Team 6:30 Establishes Itself as the Team to Beat
OKLAHOMA CITY: Week 2 Power Rankings
By Devan White | Oklahoma City League Coordinator
1. Team 6:30 (1-0)
This squad is already looking like a favorite to take the league by storm already. Led by strong play from what potentially is their big three, JP McGinley, Brett Heidebrecht and Luke Whitmire, they were able to run away with a 64-50 win against a pretty tough Swish team. JP led the team in scoring with 22 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting. Whitmire tallied in 16 points and Brett put up a solid 15 off the bench. Every team that comes across 6:30 will have their hands full as this team looks to move the ball and find the open man every time. If they play every week like they did on Sunday, it will be safe to say that this team will be the Champs when it’s all said and done.
2. Gorillas (1-0)
Despite only having five players, The Gorillas were still able to pull off a convincing W against Free Agents 2. The Gorillas seem to have one player that is already gunning for an MVP season. Brian “PJ” Houston put up the very first 40-point game in OKC UH history. He poured in an outstanding 42 points shooting 48 percent from the field. He seemed to get any and everything that he wanted and continued to be a nightmare for whoever was guarding him. Although the 3-ball was not falling for him as much as he would like, Ty Wade still had a very solid stat line. Wade put up 15 points, 11 boards and 4 assists in the win. Twon Moore also put in a solid 10 points, 8 boards, 6 dimes and a steal. Look for this team to be one to compete with 6:30. Especially when they get all of their players playing. They may or may not have a secret weapon for the rest of the league….
3. Free Agents 1 (1-0)
This squad may have had the surprising W of the night by pulling off the 68-61 victory over Team 6. Michael Salamatian put in an efficient 14 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. Devon Drake put in a much needed 15-point and 4-board effort in 30 mins of play. Although this was Devon’s first game in a couple of years, he was able to show that he can and will potentially be a problem for the rest of the league. Chris Knowles and Matt Winzeler provided the savvy vet leadership for the squad by consistently making big plays in the second half. However, the standout 5’5 guard Ashante Slater had a clutch bucket at the end of the game to put it away.
4. Swish (0-1)
Although they lost their first game of the season to a tough 6:30 squad, this Swish team also showed that they can be in the running for the title. Grant Phillips led the team in scoring with 17 points on 57 percent shooting from the field. Nikko Robertson put up 15 points, 13 boards and 4 dimes in the game doing most of his damage at the line. Alex Mathieson put up 8 on 50 percent shooting from the field. Their first game was rough but I truly see this team being tough to beat as the season goes on. Especially if they can get their sharpshooter Jordan Bush going.
5. Team 6 (0-1)
Team 6 suffered a tough L last night after coming back from a 8 point deficit with under 8 mins to go in the 2nd half. Although this team lacks some height, they make up for it in grit. Stephon Newman led the charge with 25 points and 9 boards on 11-22 from the field. Coming back from a knee injury, Dontre Hooks may be the early season favorite for defensive player of the year. His stat line was absolutely solid as he recorded his first UH double-double. Hooks tallied 12 points, 11 boards, 4 dimes and 4 steals. Hayden Wagner had a rough night shooting, but I can guarantee that he is arguably the best shooter in the league. He has the potential to go off for a 50-point game at any given time. If he finds his groove, it’s going to be a LONG night for the opposition. Full of grit, I look for this team to be able to bounce back next week.
6. Free Agents 2 (0-1)
Due to the championship games going on, Free Agents 2 were unable to have their whole team which hurt them in their play against the Gorillas. Although they suffered a tough L, there were some very bright spots for the team. My Darkhorse candidate for MVP may be Jacob Morphey. After a tough first half, Morphey bounced back to put up 15 of his 21 in the second. Martell Davis stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points, 14 boards (6 offensive) and 6 assists. Late pickup Princeton Johnson also provided a solid 15 points and 7 boards. This team has a couple of guys that can play. Once they get their full team, they may shock the league some. Hopefully they have everybody because they will have their hands full next week against 6:30.
Predictions
FA2 vs. Team 6:30 | Team 6:30 by 14
Team 6 vs Swish | Swish by 8
Gorillas vs FA1 | Gorillas by 10