 3 mainly because of the points allowed in Week 1. This team has clear potential to surprise the league, but they can not afford to give up or take any plays off. 

4. The Fundamentals (0-1) 

The Fundamentals were bested by the Life Time Lakers in their season opener Wednesday night. It should be noted that the team was missing their first-overall pick in the draft Javian Clarke. They were led by their quick and crafty guard Ashoti Sweat 15 points, 3 assists and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. Nakul Rao posted a solid 10 points and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range, and team captain Marcus Lotierzo finished with 8 rebounds. The team seemed to never get in a solid groove, but showed some glimmers of hope for future games.

Looking ahead the team is expecting Javian Clarke back and a huge boost in production. The Fundamentals come in at No. 4 in the rankings mainly due to their lack of scoring and rebounding presence in opening night. The team played without their number-one-overall pick of the draft, but they can not afford to rely solely on 1 player to bring them their first win of the season.