WELL, I didn’t see the Psychos being able to overcome HOS the other day, but, Leuchten finally had a bad week (still averaged 17 fppg) while both guards sucked (sub 17-18 fppg is SUCKING) and their freshman Pozzato also sucked (7.0 is worse than sucking but I don’t currently have the proper adjective to describe it). But let’s also give credit where credit is due…to the Psychos! Reese bounced back from an absolutely abysmal first game to get UP to 15.0 fppg-in this case a dramatic gain. Jackson Moni also recovered from a un-Moni like performance in his first game while Tait-Jones was as good and/or better than expected. So, yeah, they had a little help (we can all use a little help from our friends-the Beatles were right about that), but they earned their advancement into the semifinals. I was also wrong (whew!) about the DVG’s losing (preview prediction) to the Hardwood Heroes. HH was good except for one player but regardless, when Cluff locked in 43 Thursday night there was nothing that was going to change that outcome. Maize and Blue Bloods got their playoff “scare” game from a feisty Gator Bait. But nothing fazes Maize. They just roll on through. And that leaves the lowest seeded team, The Hoop Guru, which got past a Hoosier team that only had one player perform at his level; ouch!
Deep Valley Grouchos 194.0-Hardwood Heroes 161.5
Psychos 155.0-House of Sparky 153.5
#1 Deep Valley Grouchos vs. #4 Psychos
DVG’s: Using their version of the old Nebraska Cornhuskers football “bully ball” (HC Tom Osborne), which means that in general they just hope to get players averaging within about 3 points of their max while Broome & Cluff go crazy, the DVG’s are still walking a tightrope on the guard position and will actually start two freshmen (something they normally abhor doing during playoffs). Ivisic is healthy, so, he will be at the frosh slot although going against always-defensive minded Michigan State & Wisconsin is not the most optimal time to play him. The other frosh, Doty, who has been better than expected up to this point will move to a guard slot. That’s the only news of interest.
Psychos: The Psychos are moving Kaufman-Renn (acquired from the DVG’s in a trade) into the lineup and that could be a big add since he has been playing his best ball over the last 3 weeks or so. He’s going to score, the question has always been rebounding and that has picked up dramatically, so I see this as an impact lineup move. Koonce will also come in at a guard slot.
So…I am not making a prediction in this one. Season-wise, the DVG’s were a much higher scoring team than the Psychos but the Psychos do have a stud in Clifford and Moni has been pretty darn good. Tait-Jones has been a plus and outside of that first game in the Elite 8 Reese is steady. Their freshman Harper was off, which in my world means he will probably come back stronger in the semi’s. The DVG’s have the two five star generals and a captain (Noel) leading their troops while after Clifford the Psychos have a bunch of underrated foot soldiers who know how to fight. This should be a good matchup. Of interest is that the Pyschos did 161.2 & 155.0 in their two games while the DVG’s did 135.0 & 199.5. This suggests to me that the Psychos are certainly capable of hitting anywhere from 150.0 to 165.0. On the other hand, while the Grouchos will likely not be close to 135 again, neither should they be close to 194.0 and their likely “neighborhood” is 155.0 to 170.0…just something of interest to note.
Maize and Blue Bloods 178.0-Gator Bait 165.5
The Hoop Guru 138.0-Hoosiers 98.5
#2 Maize and Blue Bloods vs. #14 The Hoop Guru
The most well known saying from “The Art of War” states that the battle is won before the fight-I’m not quoting but that is what it says. And, in this case that certainly applies. They had to play the game but this would take the biggest collapse of all time from multiple MBB players while THG sees several max+out for anything but a rout to take place. Sorry. THG did defeat the talented Prozac Pups in the first round but only tallied 148.0 while the Pups were barely awake, with just 124.0. They then tallied 138 vs. a Hoosier team that couldn’t manage to put up 100.0. DEFENSE does not win fantasy college basketball championships. Offense does and while THG is not lacking some guys who can put up points and can put out a nice lineup, NICE will not do it vs. the killers that MBB has. 189.0 & 178.0 were their first two games and they can put up 170.0 falling out of bed. Even if they were to have a sub-par week and put up 160, say, can THG manage to take advantage? I think not. MBB will be in the final.