Don't know how regularly I'll do this, but let's give preseason power rankings a shot.
1. GS_Warriors (1 in G8) - Redemption's got a pretty stacked lineup going for him this season. They've only got one player over the age of 32 (A 33 year old G/F) so don't expect this team to get weaker as time goes on. They finished atop the Great 8 last season and I don't see why it wouldn't happen again. The only thing I expect different, is the conference final outcome. II.3 features a lot of very talented teams, but I have to give the slight edge to last season's Great 8 regular season champion.
2. The Nuts (1 in B8) - This dominant outside scoring team will likely return to the #1 spot in the Big 8, and therefore I have to put them here. They're a really good offensive team that features a great defense as well. Anchored by Freddy Schalij defensively, this team will make you work for every point inside the paint and also be able to knock down shots from anywhere. Oh, and Alexander Terziyski and Vetcislavas Gluchovskis (their top two scorers) just keep improving. This team is a threat, and they're just as good (or better) as anyone in the league.
3. BU Terriers (2 in G8) - The BU Terriers are a relatively young team that will likely continue to improve this season. Their depth is not strong, but they've got a solid starting five and will be an extremely annoying opponent for everyone this season. Their balanced inside oriented attack will likely be too much to handle for many teams, and they will pose a threat to everyone else in the Great 8 Playoffs.
4. Arizona Cacti (2 in B8) - The Cacti's inside defense will make teams have to beat them somewhere else. Fresh out of the NBBA, the Cacti have an aging roster that will be hard to compete with. They've still got a very good team, but given the ages of the team a fire-sale may be on the horizon and this team will fall to a relegation series. For now, with no players on the market, I have to rank them highly though. If this team stays the way it is now and starts its vets, they'll compete for a possible run in the playoffs, though I don't see this team going right back to the NBBA without breaking the bank.
5. Ballstars (3 in G8) - Similar to BU Terriers, this team's got a solid starting lineup, except for the liability at point guard while Werner Hayes trains. Not as similar is a pretty deep team, as they've got some really nice pieces off the bench, such as Hero Villaruel. A late season addition of David Diaz led them to a tight 75-73 victory against BU Terriers last season, but because Diaz changes the team so much there were too many question marks for me to rank these guys ahead of the Terriers. This team won't be winning a championship this year without a big acquisition, but keep an eye on Hayes as the team's future is in his hands.
6. San Diego Shamu (3 in B8) - San Diego Shamu is one of the hardest teams for me to rank. They've got a super talented guard, and a super talented center. The question is, how far can a big two take a team in the world of BB? The rest of their roster is old and I'd have to believe talent is quickly diminishing. But theoretically, it seems if the Shamu play their cards right they're unstoppable. Zhu Hengquan is probably a safe bet to lead the league in PPG once again, but with a team that isn't getting stronger, probably on the decline, and had a first round bounce last season, it's hard to say they're going to be unstoppable. Watch out though, if this team flips a switch or gets just one more big piece they're an instant favorite to win it all.
7-16 on the next post!