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BBTV: League V.16 Season Preview!

Mike Maclin: Good evening Buzzerbeaters. Tomorrow marks gameday for the 26th season of arguably one of the greatest Leagues in D-V. My name is Mike Maclin and I will be slashing, cutting, and breaking you the ins and outs of our great crop of teams this year. Whether it is the stiff competition in the Great 8 or the power struggle in the Big 8, along with my colleague, the one and only Season 17 MVP, Ben Vilares !

Ben: Thanks Big Mac.

Mike Maclin: You got it. Well let’s not keep the viewers waiting! This year in V.16 is guaranteed to be a great one! All of the teams are privately owned this year except for one. That’s among the highest league participation ever.

Ben: That’s right, Mike and that’s saying something. There weren’t anywhere near as many competitive teams 9 seasons ago. Seeing how far the league has come is a beautiful sight to behold.
Mike Maclin: And with that being said, we will now present you the Elite 8. The 8 top teams in the entire league.



Elite 8:

#8 : Deebdini Maulers- 11-11(3-0 @ H)
USA Rank:1574

Mike Maclin:The Maulers are a fairly new team in the league, only being a part of the association since the all-star weekend of season 25. You can be certain that they are looking to start off hot in their first full season with V.16. You can expect them to have a secure playoff birth right away and mainly because of that absolute stud of a Small Forward, Jökull Tryggvason.

Ben: Oh yes, Mike! Looking at this man’s numbers from last year: 19 PPG, 13 REB, and over 50% from the field, as well as beyond the arc; you can expect this guy to get at least 5 Player of the Week awards in this year’s Big 8 Conference.

Mike Maclin: Crazy numbers Ben. If he worked anywhere near as hard this offseason as he played last year, there is good reason to believe he’ll walk out this season with the Conference MVP Trophy.

Ben: Yeah, but I have some serious questions about this overall team, Mike. There are 14 new players, who all seem to be future investments that won’t be able to contribute at least right away for this team.

Mike Maclin: Yeah, but if we’re talking new players, you can’t forget to mention The Maulers’ new veteran Power Forward, Zhang Hanan. This guy may be a little older than the rest of the bunch, but he has serious skill. Last year his numbers were nearly identical to Tryggvason’s and he shot an extraordinary 46% from beyond the arc as a Power Forward. With these experienced veterans here to set example and lead this young talent, The Deebdini Maulers are a sure threat to watch out for seasons to come.



#7: Above the Rim- 11-11(5-6 @ H)
USA Rank: 1474

Mike Maclin: The number 7 team, Above the Rim is a true contender this year…

Ben: I agree Mike. Last season these guys had to fight through the tough circumstances of not knowing their true identity, but this year looks to be different. Last night they finally got over the hump they’d been facing in defeating the SyracuseOrange. These teams have some really bad blood and with the Orange previously being 4-0 against them, it must’ve been nice to finally get one over them like they did.

Mike Maclin: And boy did they do it in nice fashion. That starting lineup was merciless in the season opener. These fellas look like they mean business this year!

Ben: One piece of advice I’d give Coach Jynx on this squad is to fill those empty seats on the bench. It’s a long season against stiff competition and the last thing you want is for your starters to burn out before the playoffs.


Last edited by Jmacroyal7y at 12/30/2013 07:22:19

#6: SyracuseOrange- 14-8 (8-3 @ H)
USA Rank: 1414

Mike Maclin: Number 6. SyracuseOrange.

Ben: Mike when I think of these guys the first thing that comes to mind is potential. They’re not quite there yet and it’s unfortunate for them that they are in the weaker conference. This team has a good chance of making it to the finals and getting promoted to D-4 and the sad thing is they’re not ready for that now and they won’t be ready at the end of this season. They should just tank some games so that they ca-

Mike Maclin: I gotta stop you right there, Ben. I’ve been watching these guys since they came into the league last summer and amidst many team changes, I can honestly say that things are looking stable and finally starting to mesh. This team needs someone to step up. These young cats are oozing with potential, yet no one seems to have the heart to be the face of the franchise. Jmacroyal7y has some serious work to do with these kids. On a positive note though, these guys did finish second in the conference last year and they really protect their house when the planes drop in.


#5: LA Triads- (12-10) (6-5)
USA Rank: 1413

Ben: This fifth team reminds me a lot of Above the Rim. The only difference is that they have slightly better players. They don’t have much of a bench.

Mike Maclin: Maybe so Ben but I’ve seen five roster squads dominate this league.

Ben: You’re right Mike, but as a player it has to be frustrating playing 48 minutes a night. I’ve done it and it’s very taxing on the body when you have a 20+ game season.
Mike Maclin: This kid Gabriel Gonzalez from Uruguay put up some crazy numbers last year. Watch out for him as he’ll be gunning for a spot on the League V.16 first team.

Ben: Way to undermine my point Ben… Anyway Gonzalez is a big sleeper, averaging those numbers at such a young age, but the true star is the Triad veteran, Chlebowicz. Chlebowicz averaged a double-double last year putting up 24 PPG and 17 Boards. We’ll see how the young star and aging veteran fare against these monsters in the Great 8.


#4: Austin Landscapers- (14-8) (9-2 @ H)
USA Rank: 1387

Mike Maclin: And now reaching the better half of the 8. ALL in the Great 8, we have the Austin Landscapers.

Ben: If these four teams were the Gas Giants in the solar system, this one would be Neptune and I say that because they are the weakest of the four. Don’t let that fool you though. These cats were victim to the insanely tough Great 8 last season and missed the playoffs on a 14-8 record, the same as the second place team in the other conference!

Mike Maclin: Yeah a single turnover or missed shot could’ve meant the difference between them being on the inside looking out instead of the outside looking in. With the Maryknoll Fury gone, you can look for these guys to gun for a playoff spot this year. They have all the talent. Let’s see if the basketball gods shine the winner’s light in their favor.


#3: Jiggling Juggernauts-( 2-20) (2-9 @H)
USA Rank: 1354

Mike Maclin: Top 3. This is one of the new additions to V.16.

Ben: Don’t expect em’ to stay long, Mike. These guys have seen better competition than anyone in the league and my bet is they’ll walk out with the hardware in the end. They’ve just seen so much more than the others and they definitely have the experience edge.

Mike Maclin: Little is known about these guys. They’re the mystery this year.

Ben: Yea well one thing isn’t a mystery, Mike. The Juggernauts are knocking heads this year.


Last edited by Jmacroyal7y at 12/30/2013 07:23:01

#2: Neo Angeles Lightning- (16-6) (9-2 @ H)
USA Rank: 1335

Mike Maclin: The team I’m rooting for: Neo Angeles Lightning! Chris Rayne took his players in two seasons from an 8-14 record to a 16-6 one adding 8 wins in just one season.

Ben: And that’s no easy feat in that conference, Mike.

Mike Maclin: You cannot stress enough how stiff that competition is and to pull that off in 2 seasons is simply remarkable.

Ben: Yea I don’t see them losing more than 5 games this year, Mike.

Mike Maclin: You can look forward to that rivalry with the Tallahassee Trees this year too. Expect some instant classics between those two this year.


#1: Tallahassee Trees-( 17-5) (9-2 @ H)
USA Rank: 1224

Mike Maclin: And our number one team on The Elite 8 Power Ranking: Tallahassee Trees. Yes these guys have been patiently building for a while now entering their fifth season in V.16.

Ben: You know they shouldn’t even be mad at this point if they don’t get promoted to the next division this year. They’re so stacked and so established I think it’ll only help them that much more when they actually do get there.

Mike Maclin: Forget everything I said earlier, Ben. THIS team will be the one to win it all. I don’t see anyone even handing them a loss this year. That’s right an undefeated season.

Ben: Well it’s hard to when you got a whole starting lineup of just merciless execution on both ends of the floor. My personal favorite is Hipólito Rossy. This kid reminds me of myself back in the day. He isn’t the tallest Point Guard out there, but he has the biggest heart and the will to win. He leads his team night in and night out and to show for it he’s putting up 30/9/5 last night despite struggling from beyond the arc. If he starts hitting 3s he’ll be unstoppable.

Mike Maclin: Well that just about raps it up. We’ll see you next Sunday at 8PM EST which will be our official air time. Expect some beefy reporting, as well as the Players of the Week, Top Plays of the Week, New Elite 8 Power Ranking and much more! Until next time Buzzerbeaters and remember: Patience is key…

Season Ranking update:

#1: Tallahassee Trees - 10-0 overall (7-0 Great 8) (3-0 Big 8) Key wins: JIG, NEO, ATR, AUS, & CHI...
USA Rank: 1176 Last Week (1)

Best Player: Hipolito Rossy (29.2 pts, 6.4 asts)

This team hasn't missed a beat and are now the team to beat posting a PERFECT mark on the season so far, a conference championship & league championship is just about in their grasp. Who will step up and knock them down.

#2: Jiggling Juggernauts - 9-1 overall (6-1 Great 8) (3-0 Big 8) Key wins: NEO, SYR, AUS...
USA Rank: 1282

Best Player: Anthony Sims (20.7 pts, 15.4 rebs)

The Jugs have proven themselves in this league since joining beginning this season. They look poised to make a run, and will not let the trees run away with anything. The rematch between the Trees and Jugs should be epic... Stay tuned.

#3: Neo Angeles Lightning - 8-2 overall (5-2 Great 8) (3-0 Big 8) Key Wins: ATR, AUS
USA Rank: 1257

Best Player: Daniele Leardini (20.6 pts, 12.6 rebs)

The Lighting contains a team that can strike from all over the floor which makes it almost impossible to defend. Three may be the magic number in the Great 8, but an acquisition will need to be made to upset the top two teams.

#4: SyracuseOrange - 8-2 overall (6-1 Big 8) (2-1 Great 8) Key Wins: CHI, NEW
USA Rank: 1351

Best Player: Cao Yiliang (13.0 pts, 10.4 rebs)

The Orange play a balanced style of basketball and tremendous defense. If you begin to under estimate this team it could prove to be your down fall. Only problem is this team is just getting into the heart of the Great 8.

#5: Above the Rim - 8-2 overall (7-0 Big 8) (1-2 Great 8) Key Wins: SYR, CHI, NEW
USA Rank: 1381

Best Player: Theo Bullard (30.0 pts, 8.0 rebs)

One of the most dynamic teams in the league. Amazingly young with no player on this team is older than 22 years old. Don't be fooled... this team packs a punch and will be in there at the end of the season if someone slips.

#6: Austin Landscapers 7-3 overall (4-3 Great 8) (3-0 Big 8) Key Wins: None
USA Rank: 1364

Best Player: Relja Brstina (28.1 pts, 7.4 rebs)

The Landscapers have significantly benefited from an easy early schedule by beating the teams that they're suppose to beat. The back 9 of this season will prove to be brutal for this opportunistic team.

#7 Chicago Wildboys 7-3 overall (5-2 Big 8) (2-1 Great 8) Key Wins: NEW
USA Rank: 1561

Best Player: Shunta Tarumi (21.1 pts, 7.5 asts)

Another Great young team showing a lot of promise. Minus a key injury, they may have had an additional win right now.

#8: NewYorkKnicksNew 5-5 overall (4-3 Big 8) (1-2 Great 8) Key Wins:
USA Rank: 1559

Best Player: Sebastian Geambasu (24.5 pts, 15.3 rebs)

Last living playoff team in the Big 8, but don't sleep on your success because there are people in place to take it.

#9 FlashBack2009: Great team... tougher conference. Sorry guys but I didn't do it.

#10 Deebdini Maulers: With Jokull Tryggvason (33.7 pts, 8 rebs) shooting close to 50% or better in all catagories...

#11 LA Triads: Overhaul in progress... this will be a season to remember for them =(

#12 Dirtywater Sharks: Spunky team that needs a little more fire power.

#13 Beltsville Bulls: Beginners luck???

#14 BuLLeTZZZ: I don't think they'll be around next season... prove me wrong.

#15 Lauderhill Lions: Is there any sign of life... Hello!!!!

#16 Waughoos: OMG!!!


Game of the week: SYR 99 @ JIG 101

See you all next week.

Have a Great game!!!

Last edited by Coach Jinx at 01/30/2014 16:19:16

Thank you so much for doing these... I love this type of writing. Both of you guys are great at this kind of stuff. Keep up the good work, on the forums and in competition! :D

Last edited by LaRon Jackson at 01/30/2014 18:54:35

Haha good job Jynx. Sorry I havn't been doing them. I've been neck deep in life lately. I'll try and have one up by sunday afternoon.