FRIDLEY REC+:  Week 4 Predictions

By Jake Gave | Fridley League Coordinator

7 p.m. - No. 10 Triple Double (0-3)  vs. No. 2 Bulls (2-1)

In our first matchup of the night, the last-ranked Triple Double squad will take on the No. 2-ranked Bulls.  The Bulls are coming off a big win against the former champs, The Originals.  With the game tied and just under five seconds remaining, Derek Hamner hit the go ahead bucket to secure the victory.  That was 2 of Derek’s 30 points on the night and he led the league in PPR last week with his monster performance.  On the other hand, Triple Double has really struggled to start the season and lost their third-straight game last week, falling by 16 to Team FOE. 

Triple Double has really missed Mejoy Lawson the last two weeks, and his return for this game should make a big difference.  Not only will he add a spark offensively, but his defense is invaluable.  In his only game this season he recorded a crazy 8 steals.  They will need his defense if they want to slow down the red hot Bulls.  The Bulls added Mahlon Thomas to the roster last week which gives them arguably the best big man in the league down low.  They just showed last week that they are going to be tough to beat, so I expect them to take care of business here as well.

PREDICTION:  Bulls -12.5

7 p.m. - No. 7 Uncle D.A. and the Killers (1-2) vs. No. 1 FOB Five (3-0)

On the main court at 7 p.m., newly top-ranked FOB Five will look to remain the only unbeaten squad when they take on the No. 7-ranked Uncle D.A. and the Killers.  FOB Five moved to 3-0 last week after an impressive victory over a solid Bigsmash team.  Bigsmash was missing Joe Suek which would have made the game a different story, but attendance is out of FOB’s control and they did their job by blowing out Bigsmash by 28 points.  Uncled D.A. and the Killers suffered a loss last week to Bakke’s Bombers after falling just short in a late comeback effort. 

FOB Five has looked like the team to beat so far this season.  Every guy besides Jon Christenson is shooting over 50 percent and four guys are shooting above 50 percent from 3-point range.  Brian Sames has been a huge addition for this team, averaging 27.3 points through three games.  The one thing FOB may struggle with in this matchup is the size of UDAK.  The Killers have three guys over 6’4” which could present some matchup problems.  FOB will also need to watch out for Dwayne Toatley, who had 17 points in his debut and shot 100 percent from the field.  I think this one will be close in the beginning, but FOB will pull away towards the end.

PREDICTION:  FOB Five -14.5

8 p.m. - No. 6 Bakke’s Bombers (2-1) vs. No. 5 Bigsmash (2-1)

In our first 8 p.m. matchup on the main court, the No. 6-ranked Bakke’s Bombers will look to take down the No. 5-ranked Bigsmash squad.  The Bombers improved to 2-1 after taking down Uncle D.A. and the Killers last week in a grinder type of game.  I think a lot of the Bombers wins will come this way, as they aren’t a team that will light you up but they are very tough defensively.  Bigsmash also sits at 2-1 after falling to FOB Five without their main stud, Joe Suek.  Joe should be back in the lineup for this one which will give them a big boost.

Joe Suek leads Bigsmash in points (28.5), rebounds (12.0), assists (6.0), and blocks (1.0).  He will definitely be the guy that the Bombers will have to key in on if they want to be successful.  They will also need to know where Zhao Lee is at all times, as he’s been lighting it up from deep in his first two games with the squad (7-10 3PT).  The Bombers have more of a balanced attack, with their top-six scorers averaging between 9.0 and 11.7 shot attempts per game.  Any of these guys can hurt you, so Bigsmash will have to be ready.  I think it will be a tough battle, but I have to stick with my guys to pull out the W. 

PREDICTION:  Bakke’s Bombers -3.5

8 p.m. - No. 8 Team FOE (1-2) vs. No. 9 Jumpshot Hustlers (0-3)

In our other 8 p.m. matchup, No. 8-ranked Team FOE will face off against the No. 9-ranked Jumpshot Hustlers on the far court.  The Jumpshot Hustlers fell to 0-3 after losing to the Wolves last week.  They have had a brutal schedule so far this season facing The Originals, FOB Five, and the Wolves.  There schedule eases up a bit going forward and they have a decent shot at picking up a win against the 1-2 Team FOE.  However, it will be no easy task as FOE picked up their first win last week and come into this game with a lot of confidence.

Team FOE has been led this season by the stellar play of Andre Thomas who is averaging 21.7 points per game on 61 percent shooting.  He has been a red hot 65 percent from deep as well.  The Hustlers will need to stick someone on him who is ready to chase him all night.  They will also need to watch out for Ryan Rosenberg who is knocking down 46 percent of his 3s and is the second-leading scorer.  The Jumpshot Hustlers should be able to find success in the paint.  David Stommes has been big for the squad in his two games played, averaging a team-high 21 points and 12 rebounds.  I think the Hustlers are just too big for Team FOE and they will put out the victory.

PREDICTION:  Jumpshot Hustlers -6.5

9 p.m. - No. 4 Wolves (2-1) vs. No. 3 The Originals (2-1)

Our late game on the night should be a very exciting one!  The No. 4-ranked Wolves will look to hand the No. 3-ranked Originals their second loss in a row.  The Originals fell to the Bulls last week in a down to the wire game.  Derek Hamner hit the go ahead bucket for the Bulls and Josh Hoyle’s final shot was just a little bit off from sending it to overtime.  The Wolves come in on a two-game winning streak after an opening night loss to FOB Five.  They will look to extend that streak tonight and I can’t wait to watch them battle it out.  There’s no doubt that this one will be a high-scoring affair.

Both of these teams have stacked offenses and are loaded with shooters.  The Wolves have three of the league’s best shooters in Neal Anderson, Hans Albrecht, and Bryan Munsell.  What has set them apart this season has been the addition of Chris Palmer, who leads the team in scoring at 17.0 ppg and rebounding at 9.7.  The Originals will have to watch out for him in the paint while also making sure to close out on the shooters.  For the Wolves, they get the task of trying to slow down Josh Hoyle, who is off to a ridiculous start, averaging 31.3 points per game on 81 percent shooting from deep.  I think Josh and The Originals will bounce back in this game and pick up a win, but it won’t be easy by any means.

PREDICTION:  The Originals -6.5