Possible Rematch of Championship Game?
GREEN VALLEY REC: Semifinals Predictions
By Michael Palmer | Green Valley Media Associate
No. 1 Houdini (8-1) vs. No. 4 Dyme Pieces (7-2)
We have ourselves quite the semifinal game as the top-ranked Houdini will battle it out against the Dyme Pieces. In the previous matchup, Houdini crushed the Dyme Pieces by 25 points and I know that the Dyme Pieces will be ready for action. For Houdini, they beat the eighth-ranked Sweet "D" in the quarterfinals by 17 points, while the Dyme Pieces beat the SUNZ by 59 points.
Marvin Campbell of the Dyme Pieces played back-to-back games for the first time since Week 3 and 4, so hopefully he'll suit up once again and challenge Houdini all game long. I really want to see the duo of Tom Gibson and Dylan Hansel make some clutch 3s, but Houdini's defense is pretty sharp. Josh Ross will be looked at a lot and I expect him to make smart plays late in the game. Let's not forget about Zach Dean down low and in transition as he'll be a key piece to what the Dyme Pieces already have.
Who will guard Jim Reilly of Houdini? It may have to be Dean, and it's not going to be easy to stop Reilly at all. Michael Carboni and Charlie Farber are one of the best duos in the league, so the Dyme Pieces need to figure out ways to stop them both from scoring back and forth. I don't know what it is about the Dyme Pieces in the playoffs, but they deliver when it matters and they could potentially win this one if they shoot for accuracy.
Prediction: Dyme Pieces +7
No. 2 TD Rayguns (7-2) vs. No. 6 The Industry (6-4)
The Industry will look for their third-straight championship appearance as they'll face the impressive TD Rayguns. The last time these two teams faced each other was in week six where the TD Rayguns won by a 56-46 final. We may very well see another low scoring contest and if we do, that just makes for a quality defensive outing. In the quarterfinals, the TD Rayguns edged out a two-point win over the seventh-ranked Lifetime Lakers, while The Industry won via forfeit in the first round against the Free Agents, followed by a five-point win over the third-ranked Wynners.
Now that The Industry's Andreas Vasiliu is back, let's see how well the TD Rayguns will contain him and slow him down. If he's in trouble, Derek Adkins always comes to the rescue and delivers in the clutch. Watch out for Marciano Brunette and Terry Cress to make some quality plays and play some physical offense and defense. I know that Joseph Soto and Riccon Buckles can make clutch shots, but it's just a matter of how well they perform in the beginning of the game that will boost their confidence in this one.
The duo of Oliver Erickson and Joe Paulk of the TD Rayguns will be aggressive from downtown and on defense as well. Paulk needs to be careful defending as he was in somewhat of foul trouble in the quarterfinals. The TD Rayguns tends to foul a lot, so let's see if The Industry attacks at them early and often. Joshua Watson will be looked at a lot and he may perhaps be a true facilitator if the cards are right. Watch out for Dominic Pedotto to potentially grab some clutch rebounds going up against Brunette. The Industry knows how to win in the playoffs, but will their low scoring ways catch up to them? Somehow, someway, I have The Industry making another appearance in the title game.
Prediction: The Industry -2.5