JCC of Central New Jersey Men's Basketball

Week 12 featured five games, but only one was decided by fewer than 10 points. Even so, with the regular season winding down, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Blowouts or not, every result is now shaping the playoff picture in a meaningful way. Two major races are taking center stage. First is the battle for the coveted #2 seed, which is shaping up as a three-team dogfight between Household Hoopers, Going Buck, and Money Ball. With matchups and tiebreakers looming, there’s little room for slip-ups. The second race is the one no one wants to be part of: avoiding the play-in tournament. Big Ballers and Billy Hoyle appear safely locked into the field, but the final two automatic playoff spots are very much up for grabs. Shortland Blazers, Ball Don’t Lie, We Got Game, and Laub & Order are all fighting to stay out of the dreaded play-in round, where one bad night can end a season. The intensity is rising, the margins are shrinking, and with only a few weeks left, every possession matters more than ever. However, more than anything else, this week will be remembered for the Smul-three

Before I get into the recaps, I just want to pass along some information from Alex Schosheim about the ECPC Dads night out. This event is for dads with kids at the JCC and includes a night of Top Golf and food for $59. The event takes place on 3/19 from 8-10 pm, which happens to be the first night of March Madness (so the games will be on TV's at Top Golf). If you're interested, you can register on the Amilia app (or you can reach out to Alex for additional info)

Going Buck 86 – Big Ballers 76: This was a massive win for Going Buck as they try to keep pace with Household Hoopers for the all-important #2 seed. Coming into the night, Going Buck was tied with Household Hoopers in the standings but trailing in the tiebreaker, meaning this was very much a “no room for error” situation. Big Ballers may sit in last place, but when Dave Moreno is in the lineup, they are a completely different animal. Moreno wasn’t just on the court, he was owning it. When he puts his head down, uses his size, and finishes through contact, there aren’t many answers.

Defenders could be heard yelling “More(no!)” as he piled up 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists, carrying Big Ballers to a halftime lead. But Going Buck has been playing some of its best basketball of the season lately, thanks largely to an offense that hums. The ball moves, players cut, and shots come in rhythm. Captain Jon Ackerman and Will Howarth have consistently set the tone all season, and both delivered again. Howarth was everywhere with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Ackerman chipped in 19 points and 10 boards, repeatedly knocking down big shots at big moments. Still, the story of the game was Jake Granoff.

Now, if you’re a shooting coach, Jake’s form might send you straight to the whiteboard. But basketball isn’t a beauty contest, it’s about results. And Jake delivered in a big way, torching Big Ballers for 26 points on an efficient 9-for-14 shooting. He was the difference in the second half as Going Buck pulled away and never looked back. For Big Ballers, James Floyd put together a strong all-around effort with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Lorne Bergstein continued his strong play, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Big Ballers were also without Andrew Merel, which certainly didn’t help their cause. Going Buck remains one of the most entertaining teams to watch on film as the continually feature excellent ball movement, constant off-ball activity, and an unselfishness that makes them incredibly tough to guard. The win moves them to 8–4, while Big Ballers drop to 1–9, though they remain a matchup nobody wants when Moreno is in the lineup. And finally, the game was played on Brian Maier’s 40th birthday. The team made a valiant effort to get him 40 points for turning 40… unfortunately, they only missed by 38. Still counts as a happy birthday with a win on the résumé.

Going Buck vs Big Ballers Highlights

Fast Break 77 – Laub & Order 55: Laub & Order came into this one short-handed, missing captain, point guard, and offensive engine Mike Gerstein. It’s hard enough to deal with Fast Break at full strength, but spotting them your floor general is basically asking for trouble. Yes, L&O did beat Fast Break earlier this season while missing one of their “big three,” Mike “Neighbor” Huberman, but as mentioned last week, Laub & Order is the league’s ultimate Jekyll & Hyde team. Last week, Dr. Jekyll showed up. This week? Full Hyde… and not the good kind. Fast Break controlled this game from start to finish, and it was very much a total team beatdown. Unsurprisingly, Jorge “MVP” Mangui led the charge with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals. Known in the Peak League as Lil’ Annoying, Jorge lived up to the nickname, harassing ball handlers, jumping passing lanes, and turning Laub & Order possessions into Fast Break layup lines. Jorge wasn’t alone. TJ Farrell came out firing early and helped Fast Break build a lead that never really felt threatened. For anyone new to the league: yes, TJ likes shooting threes, and yes, he hit five of them.

Mike Glanzman continued his season-long dominance in the paint with 16 points on an efficient 7-11 shooting night, plus 12 rebounds. Captain Gary Levine added a double-double of his own with 12 points and 12 boards… and could’ve had a lot more if points were given for missed layups. Dave Kobi didn’t channel Kobe offensively (0 points), but made his presence felt with 10 rebounds and his usual physical defense. For Laub & Order, the scoring was evenly spread, if nothing else. Five players scored between 6 and 15 points, accounting for all of their offense. Jason Stern led the way with a monster effort (15 points and 14 rebounds), including a ridiculous 12 offensive boards. Stern has quietly been one of the league’s best offensive rebounders since joining and currently sits 4th in the league in that category. Eric Sass added another workmanlike double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, though Glanzman made him earn every single bucket. Gabe Berkowitz continued his strong run of play with 13 points. Huberman didn’t do much flexing this week, finishing with just 8 points on a rough 3-17 shooting night, but he did contribute across the board with 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. Josh Knapp, one of the league’s most active and reliable fill-ins, chipped in 6 points and 10 rebounds. The win moves Fast Break to 9–2, firmly establishing them as the clear frontrunner for the top seed. The loss drops Laub & Order to 5–6, currently slotted into the 7-seed and staring straight at the dreaded play-in game.

Fast Break vs Laub & Order Highlights

Ball Don’t Lie 82 – Shortland Blazers 66: Shortland came into this one shorthanded, missing Brian Schiller: the glue guy, the defensive quarterback, the guy who makes everyone else’s life easier. Without him, Ball Don’t Lie pretty much had the remote control on offense and kept flipping to whatever channel they wanted. Adam Hynes is, without question, one of the league’s premier scorers. At times, Ball Don’t Lie can fall into the trap of standing around and watching him cook. But when Adam gets his and the rest of the lineup stays involved, this team hits another gear. That’s exactly what we saw here. Hynes did his usual efficient damage, 19 points and 7 boards, but the real story was balance. Three other teammates chipped in between 16 and 21 points, making the defense pick its poison every trip down the floor. Leading the charge was Brandon Wendel, who reminded everyone that just two seasons ago he led the league in three-point shooting. When Brandon is giving Ball Don’t Lie consistent scoring, this offense becomes downright scary. He poured in a team-high 21 points on a scorching 7-for-9 shooting, many of them coming in the second half when Ball Don’t Lie grabbed control and never let go.

The first half was a track meet, with both teams trading buckets and playing high-level offense. Unsurprisingly, Shortland was led by Jakub Zabek and Shamar Mason (AKA The Backcourt Blazers). Both guards were absolutely feeling it on this night, with Shamar pouring in 27 points while Jakub added 24, accounting for 51 of the team’s 66 points.

I love this play so much. Jakub handing it off to Shamar and Big Dan looking like "What the hell am I supposed to do with these little guys"

Normally, getting that kind of production from your backcourt is a recipe for success. But on this night, it wasn’t nearly enough. Shortland simply didn’t get enough offensive help elsewhere, and without their best defender available to apply the brakes, Ball Don’t Lie was able to operate at its preferred speed far too comfortably. The rest of the scoring was sparse: Drew Mandelbaum chipped in 8 points, Adam Parkes added 4, and captain Jason Narod was held to just 3. Meanwhile, Ball Don’t Lie’s offense was humming, especially in the second half. In addition to the strong performances from Adam Hynes and Brandon Wendel, they got a big-time contribution from Dan Amsellem, who controlled the paint with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Point guard Ben Carr turned in one of his best all-around games of the season, finishing with 16 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds while keeping the offense organized and efficient. Toss in a couple of timely three-pointers from Jon Kanarek, and it quickly became too much for Shortland to keep pace with. The loss drops Shortland to 5–5 on the season, while the win moves Ball Don’t Lie to 5–7, still firmly entrenched in the play-in zone, but clearly trending in the right direction.

Ball Don't Lie vs Shortland Blazers Highlights

Money Ball 74 - Billy hoyle 64: Money Ball, with Andi Hasaj back in the lineup, is a completely different animal. With his month-long Florida excursion officially over, Money Ball once again looks like one of the clear favorites to win it all. Andi wasted no time reminding everyone why. He poured in 40 points on 12/22 shooting, went a perfect 9/9 from the line, and added 9 rebounds. It was one of those nights where the only “D” involved was the one in his name. Andi is a nightmare matchup...his combination of size and shooting, paired with an absurdly high release point, makes shot contests feel purely ceremonial. Lately, he’s also been far more aggressive attacking the rim, where he finishes strong, absorbs contact, and casually knocks down 93% of his free throws.

To their credit, Billy Hoyle didn’t fold. They hung around for most of the game before Money Ball finally pulled away late. A big issue for Billy Hoyle was the absence of their best on-ball defender, Eddie Ford, forcing the rest of the squad to take turns trying (unsuccessfully) to slow down this offense. As usual, Billy Hoyle was led by Siri Carpien (hey Siri… drop 25), who finished with 25 points on 10/19 shooting, along with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Despite the league getting younger in recent seasons, Siri still has that lethal first step and uncanny ability to slither to the rim and finish. Pat O’Donnell continued his strong play alongside him, chipping in 21 points and 9 boards. Unfortunately for Billy Hoyle, the scoring help largely stopped there. Zach Sicherman and Dave Steinbruck added 6 points apiece, though Steinbruck’s impact went beyond the box score with three excellent assists. For Money Ball, Captain Adam Driansky had a relatively quiet night offensively but still contributed 12 points and his usual relentless defense. Herb Smith may have cleaned up the look, but the game is still filthy, scoring 15 points on 6/8 shooting while also playing lockdown defense all night. Herb looks like he’s rediscovering his early-season form, which only raises Money Ball’s ceiling. Justin Dank rounded things out with 6 points and 10 rebounds. With the win, Money Ball moves to 6–5, while Billy Hoyle drops to 3–7, and is now staring pretty directly at the play-in round.

Money Ball vs Billy Hoyle Highlights

And now time for our weekly guest recap from Rick Auyeung (AKA the Rick-cap)

Household Hoopers 46 - We Got Game 42: One of the perks of playing in JCC for a few seasons, and being lucky enough to win a couple of chips, is getting to cheer on former teammates you’ve battled alongside. In this matchup between Household Hoopers and We Got Game, that meant three familiar faces: Ed Seiden, Matt Ceccarelli, and Stephen Shelton. None disappointed. But one other former teammate ultimately stole the spotlight (stay tuned).

We’ve all watched a Netflix series that starts slow, drags a bit in the middle, and then, right when you’re about to bail, hooks you with a thrilling finish, surprise character arcs, and an unexpected hero. That perfectly summed up this game.

With Cory and Seth out, Household Hoopers started Dr. Smule, while King Lo filled in as the lone sub. We Got Game stuck to their game plan early, exploiting mismatches. Omer Nimrodi was aggressive off the dribble and did a nice job facilitating. Stephen Shelton couldn’t buy a jumper, but it didn’t matter because his inside game carried him. He shot an efficient 5-for-8 (.625) and finished with 12 points, second on the team. Then there’s Mr. Fundamental himself, Matt Ceccarelli. Despite Colin Neff being an absolute pest, Matt still led We Got Game with 16 points on a clean .500 shooting night. Anyone who’s watched Matt practice knows the routine: the 1-2 step, smooth release. Honestly, if Colin wasn’t glued to him, this could’ve been a 25–30 point night. The shot looked that good.

As expected, Household Hoopers didn’t go quietly. Jonathan Roy continues to prefer shooting over two defenders rather than taking an open look, explaining how he led the team with 15 points in a grind-it-out defensive game. Colin Neff stuffed the stat sheet with a solid double-double, including seven offensive rebounds, while being as annoying as humanly possible to Matt (do we call him Bigger Annoying since Lil’ Annoying is already taken by Jorge?). Jason Pompeo led all players in rebounds with strong interior play… and we’ll politely skip over the shooting line. Moving on.

After a slow build, the ending delivered, though not without a painful twist. We Got Game held a 20-19 lead at halftime. Down the stretch, Household Hoopers clawed their way to a five-point lead with three minutes remaining. We Got Game responded with scrappy defense, cutting it to two with under a minute left. Household Hoopers tried to bleed the full 35-second shot clock while We Got Game fought through screens to deny easy looks.

Enter our hero.

With 33 seconds left, Ed drove left from the top of the key, drew the defense, and kicked it out to a wide-open Dr. Smule standing a good three feet beyond the arc. No way he shoots it, right? He was 0-for-3 on wide-open looks. Wrong. He let it fly and ripped the game away from We Got Game without any novocaine. Swish. Dr. Smule, unsung hero or outright villain, depending on your allegiance.

The sad twist belongs to our commissioner. Ed Seiden has battled a left shoulder issue for years, muscling through it out of sheer love for the game. Entering this one, he was also dealing with a right shoulder injury, worse than the left. Even so, he gutted it out, scoring seven tough points on drives (.500 FG%), as shooting was simply too painful. Unfortunately, while Household Hoopers left with the win, the week ended with a loss: Ed has confirmed a torn right labrum that will require season-ending surgery. We all wish him a successful procedure and speedy recovery. His presence on the floor will be missed.

So there you have it, Netflix viewers: a slow start, a thrilling finish, an unexpected hero, and a heartbreaking plot twist.

Household Hoopers vs We Got Game Highlights

Stats Leaders:

Scoring:

Jacob Zabek - 27.9 ppg (a new leader after Jorge has led all season long)

Jorge Mangui - 27.5 ppg 

Andi Hasaj - 26.6 ppg (Don't look now but Andi could lock down the scoring title before all is said and done)

Adam Hynes - 21.2 ppg

Rebounds:

Dan Amsellem - 17.6 rpg (this seems like an uncatchable lead)

Colin Neff - 12.8 rpg

Bryan Minasian - 12.1 rpg

Pat o'Donnell - 11.7 rpg

Assists:

Ben Carr - 5.3 apg

Mike Huberman - 5.2 apg

Andrew Merel - 5.0 pg

James Floyd - 3.7 apg

Blocks (total):

Eric Sass - 17

Pat O'Donnell - 16 

Dave Kobi - 14

Adam Driansky/Matt Ceccarelli/Alex Fisher - 10

Steals:

Jorge Mangui - 3.7 spg

Mike Huberman - 3.5 spg

Eddie Ford/Andrew Merel - 2.1 spg

Three-pointers made:

Jakub Zabek - 42

TJ Farrell - 33

Jorge Mangui/James Floyd - 29

Power rankings:

1. Fast Break - They have held this spot for most of the season. Led by Jorge Mangui, a frenetic pressing defense, one of the best offensive and defensive post players in the league, Mike Glanzman, and lots of three-point shooting for when teams double and triple team Jorge.
2. Money Ball - The standings have them in fourth but Andi Hasaj missed some games due to injury. Otherwise they'd be right there at the top. Andi is top-3 in the race for league MVP. Captain Adam Driansky has played like a first round pick on both ends of the floor. This team has several outstanding individual defenders and they can put up points with anyone. If they unlock Steve Bachman's three-point shooting, they will be even tougher to beat
3. Going Buck - Led by Captain Jon Ackerman and Will Howarth, this team has the prettiest offense in the league. The ball moves, the players move and they have a lot of guys capable of hitting shots. Defense might be their biggest question mark
4. Household Hoopers - The record doesn't lie. They keep getting it done defensively (49.1 points against per game). Colin Neff carries this team on both ends. Jonathan Roy has really found his stroke in recent weeks and if Jason Pompeo can do the same, this team will make some serious noise. They just need to score some more points and will need to weather the loss of Ed Seiden for the season.
5. Shortland Blazers - Led by the dyanamic backcourt duo of Zabek & Mason, this team can outscore just about anybody. The key to this team is probably Brian Schiller, the defensive stopper and enforcer, who will need to lead the defense.
6. Laub & Order - The only team to have 3 players average over 15 ppg. Eric Sass has been their best player all season long but when captain Mike Gerstein and Mike Huberman are on their games, this is a very talented roster. Throw in Jason Stern and Gabe Berkowitz and this is a very good team.
7. We Got Game - Matt Ceccarelli's squad plays outstanding defense. Matt leads the team offensively but Ben Huber has been getting it done in the paint all season long. Omer Nimrodi is one of the best pgs in the league. Steve Shelton is a big x-factor for this team
8. Ball Don't Lie - Truthfully, this team could be as high as 3 or 4. Adam Hynes is playing his best ball in years. Ben Carr is leading the league in asissts. Dan Amsellem is a beast in the paint. I think this is a sneaky pick to make some noise come playoff time
9. Billy Hoyle - Siri Carpien and Pat O'Donnell are one of the best duos in the league.  They have good individual defenders but just need to put it together consistently on both ends of the floor
10. Big Ballers - The fact that a team with Dave Moreno, James Floyd, Bryan Minasian, Andrew Merel and Lorne Bergstein in the starting lineup has the worst record in the league is a testament to how much talent there is in the league and how balanced the rosters are. This is not a team anyone will want to face in the playoffs, assuming Moreno is in the lineup