ALL-STAR COMPETITION

The battle to make it to the All-Star Team is heating up with only five more games in the season left for each team. The All-Stars will be determined by evaluating 13 stats at the end of the season: Free Throw %, Free Throws Made, Field Goal %, Field Goals Made, Three Point %, Three Pointers Made, Total Points, Assists, Blocks, Steals, Rebounds, Fouls, and Turnovers. Since Scoring makes up 7 of the 13 stat evaluations, the following list includes all players who are averaging more than 10 points per game so far this season, and are organized by position. These players are the likeliest contenders for becoming an All-Star. If players have the ability to play multiple positions, then they will be listed multiple times.

Point Guards
1. Yo Yo Dalton (Vipers) PG SG 20.5
2. Jerry Daines (Ice) PG 20.1
3. Stephan Mills (Cobras) PG 18.5
4. Terrance Clark (Scorpions) PG 13.4
5. Bryce Howard (Wolves) PG 12.4

Shooting Guards
1. Yo Yo Dalton (Vipers) PG SG 20.5
2. Greg Harris (Wasps) SG 13.5
3. Dennis Scott (Tigers) SG 10.3

Small Forwards
1. Jason Macey (Sharks) SF 17.9
2. Colby Manterola (Stallions) SF 17.3
3. Carter Hanks (Wolves) SF 16.1
4. Bill Wyecliffe (Bulls) SF PF 11.9
5. Gary Letty (Knights) SF 11.8
6. Martin Luther (Bears) SF 11.4

Power Forwards
1. Andrew Bogart (Killer Whales) PF 20.4
2. Freddy Hendricks (Cobras) PF 16.3
3. Peter Phillips (Tigers) PF 14
4. Jeff Walters (Cougars) PF 13.4
5. Bill Wyecliffe (Bulls) SF PF 11.9
6. Ed Wagner (Scorpions) PF 11.1

Centers
1. Avery Gunderson (Cougars) C 18.8
2. Will Antone (Fire) C 14
3. Fred Saunders (Bears) C 13.7
4. Ted Gumphrey (Bulls) C 13.3
5. Andre Simms (Dragons) C 12

Only the top two in each position will become an All-Star. Since the Shooting Guards aren't very dominant this year, Yo Yo Dalton will probably play in the SG position during the All-Star Game even though he plays PG for his team. This will leave a battle for second spot between Harris and Scott. If Dalton goes to SG, than Daines and Mills will most likely be the PG's. For the Small Forward Positon it is basically a battle between Macey, Manterola, and Hanks. Manterola tends to turn it over a lot so he better get his scoring higher. Bogart and Hendricks are leading the Power Forwards, but Phillips and Walters have a shot at snatching it away from Hendricks because of his excessive fouls and turnovers. Avery Gunderson has virtually a 99% chance at being an All-Star, but the second spot is up for grabs between Antone, Saunders, and Gumphrey. Although Wyecliff plays SF and PF, he is not very close at either position. Anyway, we'll have to see what happens next in the final third of the season.

DICE BASKETBALL HEATING UP

The competition is heating up during the second half of the DBA season. Many dominant teams have fallen from elite status, and the upsets have proven that any team can win on any given night. The Scorpion's win over the then 6-0, #1 ranked, Cobras marked the start of a host of underdog wins. The Cobras lost again to the resurging Wolves 45 to 36. Then came the game where the Tigers beat the Killer Whales 37 to 31. Several games later, the Ice triumphed over the Vipers 42 to 39 in an amazing comback victory in overtime. A few games later, the Vipers lost another one to the Bears 38 to 47 as the Bears try to prove they can compete with anybody. Then to cap it all off, the Knights overtake the undefeated Cougars 35 to 31 to prove that they have a shot at the DBA Title.
There have been some amazing stories emerge as the season has continued on. There is the story of the Sharks winning 3 games in a row by one point, or the story of the Scorpions who even though they have a score differential of only -2, they have a dismal 2-7 record including a win over the fierce Cobras. There's the story of Terrance Clark getting the leagues individual game scoring record at 30 points, which was almost 3 times his previous personal best. There's the story of the previously unbeatable Cougars falling to the Knights, which hold the record for the fewest points scored in a game.
Throughout these stories are athletes; athletes with big dreams, even as they face many challenges. Some, such as the Cobras, struggle to not foul out of the game. Others, such as the Tigers and Stallions, struggle with turning the ball over. The Wasps and the Dragons struggle scoring the ball, although their rebounding is superb.
Regardless the challenge, they all continue fighting. They keep fighting for the right to be a champion. They keep fighting for the love of the game and they keep fighting for the enjoyment of the fans and spectators cheering from the stands. Whatever the outcome in the weeks that follow, you can only count on this; entertainment, blood, sweat, tears and a championship team. May the journey ahead be a memorable one.
I'm out.

JCC