FRIDLEY REC+:  Week 4 Predictions

By Jake Gave | Fridley League Coordinator

 

7 p.m. - No. 1 FOB Five (3-0) vs. No. 5 Bakke’s Bombers (2-1)

FOB Five improved to 3-0 last week after defeating Omar Tires by 25 points in a five-on-four game.  There isn’t a whole lot that we learned about FOB in this game simply because they knew they were going to win and didn’t put forth their best effort.  It was more of a tune up game for them with a crazy amount of 3s being put up.  They converted on 45 percent of their 55 attempts from long distance.  Brian Sames led the way with 33 points and an impressive 7-8 3-point shooting effort. 

Bakke’s Bombers improved to 2-1 after taking down Bigsmash in a grind it out effort.  The game was close for a majority of the way, but the Bombers were able to go on a late run to seal it.  The ball movement was key for the squad as they assisted on 18 of their 32 makes.  Casey Ehrenberg only shot the ball three times but made his presence known by pulling down 6 boards and dishing out a game-high 7 assists.  Mejoy Lawson shouldered the scoring load with his 22-point, 8-rebound night.

This matchup against FOB will be a great test for Bakke’s Bombers.  FOB Five has been the team to beat for multiple seasons in a row, and this one is no different.  They have been off to a hot start and lead the league in scoring (98.7 ppg) and 3-point percentage (45 percent).  Bakke’s Bombers will have to find a way to slow down this potent offense.  Mejoy Lawson has been a huge addition on both ends for the Bombers and his elite defensive abilities will be needed in this one.  I think that the Bombers will keep the game close the entire way, but FOB will be just a bit too much to handle. 

PREDICTION:  FOB Five -8.5

7 p.m. - No. 8 We Dem Ballers (0-3) vs. No. 10 Omar Tires (0-1)

We Dem Ballers dropped to 0-3 last week after losing by 15 points to the Bulls.  The Bulls were shorhanded, missing both Emmanuel Harrison and Paris Kyles, which gave the Ballers a good chance at the upset.  The game was tied at halftime, but the Bulls were able to make a run in the second half to pull away.  Parker Del Medico continues to thrive in this offense as he posted 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals in the game.  Kristopher Snyder had his best game of the season with 24 points and 8 rebounds.

Omar Tires finally made their season debut in Week 3 and it was not very impressive.  They only showed with four guys, which made it very difficult to pull off the upset over FOB Five.  However, the four guys they had were pretty damn impressive, so if they can add some more pieces they may be on to something.  Kevin Thompson led the league in PPR last week with his massive 38-point, 17-rebound outing.  Marquise Walker was also impressive as he posted 20 points and 7 rebounds in the game.

This game is going to be difficult to predict simply due to the mystery of Omar Tires.  They now have five guys on the roster, but Omar is out of town this week.  He has assured me that he is adding more guys, but only time will tell.  Hopefully they can field at least five guys or this one will likely be a win for We Dem Ballers.  The Ballers have had a tough schedule so far, facing three of the top four teams already.  I think they have a chance at finally breaking into the win column here, but if Omar Tires comes with a full squad, I like their chances better.

PREDICTION:  Omar Tires -10.5

 

8 p.m. - No. 2 The Originals (3-0) vs. No. 9 Free Agents (0-2)

The Originals kept their perfect season alive in Week 3 by taking down a red hot Jumpshot Hustlers squad.  The offense was clicking on all cylinders right out of the gate and they dropped 50 points in the first half and held a nine-point lead at the break.  The second half was neck and neck, but The OG’s pulled off the seven-point victory.  This week was Chris Maher’s turn to do the heavy lifting, and he finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Jonny Ball was equally impressive, finishing with 19 points and a monster 17 rebounds. 

The Free Agents bounced back in Week 3 in a big way, nearly pulling off the upset over Run Like The Winded.  The final score does not tell the whole story, as the Free Agents lost by 19 points but the game was tied with seven minutes left.  They shot 53 percent overall as a team, but the defense was sorely lacking as they allowed RLTW to shoot 65 percent.  Samuel Island led the team in scoring for the second week in a row, pouring in 23 points to along with 6 rebounds.  Rayshawnn Willis added 19 points and 6 boards as well.

On paper, this matchup does not look to good if you are a fan of the Free Agent team.  The Originals have gotten off to a very solid start and don’t look to be slowing down.  They lead the league in field goal percentage (55 percent) because they work the ball until they get an efficient shot.  The Free Agents on the other hand are shooting the second lowest percentage (43 percent) and struggle to find good looks, mainly because the chemistry is not there yet.  We did see that begin to change last week, so hopefully they will keep improving.  However, I think The Originals are way too good to drop a game to this team.

PREDICTION:  The Originals -18.5

 

8 p.m. - No. 7 Bigsmash (0-2) vs. No. 6 Run Like The Winded (1-2)

Bigsmash dropped their second game in a row last week after failing to top Bakke’s Bombers.  They definitely had their chances to steal the game late, but came up just short in the end.  They had to play iron five and seemed to run out of steam in the second half, only scoring 29 points.  Greg Wells led the way for Bigsmash, scoring 20 points on 50 percent shooting from the field.  Lethzee Calderon found a lot of success attacking the paint and he finished with 19 points and 5 rebounds. 

Run Like The Winded picked up their first win of the season after surviving a bit of a scare against the Free Agent squad.  The game was tied with just under seven minutes remaining, but RLTW kicked it into another gear and went on a huge run to come away with a 19-point victory.  Grant Dudinsky was the key cog for them in the win as he finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds on an ultra efficient 9-11 from the field.  Aaron Delaney also had a double-double with 13 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals.

This game is a matchup of two teams who have been pretty underwhelming this season.  Bigsmash is coming off a championship run but haven’t been able to figure out how to win with their completely revamped roster.  Run Like The Winded is stacked with talent and 3-point shooting but have seemed to play down to their competition.  This game could go either way and it is a huge game for both of these teams to try and build some momentum going forward.  I like the weapons RLTW has, but I think Bigsmash will surprise them and come away with their first win on the season.

PREDICTION:  Bigsmash -4.5

9 p.m. - No. 3 Jumpshot Hustlers (2-1) vs. No. 4 Bulls (2-1)

The Jumpshot Hustlers suffered their first loss of the season last week, falling to The Originals 85-92.  They didn’t come away with the win, but they proved they are a team that can’t be taken lightly this season.  They held The Originals to under 50 percent shooting which hardly any teams are able to do.  On the offensive end, they were led by Devin Stensrude who has been off to a great start this season.  One week after dropping 40, he came out against The Originals and posted a 33-point, 7-rebound, and 4-steal performance.

The Bulls moved to 2-1 after taking care of We Dem Ballers by 15 points.  The Bulls were without Emmanuel Harrison and Paris Kyles, but it didn’t seem to matter all that much.  They did have a bit of a scare in the first half, entering halftime tied with the Ballers.  However, they turned it on in the second half to secure the W.  Da’Jon McKnight was an absolute beast for the Bulls, scoring 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.  Steven Ellis was huge in this one also, dropping 20 points off the bench on 58 percent shooting.

This game is likely the marquee matchup of the night.  The Jumpshot Hustlers proved that they can hang with the elite teams in the league last week, and they are hungry for a big time win.  The Bulls have been tough this season and any team with Paris Kyles on the squad is going to be difficult to beat.  I think this game will come down to the performance of Devin Stensrude yet again.  He has been the driving force for the Jumpshot Hustlers so far this season, but the Bulls are stacked with great defensive players.  If he can somehow overcome the pressure and put up another big game, the Hustlers could pull it off.  However, I think the Bulls are going to come ready to defend and come away with the victory.

PREDICTION:  Bulls -5.5

POWER RANKINGS

1. FOB Five

2. The Originals

3. Jumpshot Hustlers

4. Bulls

5. Bakke’s Bombers

6. Run Like The Winded ( ￪ 1 )

7. Bigsmash ( ￬ 1 )

8. We Dem Ballers

9. Free Agents

10. Omar Tires