Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Mailmen Control Early, Move to 3-0

Written by Brandon Hunter

The Mailmen(3-0) continued their winning ways by defeating Firehouse(0-3), in a one sided contest, 72-27.

The Mailmen had to dig deep into their reserves due to the fact that Jason Hunter(honeymoon) and Kerry Hunter(injury) were both out this week. Clinton Weigel was contacted and agreed on a 10 day contract giving the Mailmen 6 men for the contest.

Though vastly undersized the Mailmen started the game by scoring using an uptempo offense that the opposition couldn't keep up with. Leading the Mailmen in scoring, Brandon Hunter(20pts, 11rebs) began the contest scoring the Mailmen's first 12 points and there was no looking back from there. The fast paced offense left Firehouse winded and without an answer for the scoring barrage. 5 of the 6 members of the squad were in scored in double digits and though size was against them crashing the glass was not an issue. Johno Reminder(15pts, 9rebs) and Andy Kempf(11pts, 9rebs) are the post players doing an excellent job filling the shoes of injured big man K. Hunter by averaging 10 and 9 rebounds per contest.

Mike Giardina(10pts, 3rebs), Pat Cripple(12pts, 5rebs), and Weigel(4pts, 7rebs) solid perimeter defense was a main reason the Mailmen held their opponent to only 8 first half points. Their on the ball pressure was too much for Firehouse to handle leading to many steals and fast break points.

K. Hunter, acting as coach while he's sidelined with knee and hamstring injuries, was impressed with the quickness added to the roster this year:

"Mike G's and Crip's speed and endurance is great," Hunter said, "the on the ball pressure will be a huge when facing some of the tougher teams, we couldn't provide that pressure last year without getting gassed late in the game."

Returning to the lineup will be Jason Hunter and Brent Hunter as The Mailmen look to keep their win streak alive this Sunday against Boston Rd. Auto (1-1 at the time of this writing). It is uncertain whether or not The Mailmen will sign Weigel to a full contract or continue to use 10 day contracts in order to avoid a crowded roster. Reply to:
Reply to Brandon Hunter
Reply to Brandon Hunter Send

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A New Era

The Mailmen started off the regular season on the winning side of the equation defeating Team Eric 69-39.

Brandon Hunter led all scorers with 22 points while Brent Hunter added 16 (9 rebounds) and new comer Mike Giardina added 10 (5 rebounds) in the 30 point victory.

"This is how you want the season to start," Coach Jason Hunter (6 points) said afterward. "To come out and get a win like this, with some new faces, it really gets you excited to play week in and week out."

The Mailmen will be shuffling their lineup again next week and will have a different starting 5 for the third straight game. Jason Hunter will be off on a honeymoon as he was married this past weekend and Brent Hunter is being sent back down to the developmental league. To replace those two, the team has again dug back into its past bank, adding guard Clinton Weigel with a 10-day contract. Weigel averaged 4.5 points last year while shooting 53% from the floor. He will be another slasher and strong defender that will take up most of the minutes lost by the two Hunter brothers.

The Mailmen will face Firehouse, who lost their first preseason game 79-38. The score from their first regular season game was not available before this entry. The Mailmen were supposed to play Firehouse last season, but then, as the Reignmakers, won by forfeit on two seperate occasions.

"Gotta keep the train on the tracks," quoted Kerry Hunter

Sunday, November 27, 2011

No Games, Itchy Fingers

The Mailmen are off this week and will begin regular season play on December 4th versus Team Eric.

That does not mean the team isn't busy however, as the front office signed a few of their roster members today.

The Mailmen announced they would re-up Ryan Stuver's 10-day contract when it expires this week. Stuver made $1.75 million last year, but left the team when he was signed to a soccer program. The Mailmen were able to bring him back last week after injuries left the team with limited numbers. A year contract will be debatable once this second 10-day contract is up.

Big man Andy Kempf was also re-upped this year, after a $1.8 million dollar deal last year. After a successful season in the front office's eyes, the Mailmen signed Kempf for three years at $7 million total. He will make $2 million this season.

Pat Cripple and Michael Giardina were signed for the same amount $1.75 million dollars a year, but were signed for different lengths, two and one years, respectively. Crip performed well in his minutes with the team and Giardina should see action next week.

Johno Reminder was signed to a one year, $1.78 million dollar deal, with a option in 2012 for $2.35 million. Reminder missed the first game with personal obligations. He looks to be a body in the middle, taking minutes where big man Kerry Hunter left as he recovers from surgery.

Brent Hunter's contract situation was also an odd one for the team. After playing in only a handful of games last year under his Developmental League contract, he eclipsed the maximum amount of games played for the professional team. Under league rules, the team must either sign him to a 10-day contract, a full-year contract, or send him back down to the developmental league for one full year under a new contract. The Mailmen decided to make Brent an official part of the Mailmen, giving him a two-year $5.67 million contract. He will make $2.55 million this year.

The Mailmen have also had prelimanary talks with former Reignmakers Michael Petrilli and Clinton Weigel about possible returns to the team or their Developmental team association.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

New Look, New Year

Preseason basketball was good to the Mailmen.

A 54-43 victory over PBR's Finest this past Sunday night gives the good guys some ground to build off of.

After a change in uniform and a few tweaks to the roster, the Mailmen saw a lot that they liked.

The team shot 41% from three, 38% from the field total, as they continued the trend from last season of taking control in the second half of games. With only 6 players available due to various situations, the Mailmen extended their 10 point lead slightly to 11 to finish 1-0 in the preseason.

Brent Hunter led the team with 19 points, hitting three of six from deep. Brandon Hunter followed suit. 18 points, four of 10 from three and added 9 rebounds.

Rebounding was key Sunday. The Mailmen were the smaller team, a theme similar to last year. Four of the six players had more than 5 rebounds. Andy Kempf grabbed 10, Brandon 9, newly acquired Pat Cripple (10 points) had 8, and coach Jason Hunter (7 points) added 6. The Mailmen used their legs in the second half, taking control of the boards and the game.

"We aren't in the best shape," injured big man Kerry Hunter said afterwards. Kerry was highly involved on the bench, taking control of subsitutions, calling plays from the sidelines. "You could see us doing more standing late in the first half. We got back into it after the break. We will need to talk and move more because we will always be the smallest team on the floor."

Being small showed in the shooting percentage. The Mailmen only shot 36% from inside the three point line. Most of those shots coming within 5 feet of the basket.

"It's tough once we get to the key," Coach Hunter said, "we are small, we get banged up in there. Not a lot of clear shooting lanes once we get close. Brandon took some shots inside. We did well driving, we know we can't rely on the three point shot all the time. I liked what I saw, we had guys playing extended minutes tonight. We will take a W."

The Mailmen actually signed former player Ryan Stuver to a 10-day contract Saturday night in order to have bodies for rest. The team will look at his contract situation later and may sign him to a second 10-day contract this week. Johno Reminder should be back next week as should Michael Giardina, giving the team more depth. Kerry Hunter is still looking to be out at least 4 weeks, rehabbing his knee.

The schedule for the year will be released tomorrow and we will get a first look to see where the team sits division wise. Most analysts believe they will be slated in Division II again this year, as they came up short in the playoffs last year.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Welcome to Mailmen basketball!

So the NBA is in lockout mode...the BMRL, Brunswick Mens Rec Basketball League, is not.

The league will begin play, on schedule, this Sunday, November 20th.

As you can recall, the Reignmakers came up short in their goal of a championship last fall and decided to rename the team, in order to get a fresh start and new outlook this season.

The team also made a few roster changes, hopefully resulting in more wins and hopefully a championship run this season.

A few of the names from last year are returning. Jason Hunter (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Brandon Hunter (21.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Kerry Hunter (10.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Brent Hunter (17.3 ppg, 2 rpg), and Andy Kempf (2.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg). There have been changes however. After losing Ryan Stuver and Mike Petrilli to a switch in sports, Chad Dobson to a Michigan league, and Clintion Weigel to a contract dispute, the now "Mailmen", had to search for replacements.

Pat Cripple, Michael Giardina, and Johno Reminder are the new faces on the roster, all which bring different aspects to a team in need of varying dynamics.

Johno Reminder comes back after a year hiatus from the team. He brings more size and toughness inside and on the glass. Reminder was out of basketball last season while developing his skills overseas and has now found a place on the Mailmen's roster. Familiarity with Reminder's game, and his added size, were a big reason why Coach Jason Hunter decided to bring the big man back. "With Kerry out for about a month after knee surgery, Johno will step in with major minutes early in the season."

Michael Giardina will ultimately take Weigel's place in the lineup this year as a defensive hustler and slasher on the offensive end. "Mike brings a lot of things we like to the table," Coach Hunter said. "He thrives on the defensive side of the ball, playing passing lanes and pressuring the ball handler. We don't have a ton of quickness on that side of the ball and he brings that added dynamic to our roster." Giardina was signed after playing overseas basketball this past season.

Pat Cripple, or Crip, will be another addition with some size and athleticism being added to the team this year. Again with big man Kerry Hunter sidelined for some time after successful knee surgery and newly acquired Johno Reminder already scheduled to be out for the first preseason game, Crip will be thrown into the fire right away. The Mailmen are only listing 6 players on their roster for that first game, and we will get to see how Crip fits into the system on night number one.

The Mailmen will be playing PBR's Finest for their first preseason game. There is not much of a scouting report on Finest due to the fact they are a new team to the BMRL. After a dissapointing end to the season last year, the new-look Mailmen have their championship goal in mind.

Another report will be added later in the week with new player interviews and a look back at last year.

"It's basketball time...!"

Monday, June 20, 2011

New Name on Cavs Draft Board

My sources from around the world of basketball gave me some inside info on another player the Cavs could be looking at this Thursday when the draft takes place. Here's a look at a potential second-round choice...

From NBAdraft.net...

Player Profile:


Name - Jason Matthew Hunter
Age - 25
Position - G/F
Height - 6'0"
Weight - 170
Hometown - Twinsburg, Ohio
College & Leagues - Notre Dame College (Ohio), Brunswick Men's Rec Basketball League, Twinsburg Rec Basketball League

Ratings
Athleticism - 6
Size - 4
Defense - 6
Strength - 5
Quickness - 5
Leadership - 8
Jump Shot - 7
NBA Ready - 1
Ball Handling - 5
Potential - 6
Passing - 7
Intangibles - 8
Total - 68

2011 Mock - Undrafted Free Agent
Big Board - 8,875
Position Rank (SG) - 2,471

Career Highlights:
Averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Reignmakers in the 2010-2011 recreation season. Helping the team reach an 11-2 mark during the year. Scored a career high 16 points as a JV highschool player at Twinsburg High School where he played 3 positions (PG, SG, SF). Made 92 of 100 (48/50) free throws as a sophmore during practice. Was he best player on many rec teams before middle school and dunked a women's basketball his sophmore, freshman, or junior year of highschool (he can't recall the year).

Strengths:
Great knowledge of the game. Can easily follow an offensive and defensive gameplan. Good midrange game and three-point range. Can catch fire from deep. Great motor and can get to the basket when he believes in himself. Decent free throw tosser. Ability to make those around him better. Decent floor vision. Doesn't over dribble. Makes less gambles on defense, plays well within the zone format. A "locker room guy".

Weaknesses
Only average one on one defender. Slow first step. Small for his position and will struggle defensively against bigger opponents. Injury concerns on left knee. Can force bad shots and passes. Does not run the fast break with great efficiency. Very limited exposure. Did not play college basketball and may need to transition against elite talent. Streaky shooter who can go frigid at times.

Overall
Hit-or-miss prospect. Can be taught to fit into a system and will ultimately fill the role of a "shooter" on any team. Will need to be coached in several areas, but ultimately wants to learn and improve. Could be solid end of bench guy.

Could potentially be: Jason Kapono, Damon Jones, James Jones
Might end up being: Luke Jackson, Trajan Langdon, Matt Carrol


Keep an eye out for this name late Thursday night.




PS. Dear Dan Gilbert, I will put in my two weeks notice at Dick's Sporting Goods that night if you pull my name. Thanks, Jason Hunter

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Back to the Ordinary: Cleveland Cavs - 2 in top 4; Four picks overall

The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin to rebuild from the Lebron James fiasco this summer.

Having two picks in the top four of this years draft will aid that process.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have four draft picks this year, with the two big ones being at the top of the first round. Me being who I am, should let you know who I think they should draft...but there could be a couple of options.

Here's a few ways I look at the first round:

Option #1
Pick 1 - Kyrie Irving - PG, Duke
Pick 2 - Enes Kanter - C, Turkey

Everyone and their mother seems to have the Cavs picking Irving first, so I'll stick with that option here. Listen he seems to be dynamic. He can score, pass, drive...everything you want out of a point guard. Im guessing this means you either send away Baron Davis (unlikely) or Ramon Sessions (most likely), which I am not in great favor of due to Ramon's continuing improvement throughout the year. He came on strong a second time after Davis's trip to CTown, pushing Sessions to the bench. But Irving could easily be the Cavs point guard of the future and it'll be hard to pass that up.

Kanter should have played in the NCAA this year. But due to the fact he may have accepted money from a Turkish national team to play basketball he was deemed ineligible this past season. Kanter however, impressed everyone in a huge way at the Nike Hoop Summit. While playing for the internationals he racked up 34 points and 13 rebounds. The 34 points, thankfully, beat Dirk Nowitzki's point total from the 1998 game.

Kanter, like Irving, could be the Cavs center of the future. He's only 18 and he's huge, 6'11" 272 pounds. He's great on the glass and would be a great body to bring off the bench behind AV or even potentially start with Hickson playing the 4. But the NBA is getting faster, not bigger. Just by watching the NBA playoffs this year you can see that. There really isn't a dominant big man left in the playoffs this year, with only Tyson Chandler and Serge Ibaka being more defensive than offensive.

Option #2
Pick 1 - Kyrie Irving
Pick 2 - Derrick Williams, F Arizona

Irving, again, could go #1. I'm not entirely sold on him, yet. Being injured throughout his only season at Duke, he played only 11 games. Irving did post solid numbers (17.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 46% from 3, 52% from the field, over 90% FT)for the year, and had a huge 28 point game in their loss to Arizona in the NCAA tournament. But is that enough of a show to earn him as the Cavs point guard savior? Maybe.

Derrick Williams at #4? It could happen. With the TWolves and Jazz picking between the Cavaliers two picks, Williams could fall into the Cavs laps. Minnesota has Michael Beasley and drafted Wes Johnson last year at the forward spots. Both of whom are young guys and have the same type of game as Derrick Williams. Johnson didn't live quite to expectations, but was only a rookie last year. Beasley turned his game up after being traded from the Miami Heat. He averaged career bests in points per game (19.2), blocks (.7), assists (2.2), and minutes (32.3). He may be a scoring cornerstone in the Wolves offense to go along with Kevin Love. Having those two guys at the forward spot would push Williams name down to number 3 where....

...the Utah Jazz would pass him up. The Jazz have 6 forwards on their roster, three of whom were drafted last year (Jeremy Evans, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward). Paul Milsap, Andrei Kirilenko, and CJ Miles also fill the forward spot at Utah. Favors, Milsap, and AK47 easily take the meaningful minutes for the Jazz at the 4. Maybe Utah could try to swing Derrick Williams at the 3, but most scouts and teams see Williams as a 4 rather than a 3. So maybe Utah selects Jan Vesely or Kanter at number 3? It could happen.

Option #3
Pick 1 - Derrick Williams
Pick 2 - Kemba Walker, PG, UConn

Derrick Williams, like Irving/Kanter, could fall into the Cavs plans to be their power forward of the future. With many fans being up and down with JJ Hickson, me not being one of them (*side note - I see JJ Hickson being the future power forward for the Cavs), Williams could easily fit that role. My view, if you missed the parentheses statement, is the Williams an Hickson become a strong 1-2 punch at the forward spots. The Cavs could run a small defensive lineup with Williams and AV, then an offensive one with Williams and Hickson. Not sure how JJ would like being placed back on the bench, but with two young, explosive forwards, how could you go wrong?

Kemba Walker can do it all. We watched him take the University of Connecticut to the National Title this year (so you know he's a "winner" also a plus), averaging over 23 points and 4 assists per game. The boy can score and score in bunches. It's something that the Cavs need. The addition of Baron Davis last year showed us now nice it was to have someone who could creat their own shot everytime down the floor. We hadn't had someone like that all year and Kemba could be that guy. His range isn't great, but did I mention he can score? Shooting the three is something he could work on, as well as his point guard skills, but the idea of him and Baron Davis breaking down defenses on a nightly basis is a nice vision to have.

Option #4
Pick 1 - Derrick Williams
Pick 2 - Brandon Knight, PG Kentucky

Williams again at the top spot. Another guy who can create his own shot and will give the Cavs more fury underneath. I don't see him as huge "banger", but pairing him with AV underneath would give the Cavs a lot of strength. I could see Williams getting under the skin of opposing players, playing tight defense, being physical. It's something the Cavs lack, especially when Varejao was lost to an injury.

Brandon Knight has been scouted to having more "upside" than Kemba Walker. Knight is also bigger on both accounts than Walker (6'3" - 185 pounds to 6'0" - 172 pounds). Being bigger will help Knight on the defensive end, where Walker doesn't exactly shine. Knight can also score, maybe not with the same power as Walker, but Knight averaged over 17 points and 4 assists. He also shoots better than Walker from three (37%). Once again having to choose from Knight and Walker is a good problem for the Cavs to have, but you still want to get the career guy out of the two.

If I had full control of the Cavs office during draft night I would take Option #4. I think Baron Davis, coming off a fresh summer to get healthy, could be the Cavs starting point guard next year. And I like Sessions. I know a lot of fans might not agree with me (Kyle Knapik), but he showed a lot of character stepping up for a Cavs team with no legit star or legit scorer. Brandon Knight would come into play the year after Davis left or was traded. I like Knight's defensive ability over Walker's and him being the bigger guard gives him an advantage over Kemba on that end as well.

The Cavs will not be winners next year, but they will be better. I would try Derrick Williams in spurts at the 3, but I don't think that is where he will ultimately end up on the roster. Williams could be groomed into a superstar power forward. Hickson could grow right along with him.

All of this talk at the forward spot and no mention of Antawn Jamison? Sure I think Jamison could come back and be a 15 plus point scorer again for the Cavs, but I hope he plays well enough for the Cavs to trade him around the trade deadline. The Cavs need to get younger and Jamison could bring in another draft pick late in the season from a team who needs a veteran scorer. I don't see Jamison in the Cavs future, for long, which is why I left him out in most of this write-up.

I don't want to forget about the Cavs two picks in the second round either, but I think the top two are obviously much more significant. But the two picks in the second round I would look at names such as Jeremy Tyler, E-Twuan Moore, DeAndre Liggins, or Jon Leuer. Tyler is extremely raw, but extremely young and talented inside. Moore and Liggins could potentially be scoring pieces at the guard spots off the bench and Leuer could become that coveted "stretch 4" and give the Cavs another three point threat.

The Cavs have a great problem in the 2011 draft. Any combo of Irving/Kanter/Williams/Knight/Walker would please me, with Williams and Knight being at the top of my list. The Cavaliers will improve next year, but should still be picking in the top 10 next year with the likes of Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, Austin Rivers, Jarred Sullinger, John Henson and Terrance Jones all potentially being there. The draft next year should provide more big names for the Cavs to choose from, making them even younger and more dynamic for the years to follow.

Saddle up Cavs fans, it's going to be exciting 2011-2012.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Reignmakers season ends, fall to Fancus.

They had their worst game, best game, and now their final game of the season in the playoffs this year.

After they gave the Kings everything they had (Andy Kempf career high 14 points, 7 rebounds - Brandon Hunter 26 points, 9 rebounds - Kerry Hunter 14 points, 12 rebounds - 47% shooting from field - 67-45 win), the Reignmakers came up short, literally, against Fighting Fancus for the second time this year.

It will be the final time this season.

With only one player on their roster shorter than anyone on the Reignmakers, Fancus hurt the good guys on the offensive and defensive ends. Nothing came easy for the Reignmakers. They combined for only 16 two-point shots, showing that the path to the basket was clogged time after time. Only making three of those 16 shots (19%) shows they failed to shoot a high percentage when they did make it into the lane.

The Reignmakers felt better shooting the three (31%) and took them 26 times. But a sub-par shooting effort all around felled the Reignmakers as they will head home with the playoffs still rolling.

"Their height bothered us. It bothered us last time we played them," Coach Jason Hunter said after the game; his eyes facing down, towel over the head in the locker room. "We try not to make excuses, I had a chance to hit some big three's and missed. We all just seemed to miss our chance. It sucks. It hurts."

Not everyone missed. Without Clinton Weigel's three three's, the Reignmakers probably lose by double-digits. Not known for his shooting touch, Weigel, who is easily the Reignmakers quickest team member, hit on 6 of 8 threes he took all season. His hustle on defense is the main reason the team signed him this year.

"I just play my part," he said afterwards, "I know they wanted me here to run, play good D and just do what I do. Its a bonus for everyone if Im hitting shots. We just didn't hit enough of them tonight."

The Reignmakers fell behind early. Jason's two free throws near the end of the second half made it a 12 point game, 25-13, where you could already see how much of a battle it would be for the Reignmakers to deal with Fancus's size. Kerry Hunter had no rebounds in the first half, one total for the game. The team had a low 23 rebound total and only managed two free throws all game.

"We can only do so much physically, with our height," Kerry told the media at the press conference, "did we think we deserved more calls underneath? Absolutely. Who doesn't? Hitting the glass is something you need to do as a unit. We did that better in the second half, getting bodies on people, we just didn't have it tonight."

The Reignmakers started off on run in the second half and even lead for the first time since the 3-0 score at the beginning of the game, 34-32. Weigel hit his third three to give the Reignmakers a lead, but the team failed to score within the last couple minutes and Fancus hit their free throws.

"It was great to see us battle back. We are a second half team, thats where we have made our runs all year," Brandon Hunter (10 points, 9 rebounds) said. "We just couldn't finish. We did our best, we will be hungry next year. No one gave us a shot. I'm not even sure we gave us a shot. We know how good we are now, we want to win it all. Thats what we are here for."

---

In Reignmakers headquarters news, the team is looking hard into signing guard Michael Giardina this coming season. The guards season overseas has come to and end and he has made his way back into the States looking to continue his career here again. It was being reported that him and his agent have met with the team, but no concrete measures have been made as of yet.

---

Brent Hunter is another name you might be seeing more next season. The forward played in just three games this year for the Reignmakers, but averaged just over 17 points and 6 rebounds for the club. Brent would look to be entered into the starting lineup, pushing Coach Jason Hunter back to his original sixth-man spot, giving the bench more scoring power.

---

The Reignmakers are now also in talks about a name change this coming season as well, as well as new team colors. The team was looking to make a push for the change especially if they did not win a championship this year.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Reignmakers win in Defensive Battle

After a forfeit win in the second playoff game, the Reignmakers moved onward in the bottom half of the bracket against Buckeye Super Wash tonight.

After coming out firing the first 5 minutes, hitting on four three pointers and leading 12-2, the team only scored 22 points the rest of the way.

Seemingly a recipe for disaster, the Reignmakers eeked out a 34-33 win.

It was a battle won on the defensive end and on the glass. The Reignmakers did not give anything away inside and made it tough for Buckeye to score layups or get second chance points.

Only playing with 6 guys because of injuries and illness, the Reignmakers man-ed up inside and played bigger than they were. Brandon Hunter led the team on the other end and hit the go-ahead three and tipped a key pass late, which Ryan Stuver gobbled up to end the game.

The good guys led 34-33 with over a minute left and stopped Buckeye on five seperate occasions on the defensive end. The zone never broke and the inside stayed strong, helping the Reignmakers pull out a victory.

They will play next week on Monday versus Kings, who they defeated by 20 in the regular season.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Reignmakers Falter After First Round Bye

After an improbable regular season where the Reignmakers finished 10-1 securing a first round bye in the playoffs, everything looked good heading into the post season.

But alas, is was not meant to be.

After a two week hiatus from basketball, the Reignmakers struggled on the offensive end and it cost them the game, mustering only 47 points and losing to Sidelines.

The Reignmakers shot only 21% from three and 29% from two and had one of their lowest rebound totals, 26, of the season. Leading scorers Jason and Brandon Hunter combined 3/19 from beyond the arc, and without a scoring punch, the Reignmakers needed better play on the defensive end.

They failed on that regard as well. Sidelines had two players hit from deep time after time and decimated the 2-3 zone that has worked so well this season.

A long layoff seems to be the downfall of the Reignmakers season. Their only loss of the regular season came off of a week long wait against Fighting Fancus, and the team also struggled in a win after another week layoff a few weeks later. But the two weeks seemed to have got the better of them this time.

"We failed on both ends of the floor," veteran Kerry Hunter said after, "We didn't hit our shots, we didn't play defense. We can't blame the time off, we have to be ready.

The Reignmakers were also struggling with their manpower as well. Coach Jason Hunter had been battling the flu and wisdom tooth issues the past week, Clinton Weigel has a possible broken thumb on his shooting hand, Kerry Hunter is still working through his bad back, and Mike Petrilli was also battling and illness that him and Jason seem to share.

"No excuses. We can't make excuses. There is no tomorrow after Sundays game," Coach Hunter replied when asked about his mid-game blowup Monday night. "They had two guys killing us. I was frustrated, we couldn't score, I couldn't score. There isn't much we could do when they have guys on fire like that. We picked a bad night to have a terrible game offensively."

The Reignmakers will play Your Carpenter on Sunday in the lower half of the playoff bracket. A loss will eliminate either team from the playoffs. The road to the championship does not get any easier with that in mind and the Reignmakers will now have to win two games in a row, if they get that far, in the championship game to win it all.

The Reignmakers were awarded a forfeit win against Your Carpenter in the final game of the regular season when the team did not show.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

No Deals Done for the Reignmakers

As the trade deadline loomed for the NBA, the Reignmakers were working the phones as well for the BRBL. But not as hard as others.

The Reignmakers were looking to see if they could add another big man, with the team being unsure of how long Kerry Hunter was going to be out for in the playoffs.

"We looked at a few possibilities, we weren't really thiking we would be in this position as the season progressed. But when our big man went down, you have to look," Coach Jason Hunter said.

As stated before, the team was not looking too hard at making any big moves, but they did put some feelers out. They did dangle a couple of future draft picks it was reported, but only got lukewarm interest from a handful of clubs.

The team also put calls out to the agent of ex-NBA'er Raef LaFrentz, but nothing came to fruition.

"We have faith in this team, this organization," top scorer Brandon Hunter said, "we know we have what it takes on this roster to win a championship. We want to do that not only for us, not only for our fans, but for the doubters. Mostly for them."

Monday, February 21, 2011

Regular Season Review

The Reignmakers ended their regular season with a forfeit win over Your Carpenter. The team ends their season with a 10-1 record which placed them 2nd overall in Division II.

The Reignmakers will get a first round bye in the upcoming playoffs. They will play the winner of Sidelines and Shawn Kemps Kids, both who were beaten by the Reignmakers during the regular season.

The long break may give the team a chance to recover from various injuries that plagued them over the last few weeks. Kerry Hunter will get more time to heal from his bad back, Chad Dobson, who injured his wrist in the final true game of the season, will have two weeks, and Clinton Weigel coming off of heart surgery, will all benefit from the hiatus from the hardwood.

---

Here is a look at some regular season highlights from the year:

Jason Hunter
11.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg
34% from 3

Brandon Hunter
22 ppg, 8.3 rpg
264 total pts, 100 total reb
41% from 2

Brent Hunter
17.3 ppg, 2 rpg

Kerry Hunter
10.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg
112 total points, 84 total reb
55% from 2, 76% FT

Chad Dobson
.3 ppg, .9 rpg

Andy Kempf
2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
40% from 3

Mike Petrilli
4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Clinton Weigel
4.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg
53% from 2, 60% from 3, 54% FG

Ryan Stuver
1.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Team Stats
43% FG, 33% 3P, 38% FG, 63% FT
57.4 ppg, 33.8 rpg

---

Monday, February 14, 2011

Injury Update

The Reignmakers will be without big man Kerry Hunter and energetic Clinton Weigel again for tonights game.

Hunter is still nursing a back injury and Weigel, who had minor heart surgery (as minor as heart surgery can be), is still recovering as well.

The Reignmakers will likely start both Hunter brothers, Andy Kempf, Mike Petrilli, and Ryan Stuver.

The final regular season game will be tonight at the Brunswick Rec Center. Tip off is set for 6:30 EST.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

No Center? No Problem

The only thing that the Reignmakers seemed to miss with Kerry Hunter on the bench with a back injury was the jump ball.

Everything else went smoothly.

The Reignmakers grabbed a season best 55 rebounds and had four players in the double digits rebounds on the night as they found another way to win, 51-41, against Buckeye Superwash.

Brandon Hunter, Jason Hunter, Andy Kempf, and Ryan Stuver all picked up the slack underneath as they had 13, 14, 10, and 14 rebounds respectively. Brandon and Andy tied season highs, while Jason and Stuver bested theirs.

"We all knew the areas in which we had to step up with our big guy out tonight," Ryan Stuver said afterward. "It was good to see the team effort on the boards."

The shots were not exactly falling for the second night in a row. The game as actually still tied at zero after about five minutes in the first half, but the Reignmakers found the bucket and lead 21-12 at the half. Those 12 points being the least given up in one half by the team this year.

The second half was more of the same, but Buckeye made a run early when the 2-3 zone started to break down.

"There one guy had a bunch of shots in the lane, easy shots," Coach Hunter commented later, "for the first time this whole year we actually saw our defense break down because we got tired, only having 6 guys dressed tonight."

Clinton Weigel was also missing from the lineup after heart surgery and the team does not have a time table for his return.

But with subsitutions down the stretch, the Reignmakers kept their composure and finished off strong. The team only managed two free throws all night, both misses, but kept battling underneath even if the calls were not going their way.

Brandon Hunter lead the way on the offensive end making good on 5 of 10 from two point range (22 points). Jason Hunter (13 points) got to the basket more and Mike Petrilli (12 points) kept his hot hand from three as he connected on all four of his attempts from deep. Stuver (2 points) and Kempf (2 points) found holes behind the zone while Chad Dobson played the most minutes of his year and took his defense to heart. He attacked the rim on the other end and was the sole free throw taker on the night.

The Reignmakers final matchup of the regular season is next Monday against Your Carpenter. The team will then have a week to rest as the playoff tree is created and seeded. Another win should help the Reignmakers climb to either number one or two in the seeding, which would give them a great path in the playoffs.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Crashi...errr...Smashing OT Victory

A car accident two days before? That didn't hinder the Reignmakers performance this past week versus Skully Jaxx, who was slated as one of the "teams to beat" at the beginning of the year, 52-48 in overtime.

The first overtime game for the Reignmakers went as good as it could have. The good guys outscored the visitors 7-3 in the extra period to take home the win.

The outcome looked far different after the first few minutes of the game. Behind 20-8 early in the first half, Coach Jason Hunter made a rare decision, the first of the year, to call a timeout from the bench.

The timeout seemed to work. After the first half, the Reignmakers only trailed by eight, 31-23. The team continued their brilliance in the second half and had the game tied at 45.

The usual suspects struggled for the most part throughout the game. Brandon Hunter only hit on one of his three point attempts (1 of 15) and had only 11 points total. Jason Hunter only had 8 points and one rebound, but hit the game tying three pointer to send the game into overtime, and hit two big free throws in overtime to push the lead to four.

Everyone else put up the numbers where the two leading scorers could not. Kerry Hunter grabbed 8 rebounds and had a game and season high 20 points. The big man seemed to find the areas behind Skully Jaxx's 2-3 zone and had layup after layup (8 of 11). He also connected on four of five from the foul line.

Mike Petrilli finally found his stroke. After shooting only 26% from beyond the arc this year, he connected on three big threes, six taken total, and gave the Reignmakers a huge boost in both halfs, and the overtime (9 points, 7 rebounds).

Andy Kempf found his niche on the glass and grabbed a season high 10 on the night. The second chance points were down for Skully Jaxx as the Reignmakers gobbled up 40 rebounds on the night, a team high.

Ryan Stuver (2 points, 3 rebounds) contributed on the glass and on defense and Clintion Weigel (4 rebounds) kept up the energy on both ends with a couple steals and penetration on the other end.

A win like this over a top team is a great boost to the Reignmakers morale heading into the post season. With only two games left, they have easily played the top competition this past week.

"It's a huge win, definitely our best win of the year." Coach Hunter said after the game. "To be behind that early, to battle back, to make it to overtime, and then to win...we were never tested in that way this year. It was great. We are riding a high and need to keep it going through the next two games. We can't relax."

"We definitely have a target on our backs now, we have to," Andy Kempf followed up.

"We like this view from the top."

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Reignmakers Involved in Car Accident

News coming in from Reignmaker camp and the surrounding city of Cleveland is that six players from the Reignmaker team were involved in a three car accident late last night in Cleveland, Ohio.

Coach Jason Hunter, Brandon Hunter, Chad Dobson, Ryan Stuver, Andy Kempf, and Mike Petrilli were all involved in tha accident around 11:30 last night heading towards Cleveland. No one was seriously injured.

The Reignmakers organization released a statement to the press:

All six memebers of the team have been checked and released with only Coach Hunter suffering minor cuts and bruises. The events were as follows: Jason and Chad Dobson's taxi was struck by a vehicle running a red light through an intersection. The car being driven by Ryan Stuver, carrying Brandon Hunter, Andy Kempf, and Mike Petrilli then struck the taxi as well, being unable to stop, as the taxi spun in the intersection. Charges were not filed against any of the Reignmaker players and we are happy to report that all that were involved were not injured and will be suited up for this weeks game against Skully Jaxx.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A Different Game - Same Outcome

The Reignmakers improved their record this past week after defeating Firehouse 49-43.

It was the lowest scoring game of the Reignmakers season and probably the most different of all the games this year.

The Reignmakers only totaled 50 shots, not including free throws, which was the lowest of the season as well. By far the biggest team the good guys have face, Firehouse made it difficult to get the buckets inside, which led the Reignmakers to shoot nearly as many three's, 23, as they did two's, 27.

Firehouses's height and girth inside also showed up in the stat column as the team only shot 30% from inside the arc, while shooting 35% from beyond it. The Reignmakers capitalized on free throw attempts however, hitting nine (60%).

The Reignmakers were once again led by scorer Brandon Hunter (24 points) and sixth man Jason Hunter (12 points, 3/4 free throws), who got the start as the Reignmakers only dressed six men.

Firehouse put up another unique challenge by being the tallest and heaviest team that the Reignmakers had seen this year. The rebounding total of only 18 for the home team, shows this once again in the stat book.

"It was hard on us, even with a good zone defense," Coach Jason Hunter said afterward, "even with a good first defense, their big guys would rumble inside and could just out reach us. Me and Mike struggled keeping them away from the paint up top as well, we could've done a better job at that."

Kerry Hunter was the only one who seemed to have any effect on the glass as he grabbed a solid 7 rebounds. But the big man was held scoreless from the floor for the first time all year. He did score from the line however, hitting five of seven free throws.

The seasons final three games may be the toughest road the Reignmakers face yet. Skully Jaxx, winners of the 2009-2010 league come up next. They had a 5-2 record of this writing, but score the second most points in the league behind the Reignmakers. They follow up that game with Buckeye Super Wash (4-3) and Your Carpenter (3-4). A good run into the playoffs would be a great momentum swing heading towards post season.

"One game at a time," Mike Petrilli said during a call yesterday, "we have our eyes set on our next opponent and we have to play better next week if we want a chance to go 3-0 the rest of the way."

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Reignmakers: A Global Organization

Some of you may not know that the Reignmakers are not only a Brunswick Men's League basketball team, but have affiliates in the WRBA (Women's Rec Basketball Association), RDBL (Rec Developmental Basketball League), and even have players reaching out overseas.

We have kept you up to date on the Reignmakers season, 8-1 atop the division leader board, but there are other areas of which we have yet to cover. Mainly the RMaker Ladies and other players who have contracts under the Reignmakers organization.

We have briefly mentioned Brent Hunter, playing for the Reignmakers D-League affiliate, The Driving Drizzle.

The Drizzle have recently made it to the second round of the playoffs with Brent Hunter leading the way. Hunter finished second in the MVP voting, while averaging 23 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 block per game. He is currently making his mark in the playoffs by scoring game high's of 33, 37, and 42 in consecutive playoff games. A playoff MVP is definitely in the bag as long as Hunter can carry his team to the D-League Championship next week in Austin, Texas.

-----

The RMaker Ladies, coached by former D-Leaguer Kyle Knapik, are in their first year of exsistance in the WRBA. Knapik, a former Drizzle player, averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in six seasons in the Developmental League and played five games with the big boys during his last of those six years. He retired early and was quickly involved in the team's management and high brass. He was never the greatest player on the floor, but was most certainly the brightest, which helped him to quickly rise the ranks in the Reignmaker organization.

Knapik petition the WRBA and the Reignmakers themselves to organize a women's team, one which he wanted to coach himself. Within two years and company approval, the Lady RMakers are already seeing success in their short tenure. The team currently sits at 4-7 after starting the year losing five straight games. Knapik's coaching style, much like Jason Hunter's style with the Reignmakers, involves and up-tempo attack on offense and defense.

"We will be the most conditioned...well we are the most conditioned team in the league I believe," Knapik said in a phone interview yesterday. "We have some great talent. Ladies who want to work, who want to run...and that's what we do."

The Lady RMakers are lead by a grouping of four ladies, who gather most of the minutes per night. The remainder of the team has consisted of women's D-Leaguers on most nights and has even had the team only dressing 4 players on one night.

The four-way tadem of Jenny Rohn, Ashley Bukach, Kathy Higgins, and Maegen Sands combines for about 60 points a night, on every given night. Here is a look at some season stats:

Jenny Rohn, G
12 ppg, 7.8 assist-g, 87% FT

Ashley Bukach F
16.3 ppg, 4.5 assist-g, 5.4 reb-g, 43% 3P

Kathy Higgins G/F
13.3 ppg, 4 assist-g, 4 reb-g, 50% FG%

Maegen Sands G/F
15.8 ppg, 3 assist-g, 1.8 steals-g, 44% 3P

The ladies work hard every night and have begun a season turnaround as the playoffs are not out of the question.

"We are young and hungry now after winning our last three...four out of five," Coach Knapik said, "With an organization such as the one we are in, it can only be better things to come."

-----

The final link in the Reignmakers organization come from across the sea, on the other side of the world, in the Middle East.

Michael Giardina is currently playing overseas in Afghanistan for the US Division 67 team in the World Classic Basketball Champions League.

Michael was signed to a new "diplomatic contract" three seasons ago ($3 million over four years), which actually does not affect the Reignmakers salary cap here in the States. As long as Giardina is playing overseas, he earns his contract tax-free along with being eligible to return to the team at any time.

Giardina is currently averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals a game for Division 67 in his "sixth-man" role off the bench. He was awarded "Player of the Week" honors after he rolled off two 15 point games in a back-to-back, and recorded a triple-double (the first in the young Champions League) after grabbing 10 rebounds and having 10 steals.

Giardina will soon return home and may be quite an addition come summer if the Reignmakers choose to play consecutive seasons.

"I've played with Mike and what he brings in defensive intensity, on the glass, and all-around effort is second to none," Coach Hunter said. "We would definitely welcome him with open arms if the team had him back. Any time you get another stopper like him...it's a good thing."

-----

In Reignmakers news, the team plays this Monday night, 8:50 start time, against the 1-6 Firehouse. The team may be without Jason Hunter as he attends to a family issue, but they hope to have him suited up throughout the night.

Brandon Hunter also surpased the 200 point total after last weeks 25 points, as he currently stands at 207 points. He is also only 22 rebounds away from 100.

Kerry Hunter, 87 points - 69 rebounds, and Jason Hunter, 99 points, are next in line to reach statistical milestones.

The team has totaled 536 points (59.6/game) and 293 rebounds (32.6/game) this year.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Another Week Off

The Reignmakers have another week off after another win last week versus Sidelines.

The game once again took a turn in the second half where the good guys seem to make the opposition pay with the up-tempo style that they run.

"It seems to be where we play our best basketball," Coach Jason Hunter said afterwards. "We wear our opponents down in the first half. The game is usually close, but we can pull away by continuing to run and gun and step up our defensive intensity on the other end."

A couple of solid games from leading scorer Brandon Hunter (25 points, season high 15 rebounds) and veteran big man Kerry Hunter (17 points, 7 rebounds), who may of had his best game of the year. Kerry hit all five of his free throws and missed on only one attempt from the inside three point range, going five of six.

The Reignmakers shot a season high in free throws, 14, and also made a season high, 10. It was something that helped the offense down the stretch as the team only shot 23% (5/22) from three point range.

Everyone added their own mark to the game. Jason Hunter (9 points, 3 rebounds) came off the bench for the second week in a row and hit two straight three pointers. Andy Kempf (1 rebound) battled inside against the once again taller opposition and had a huge momentum swinging tip to Kerry for a bucket. Mike Petrilli (4 rebounds) grabbed a key late rebound inside while being the smallest man on the floor. Clinton Weigel (2 points, 2 rebounds) got to the basket with a late second half bucket to move the lead to double digits. And Chad Dobson (2 points) finally got off the schnide offensively and hit a bank shot from the corner.

The game, as stated earlier, followed the Reignmakers season to a tee. A close first half, followed by outscoring the opponent the rest of the way. The team has off this week due to the holiday but will be back next week on Monday when they face off against Firehouse who was 1-6 as of this writing.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Half-Way Point

Here's a look at some statistics from the Reignmaker season so far. We are at the halfway point and the team is riding high on a 5-1 record...

Team Stats (8 games total)
60.1 points per game
32.6 rebounds/game
115/266 field goals (43%)
67/118 3-point field goals (35%)
50/80 free throws (63%)
182/455 total field goals (40%)

Individual Highlights
Jason Hunter
11.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
16/37 fg (43%)
18/49 3p (37%)

Brandon Hunter
22.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg
29/77 fg (38%)
33/84 3p (39%)
25/33 ft (76%)
8 points away from 200 total

Brent Hunter (3 games)
17.3 ppg, 6 rpg
20/30 fg (67%)

Kerry Hunter
8.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg
25/46 fg (54%)
15/22 ft (68%)

Chad Dobson (5 games)
1.2 rpg

Andy Kempf (6 games)
2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
2/2 3p (100%)

Mike Petrilli (7 games)
3.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Clinton Weigel
5.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
15/24 fg (63%)
3/4 3p (75%)

Ryan Stuver (6 games)
1.3 ppg, 3 rpg

Winded and Winning

The only problem the two week layoff had on the Reignmakers was in their cardiovascular fitness.

It affected the Dream Team more however as the good guys rolled to a 74-51 victory, in a game that blew up in the second half.

With a different look in the starting lineup and having captain Jason Hunter come off the bench for more of a scoring punch, the Reignmakers battled with the Dream Team 34-31 at the half.

Play was dictated by a more physical presence and getting to the basket. For the first time this year, the Reignmakers Kerry Hunter was the tallest man on the floor.

"It was a confidence booster right off the bat," Coach Jason Hunter said after the game, "Starting off the game knowing you have the biggest man out there, it makes it easier defensively. A couple of us got a little lazy on the defensive end, the layoff hurt us in the lung capacity department tonight, but we kept getting to the hoop. It was good to see Brent have a huge game after his underwhelming last game. We needed that punch from him tonight."

Brent Hunter was huge. He was more aggressive in taking the ball to the basket and it showed in his shooting percentage. He was 12 of 16 from the floor total and only three of his shots (one made) came from the outside. He added two free throws to boot. Getting his second call-up in two games he finished with 27 points leading the Reignmakers on that end.

Jason and his other brother Brandon combined for 28 points (14 a piece) and Jason made all three of his attempts from deep. It looked smooth everytime he seemed to release the ball.

"I felt it. It felt good. It's a great feeling to know when you release the ball it has a great chance of going in. When everyone else is hitting shots, it makes it easier for them to come to you," Hunter said after the game.

The Reignmakers were hitting their shots. The team combined for a 55% shooting night from the field and 47% from deep. Ryan Stuver bested his season scoring margin with four points on 100% shooting, Kerry Hunter (9 rebounds) went 4 for 8 on the night, and Mike Petrilli got into the key offensively which led to open looks from the outside..

Some winded defensive efforts led to some movement in the middle of the 2-3 zone, but the Reignmakers collapsed and forced tough shots and contested threes for all of the second half, which is where they usually put teams away. Clintion Weigel and Andy Kempf provided more hustle on defense and strength in the zone, which allowed the big men underneath to grab defensive rebound after rebound.

It was a great rebound win for the Reignmakers after the loss to Fighting Fancus two weeks earlier. With the team coming into the season looking to survive around .500 ball, the way the team has jelled as a unit is a promising site going into the second half of the season.

"It's the best shooting team I've been a part of," Coach Hunter said during the local radio interview. "As crazy as that sounds to me...I mean there is no way you could have told me at the beginning of the year that this group would be the best offensive team I have ever been on. It's incredible, it has to continue."

If there was a negative going forward it's that Brent Hunter may of played his last game for the Reignmakers. He was sent back to the developmental league yesterday and is looking to continue his dominance down there. The team has already used its three-time call-up rule on Brent and it is highly unlikely he will get another chance. The only way he would be allowed back is if an injury became of one roster member on the full-time Reignmakers squad.

"It looks good for the future," big man Kerry Hunter was quoted, "I am not sure how much longer I have here and Brent will bring some more length to this team when I'm gone. It's good to see him play well tonight."

The Reignmakers will get back on the Monday schedule next week when they face the Sidelines team, which was 1-3 as of this writing.