King of The Alamo: Gilbert nets record ninth championship with Noah's Arc
Noah’s Arc wins San Antonio’s Spring Season Championship
If Vegas odds were a thing with the Ultimate Hoops San Antonio league, Noah's ARC would have opened with +10,000 odds to win the Championship, and some lucky bettor would be walking away with a big chunk of change.
While overcoming adversity, this may be the most "feel good" Championship our league has ever seen; there are multiple layers to their road to a banner.
Initial Roster
Realistically, this team is just a skeleton of what was known as 210 BUCKS in the previous season, minus Mel and Dom Bradley and Avery Crisp. Only Noah Lovejoy and David Denman remained, with a near-empty roster to fill out.
Enter Dan Gilbert, who left his Ether franchise to join another as GM/player.
Gilbert initially did a solid job of recruiting, filling out the roster with Virgil Cissoko and Payton Nunn. He also convinced Ryan Evans to make a comeback, giving the team a solid base.
Still, though, the roster as built wasn't a "contending" roster, not with teams like Ether, Cobra Kai, and REIGN in the mix.
Solid, but not a finals threat. They were missing a "main guy," someone they could rely on for consistent scoring, and someone to put pressure on opposing defenses.
Every contender had one or more of those, and ARC would need one if they wanted to compete with the "big boys."
Demetrius Davis
Perhaps the most decorated player still without a team on opening night, Davis was seen scouring the gym to see if anybody needed or wanted him. The answer from most was no, and the response from ARC....maybe.
The consensus around the league was that Davis shot "too much," didn't pass, and had a "hot head" despite being one of the best players in the league.
Noah's ARC needed a player that commanded attention, such as Davis. Still, they weren't necessarily willing to sacrifice their newfound team chemistry and ball movement to land a star player.
After careful consideration, Noah's ARC signed Davis, and he made his debut in Week 4 against Un-Titled, coming off the bench and leading the team in scoring with 20pts. The scoring continued throughout the season, but Davis saved his best work for last, averaging a league-high 34pts in the playoffs en route to his second Championship, including a memorable game-winner against Cobra Kai in the semi-finals.
The partnership was a match made in heaven, with Noah's ARC needing what Davis offered in scoring and Davis benefiting from the unselfishness and spacing provided by his teammates.
Dan Gilbert
With nine championships, Gilbert now has the most banners in his name in UHSA history, beating out former rival Pat Fridley, who was sitting at eight titles. (Gilbert and Fridley share a championship in the 2019 Fall Draft League)
Gilbert has shown his ability to start and grow a franchise from the ground up again, with Noah's ARC being his latest project.
It had to have been hard to leave a championship "ready" team he created in Ether. He left knowing that he wouldn't have an easy road to a championship if he even thought he would get there this season. But it made the Championship that much sweeter because it was against his former Ether team.
It seems the only person that can stop Dan Gilbert is Dan Gilbert.
What's next?
The obvious answer is to "Run it back," as most championship teams are expected to do when they win a championship. (Except the 21' Lakers, as they lack common sense).
Will they come back as they are? As Gilbert knows from experience, winning usually paints a target on your back, as teams play more challenging against the "defending champs." This may motivate Noah's ARC to upgrade its roster next season.
Either way, we'll let Gilbert and his team enjoy their Championship, and we'll look forward to seeing them again in the Summer.
Congrats to Noah's ARC, on a well-deserved championship!!!
Gilbert is now the San Antonio League all-time title holder with nine championships.