As we head into session 5 of the Metro Summer League Hoops, there is a quick turnaround with play coming up again on Monday night after all the previous sessions on just Thursday for the past month. This week will have play on both Monday and Thursday night to complete the pool play part of Summer League.
BD and NEBHSSPORTS.COM are the front runners after the first four sessions going 4-0. Several other teams are close behind them. Some key matchups on Monday night will help decide some seeding into the following week’s MBL tournament. Here are the matchups for Monday, July 11th.
Games of the Night:
7:45 p.m. Court 1: BD (4-0) vs. Rooferees (2-2)
This is the first game you will want to sit down and watch as a couple of highly veteran teams go up against each other. League organizer Jason Isaacson has been piecing together the roster for the Rooferees for the first few weeks based on player availability. After Thursday’s performance against the Offutt Air Force team that garnered an almost 50 point win, all the players are in place to make a run to finish out pool play and into the tournament. Dylan Travis and Derek Fletcher have been around all summer and if Andre Smith and John Turek are both playing on Monday, they will give BD a good challenge.
BD, on the other hand, really hasn’t been challenged this summer. In their first four games, their margin of victory has been almost 23 points. In the first half, their opponents give them a good challenge, but their athleticism helps them pull away in the second half allowing them to roll to victory. Jelani Johnson, James Parrott, Ben Imig, Galen Gullie and Andy King have been the constants on the team. Whether it is outside shooting or being able to get out on the fast break, BD has been able to keep opponents guessing on what they will do next. Going up against the Rooferees will be their next challenge.
8:45 p.m. Court 2: UNO Alumni (3-1) vs. NEBHSSPORTS.COM (4-0)
Bluejays to Watch: Khyri Thomas, Justin Patton, Antoine Young
The biggest crowds this summer have been to see NEBHSSPORTS.COM games. Creighton’s Justin Patton is a very intriguing player. Standing around all of the other basketball players in the gym, he still stands tall over them. He will be over 7-foot on the Creighton program this winter and may be one of the more versatile players out there. He has demonstrated a lot of facets to his game in summer league and that redshirt year will pay dividends going into the college season. Last Thursday, Patton scored 25 and grabbed 19 rebounds as well as some spectacular blocks captured by WBR’s cameras. After beating Going Vertical to start the summer, their confidence has been overflowing. Khyri Thomas has also worked very hard in the offseason and looks to make a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore season for the Bluejays. He had 34 points of his own on Thursday.
The question mark might be in the coming weeks as KJ Scott will not be available for NEBHSSPORTS.COM as he heads down to Texas Southern to get ready for the school year. NBEHSSPORTS hopes that the contingency of adding Antoine Young to the roster will help keep their high level of play heading into the final weeks of summer league.
UNO Alumni are the defending MBL champs. They have a nice 3-1 record, but have flirted with disaster to get the three wins and things caught up to them a couple weeks ago as BD pulled away from them giving UNO Alumni their lone loss. They will need to step up down the stretch to defend their title. The first step would be knocking off NEBHSSPORTS.COM
Bluejay Games
7:45 p.m. Court 2: Winning Mentality (3-1) vs. EQ School of Hair Design (0-4)
Bluejays to Watch: Maurice Watson, Jr.
Winning Mentality has been on a roll rattling off three straight wins including a close one Thursday against Bank of Nebraska. This team is made up of a lot of players from a lot of different backgrounds, but they are playing well together. On the other hand EQ School of Hair Design has a lot of things to overcome including barely having a roster last Thursday. Hopefully Watson and others can return and see if they can give Winning Mentality a challenge. Zach Hanson has been out for EQ with an injury since week one.
7:45 p.m. Court 4: Bank of Nebraska (2-2) vs. Shanks Law Firm (2-2)
Bluejays to Watch: Devin Brooks
Both teams are coming off losses on Thursday. Devin Brooks has been a leader on Bank of Nebraska all summer and will look to lead them again against future Omaha Charger Trey Bardsley and the Shanks Law Firm team of Nebraska Wesleyan graduates.
8:45 p.m. Court 1: Narmi Group @ Baird (2-2) vs. Going Vertical (3-1)
Bluejays to Watch: Ronnie Harrell, Tyler Clement, Jahenns Manigat, Taylor Stormberg, Matt Dorwart, Justin Carter
Going Vertical has rebounded after an opening week loss with three straight wins with the young guys (Tra-Deon Hollins & Tre’Shawn Thurman) and veterans (Ben Holling, Justin Carter, Klaye Rowe, Cody Levinson) starting to gel with each other while peaking at the right time. They will look to take down a Ronnie Harrell and Jahenns Manigat led Narmi Group that had a dramatic win on Thursday in overtime.
8:45 p.m. Court 4: OFWF (2-2) vs Judd Knispel Insurance (0-4)
Bluejays to Watch: Toby Hegner, Davion Mintz, Marcus Foster, Kaleb Joseph
This is the court to get your current Creighton player fix on Monday night. OFWF started off with two straight wins, but have lost their last two while Judd Knispel is stll looking for that elusive first win of the summer. While the wins are hard to come by fro Judd Knispel, it is fun to watch Marcus Foster and Kaleb Joseph show off their skills, but it was Wayne State’s Matt Thomas who put on a show Thursday night hitting shot after shot from behind the arc, keeping them in the game against NEBHSSPORTS.COM.
Davion Mintz, Toby Hegner, Austin Hennings and the Moran brothers, Mitch & Conner, are looking to bounce back after Thursday’s loss to BD. This should be another great matchup that will have a high level of play despite the records.
Others
7:45 p.m. Court 3: Regulators (3-1) vs. Apex Foster Care (1-3)
The Regulators have been quiet but effective this summer. Apex (Peru St.) has been on the wrong end of a couple overtime losses. It should be a good matchup.
8:45 p.m. Court 3: Air Force (0-4) vs. Lopers (1-3)
The Air Force team from Offutt suffered their worst defeat of the summer, 49 points, against the Rooferees on Thursday. They will have to bounce back against a hungry Lopers (UNK) team that are looking for a way to win after losing three straight.
Check back with White and Blue Review on Monday night and Tuesday morning for recaps of the games. Keep updated by visiting the MBL Summer League mini-site, and following things on Twitter @OMAMetroLeague.
