AFBLog

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my resignation as President of the AFBL. I am moving to the west coast. Almost 10 years ago I recognized a missing element from our city and community. In the Summer, at Ben Woodward’s parents house basketball games would break out and everyone would have a great time. This good time inspired the creation of the AFBL. For the last 9 seasons we’ve grown the league and over 100 players from far and wide in music, art, video and various other fields have hit the linoleum at McCall.

Nicky has been one of the most steady players (and a great painter) over the last 6 years of AFBL and has been key in keeping the play alive during the “offseason” with games outside. He has agreed to this transition of power and will lead the AFBL into it’s 10th season with a willingness to shoot the ball at moments notice. I know he will do this thankless job well and without a second thought.

On a last serious note, the AFBL has been a true pleasure and a great gift. In some ways, I created the AFBL for myself and looking back I can honestly say that I’ve had more fun on that elementary school court than anywhere I can think of in Philadelphia. When times were tough in my life, the AFBL was a great refuge and a place to release the stress. In the best times friends gathered to get sweaty, talk trash and play like children. I don’t think this is easy to replicate and I will think of it often. I may even watch some of that awful video footage with a smile.

A big thanks to Don Kahler, who helped me kick off the AFBL back in 2001. Thanks to Jay Yarow for breathing new life into the web site and inspiring a new level of trash talk from 2004 through 2007. Lastly, I want to thanks everyone who has ever played AFBL and had fun doing it. Keep the dream alive, I will return to shoot threes and cherry pick–that is a promise.

I’ve been slowly working through the season 9 video. It’s painfiul, but educational.

Week 8 (February, 6th, 2010) was after the 3rd day missed due to snow. People were itching to play. This day featured some of the worst and best play that the ABFL has to offer. The player of the day: Ethan Conner-Ross. Ethan scored 5.1 pts/game (3rd best) on 45% shooting, 3.5 rebounds/game (3rd best), 1.1 assists/game (tied for 5th). His only downside was 1.8 turnovers/game (worst)– the dirty triple double, but this didn’t stop him from racking up 5 wins to 1 loss and a plus.minus of +21.

Full stats here –> Google.docs

I’ve adjusted the standard fantasy evaluations after some discussions with Jon Hummel and others. Initially I added points for wins. This new number takes plus/minus (total divided by 4) into account along with wins (+1 for each win) and losses (-1 for each loss).  I’ve also lowered the +10 for a triple double to +5. I think this new number is a better reflection of the AFBL impact. Feel free to disagree.

… and the numbers

Andrew Jeffrey Wright, -2.67, Wins/Losses 0-3, +/- -16 – AJDubs is the first victim of the new AFBL value. He did go 0 for 9 from the floor and tallied 3 losses with a plus/minus of -16.

Marcus, 0.72, Wins/Losses 1.5-3, +/- -12 – Marcus only took one shot (a miss) but grabbed 6 rebounds and passed for 3 assists. He also had 4 turnovers and 1 steal with a plus/minus of -12.

Isaac Lin, 2.15, Wins/Losses 1-5.5, +/- -31 – This is by far Isaac’s worst AFBL day ever. He did score 20 and get 14 rebounds. But 1.1 turnovers/game (5th worst) and his record on 1 win and 5.5 losses causes his poor plus/minus of -31 (worst) really hurt his overall score here.

Jules Cornellius, 3.95, Wins/Losses 1-4.5, +/- -16 – 4.2 rebounds/game (2nd best). After that, his 0 for 5 from the three line and his -16 plus/minus killed his value.

Paul A, 5.06, Wins/Losses 1-3.5, +/- -12 – Paul almost had a triple double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 steals (1.6 per game, best of the day). His plus.minus and losses brought him down.

Keith McMenamin, 5.72, Wins/Losses 1.5-3, +/- -10 – Keith passed for an amazing 1.8 assists/game (best of the day) but his -10 plus/minus and %18 shooting brought him down.

Dave Papp, 5.75, Wins/Losses 3-3, +/- 0 – Dave had a very quiet 6 games. 3 wins, 3 losses and a plus/minus of 0. He did manage 9 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 steals and 1 block.

Nicky Santore, 6.14, Wins/Losses 1.5-4, +/- -16 – Another victim of the new AFBL value. Nicky did score 4.7 points/game (4th best) and block .7/game (best). After that his numbers were not Nicky-like. His losses and subsequent plus/minus caused the drop.

Dominic Fuscia, 7.6, Wins/Losses 4-1, +/- +20 – Dom should be the poster child for the new AFBL value. 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 8 turnovers (1.6 per, 2nd worst) and 2 steals might not amaze. His teams won 4 times and only lost once.

Alan Sable, 8.42, Wins/Losses 5-1.5, +/- +26 – Alan is quietly making a case for most improved AFBLer of Season 9. 8 points, 12 rebounds and an best of the day plus/minus of +26.

John Freeborn, 8.96, Wins/Losses 3-4.5, +/- -5 – Horrible shooting (21.9%, and 2 for 17 from 3-land) can be overcome. 3.9 rebounds per/game (3rd best), 1.3 assists per/game (3rd best) and 1 steal per/game (3rd best). John almost completed the amazing dirty quintuple double. 16 points, 27 rebounds, 9 assists, 9 turnovers and 7 steals.

Sean Agnew, 10.17, Wins/Losses 3-3, +/- 0 – Sean killed it with 6.0 points per/game (best) and 4.3 rebounds per/game (best) while shooting 40% (4th best). His downsides were 1.2 turnovers per/game (4th worst) and a lack luster record.

John Folmar, 12.57, Wins/Losses 3-4, +/- -2 – Another day another triple double for John Thousand. 15 points, 23 rebounds (3.3 per/game, 5th best) and 10 assists (1.4 per/game, 2nd best). The bad news, 20% shooting and 7 turnovers.

Jon Hummel, 13.5, Wins/Losses 5-1.5, +/- +18 – Wins count. That’s the new AFBL message. Jon continues his rookie year dominance with 5.2 points per game (2nd best) on 41.2% shooting (3rd best). Thrown in 1.2 assists per/game (4th best) with 1 steal and 1 block. 5 wins and 1.5 losses. What’s a half a loss? That’s when a game gets cut off on video–so you know.

Justin Stuhltrager, 13.77, Wins/Losses 4.5-2, +/- +13 – Justin has the AFBL day of his life. 25 points on 52.4% shooting (best), 1.1 assists per/game (tied for 4th best) 19 rebounds, 5 steals and 1 block. In one magical game Justin scored 13 and pulled 7 boards, shooting 71%. His teams won for the most part and his plus/minus is verification.

Ethan Conner-Ross, 16.19, Wins/Losses 5-1, +/- +21 – Ethan did a little bit of everything and he. 5.1 points per/game (3rd best) with 37.5% from three (best) and 45.5% total (2nd best). 3.5 rebounds per/game (3rd best). 1.1 assists per/game (tied for 4th best). 6 steals and 1.8 turnovers per/game (worst). Best of all, Ethan’s teams won 5 games while only losing one.

On the whole the level of play from Season 9 was better than in years past. This game more than makes up for anything the looks remotely like competitive basketball and really shows the heights that the glorious AFBL is capable of. Two teams filled with “talent” play a game to 16. This seems simple enough. When the teams shoot a combined 20.3% from the floor you know things are rough. Add to that, 18 turnovers (6 more than made field goals) and great love for the three-point line (22.2% – 4 for 18) you get a really sloppy game. People who usually play well are brought down the the lowest common level. Ethan Conner-Ross was 2 for 8 and had 5 turnovers. John Freeborn was 0 for 7 from the three-point line. Jon Hummel was 0 for 4 for two’s (he did make 2 of 3 from behind the three-point line). There were plenty of rebounds to be had, 46 in all. Steals were also plentiful (11). For your viewing pleasure, I’ve uploaded the disastrous video to viddler for the whole world to see. I am proud to say that I was a part of it.

Team Awesome (the winners)
Jon Hummel – 6 pts (on 28.6%), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 TO
Ethan Conner-Ross – 5 pts (on 25%), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 TOs, 1 steal
Alan Sable – 2 pts (on 33.3%), 2 rebounds, 1 TO, 1 steal
Tim Gleeson – 4 pts (on 28.6%), 5 rebounds, 1 TO
Dominic Fuscia – 0 for 4 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TOs, 1 steal

Team Amazing (lost)
John Folmar – 5 pts (on 50%, the only player to shoot above 34%), 5 rebounds, 2 TOs, 2 steals
John Freeborn – 0 for 9 (0 for 7 from 3), 6 rebounds, 3 TOs, 3 steals
Sean Agnew – 0 for 5, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 TOs
Paul A. – 6 pts (on 25%), 2 rebounds, 1 TO, 2 steals
Marcus – didn’t take a shot, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal (solid play in this debacle)

Full stats on google docs –> Season 9 Finale stats, 3-20-2010
Also some video highlights here –> AFBL Video from Season 9

Game 6 created a new dream team–the tandem of Nicky Santore and John Freeborn continued with support from Tim Gleeson, Andrew Jones and Ethan Conner-Ross. The opposition: Marcus, Jules Cornelius, Justin Stuhltrager, John Folmar and Big Mike. The new team clicked pretty well from the start. Freeborn dropped 7 on 75% shooting, Ethan and Tim Gleeson put in another 4 each. The opponents had trouble putting the ball in the hole, shooting 23.8%.

Game 7 was the Tim Gleeson/Nicky Santore show. They combined for 15 (Tim with 11 on 83% shooting). Jules did what he could, scoring 6 and grabbing 4 rebounds. A new dream team is born, NDT.

Game 8 was as big as it gets at McCall Elementary. The New Dream Team (NDT) was pitted against a strong group featuring John Folmar, Big Mike, Jules Cornelius Marcus and Dominic Fuscia. The game lived up to the hype and was tied 8 to 8. It was at that point the winners seemed to pull away scoring 4 straight and setting a tone on defense. Just when all seemed lost, Dominic Fusica (7 points) hit a much needed 3 pointer bringing his team back and down just 1. NDT pulled away again, but this time John Folmar banged a three and tied the score at 14. The challengers led in almost every statistical category, but their 8 turnovers cost them. The game finished on a series of moves and game-winning, mid-range jumper by Ethan Conner-Ross who shot 60% in the game.

Game 9, the final official game of the 2009-2010 AFBL season. The New Dream Team (Freeborn, Santore, Conner-Ross, Gleeson & A. Jones) hit the floor against Team One More Shot (Marcus, Folmar, Papp, Stuhltrager & McMenamin). The game stayed tight early and was tied at 6 to 6. After Dave Papp barreled through the end line doors, Tim Gleeson took over and hit 3 three pointers, included a season-ending 3 to win the game. He knew this was his last chance to make a rookie of the year statement, and make a strong case in dramatic fashion.

Fantasy Evaluations (FV) & the brand new Hummel variation (HV)
The fantasy value is calculated by this formula: ( points – (missed shots x .5) + (rebounds x 1.5) + (assists x 2) – turnovers + (steals x 2.5) + (blocks x 2.5)) divided by the number of games played
The Hummel variation is a recommendation by John Hummel to take into account wins, each win adds 1 to the final total. I didn’t take this to the extreme and deduct for losses or try and incorporate plus/minus.

Andrew Jeffrey Wright
FV & HV: -0.4
Plus/Minus: -19.5
This was not AJW’s best day on the court. He shot 0 for 9 and grabbed 3 rebounds in just 2 1/2 games.

Marcus
FV & HV: 2.7
Plus/Minus: -34
His 1 turnover per game hurt his numbers, but .4 blocks per game (tied for 1st) is awesome from the guard spot.

Andrew Jones
FV: #13, 3.38
HV: #11, 7.38
Plus/Minus: +14
This was not a standard Andrew Jones day: only 8 points on 21.2% shooting with a 0 for 10 from the three point line. He did have .8 assists per game (tied for 3rd best) but he also had 1.1 turnovers per game (worst of the day).

Keith McMenamin
FV: 4.0
HV: 7.0
Plus/Minus: +4
In 5 games Keith tallied 9 points and 9 rebounds. Unfortunately he shot 16% from the floor in the process.

Mike
FV: #11, 5.5
HV: #13, 5.5
Plus/Minus: -8
Mike showed up late (usually a good strategy to pick on tired players) and grabbed 4 rebounds per game (tied for 2nd best). His turnovers cost him, 1 per game (tied for 2nd worst).

Justin Stuhltrager
FV: #10, 7.63
HV: #5, 12.63
Plus/Minus: +14 (4th best)
The difference bewteen the Hummel variation and the standard formula is evident with Justin’s game. Justin had 5 wins on the day. 19 points, 26 rebounds and 6 assists (.8 per game, tied for 3rd best) put Justin in the mix all day long.

Dave Papp
FV: #9, 7.6
HV: #10, 7.6
Plus/Minus: -39
It’s hard to believe that Dave didn’t get a win all day long. He did get 10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals (1 per game, tied for 1st).

Tim Gleeson
FV: #8, 8.14
HV: #6, 12.14
Plus/Minus: +5
Tim Gleeson made the strongest case for rookie of the year when it counted most. He hit game winners, made big threes, pounded the boards and played the all-out relentless style that made many people this season want to play win him, and not against him. The numbers are plentiful: 4.6 points per game (3rd best), 45.2% shooting (2nd best) and 36.4% from three (1st), 14 rebounds and 7 steals (1 per game, tied for 1st).

Dominic Fuscia
FV: #7, 8.88
HV: #9, 8.88
Plus/Minus: -20
11 point and 16 rebounds (4 per game, tied for 2nd) put Dom down for a solid day. He didn’t get any wins and his 1 turnover per game hurt. but, he did pass for .8 assists per game (tied for 3rd best).

Ethan Conner-Ross
FV: #6, 9.14
HV: #4, 13.14
Plus/Minus: +5
Another Hummel variation affect here. Ethan had 4 wins, during the 2nd half of the day and his overall numbers are impressive. 16 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists (1.1 per game, 2nd best), 5 steals (.7 per game, tied for 2nd best) and 2 blocks. His downsides were 33.3% shooting (low for Ethan) and 6 turnovers.

John Freeborn
FV: #5, 9.5
HV: #3, 18.5
Plus/Minus: +60 (tied for 1st)
John went undefeated in official play (both he and Nicky lost in the un-recorded last game) with 9 wins. On top of that John finally broke out of his season-long slump, 3.9 points per game (4th best), .8 three pointers per game (1st), on 46.7% shooting (1st), 32 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Jules Cornelius
FV: #4, 9.6
HV: #8, 9.6
Plus/Minus: -32
Jules quietly put up great stats: 3.6 points per game (5th best), 4 rebounds per game (tied for 2nd best), 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. He only played 5 games total (and didn’t get a win) but this is what you call efficiency.

Jon Hummel
FV: #3, 11.0
HV: #7, 11.0
Plus/Minus: -10.5
The Hummel variation took it’s namesake down a notch. Jon’s rookie season is just the tip of the iceberg and you should expect no letdown for his sophmore year. Even with a twisted and achy knee Jon dominate the scoring with 7.3 points per game (1st). I think he knee wouldn’t let him do the rest, but who cares about that stuff.

Nicky Santore
FV: #2, 13.89
HV: #1, 21.25
Plus/Minus: +60 (tied for 1st)
This is where the Hummel variation get interesting. Nicky won 9 games, which is kind of an anomaly, but is a good test for the new stat. Nicky had his usual dominating numbers: 5.1 points per game (2nd best), 4.4 rebounds per game (1st), 6 assists, .9 steals per game (3rd), and 4 blocks. He did have 9 turnovers, but he also shot 45.1% (3rd best) from the floor.

John Folmar
FV: #1, 16.25
HV: #2, 22.89
Plus/Minus: +19
Once again John Thousand dropped a tripple double: 15 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. He did this while shooting 16.7% and turning the ball over 8 times. But his 5 steals and 3 tripples evens it all out. This has been John’s best season so far and puts him in position for the coveted MVP trophy.

Game 2 pitted the winners Freeborn, Santore, Stuhltrager & Folmar against Marcus, AJ Ready Wright, (new father) Jules Corneilius & Dave Papp. Game 2 was dominated by Nicky Santore. He scored 10 on 71% shooting, while grabbing 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. The opposition shot only 20% from the floor.

Game 3, the beginnings of a dynasty were solidified with the addition of Keith McMenamin to the squad of Freeborn, Santore, Stuhltrager & Folmar. They will be known here as FMSFS. The new challengers: Jon Hummel, Tim Gleeson, Ethan Conner-Ross, Dominic Fuscia and Andrew Jones looked like a epic matchup worth of the final day of Season 9. The challengers got out to a quick start and FMSFS came back to tie at 6. Jon Hummel went down with a knee twister and AJ Wright subbed in for a few minutes. Nicky Santore continued hie streak from game 2, scoring 8 on 50% shooting. Freeborn pitched in with 5. Hummel, even with the time out, scored 7 points while shooting 60%. But, Justin Stuhltrager pulled 6 boards from the guard spot and help keep FMSFS on the floor for the win.

Game 4 was not the ugliest game in AFBL history, but when both teams combine to shoot 22.9% is hurts. FMSFS kept the dream alive winning their 4th straight. This time they used a more balanced attack-Freeborn with 3, McMenamin with 2, Santore with 4, Folmar with 3 and Stuhltrager dropping 5. The new challengers: A Jones (who went 0 for 6 from threeland), Marcus (did everything: 2 points & 5 rebounds), AJW (0 for 5) Jules Cornelius, and Dave Papp couldn’t keep pace.

Game 5 was the ultimate battle and last stand of team FMSFS. The team of Ethan Conner-Ross, Andrew Jones, Dominic Fuscia, Dave Papp and Tim Gleeson presented a serious game for a team who was about to play their 5th straight. The game was tight for a while and the score ended up at 10 to 10. At that point the dynasty squad took over and scored the final 6 to secure the victory. Freeborn & Santore scored 6 a piece and Folar finished the job with 4 more. The challengers had trouble scoring late and ended up shooting 31% from the field. At this point the team of FMSFS had be be dismantled due to salary cap issues.

Game 1 from the final day of play is in the books.

The squad of Folmar, Freeborn, Santore & Stuhltrager (we should start a law firm) beat out the team of Hummel, Andrew Jones, Ethan Conner-Ross and Tim Gleeson. The game was typical AFBL fare–lots of back and forth, turnovers (4 for each team) and poor shooting. In the end the balanced scoring from Freeborn (2 threeballs) , Stuhltrager and Santore (each with 6) was too much for their opponents to handle.

Seaon 9 has ended. There were many missed weeks due to snow, school cutbacks and the latest… electrical problems at the school. Through it all the games went on and we had solid numbers all year. The final stats will come soon, and then the much anticipated AFBL awards ceremony. Til then, thanks to everyone who came out, missed shots, fouled and had a good ole’ time.

Better late than never, and thanks to our newly tapped stat man – Jon Folmar.

Week 5 (January, 23rd, 2010) was a busy AFBL showing with about 17 people showing to play. This put us back in 5 on 5 mode after most of Season 9 playing 4 on 4. The stats reflect the crowded paint and ugly play. The MVP of week 5, Ethan Conner-Ross. Fresh off his honeymoon, Ethan laid down a triple double, with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Full stats here –> Google.docs

On to the fantasy evaluations…

Marcus, 0.67 – Not his most productive AFBL day ever, but his did manage to shoot %50 (1 for 2) from three. It was really his 8 turnovers (1.3 per game, 2nd worst) that pulled him down.

Roland Burns, 1.63 – Roland filled almost every column (except, oddly, assists) but shot just 18.2% on the day.

Justin Stuhltrager, 2.79 – Justin is not living up to the hype this season. His no looks are way down but we’ll chalk it up to an off week.

Andrew Jeffrey Wright, 3.33 – 7 points and 9 rebounds, but AJ Dubs shot just 15% on the day.

Dominic Fuscia, 3.38 – .5 Assists per game (3rd best) but coupled with 1.5 turnovers per game (worst of the day).

Andrew Jones, 3.6 – Andrew Jones is known as a volume shooter. On this day he only played 2.5 games and his numbers reflected the lack of volume: 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal.

Alan Sable, 3.63 – Alan played four quiet productive games and shot 60% (2nd best) while he was at it.

Paul A, 4.4 – Paul posts his best AFBL numbers yet, just barely missing a double double with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Isaac Lin, 5.0 – In one single game Isaac scored 5, grabbed 3 boards (4th best per game) and shot %50 from threeland.

John Freeborn, 5.75 – Worst day ever! Just 2 points shooting an amazingly bad 5.7% (worst of the day). His saving grace: 15 rebounds (3.8 per game, tied for best of the day), 2 steals (.5 per, 4th best), 2 blocks (.5 per game, best of the day) and 1 assist.

Mike, 5.78 – Mike’s numbers closely resemble John’s. 4 points on 8.7%, 16 rebounds (3.6 per for 3rd best) and .4 blocks per game (2nd best).

John Ballzarini, 7.4 – The return of the Ballzman! He comes back from the dead and shoots 62.5% (best) and scores 10 points. Only 5 rebounds, which must be the lowest ever for him, and one steal for good measure.

Jon Hummel, 8.06 – Hummel continues to play solid ball. After a week off he comes back with 6.1 points per game (best), 5 threes, 17 rebounds and 5 assists. His turnovers continue to hold him back: 6 TOs.

Jon Folmar, 8.63 – John Thousand’s play speaks for itself: 4.1 points per game (5th best), 19 rebounds, .8 assists per game (2nd best), .6 steals per game (tied for 2nd best). 8 TOs and 25% from the floor hurt his overall fantasy value.

Mark, 9.22 – Mark energy and long arms put him everywhere on this day: 5.1 points per game (tied for 2nd best), .7 threes per game (tied for best),  12 rebounds, .7 steals per game (best).

Jules Cornellius, 9.44 – Jules played a patient and efficient game: 5.1 points per game (tied for 2nd best), .7 threes per game (tied for best), 2.9 rebounds per game (5th best), 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

Andrew Freeborn, 9.77 – Out of retirement to battle the Ballzman and AJF wins this round. 17 points, 3.8 rebounds per game (tied for best), .6 steals per game (tied for 2nd best) and 2 assists.

Ethan Conner-Ross, 18.00 – Tripple double with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists (1.5 per, best). Throw in 2 steals and Ethan had a good day. He didn’t shot his usual solid percentage but he’s just shaking off the rust, watch out.

Week 3 was an anomaly in AFBL play. Three players logged tripple doubles–this is unheard of. How did that many assits get tallied? No one will ever know, and I doubt it will ever happen again. The MVP of week three is rookie, Dave Pap! His first career tripple dip, in just his third game. Even LeBron took over 100 games to get his first 3×2. Full stats here –> google docs, week 3

The Fantasy Evaluations

Matt Furie, 4.0 – Matt flew in from SF to play AFBL (after his show at SPACE1026). He played only one game, but I think he’ll be taking the AFBL back to the left coast.

Andrew Jeffrey Wright, 6.25 – AJ Dubs posted a solid double double, 16 points and 11 rebounds. He also shot 33.3% from the floor, which is better than the AFBL average.

Jon Hummel, 7.64 – Jon seems to have hit the rookie wall. I have no doubt that he will return in week 5 with a whole new outlook. He did still post 4.9 points per game (2nd best) and tacked on 8 assists. But his 7 TOs really hurt his fantasy value.

Justin Stuhltrager, 7.75 – Justin posted an unusual 14 points and 23 rebounds (5th best). He also filled the columns with 2 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals and 1 block.

Alan Sable, 7.75 – Alan came in and did some very efficient work. He shot 42.9% (best) from the field and did a little bit of everything with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

Keith McMenamin, 7.75 – Keith played only 4 games, but he made them count: 4.5 points per game (2nd best), 4 three-pointers (best), 14 rebounds and 2 steals.

Jules Cornellius, 8.7 – Jules is working his way into shape. After a slow start to the season he comes in and pulls a serious double double with 15 points and 19 rebounds. 5 Turnovers was his only downside.

Mark, 8.83 – Jules’ buddy Mark hasn’t hit the AFBL floor in a while but he didn’t let that stop him. Even after twisting an ankle he still managed 12 points, 22 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Nicky Santore, 13.25 – 50 points, 6.3 points per game (best) is just the beginning. 39.1% shooting (2nd best), 32 rebounds (4 per game, tied for first), 6 assits, 5 steals (2nd) and 2 blocks.

John Freeborn, 22.07 – John finally broke out of his slump and pulled a triple double. 27 points, 27 rebounds (3.9 per, 4th best), and 12 assists (1.7 per, 3rd best). He also got 6 steals (.9 per game, best) and just 4 turnovers.

John Fomar, 22.92 – Quiet dominance on the floor, and his second week in a row with a triple double. Could he go for the big O’s record and average that for the season? 18 points, 24 rebounds (4 per game, tied for best) and 12 assists (2 per game, 2nd best). Throw in 3 steals and 2 blocks to keep them honest.

Dave Pap, 23.25 – Dave’s coming out party at the Art Fag Basketball League. 17 points (38.1% shooting, 3rd best), 24 rebounds (4 per game, tied for best), and 14 assists (2.3 per game, best) He also grabbed 4 steals (.7 per, 3rd best) and blocked a shot, on Nicky.

Week 2 continued the momentum of the first and we had a solid turnout of 12 people. Ten games made it to the books and Mr. Jon Folmar is Week 2’s MVP! Full stats available here –> google docs, week 2

Game 1 featured what looked like an obvious mismatch. Dreamteam: Nicky Santore, Sean Agnew, (Week 1: MVP) Andrew Jones and the always entertaining Justin Stuhltrager versus last weeks losing team of underdogs: John Freeborn, Jon Folmar (rookie of the year candidate) Joshua Finley & AJ wright. In typical AFBL style that proved to be very wrong. The game started with the underdogs taking a 9 to 2 lead. In classic AFBL play they promptly let the opponent come back until squeaking out a 17 to 12 victory on a circus style scoop shot by Freeborn. Jon Folmar was the real key to the win scoring 6 points on 75% shooting and pulling down 7 rebounds.

In Game 2 the (no longer) underdogs took the court against a revamped roster of Santore, Justin Stuhltrager, Dave Pap and Jon Hummel. This game was ugly from start to finish. The underdogs shot an amazingly bad 9.1% and John Freeborn tried to single handedly lose the game, going 0 for 7 and racking up 3 turnovers. Luckily, rookie Joshua Finley (no realtion to Michael Finley) took over scoring 13 points on a barage of moves inside and out. The contendors hung around, but 6 turnovers sealed the loss: 16 to 11.

Game 3 was a turning point for the back to back winners. They faced what looked like a good matchup in a fresh-legged squad of Sean Agnew, Andrew Jones, Marcus and Jon Hummel. Andrew Jones caught fire shooting 67% (1-1 from 3) for 9 points. But game 3 belonged to Andrew Jeffrey Wright. AJDubs dominated early and late, scoring 7 points including the game-winning drive to the hoop. Afterwords, the word dynasty was thrown around.

Game 4 is where male bravado, ego and the phrase,”We can beat this team” or “Give us one more shot at these guys” comes in. The game 2 squad of Santore, Papp, Stuhltrager and Hummel comes back for a rematch vs. the team of Dynasty: Folmar, Freeborn, Finley & AJ Wright. The game was tight but the Freeborn/Finley combo was too much. John Freeborn bounced back shooting 100% from the field for 7 points and Finley scored 8 on 67% shooting. The other squad shot just 13.3% from the floor which pretty much sealed their fate.

Game 5 put the team of dynasty in position for an ABFL rarity – 5 straight. The team of Hummel, Agnew, A Jones and Marcus would be the roadblock. Hummel broke through the rookie wall and went for 8 points, including a back-breaking, game-winning 3 pointer. His scoring and Agnew’s energy proved to be too much for the incumbents. Freeborn led the losing team with 5, but shot 28.6%.

Game 6 will go down in AFBL history as the least like any usual AFBL game ever. Dynasty beaters: Hummel, Agnew, A. Jones and Marcus shot 53.3% from the floor. The team that they beat: Santore, Dave Pap, Justin and Alan Sable shot 60%! Nicky Santore had his breakout game of the day, scoring on 80% shooting. Dave Pap kept feeding him with 3 assists. But Jon Hummel was too much scoring 8 of his own and willing the team to victory.

Game 7: The Rich Get Richer. Coming off his best game all day, the defeated dynasty team adds Nicky Santore to replace AJ Wright. This is like the Boston Celtics adding Rasheed Wallace. The deal provided immediate dividends. Nicky dominated the game scoring 12 points on 87.5% shooting, 4 rebounds and an assist. The dynasty beaters fought hard and made it a tight 12-16 game.

Game 8. It was Sean Agnew’s turn. He took over scoring 12 on 55.6% with 2 of 6 from threeland, throw in 4 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal. The dynasty squad looked like it had run it’s course. They were outrebounded 11 to 6 and lost 11 to 17.

Game 9 was very evenly matched, on paper. Team Firepower led by Nicky Santore, Andrew Jones, Jon Hummel and Marcus played Team Skillz with Sean Angew, Dave Pap, Justin Stuhltrager and Alan Sable. The Agnew/Santore match up was just what everyone thought it would be with Nicky taking a slight edge. Rookie Jon Hummel had another solid game, scoring 9 on 80% shooting with 1 assist. Skillz put up a good fight with an all-team effort, but Hummel was too much and Firepower won 17 to 14.

Game 10 featured Team Firepower, back on the court to represent. In a grudge match style finish, the team of dynasty came back for one last run with a slight variation. John Freeborn, Jon Folmar and Josh Finley added the talents of Alan Sable. This move was key becuase Alan came in and scored 6 points on 60% shooting. Unfortunately the team shot just 19%. The tape ran out so the ending isn’t official. But the stats will stand since the game was at 14 to 12.

The Fantasty Evaluations

Andrew Jeffrey Wright, 2.6 – Although Andrew put up more points in week two his overall numbers suffered. 14 points, but just 4 rebounds. But, AJ Wright was undefeated for the day–AJW is all about the wins.

Marcus, 2.92 – Marcus put in solid work in 6 games. He scored 7, pulled 6 rebounds and handed out 4 assists.

Alan Sable, 5.25 – Alan had one amazing game and a few quiet ones. Alan did score 10 on 45.5% shooting (tops on the day) and grabbed 7 rebounds.

John Freeborn, 6.94 – Is this a fluke or has John Freeborn lost a step. John got 24 points, but shot just 23.1% to get them, including an awful 2 for 14 from behing the three point painter’s tape. 2.8 rebounds per game (3rd best of the day) was his saving grace for the stats. The real downside, 13 turnovers (1.6 per game, worst of the day) – the dirty tripple double.

Andrew Jones, 7.29 – A. Jones must have been celebrating his week 1 MVP all week. Week 2 he did not repeat. 32 points, 4.6 per game (3rd best), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. But Andrew shot 33% for the day and had 4 turnovers.

Dave Pap, 7.4 – Dave rebounded nicely from his week 1 rookie jitters and was just 1 rebound and 1 assist shy of a tripple double. He was tops with 1.8 assists per game, but his shooting (18.2%) and 5 turnovers hurt his fantasy value.

Justin Stuhltrager, 7.83 – 17 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists (1.2 per, 3rd best) and .7 steals per game (2nd best) put Justin towards the top of the heap. %19 shooting just hurts you. I could be wrong, but I swear I saw Justin actually looking on a few passes.

Jon Hummel, 8.0 – In his second AFBL showing Hummel racked up 45 points (5.6 per game, best of the day). Throw in 13 rebound and 7 assists for a solid days work. Jon’s downfall was the turnovers, 1 per game (tied for 3rd worst).

Sean Agnew, 9.43 – Sean is an effiecent player. 5 rebounds a game (2nd best), 2.7 rebounds per game (4th best), and .6 steals per game (tied for 3rd). These are great numbers and if he can maintain this level the accolades will follow.

Joshua Finley, 10.31 – Josh is starting to get a real feel for the AFBL in only his second week. 4.8 points per game (3rd best) with .8 threes per game (best of the day). Josh is filling all the columns, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, .6 steals per game (tied for 3rd) and .6 blocks per game (best). Rookie if the Year is looking like a two man race – Finley or Hummel.

Nicky Santore, 11.06 – The unstopable force rolls on. Despite having several stinker games Nicky plays trhough it and ends up with 34 points (4.3 per 4th best) and 29 rebounds (3.6 per, best) for the day while shooting 44.7% (2nd best). He also had 4 assists, .6 steals per game (tied for 3rd) and .5 blocks per game (2nd best). His only low point, 1.1 turnovers per game (2nd worst).

Jon Folmar, 20.50 – Jon pulls the tripple double and caps an amazing run with Team Dynasty: 18 points, 28 rebounds (3.5 per game, 2nd best), 10 assists (1.3 per game, 2nd best), and 6 steals (.8 per game, best of the day).