Playoff Preview

The regular season is over. Now every possession matters.

It all starts with the play-in tournament, where the #9 Killer Bees and #10 Rim Rockers battle in a race to just 25 points. In a game that short, one hot shooting stretch can decide everything. The Killer Bees feature the league’s leading scorer, Rob Naples, along with assist leader Larry Bast. Despite a three-game skid, they have the experience to make a run. The Rim Rockers counter with longtime star Ryan Stadel, plus the backcourt of Chase Byrne and Ryker Budimlija, fresh off a momentum-building Week 9 victory.

The winner earns a date with the defending champion #8 Bandits, who still have plenty of championship experience led by Chris and Trey Anderson, with Nano Law and Brody Smith capable of changing a game in a hurry. Win that one, and the reward is the top-seeded Hydra.

At 8-1, Hydra enters the playoffs looking every bit like a championship favorite. Blake Buls dominated the glass all season, averaging nearly 20 rebounds per game, while Nate Bayer, Bryce Aude, and Ashton Miller give them production all over the floor.

The 4-5 matchup may be the most evenly matched game of the night as the Tornados meet the Goats. Both teams have veteran leadership, nearly identical resumes, and plenty of firepower. Can Chanse Schnitzler and Dillon Prowant generate enough offense for the Goats? Or will Eric Naples, the league leader in three-point percentage, catch fire alongside veterans Travis Prowant and Trey Thomas?

The Knights enter as the #3 seed at 7-2 and may be the league’s most balanced team. Zach Randecker led the league in made three-pointers, and their size makes them a difficult matchup. Standing in their way is a dangerous Cobras squad. Bradlee Damhoff and Quinn Ruddell anchor the paint, while Chris Toms-Smith, and the Bickelhaupt brothers have given the Cobras a much-needed spark in the backcourt.

Then there’s the 2-7 showdown between the red-hot Outbreak and the always-dangerous Brawlers. After losing Opening Night, Outbreak hasn’t lost since, ripping off eight straight victories behind the outstanding duo of Jason Schultz and Ben Moest. But the Brawlers have built a reputation on grit, toughness, and never backing down. If Drew Mensendike** or Bryar Haring gets rolling, they have the ability to make things very interesting.

This has all the ingredients for the best night of basketball we’ve had all summer. Six games. Win-or-go-home drama. A packed Percy Park atmosphere.

Will the favorites, Hydra and Outbreak, stay on a collision course for a championship showdown? Or will the Tornadoes, Goats, or Cobras crash the party? And don’t overlook those veteran teams—the Bandits, Killer Bees, and Rim Rockers have enough experience to make a cinderella run.