SUMMERLIN REC:  Preseason Power Rankings and Players to Watch 

By L.C. Comine | Summerlin Media Associate

As we get ready to start another rec season this Tuesday in Summerlin lets reflect back on last season and take a look at what Recspekt did.  They had a up and down season that saw them forfeit two games, they had attendance issues all season long but when it counted Recspekt showed up and took care of business when it mattered.  Recspekt got their 3-Peat and lets be honest they could not have done it with out the services of Haley Vinson. 

Haley became the first female player in UH Vegas history to win a title and from what I could find out she was the third female to win a title.  Haley hit some big shots in the Final Four win over WTF JR? and had her most impressive performance in the title game over Crypto Rock draining some big threes as Recspekt defeated the undefeated Crypto Rock team in the title game with only five players and capped off the 3-Peat.  The question this season will be can Recspekt do what no team has ever done in UH Vegas history, which is 4-Peat.  This will be the most competitive Rec season yet and you better believe that Recspekt will have a huge target on their back. 

Here is how the teams stack up going into week one:

1.     Recspekt- GM Stefan Hanania is on quite a roll right now.  He has led Recspekt to three straight titles and he also won the open league title last season.  Stefan is bringing back the same team as he had a season ago with a few changes.  Gone is guard Charles DeJohnette and returning to the team is Edward Vaughns.  Michael Stevenson also returns after sitting out a season.  Recspekt should be better than a season ago due to having more depth and because Stevenson provides a lot of versatility to the lineup.  It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Recspekt isn’t in the title game this season but the competition is much tougher this season than it’s been.  If they win this season this will be their toughest.

2.     Ball is Life- Well Crypto Rock has changed its name again but the players still remain the same on this squad.  Bobby Mears and MVP Chris Ford return to anchor this team who lost in the title game last season to Recspekt.  The additions of Mihail Kocevski and Ryan Smith will be big upgrades to this team and will take a lot of the pressure off Mears and Ford.  There is no question that this team will be potent and one of the best but will they have what it takes to knock of Recspekt?  They have fallen to them in the last three title games and they hope this season they can finally get that monkey off their back.

3.     Chris’s Angels- The Angels return after a season off and lets hope they are finally healthy and ready to make a run at Recspekt.  It’s the same roster as we have seen in previous seasons and look for big man Adam Schmit to have himself a big season.  The Angels don’t lack confidence and have showed the league that they can beat anyone.  It’s just a matter if the Angels can stay healthy for a whole season and if their attendance can be consistent.

4.     Easy Go Travelers- This is a very intriguing team to watch this season as you have a mix of guys who have played together in Summerlin and Green Valley.  GM L.C. Comine has brought them together to bring down Recspekt.  This team should be a lot better than the re boot of the Mob Comine brought back a few seasons back in Rec.   Look out for Sam Earl and Kenny McNeil on this team to be the guys to really stand out early in the season.  Easy Go also has UH vets Juan Carter, JJ Todd, Bryan Lebo, Mike Smiljanic, and Tij Von Nieda.  This team has a great mix of scorers and guys who will do the dirty work down low.   Should be very interesting to see how they gel and come together in the first few weeks of the season.

5.     WTF JR?  The fighting Brad Coughlin’s are back for another season after a fantastic first season as a franchise.  They made it to the final four but their season ended at the hands of Recspekt.  As of this writing the roster currently stands at only five guys and that includes Sean Breen and Max Miller-Hooks IV.  I would imagine we would see a few more added and this team will be even better in season two. 

6.     Beacon- Another new team to the league this season and it is full of a lot of players who have played in the rec league.  Tyler McCammon, Marcus Milner, Barrington Milner, Devin Dunn, and Tim Parelli will be the five who probably will get the start on this team.  If they get the chemistry right and play together then this squad could be really good.  I am concerned about guys wanting their shots though.  We will see how things look after a few weeks but there is no question that the talent is on this team to compete.

7.     BAR- Welcome back the BAR guys.  I think everyone agrees that when these guys are around the league is better and a lot more fun.  The usual suspects are on this roster and if BAR can find some offense and have no attendance issues then they will be contenders.  We all know how that goes though with BAR!  Mark your calendars for week two as we get a battle of the top 2 shot blockers in UH history has NFZ Travis Scribner faces off with JJ Todd in a must see game for all UH fans.

8.     Hickory Huskers- Hickory is back for another season and from the looks of things it will probably be another long season for Hickory.  Kerry Knoll, James Heneghan, and Anthony Khotsikian return for Hickory but Knoll didn’t really do much to this roster in the off season to make you think they can compete with the top tier teams in the league. 

9.     HYR Life- The Martin brothers return again this season with their HYR Life squad.  Looks to be the same team as a season ago but they did add Bohao Li and newcomer Andre Owens to the squad.  Only five guys on the roster so lets hope they add a few more or it will be another long season for them.

10.   SP 101- This is basically the Free Agents but with a new team name.  Five guys on the roster and they will be facing the most competitive teams this league has had since it started.  Look for a really long season for the SP 101 team but look for them to show up every single week and compete.

Players to watch

Sam Earl- Easy Go Travelers-  Sam is making his debut in Summerlin after primarily playing in Green Valley.  Sam has won three titles in GV and is coming to Summerlin with one goal: Knock Stefan off the top spot.

Mihail Kocevski- Ball is Life- Mihail returns to rec after a few seasons away.  There is no reason why Mihail should not dominate this league.  He has two career titles and almost 3,000 career points.  Look for a huge season for Mihail.

Landon Tenwolde- BAR- Landon can be a difference maker for BAR if he wants too.  Landon has shown flashes in both the open and rec leagues that he can score and defend.  If BAR is going to make a move this season they will need a breakout season from Landon.

Edward Vaughns- Recspekt-  With DJ gone from the roster all eyes will be on Ed to see what he can do.  He averaged 19.6 PPG in his last season with Recspekt back in the winter of 2018.  If he can repeat that type of season then Recspekt will be in great shape to 4-Peat

Tyler McCammon- Beacon- There is no question Tyler can score but for Beacon to be a contender this season Tyler is going to have to be the leader of them and bring them together.  They have a lot of guys who want the ball and I am looking for Tyler to bring them together.  If he does then Beacon will be a team to be reckoned with.

So who wins it all?  Does Recspekt 4-Peat?  This league is going to be super competitive and I wouldn’t be surprise if Recspekt doesn’t win.  However I think Stefan and company will get it done again but it won’t be easy.  They have a huge target on their back but when the dust settles this holiday season Recspekt will win its fourth consecutive title and will be the most dominant franchise in the history of UH Vegas.

Season starts this Tuesday.   Going to be a great season!