FOLSOM: Week 7 Power Rankings

By James Doran | Folsom League Coordinator

1. Locker Room Talk (5-1)

Last Week:  Won 55 – 49 vs Expansions

Move aside Game Time, there’s a new No. 1 as we enter the last couple week of the regular season. Joe Visman (30) and Mike Martz (16) provided the scoring and the rest of the team supplied their reliable defense in what was a hard fought game against the Expansions. LRT was able to make a double digit comeback in the second half, mostly thanks to forcing 15 turnovers and out-rebounding the Expansions 39-19 in the game. This is team is really clicking chemistry wise and they should be a shoe in for the Finals if they do indeed retain the No. 1 seed. Locker Room Talk will look for their fifth win in a row in a huge rematch against Game Time.

2. Game Time (4-2)

Last Week: Lost 62 – 83

We understand that upsets happen. But to get beat by 19 by the Chuck Taylors was pretty shocking. The ball was not kind to Game Time last week as they shot just 35 percent from the field. They also let Mark Payne go nuts with a huge triple-double. They are going to have to have a little more pride on the defensive end. Billy Blankenship was the only bright spot as he dropped 23 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Billy’s previous season high in points was 9. As disappointing as last game was, they still can get the overall No. 1 seed. With one win against Locker Room Talk already, another tonight would give them the series sweep and the tiebreaker if they have the same record at the end of the season.

3. Expansions (3-3)

Last Week: Lost 49 – 55 vs Locker Room Talk

Expansions were the hottest team heading into Week 6, and they looked to have their game against Locker Room Talk in the bag. But it wasn’t meant to be. Expansions went ice cold in the last five minutes to eventually lose by six. Turnovers (15) and free throws (8 for 18) really hurt them down the stretch. They also got destroyed in the rebounding department, which might be a concern in the playoffs. Still, the Expansions have the talent to win it all and I expect them to bounce back these last two weeks. Josh Rucker showed off his shooting ability against LRT; he dropped a season high 13. Look for Eric Kagan or Alex DiManno try and get Rucker the ball a little more in Week 7. Expansions will square off a winless Scrappy Hour squad. 

4. Ballbarians (4-2)

Last Week: Won 87 – 53 vs Scrappy Hour

Ballbarians continue to fly under the radar this year, despite being tied for second place. It’s probably because they haven’t had a “statement” win. If they can win out their next two games (Chuck Taylor’s & Locker Room Talk), they will certainly be on the league’s radar. The Ballbarians feasted in their win against Scrappy Hour, in fact all five Ballbarians in uniform scored double digits. Virender Shergill has had a nice rookie campaign. He had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists last night. Ballbarians should have a close battle against the Chuck Taylors tonight.

5. Chuck Taylor’s (2-4)

Last Week: Won 83 – 62 vs Game Time

Don’t count out this team quite yet. Mark Payne and the Chuck Taylor’s stunned the former No. 1 seed with a blowout win in the nightcap game. They were on fire in the second half, tallying 51 points. As mentioned, Mark Payne was unstoppable. His triple-double was also staggering, breaking the stat sheet with 31 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists. He also received an honorable mention as the UH national player of the week. There were other solid contributions from the rest of the team. Dan Barber had his stroke working again as he dropped 19 points. Matt Peterson was also clicking, as he had 25 points on 67 percent and five 3s. The Chuck Taylor’s will look to build on this game as they take on the Ballbarians in Week 7.

6. Scrappy Hour (0-6)

Last Week: Lost 53 – 87 vs Ballbarians

It was another tough week for Scrappy Hour as they dropped their sixth loss of the season, and still remain winless. What will it take to break the curse? A full roster would help, but they also need to shoot the ball better. The 35 percent team field goal percentage is the worst in the league. Maybe some more ball movement to work for a better shot will get that percentage up. There is good news on the horizon as Ron Jacobs is rumored to almost be healthy. With Ron back, I guarantee they will shoot the ball better. Jacobs has shot 60 percent from the field in 71 career games. Scrappy Hour has a couple of games left to get in the win category and get some good vibes before playoffs. Let’s see how they do against the Expansions tonight.