The first night of men's quarterfinals brought everything you could hope for - big-time performances, highlights, a superior team showing how good they can be, even an upset where the local underdogs took down a team loaded with big names. The second half of quarterfinals looks to build off of that, with a pair of very interesting matchups.
First off, Syracuse Elite vs. Hoopsfiend Select.
The game they played in the regular season changed both of their seasons to date. Syracuse Elite was 2-0 and looked like the strongest team in the league out of the gates. Hoopsfiend Select was 1-1, coming off of a blowout loss that had to be called due to frustrations on their end boiling over in the closing minutes. Elite built off that momentum and started off by giving Select an old-fashioned backalley beatdown. How bad? You shouldn't have asked. It was 33-8 at the end of the 1st quarter. The lead ballooned to 46-15 at one point... then things started to change. Hoopsfiend scored 13 of the last 19 in the half to make it 52-28. Still a blowout though. Not for long. Behind phenomenal play from Geoff Brown, who is garnering serious consideration for men's league MVP, and Naté Gause, they cut it to 15 after 3 quarters. In the 4th, nothing could go wrong for the upstart Hoopsfiend - nothing could go right for Syracuse Elite. A couple miscues taken advantage of by Hoopsfiend put them on top in the final seconds, and they won 79-78. The 31 point deficit is believed to be the largest comeback in King of Kings history. That put Hoopsfiend at 2-1, and they've only lost once since, a close loss to Utica Select the following week. Syracuse Elite has not won a game since. They took it to the last possession against 2 time defending champ Upstate Swagger, but have lost by as much as 40 in other games. Anyone that says the loss to Hoopsfiend Select didn't change the course of their season to this date wasn't around for the first two weeks. Look for Syracuse Elite to try and get revenge for the shocker tonight. They'll need big performances from Tez Thomas, James Hall, and Chris Gilkes. Gilkes has been their most potent offensive threat, averaging 20.6 points per game in his team's last five games. He's also been one of the league leaders in steals all season. Hall, a.k.a. Boo Boo, took a dip in production midway through the season after suffering a concussion. He looks to be shaking off the ill effects from that, and they hope to get the All-1st Team level production he had been giving them at the start of the season. Thomas, a tough point guard whose game here has hit the next level with an improved jump shot, has been a consistent contributor. He's looking to shake off a rough game, perhaps his first of the season, from last week. The key for Hoopsfiend Select is intensity. The more chaos they cause, the better. Geoff Brown leads that charge - the unquestioned leader on the floor of the James Desroches-led group. He's averaging 18 points per game and has stuffed the stat line across the board. Josh squared has also picked it up each week: Josh Henderson has scored 26 in each of his last two games, shooting over 50% from the field, and Josh Wright has improved in shooting percentage each week, averaging 19 points per game over the last three. Tom Wilk, a thick 6'8" true center, has been a lift for his team as well. His production doesn't jump out at you on the stat sheet, but his impact is felt every week while allowing the guards to control the game.
Tonight: Expect a tight game throughout. The outcome truly depends on Hoopsfiend Select shot selection and foul trouble - expect a lot of fouls between these two teams. Naté Gause showing off for Select will also make a big difference. What do we think? The momentum may be a little too much for a fed-up Syracuse Elite to overcome. Hoopsfiend will march on, 84-78.
Next up, Lo Entertainment vs. Upstate Swagger.
Upstate Swagger is coming off of something that doesn't happen to them much - a loss. They lost opening night with half of their regular team missing, including probable 1st teamers Dave Golembiowski and Scott Morton. With them returning, they won 5 straight before taking a hotly contested loss to Motivated to end the regular season. 3 of those wins came in blowout fashion. Syracuse Elite took them to the last possession. The only other remotely close game? Lo Entertainment. The underdog was up 24-14 after one quarter and still held a lead at halftime. Perimeter shooting did it all for Lo Entertainment in that game. They shot 6/9 in the 1st quarter from beyond the arc. After that? 2/21. They had no answer for Dave Golembiowski, who shot 11/18 and finished with 28 points. Gumby, as the locals call him, has averaged 27.2 points per game in the last 5 outings. He missed opening night and arrived from Germany in time to catch the 2nd half of their second game. Jordan Prior has provided a huge lift for Swagger. A rare new addition, he's provided a scoring punch that they lost when Sean Burton left to become an assistant coach at Babson College in Massachusetts. Prior is averaging an efficient 19.5 points per game on the season, shooting over 50% in nearly every game. Morton is averaging a touch under 14, and filling up the rebounding and assists categories as usual. Flagan Prince has given them an added post presence that they've never had, which helps them immensely. The former MVCC and Le Moyne standout who's enjoyed a successful overseas career has picked up his scoring production of late and averaged just over 18 per game in the regular season. Lo Entertainment has played admirably tough, considering they're a group of Schenectady players picked up after the original team forfeited opening night. They take pride on the defensive end, will pressure you for 94 feet, and are not afraid to sacrifice their bodies. Perhaps the only Achilles' heel for Swagger is a team that can successfully pressure the ball. The 7 seed's only problem? With their sheer lack of bodies, rarely having more than 7, they can't keep up such pressure for 44 minutes. Their scoring is extremely balanced, with 5 players averaging between 10 and 15 points per game. Brian Ledbetter, former St. Rose player, is the leader of the group. They've picked up contributions from Chris Lewis on both ends, along with Tyrone "Freeway" Buttler and Anthony Armstead in the blocks. Jordan Gutierrez, a mid-season pickup who scored nearly 25 points per game as a junior at Oneonta High School this past season, has given them a consistent shooting threat. He scored 28 in his first game, a blowout win over The Generals. He led the charge in the 1st quarter against Swagger in their regular season game, hitting 4 threes in the 1st quarter. However, Swagger held him to 2 points the rest of the way in their 71-58 win.
Tonight: We know one thing: Lo Entertainment won't quit, not even for a second. They just don't have the bodies to keep it up. Upstate Swagger, in playoff mode and hungry after a very rare regular season loss at nearly full strength, will pull away in time. Swagger onto Friday's semifinals, 81-62.
See if we're right! King of Kings at MVCC, 6:30 & 7:45. Free admission, donations accepted, live music, big-time hoops!
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