Week Five Player Reports

Mark Koll: Mark was certainly up against it in Week Five against Team Yellow. Even with all his troops, it would have been a mighty struggle keeping the game close. However, just minutes before the game was to begin, word came that three of Team Grey's best players were going to miss the game. The contest changed from a potential upset to a waste of time. Yellow was able to get any shot they wanted at any time. Mark, for his part, was cast in shadow for the entirety of the game without a single teammate capable of giving him some relief. Nobody was going to set any screens for him and nobody was going to hit enough shots to draw any actual attention. So Yellow was content to smother Mark and keep the ball out of his hands. Because of this singular cause, Grey actually pulled within ten points in the second half, but it was just a matter of cleanup to push the lead back up over twenty. Mark's stats reflected Yellow's concerted effort to stop him from scoring, finishing with a season-low 16 points.

What's Next: Mark will look to regroup in Week Six against Team Orange.

Mark Koll 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
25.75	9.25	2.75	1.25	100.00%

Matt Koll: What is going on with Team Dark Blue? After winning their first two games in impressive fashion, it would appear that they forgot how to play offense. In Weeks Four and Five, they've found themselves in low-scoring affairs and lost them both. Team Orange is coming together nicely, so this may not have been much of an upset in hindsight, but Dark Blue still has a strong core of talent. They should be getting more high-percentage looks on offense. There is so much hesitancy on that end of the floor that it feels like a team of Matt Kolls. But all is not lost. The pieces are still there and I'm sure these losses will inspire some sort of rejuvenation. HatchetBall is surely a game of match-ups, and Dark Blue will be well served by asserting their dominance ONTO other teams, rather than scurrying through the first half trying to figure out what the hell is going on and trying to make up ground in the second half. The problem is obvious: Dark Blue has scored 14 points and 12 points in the first half, respectively, over the last two weeks. That wouldn't get the job done against the St. John Fisher 6th Grade Girls Volleyball team.

What's Next: Dark Blue, after a BYE in Week Six, will get a nice recovery game against Team Brown in Week Seven. This will be a good game to get the offense going, against the worst defense in HatchetBall.

Matt Koll 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
10.00	8.50	2.25	0.25	18.18%

Matt Vitaliano: I'm not sure Matt V could have had a better draft this year. He secured two first rounders, grabbed the best young talent out of the rookie class, and even threw Luke and Pat Ash into the mix for comical amusement. However, I bet Matt V didn't even realize how well this team would suit his own playing style. Taking ball-hog, shoot-first types like Rob and Chad figured to limit the amount of chances available for other players on offense. But in actuality, Chad and Rob absorb almost all the attention, thereby creating high-quality looks for eager outside shooters. Neither Rob nor Chad looks to dish when they hit the lane, but they seem more than content to swing the ball to an open shooter on the perimeter, especially when in transition. And Matt V, for all his shortcomings, is an above-average shooter when he has space. If he has to shoot on the move or is hurried in anyway, his percentage seems to dip into the low teens, but with this team, all of his looks are outrageously uncontested. I'd look for his numbers to blossom as the weeks go on.

What's Next: After a BYE in Week Six, Team Yellow is back in action against Team Baby Blue in Week Seven.

Matt Vitaliano 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
9.25	3.25	1.25	0.25	0.00%

Rob Knapczyk: Rob has been nothing if not exploitative in 2013-2014. He's taking advantage of the open looks his multi-threat team is making available for him, but he's also not ashamed to pad his stats in blowouts, as evidenced by the past couple weeks. It's worth pointing out his career lows in assists and free throws, but this is somewhat understandable due to the nature of the games Yellow has played so far. They haven't really needed Rob to do anything besides stand behind the three point line and hit wide open shots. Which, to his credit, he is hitting at a historic rate. Rob has hit 19 threes in his past three games, good for over 6 a game. Can he keep up that pace?

What's Next: Rob will likely get plenty more open shots in Week Seven against Team Baby Blue.

Rob Knapczyk 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
27.50	11.00	2.00	0.25	37.50%

Luke A: The impact of Team Yellow having Chad and Rob has not benefited everyone. Sure Team Yellow is rolling right along, but Luke's numbers have suffered mightily. He's not even averaging 6 points per game and he's only out-rebounding Matt V and Troy with 8 boards a game. At what point does Luke stand up for himself and demand the rock? Unselfish play is admirable when it benefits the team, but because Team Yellow is head and shoulders above any other team, there is no reason he can't look for his shot a little more.

What's Next: Luke will attempt to break double-digit points for only the second time this season in Week Seven against Team Baby Blue Balls.

Luke A. 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
5.75	8.00	4.25	2.00	25.00%

Jerry Hahn: Steadily emerging as the second-best team in HatchetBall, Team Orange looks solid when all their players are pulling in the same direction. Spider Monkey and Jerry continues to be a nice fit, and George Georgio has played like a first rounder this year. Jerry had a rough week scoring in Week Five, only mustering 3 points, but his team didn't really need his points. The nice thing about Jerry's game is that he can fill whatever role you need, whether defense, rebounding, playmaking, or scoring. In Week Three, Jerry set a career high with 25 points. In Week Five, he had just 3 points. The important thing was that Orange won both games. Team Orange currently sits at 3-1, alone in second place. And it's no coincidence that the only game they lost was the only game Jerry didn't play.

What's Next: Team Orange will look to keep the good times rolling against Team Grey in Week Seven.

Jerry Hahn 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
12.00	9.33	6.00	0.33	87.50%

Dave Troy: Unfortunately for Troy, my prediction from a week ago proved true. While team Green picked up, seemingly, a season-changing win in Week Four, I still had doubts as to whether they could build any momentum. And, true to form, Team Green looked ugly in Week Five. Their leading scorer didn't bother to show up, their second leading scorer showed up late (and looking utterly homeless), and there was no trace of the spirited effort that got them an overtime win just a week earlier. Troy looked solid again, narrowly missing a double-double with 9 points and 11 rebounds, but he wasn't able to inspire anything out of his teammates and they never really threatened a very beatable Baby Blue team. This game, much like Team's Green entire season, seems to be a laughable waste of time.

What's Next: The good news for Team Green is that they'll be given another chance to get things back on track against Team Brown in Week Six. If they drop that one, this truly is a lost season.

Dave Troy 2013-2014 Season Averages

PPG	RPG	APG	BPG	FT%
6.50	6.25	0.50	0.75	50.00%

2013-2014 Standings

Team	Captain	Record	Streak
Yellow	Matt V	4-0	W4
Orange	Vito	3-1	W3
BabyBlue	McElligot	2-2	W2
DarkBlue	Brennan	2-2	L2
Grey	Beave	2-2	L1
Green	Danaher	1-3	L1
Red	Tierney	1-2	L2
Brown	Rech	0-3	L3