Monday, December 2, 2013

Long Range Shooting Woes Continue in Biggest Loss of the Year

January 31; February 7; March 27. 2011. The reason those dates are important is that you have to go back that far in Highlight Reels history to find a stretch of games where the team has shot as poorly as it has the past few this season. Oh how the past haunts us. In those three games (one game skipped due to a forfeit/no-show by the opposition), captain Jason Hunter was 4 of 24 (16%) from three point range; not to be outdone, his younger counterpart Brandon Hunter took 40 three point shots and only connected on 9 of those (23%). In their defense, the offense was nearly totally dependent on how both brothers shot on a night and night basis. They did have a younger, more agile Kerry Hunter underneath, but now heavy-rebounder Andy Kempf was in his infancy as a basketball player and the team relied on many free agents who are no longer in the league. Fast forward to this season. The Human Highlight Reels got out to a snail-like 15-2 deficit this past Sunday to Powerstrokes and the game was never close again, falling 94-79 against an opponent they are 1-2 against now over the past few months. The offense is abysmal and that is putting it lightly. Couple that with an opposing team that connected on 18 three points, most of which did not seem to even hit the rim and you have a recipe for a poor outing. In the past three games, the Brothers Hunter are shooting a combined 8 of 53 from the three point arc, a pleasant 15%. The team, in turn, has shot better...but not by much...by hitting a blazing 18% of their three point attempts or 6 of 33. Before their 79 point effort last night the good guys (or bad guys, depending on how you look at it) have only managed 83 points over the past two games. If you take the 15 or so points scored in basic garbage time this past week, the team has averaged less than 50 points for three games, well below their near 63.9 points they were averaging in the fall. So what happened? Right now there is no true indicator on what has befallen the Reels shooters. Everyone on the roster is shooting below their three point mark from the fall season, except Kyle Komer who had added five percentage points to his 33% mark from the fall (38%) and Andy Kempf who only attempted one three ball in the fall but made one of the three he has taken this season. Chuck Caldwell is hitting the same amount of three's at 23%. Here is a look at the roster and their percentages from the fall in (-) and their winter league percentage: Brandon Hunter - (26%) - 23% Jason Hunter - (38%) - 22% Andy Kempf - (0%) - 33% Kyle Komer - (33%) - 38% Alex Yablonsky - (29%) - 0% (0/8) Chuck Caldwell - (23%) - 23% Justin Woo - (31%) - 8% TEAM TOTALS - (28%) - 21% It is far from pretty. You could argue that the team did not shoot that well from deep during the fall season (which they did not); and if that is the case, what do we call the winter so far? There IS, believe it or not, some good things to take away from the past few games however. Andy Kempf has turned into a rebounding machine and possibly posting his best three-game stretch of his career. Kempf led the team in rebounding for three straight nights, totaling 15, 10 and 14 to help his season average at around 14.4 per game. He has also pushed his scoring total near 10 (9.4), doubling his output on the offensive output from the fall and from his career average of 4.2 per game. Despite the losses piling up, Kempf seems to be shining. The Reels also have put in a generally good game from everywhere else on the floor as well. The team is shooting 45% from the field inside the three point line and even the sour shooting Hunter brothers combine for a near team average of 44% (18/41). The team has also rebounded from some poor free throw shooting at the beginning of the season and has hit 15 of their past 20 attempts from there, much better than their 52% mark this season and also better than their 72% mark during the fall. So what do we take from this? Despite the poor shooting, especially in the last game, the team has been able to eek out one win in the three games. If not for a beyond red-hot shooting opposition in this past week’s game, the good guys may had been looking at a close game and even a win Sunday. Good shooters will find their stroke; great shooters will shoot out of slumps and get hot. We would take consistent right now.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ugly Game Results in Victory

The Human Highlight Reels followed up a loss in their final preseason game with a win, albeit an ugly one, against Uncle Drew. Stating that the game was an ugly one may be putting it lightly. The Hunter brothers, who are combining to score just over 30 points a game, shot 1 of 17 from three point range (6%) and could only manage 5 of 14 baskets from everywhere else on the floor (36%). Jason Hunter also missed his two free throw attempts. The brothers totaled only 13 points in the teams mere 40 point output. Other sour notes include the missed layups. There were many baskets within five feet that just did not seem to roll the right direction most of the night. Big man Alex Yablonsky, playing in his first game of the winter season, was shaking off the rust all evening. He was only 1 of 7 from the floor, 2 of 8 from the line, but did grab 11 rebounds, a few coming from his own back to back misses. Chuck Caldwell did hit two three points, which doubled the teams total. He added six more points and two rebounds. Also, veteran big man Kerry Hunter scored four points and picked up two rebounds in limited minutes. The bright spot came from energy-guy Andy Kempf. Kempf has not lost a step from the preseason as he scored 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting from the floor and also had a team high 15 rebounds. Kempf is averaging 16 rebounds on the year, which is his best mark of his career in the organization. Kempf is playing on a contract year and is truly looking worth the money he will likely receive this off season. The teams schedule was not posted as of this writing.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Offensive Explosion as the HHR Win First Preseason Matchup

A 73-46 victory over Team Yeungling in their first preseason game is a great to start off the winter league in the BMRBL. Four out of the five players scored in double figures and three players grabbed 10 or more rebounds. Two of the previously mentioned players locked up their first double-doubles of the year. The team was led by captain Jason Hunter who maintained his strong shooting performance from the fall season. Hunter was three of six from deep and made his first six of seven shots, mostly easy lay-ups set up by dribble drives and movement under the basket. Hunter hit on 7 of 12 shots from inside the arc and also grabbed six rebounds. Team Yeungling closed the gap to 8 points with about 10:22 in the second half, but the Human Highlight Reels never looked back after a timeout. Brandon Hunter and Andy Kempf recorded their first double-doubles of the winter season. Hunter went for 18 and 14 (three-three pointers, field goals, and free throws), Kempf went big on the glass totaling a year high 23 rebounds and made six of the 10 shots he took from the field. Kyle Komer was the other Reel to score in double figures as he totaled 12 points on the night. Komer was instrumental in a lot of easy baskets for the good guys on offense and pestered Team Yeungling on the defensive side of the ball. Big man Justin Woo missed a double-double and a double figure scoring night by just one bucket of any kind. Woo grabbed 10 boards and scored nine points on four of 12 shooting from the field. The next preseason game has yet to be scheduled as of this writing. The HHR will look to continue their winning ways next week in the second and final preseason game.

Friday, November 1, 2013

The HHR Fare Well in Round Robin Tournament

Heading into the Round Robin Tournament of the fall league, the Highlight Reels sat at a .500 record going 3-3 during the regular season. The team really seemed to turn the corner however over the past two weeks, posting two wins against teams they lost to previously in the season. A 68-47 win over M-Town in game one of the round robin was lead by Brandon Hunter, who may have had his best game of the shortened fall season. The middle Hunter shot 58% from the floor (11/19) and hit on all three of his free throws for 28 points, pacing the HHR. Hunter had his best shooting season from two point range this year, shooting over 60% (63%) on the year. His previous best was the 41% shooting from two point range back in 2011-12 for the Mailmen. One area he also improved over the past two games was his three point shooting. Going six of fifteen over the last two contests (40%), pushed his season percentage up to 26 on the year, but the strong performances over the past two games will likely carry into the winter league. His best season from beyond the arc also came in 2011-12, posting a 33% mark. Kyle Komer, who had been absent during one of the earlier year losses, also stepped up during the win over M-Town. Komer ran the ball offense efficiently and had 11 points on five of seven shooting from the floor. He led a defense that held M-Town to only six point in the second half. The teams starting point guard shot 48% from the floor during the fall season and averaged just a touch over eight points a game (8.3). A third player that is seeming to find himself during the victories over M-Town and Powerstrokes was big man Andy Kempf, who posted 26 rebounds in those two games. Kempf has come a long way from his Reignmakers day of just 2.9 points and 4.2 rebounds a game. The up-tempo big man averaged 10.3 rebounds per game this season, leading the team. With the HHR adding more offensive power to their lineup, Kempf was able to use more of his energy on the boards and defensive end of the floor. He piled up 16 rebounds in the final game of the year in a win over the Powerstrokes. A new addition to the team, Justin Woo started to find his spot on the team on both sides of the ball as well. Woo totaled, six, five, and six rebound marks in the past three games and found some range from three, hitting going 4/9 from deep. He has been finding his niche on offense in the low post, using his size and ability against a few smaller defenders adding a low-post presence that the HHR truly need. His final numbers shooting wise do not show the large improvement he has had over the past three games and hopefully his growth continues as the team moves into the longer, more competitive winter season. Two other new adds to the team this year are big man Alex Yablonsky and guard Chuck Caldwell. Both added their own element to the team and helped push the HHR to the 5-3 record this season. Caldwell was missing from the final round robin tournament, but did add another scorer to the floor, which the team definitely missed in years past. He had one of his better games of the season, albeit in a loss earlier in the year to Powerstrokes when he scored 12 point on five of eight shooting from the field. Caldwell averaged just over 7 points a game and shot 41% from two point range. The aforementioned big mane Alex Yablonsky again added another big man element to the team which was needed as veteran Kerry Hunter (8.3 ppg 79% shooting from the floor in three games) had been rarely used this season. Yablonsky may have had his best streak of the season in the past three games totaling 18 rebounds and 33 points (6 rpg, 11 ppg). Though an up and down season for captain Jason Hunter, his strong scoring performance in the final game against Powerstrokes pushed them to a win. The oldest of the Hunter siblings found his shooting stroke again from the field after two woeful games scoring, going seven of ten from the field (3/4 from three), and battled on the defensive end of the floor. Like his brother, the captain had his best shooting season of the past four shooting 61% from two point range, 38% from three, and average nearly 10 points a game at 9.7 The HHR will be moving into preseason winter league action this coming Monday at 6:30 when they face off against an unknown opponent in Team Yeungling but hope to continue their winning ways deep into the winter league playoffs.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Starting to Find Their Stroke, Yet Losses Pile Up

The Human Highlight Reels have dropped two straight, falling to 3-3 on the season heading into the Round Robin Tournament. Despite adding up and comer Brent Hunter for the game this past Monday (21 points, 9/16 from the floor), and shooting 45% from the field as a team, the good guys could only muster up a ten point loss to The Refs, who frequent the upper Division once the winter league begins. Big man Andy Kempf has been absent for his marriage and honeymoon the past two games however and should return to the lineup this coming Monday against M-Town, whom the Highlight Reels lost to earlier in the season by only two points. The team was without big man Alex Yablonsky for that contest. The Highlight Reels should be in full force this coming Monday however and they will need it against the stout M-Town team. The team has been firing on all cylinders from the offensive end. Leading scorer Brandon Hunter went 7/12 two games in a row from two point range (58%) and Justin Woo has started to find his niche in the offense, scoring 11 in back to back games and shooting 44% from the field (8/18). He also connected on two of three free throws and has helped on the boards totaling 7 in two games. Though the offense has started to flourish, the other side of the ball has left little to be desired. Usually the key to the Highlight Reels game, the team has allowed 162 points, 70 and 92 respectively, in the past two games, both losses. However the team still remains in the top five for overall defense for the league, allowing 342 points (57 per game) the entire season. The Human Highlight Reels look to put it all together at 6:30 in the first game of the Round Robin Tournament. They will need an equally balanced offensive and defensive effort in order to get back to their winning ways.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Game Time Updates

For the Human Highlight Reels, the game this coming Monday has been switched to 5:45 due to scheduling conflicts with other teams. The HHR will take on Wilson Group as scheduled. --- Hunter Dealing With Jammed Finger Though not reported earlier in the week, captain Jason Hunter suffered a jammed ring finger while on the defensive side of the ball during the second half of last weeks game. Though it ended up being no ordinary jammed finger, as the top third has been stuck at a slight angle since the injury occured. The team doctors have been taping the finger during the week and icing, trying to get the finger to flew back into its normal positon. Though he isn't in much pain during the normal day, any pressure towards the top of the finger does cause discomfort and Hunter is still not sure how his shot or handling will be affected. He will likely have the finger taped up for this coming Mondays game.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

A Win and a Loss as Shooting Woes Haunt the HHR

17 and 18. 29 and 26. 32. The numbers above correlate as follows: - The teams three-point shooting percentages for over the past two games (W, L). - The teams total field goal percentage over the past two games. - The teams combined field goal percentage from the past two games. Those numbers rarely equal victories, though in the HHR's case, they eeked one out two Mondays ago. The good guys defeated NBN 44-35, in a game that wasn't as close early, yet ended closer than it should have; then followed that up with their hardest fought game of the season, albeit a loss, to M-Town 53-55. Brandon Hunter led both efforts, totaling 31 points and 15 rebounds over the two games, yet has yet to find the long range stroke. Sitting just under 20% for the season, he is well below his career total of nearly 33%. But the sub-par shooting bug has not only affected the teams leading scorer. The team is totaling a mere 24% from beyond the arc this season (21 of 87) and only has two players about the 40% mark (Jason Hunter 60%; Kerry Hunter 50%), yet Kerry has only taken two three pointers on the year, connecting on one. Explosive point guard Kyle Komer is below his 48% shooting percentage from last season as he is below 40% (38%) from the field this year. Komer has been getting to the basket with penetration, yet has been slightly off the mark finishing. Energetic middle man Andy Kempf, coming off a career season last year, got off to a slow start in game one, but has slowly begun to regain his 2012-13 form. Justin Woo got his first in-game action two Mondays ago, as well as playing this past Monday, but is still finding his niche in the offense, scoring only once in two games. For all the negative from the floor, there is some positive to take from it. The HHR's are shooting better from two point range (48%) than they did all of last year (43%) and are also connecting on more free throws (67%) than the previous year (63%). Once the big scorers and leaders of the offense begin to find their true ability from the field, the team will start to look like the group it intends to be. The Human Highlight Reels (2-1) face Wilson Group next Monday at 7:20. The Vegas line has the Wilson Group slated as an 11 point underdog. The Reels are currently #5 in the latest power rankings out of 12 teams.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Some New Faces Equals a Season-Starting Win

The newly named Human Highlight Reels have some new faces on their 2013 fall roster.  Yet the new faces molded quickly with the old ones to take a 1-0 start on the fall season, defeating Soda Slingers 72-39.

Better yet, Soda Slingers were a recent winner of a spring season, showing that the HHRs have come together quite well early on.

The HHRs were led by long-time leading scorer Brandon Hunter, who totaled 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field (8/9 from two point range).  He also added 11 rebounds for his first double-double on the year.

Following his lead, four year team captain Jason Hunter scored 18, going 4 of 7 from deep and also adding 5 rebounds.

Returners Kyle Komer and Andy Kempf added nine and two points, as well as six and 10 rebounds, respectively.  The new faces also filed in.

Newly added big man Alex Yablonsky totaled 10 points and was a rebound shy (9) of his own double-double and guard Chuck Caldwell hit his first three pointer of the season, then added two more during the game.

The team is also in the process of signing forward Justin Woo, but had yet to complete the contract signing, so he was unable to join the team for their first win of the season.  Finally, veteran Kerry Hunter has been brought back in a limited role, but will be available when called upon.

The Highlight Reels will face NBN this coming Monday at 5:45.  They will be without Jason Hunter and may be missing Kyle Komer for the first half.  Justin Woo may make his debut tomorrow, if his contract situation is inked out by tonight.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Full Squad Equals a Win

The Price is Right took down last-seeded NBN #2 this past Sunday, 68-62 in a game that was not as close as the score indicates.

The good guys led 41-35 at half and after a short scare during the middle of the second half, the PiR locked down on defense and took home the victory.

Brandon Hunter led all scorers with 22 points and also added a game high 14 rebounds.  Andy Kempf followed up with a double-double of his own, totaling 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Captain Jason Hunter and point guard Kyle Komer also scored in double digits, scoring 15 and 13 points respectively.  This is the first time this season that the team had four players scoring in double digits.

The PiR shot 37% from the field total (26/71) and for the first time in quite awhile, had their entire roster dressed and available for the game.

Ryan Stuver returned from his hiatus overseas, totaling 4 rebounds and gave Andy Kempf much needed rest in the middle.  The PiR do not lose as much size when Stuver is available to play.  In cases where he is not available, Jason Hunter may end up playing in the post on defense, which reduces the teams effectiveness to pressure the ball up top as well as losing some physicality under the basket.

"It's good to have a full roster moving forward," big man Kerry Hunter said after, "especially with me not being at 100%, with no one truly at 100% once these playoffs start.  It's good to be able to go to your bench and get guys a breather for a few minutes.  It really helps us in the second half when we can pressure the ball on D and push the pace on offense."

Schedules have yet to be posted for the official playoff schedule as of today and the team may be looking at another week of practice as the Easter holiday comes up this Sunday.

The PiR overall record for the year sits at 12-3 and recently won the Western Division of the BMRBL.  They will have the top seed when playoffs begin in a week or two.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Bumpy Road to the Playoffs

The Price is Right have hopefully found their groove again beating Wacky Waver 48-34 last night in BRMBL action.

The team now stands at 8-3 on the year.

Yes, 8-3.

The last time I wrote the good guys held a fine 7-1 record, sitting a top the Eastern Division.  Yet a two game losing streak, one of the longest in team franchise history, had the team reeling a bit coming into last nights game.

"It's different," coach Jason Hunter said during morning shoot around, "we aren't used to losing and we definitely aren't used to losing two in a row.  We have been really sloppy the past few games and we come out extremely slow in the first half."

All of that holds true.  During the two losses, the PiR scored only 14 and 17 points respectively, in the first half of those games.  The team averages 61 points a game on the year, so that goes to show how much they need to push the tempo and score in the second half just to stay in games.

The team exploded for 54 points in that second half in a 74-71 loss versus Team Button, but could only account for an average 29 against We Got Buckets in the loss two weeks ago, falling 48-43.

The second half has been kind to the team over the season averaging a little over 42 points during that half through the past five games.

But the first half is another story.  The good guys have only mustered 22.4 points per game in the first half over the past five games, which has put them behind heading into halftime three of those five games, with two of them coming in on losses.  The team has dropped all three of their losses over the past six games this season.

"It's a bit of a slump, playing .500 ball," big man Kerry Hunter said during a radio interview this week, "most other teams would be happy playing that type of basketball.  We definitely are not.  Hopefully we can pull together a little streak here of good games heading into the off season."

If you had to tailor the offense around one player on the PiR offense, it would have to be leading scorer Brandon Hunter.  He epitomizes what the offense has looked like over the past five games.

After last nights game (20 points, 12 rebounds), here is a look on how Hunter has fared in the two half's:

First half:
3P - 6/30 (20%)
2P - 5/21 (24%)
Total - 11/51 (22%)

Second half:
3P - 10/25 (40%)
2P - 12/24 (50%)
Total - 22/49 (45%)

When told this statistic, he could only shake his head, "It's an interesting stat line. It could be a matter of me getting comfortable, maybe getting some easier looks in the second half.  Our endurance and ability to push the pace a bit in the second half gives everyone some easier baskets."

Another interesting stat from Hunter's line is this; if you take the last five shots that he has taken in these past five games, Hunter is shooting 48% from the floor (12/25).  When it comes to needing a basket down the stretch, he just seems to come through.

"It's good to come away with a victory tonight," point guard Kyle Komer said after the 48-34 victory against Wacky Waver, "but the first half still needs to be addressed for us.  We came out relatively flat again, turning the ball over and missing some easy baskets.  Our defense has been stepping up, we just need to get the ball rolling sort of speak, in the first half of games."

The team finishes out the regular season next week against Darice, who had a record below .500 as of recent standings.

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Not Enough Ball to go Around?

There have been reports that some members of the PiR team have commented on shot selections, and the number of shots, during the two game losing streak.

Coach Jason Hunter was dismissive when asked about it a few days after their second consecutive loss, "You know, everyone wants to score.  Everyone would love to step in and put up 10 to 20 shots a night, score ten to fifteen points on every given night, but it just doesn't happen that way."

Taking a look at the last five games, here is how the shot chart looks:

Brandon Hunter - 101 total, 21/g
Kyle Komer -      67 total, 17/g (4 games)
Jason Hunter -     44 total, 9/g
Kerry Hunter -     37 total, 8/g
Andy Kempf -     32 total, 7/g
Mike Petrilli -      26 total, 6/g
Ryan Stuver -      8 total, 3/g (3 games)

Obviously the ball is going to come out of the hands more often near the top with Brandon and Kyle leading the team in scoring.  The ball is then as evenly distributed as possible amongst the remaining few members of the team, with only Ryan as an outlier, with a much smaller sample size.

"Would I love the chance to be a larger part of the offense, average 15 shots a night?  Absolutely," coach Hunter continued during the teams radio program interview, "would Mike? Would Andy?  I am sure Brandon would love the chance to go for another 10 touches as well.  This is not an issue here.  We have been struggling offensively more for our lack of urgency in the first half of games, being sloppy, turning the ball over.  When we get our first half problems figured out, we will be tough to beat."

Monday, February 11, 2013

A Season, Though Not Completed, In Review

The Price is Right sit at 7-1 this season in the Brunswick Mens Basketball League.

There are a total of four games remaining on the regular season schedule, then the league will be moved into double-elimination tournament play.

Though the mid-season point has already come and gone, now seems to be a good time to go over how the season has gone, both individually and at a team standpoint.

Individuals

Jason Hunter
51% FG (18/35)
24% 3P (9/37)
8.5 ppg (8 games played)

The coach and captain of the PiR has had his ups and downs this season, starting with a slow start from beyond the arc after shooting 44% from beyond the arc during the fall league.  His slump also came in the form of injury as Hunter was out for two games and played a minimal role in another after straining his MCL in late January.

The slump may be turning around however.  Hunter has shot 7 of 16 (44%) from three over the previous two games.  The recovered right knee seems to no longer be an issue as he is finding his spots on the offensive side of the ball.  The lingering knee problem also hindered him on the defensive side, where Hunter is beginning to regain that form as well.

Brandon Hunter
39% FG (45/116)
27% 3P (30/110)
21.6 ppg (10 games played)
7.4 rpg

Brandon Hunter is still finding ways to score, even if it is not at the percentage he, and the team, would like.  The middle of the Hunter brother's leads the team in points (216), free throws attempted (57), shots taken (226), and is third overall in rebounds (74).  Brandon is in a similar winter season slump.  He shot 42% from the field and 32% from three point range during the fall season.  Though still not a staggering number, he would take that clip over where he is shooting now.

The wins have not avoided the good guys during these tough shooting times however.  With scoring coming from some different areas, mostly Kyle Komer, the team is not disgruntled with how Brandon has been performing.  Once his shot begins to fall, the team will be almost impossible to beat.  Here's to hoping that Brandon finds a groove going into the post season.

Kyle Komer
48% FG (22/46)
61% 3P (17/28)
13.3 ppg (8 games played)

Komer is helping this team win.  After joining the club during the fall league, he has found his niche on the club.  Komer shot 46% from the field and only 17% from three point range during that 3-3 fall season, but he has vastly improved in nearly every area.  His 61% mark from beyond the arc leads the team and has been nearly perfect from the line, 11/12 (92%).  Not only does he help the team by scoring, he takes control of the ball on the offensive side, getting others open looks and collapsing a defense.

Continuing his steady performance on both ends of the floor is what we look for over the next few weeks.  With the help of this newly acquired guard, the future looks bright for the PiR.

Kerry Hunter
53% FG (28/53)
7.8 ppg (10 games played)
8 rpg

The big man has been a steady contributor to the organization over the past three years.  Battling some injuries throughout the fall, Kerry has found himself utilizing his height and ability more during the winter season.  He is currently second on the team in rebounds and has found his touch from the outside as well.  Though he is the veteran member of the team and may have lost a step over the past few years, Kerry is taking a bigger role in getting others involved and always locking down the paint on defense.

Utilizing Kerry as the focus point of the "inside-out" style of offense has truly improved the open looks that most others are getting on that side of the ball.  The team will look for that to continue as the year rolls forward.

Andy Kempf
47% FG (26/55)
8.2 rpg

Kempf has come into his own over the past few years as part of the PiR organization; his basketball IQ improved greatly over the years, and the team can actually look to him to not only be a physical presence on the defensive side, but they don't shy away from giving him open looks.  His shot from 10 to 12 feet away from the hoop has also improved drastically over the years, which shows in his shooting percentage.

Kempf needs to continue battling on both ends of the ball and setting up screens for the scorers on the offensive side.  The team would love for him to reach that near 10 rebound per game mark of the Mailmen season, but will greatly take his improved offensive game.

Mike Petrilli
3.7 ppg (10 games played)

Petrilli is still looking to find his range.  He hasn't found that magic from beyond the arc since the 34% mark back when the team was the Reignmakers, yet the team will still continue to feed him open looks.  Mike has been taking the ball to the basket more often, which may open up more looks for himself and others on the outside as well.  He filled in with quality minutes on both ends of the floor during coach Jason Hunter's knee injury.

Hopefully a game or two of good shooting will get Petrilli out of his shooting funk, which would give the team another option on the offensive side of the ball.

Ryan Stuver
56% FG (5/9)
3.4 rpg

Ryan Stuver has had limited action this year due to various reasons, but has shown some bright spots in that limited action.  He just grabbed 7 rebounds in the last win against Powerstrokes in the most action he has seen in awhile.  If the PiR could have nights similar to that night in and night out and Stuver could keep up his high shooting percentage with open cuts to the basket, the team become even more well rounded than before.

Team

Statistics
45% FG
28% 3P
62.6 PPG

The only negative you can take from the offensive end would be the teams overall three point percentage.  The 28% mark is the lowest of the organization in its years since joining the BMRBL, yet the 45% mark from everywhere else is their highest total since they began.  The open looks under the basket coming from screens and finding open spots on the defense will keep the team in games when the three point attempt is not falling.  The PiR is scoring at a higher clip now more than ever, scoring more than 7 points a game more than they have in the past few seasons.  Closing the free throw percentage on 70% and pushing the three point percentage over the 30% mark could move the team to being nearly unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball.

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In a quick review of this past Sunday's game against Powerstrokes, the PiR battled to a 71-62 victory.  Three players scored in double figures, Jason Hunter 17, Brandon Hunter 19, and Kyle Komer filled in with 20.  The team hit on 31% of their three pointers, and shot 73% from the line.  The PiR came from down 10 or more points a few times in the first half and trailed for the majority of the game.  Yet a couple of defensive stands and a few open baskets toward the end of the game sealed it for the good guys.

They Price is Right will play We Got Buckets next week on Monday at 6:30.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Back to Winning Ways

The Price is Right got back to winning this past Monday against Shawn Kemps Kids, winning 61-56.

The offense came from many different areas.  The team shot 33% from deep, with Brandon Hunter (4/11), Jason Hunter (3/8), and Kyle Komer (2/5) all hit from three point range.  All three scorers also had double figures when it came to total points, 16, 11, and 22, respectively.

Overall the team shot 37% from the field.  Kerry Hunter (8 points, 10 rebounds) and Andy Kempf (4 points, 7 rebounds) did their job underneath and found open backdoor cuts and layups.  Kempf opened the game with one.

Coach and captain Jason Hunter was finally back to his old self and was able to play his full amount of minutes.  He also found hit shooting stroke again. shooting 40% from the field, looking better with his open looks.

"It was good to get back out there and help the guys, especially in a close win," Hunter said afterward, "The knee felt great.  But it will take some time to get used to playing with another new brace.  Whatever keeps me on the floor."

The injury bug crawled over Mike Petrilli early in the second half.  After twisting his ankle early in the second half, he remained in the game only to twist it within the next minute.  He did not play the rest of the game.

The PiR were at full-force however this past game, suiting up the full 7 members of their roster.  When Petrilli was lost for the second half, there were able bodies to step in.

The team expects Petrilli's injury to be completely healed by this Sunday's game.

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Fines Brought Down on Club

As expected, the league fined not only Brandon Hunter and Andy Kempf $2,500 a piece for their comments after the game last week, but the team was also fined an unspecified amount for being repeat offenders.

A league official stated that even though this "particular team" has not been sighted for this type of behavior but, "the organization has been sighted on a previous occasions less than one year ago."

The PiR will play Powerstrokes this coming Sunday at 7:20

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Frustration Boils Over After PiR First Loss

The Price is Right was dealt their first loss of the season 59-63 against Firehouse.

Tensions boiled over in the locker room after the game.  Team captain and coach Jason Hunter, who recently returned from a sprained MCL (0 points in 15 minutes), was talking to reporters after the game but was quickly stalled after Brandon Hunter and Andy Kempf interrupted.

"Fine me! Fine me then!" Brandon yelled from across the locker room, "This was a joke, an absolute joke! Damn ref has it out for us! (Expletive) him and (expletive) him for helping us lose tonight!"

Kempf responded in turn, "He's the worst referee in the league, the absolute worst!  There's nothing we can do when we are playing six on five!  He's a piece of (expletive)!

When reporters turned back to Jason, he could only shake his head with his eyes to the floor, "It's a shame to battle so hard...you can see the fire these guys play with.  It's tough to lose like we did.  We didn't execute as well as we could have...I'm still not 100%," he shook his head again, "it's tough."

The good guys played with limited numbers again.  Kyle Komer and Ryan Stuver were both unavailable again and as he stated before, Jason Hunter did not look the same on the floor and limited himself to less than 15 minutes during the game.

As fired up as Brandon Hunter was, he was just as hot from the floor in the first half, hitting on 4 of 9 from three point range and 2 of 5 elsewhere.  He also added a free throw for a 17 point half.  Mike Petrilli found some open spaces, driving to the basket for open looks and added all of his 7 points in the first half as well.  It wasn't quite enough as the PiR went to halftime down by two, 30-32.

The team battled the rest of the way, having a chance at consecutive three's after Petrilli stole an inbound pass, but the contested three was off the mark and so went the perfect season.

There were some questionable calls throughout the evening and a stretch where it seemed some make up calls were given, but it is nothing the team has not seemingly dealt with in the past. 

The younger Hunter and Kempf will likely be fined for their comments.

The Price is Right takes on Shawn Kemps Kids next Monday at 6:30.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

No Subs, No Problem

The Price is Right continued their winning ways this past Monday, finishing off CMS 65-63, in a game that should not have been as close as it was.

With only 5 able bodies to dress...again...the PiR jumped out to an early 37-31 lead, yet had an even bigger advantage leading by more than 10 only 10 minutes into the first half.

Then the three's came.

CMS made 8 three pointers in the first half, bringing them back from what seemed to be an early defeat.  They only made two the rest of the way, which proved to be huge for the home team.

With Ryan Stuver and Jason Hunter out, and Rob Cruise still unable to play, Kyle Komer (6 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists), Brandon Hunter (27 points), Kerry Hunter (12 points, 6 rebounds), Andy Kempf (12 points, 12 rebounds), and Mike Petrilli (8 points) had to carry the entire load.

CMS made a run late in the second half, having a player to sub, gave them a bit of an advantage later in the game.  The PiR became slightly winded, and struggled on both ends of the floor, losing communication on defense and ball movement and legs on the offensive end.

"It's been tough," Kerry said afterward, "we've had guys stepping up though when needed.  It's bringing us closer together as a team."

Mike Petrilli and Andy Kempf have seen the largest increase in minutes due to the lack of able bodied individuals.  Both playing the full 40 minutes the past two games, both players have filled big shoes.

"Sure it gets to you late in the game, you just have to pick your spots," Andy said this week, "you just need to communicate when you can't quite get to a spot, or need help on defense.  It's helping me get into great shape though."

The team is hoping to have Ryan Stuver back from his two game hiatus next week, but will likely be without Kyle Komer as he travels back overseas for competition.  Coach and captain Jason Hunter is now listed as "questionable" for the game, but it is more likely that he sits for a third straight week.

"I've been biking, knee strengthening, it's a process.  But I don't want to come back too soon and end up hurting myself again.  The team doctors and I take it day by day.  We will brace it up once I come back, but you want the strength to be there."  Jason said during a radio interview this week.

"It kills me to sit though," he continued, "I hate watching and not playing.  I think the crowd sees a new side of me.  I use all the energy I would be using playing, by being as loud as I can on the bench."

The Price is Right plays Firehouse this coming Monday at 6:30.  The good guys moved to 6-0 on the regular season.

Firehouse was 4-1 as of this writing.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Injury Woes - Team Rolls On

The Price is Right has moved to 5-0 despite losing Coach Jason Hunter to a sprained right MCL and other members to oversea contracts.

The good guys downed Wacky Waver 41-35 on January 6th, but lost Coach Hunter in the process.

The report from the team doctors indicate that he has a sprain of the MCL ligament on his right knee.  He missed this past Mondays game and will likely sit out the following game as well, if only for precautionary reasons.

The teams shooting woes continue to be an issue, although they are winning.  The PiR has only made 9 three pointers, three coming in each consectutive game, the past three games combining for a 9 of 54 streak.  The team is only shooting 26% from beyond the arc this season.

"It's an issue, in a way," Brandon Hunter said after the 63-55 win this past week against NBN #2, "but we are winning.  So you take the good with the bad right now...but we have to turn that around."

The PiR are shooting better from everywhere else.  A 46% field goal percentage and a 67% free throw percentage, though not ideal, have helped them win a handful of games.  Brandon Hunter took 15 free throws alone during the past game, hitting 12 of them.

The Price is Right will continue playing games, though the roster is limited.  We have already mentioned Jason Hunter's injury, and the team was again with Rob Cruise as he continues his play overseas.  Kyle Komer was out as well and will miss the next two games of January as his overseas play begins to pick up.  Ryan Stuver was also out this past week with an illness.

The team went back to a familiar face in Johno Reminder on a 10 day contract.  He played the entirety of this past game (10 points, 6 rebounds) and will likely be a part of the rotation next week as well.

The Price is Right are banged up and low on numbers, but continue to find ways to win.

Lets hope that line continues.