Gale Force Takes Over the Top Spot

GARDEN CITY: Week 5 Power Rankings

By Anthony Leo | Garden City Co-League Coordinator

1. Gale Force (3-0)

Gale Force jumps to the number-one spot this week by not by much. They are the only remaining undefeated team, but their strength of schedule compared to other teams isn’t great to this point. Despite who they have played they have taken care of business and remain undefeated. They will have one more game against a weaker opponent this week before their schedule starts to get more difficult down the stretch. Regardless of who Gale Force plays they have arguably the best player in the league and a deep team that can put up big numbers.

2. Jeurys Familia (2-1)

Jeury’s Familia faced their first real test last week against Shore Shack and lost their first game of the season. The game went into double OT and Shore Shack escaped with a three-point victory. Jeurys Familia is still a top team in the league despite the loss because of their depth from top to bottom. Mike Mastro and the team will get back on track and find their way as one of the top seeds heading into the playoffs in a few weeks. Until than Jeurys Familia will look to bounce back first against a tough Red Storm team.

3. Red Storm (3-1)

Red Storm has had a solid start to their season and have only one loss at the halfway point. They have a lot of weapons and can score the ball inside and out. They can throw it down in the paint to Steven Medard or they can shoot it from the outside with Matt Gelsomino. Either way works for this team. The next step for this team is their defense. They rank seventh in team defense and they need to improve that.

4. Shore Shack (2-1)

Shore Shack comes in at right behind Red Storm. Before we give them a top two spot we need to see more from this team. Last week they looked great and showed how versatile they can be with Chris Pisciotta and Chris Frey leading the way. Shore Shack ranks second in the league in points per game and first in assists per game. They have a great offense that is at their best in transition. We’ll see if they can keep it up over the next few weeks.

5. Threat Level Midnight (2-1)

Donte Howell and the squad are on the rise and moving up the leader boards quickly. They have won back to back games and are coming off a blowout win over the Monstars. They rank first in the league in points allowed at only 63 per game and they are top three in rebounds and assists. They are another versatile team with a lot of talent, but this team will only go as far as Donte Howell takes them. Howell is averaging 31 points per game and 6 assists as the leader of this team.

6. Savage Storm (2-2)

Savage Storm has reached their bye week this week and at the halfway point they are 2-2. They have had their ups and downs, but last week they got a big win in OT to stay right at .500 for the season. Savage Storm has some work to do as a team. They rebound the ball very well and that has helped them stay in games this season. Without Matt Mehler this team would be a mess. Mehler is having another huge season averaging 24 points and 14 rebounds.

7. CST Elite (1-3)

CST Elite has had trouble this season on both sides of the ball. They rank seventh in scoring and eighth in points allowed. Having that combo is not a recipe for any success and has led to their 1-3 record. Other than Rob Sargeant they haven’t got much from this team. Sargeant is dominating games averaging 27 points and 15 rebounds per game. For CST Elite to take the next step they need to get more guys involved and shoot from the outside more. Jordan Berry can get hot from the outside if given the chance.

8. Monstars (1-3)

The Monstars are down one of their team captains and it showed big time last week they lost by 50 to Threat Level Midnight. They rank dead last in points allowed and eighth in points per game. Anytime you lose one of your best players to an injury it’s going to be tough to win. Regardless of who’s out there on the court they can’t expect to win if they are giving up 88 points per game. That number must improve if they want to be a serious contender.

9. Ref Elites (0-4)

Ref Elites this season has had a really difficult time in close games. They haven’t been able to get on the winning side of a close game all season. Despite being 0-4 they haven’t been blown out once all season or trailed by a lot of points in any game. They are losing their games by an average of four points this season. They have lost games in OT and on the last play of the game. They are much better than an 0-4 team, but the bad news for them is their schedule is about to get even tougher. They are about to go through the gauntlet against the top teams in the league over the next four weeks.