What's up NCBL family last week sweet 16 round was exciting to say the least. Although I went 5-3 in my picks I must admit I was a bit surprise by some of the scores. We had the kings of T&T sap the life out of the rejuvenators of New Life by 40; Bronx hawks swooped down and tamed the tigers of Mt Sinai by 21; Fellowship gave the prophets a lesson in visions blitzing them by 26, Horeb hustled and shuffled the sustainers of ROL by 8; Ebenezer eliminated the eliminators of Ephesus by 5; Kingsboro pulled out a close win against the crushers crushing their hopes by 1; Bethany balled by the juggernauts of NJ by 8; and of course the defending champs WP professed their commitment blowing out Corona by 26. This week we have 4 exciting games and what are so interesting are 3 of the teams faced off during the regular season. But before I get into my break down we have to do our traditional send off to those unfortunate teams that saw their season go up in flames. I booked a large boat to accommodate all 8 teams that lost. So to the rejuvenators of New Life, the tigers of Mt Sinai, the crusaders of Corona, the prophets of QB, the juggernauts of NJ, the crushers of Cornerstone, and the sustainers of River of Life, sorry fellas it just wasn't meant to be. Bring your families, friends, and fans because you are going fishing for bass on the Jersey Shore. All the preparation and planning seem to be for nothing but take solace in the fact that you gave it your best shot and lost to a better team that night. Take time to reflect on what went wrong and come back next year renewed. So try and enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze because before you know it next season would be upon us. With that said let’s see what Milo thinks about this week games which could be elevation or deflation. Let's go.
Horeb Hustlers vs Triumphant Tabernacle Kings:
Rematch from the regular season as the hustlers of Horeb try and change their fortunes against the kings of T&T and get revenge. I told you folks to watch out for T&T, and from the sound of the drums most people know who they are. The only difference is they are exactly what I thought they were when I first saw them. They only lost one game all year and when they faced the hustlers back in March they won despite having their full roster. Now the rematch is set and to the winner goes the spoils. Horeb showed me something last week that I didn't factor in when making my picks. Teams that have played together for some time tend to click when under pressure and it showed last week. Now they are facing in my book one of the toughest outs in the kings. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Horeb must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, out rebound their opponent, and minimize the turnovers. T&T on the other hand must play their style and attack the rim, shoot well from the line, get bench contributions, and play solid defense. Look for a close game because we are in the playoffs but in the end I feel the kings are destined for great things and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by at least 8 points as they move on to the Final 4.
Ebenezer Sharp Shooters vs Bronx Hawks Express:
East meets northeast as old rivals square off to see who would advance. Ebenezer shot the lights out last week against Ephesus who I picked to win that game. Now they face another elite team in the Bronx who like always play their best ball during this time of year. Both teams know what's at stake and both teams want it bad. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Ebenezer must shoot well from the field, play solid defense, get all the loose balls, and minimize the turnovers. Bronx on the other hand must play their attacking style, push the rock as much as possible, minimize the turnovers, and out rebound their opponent. Look for a close game because both teams have players. My only concern is what team would show up for the sharp shooter this week. If it's the team that played last week then it's on. If they come out sluggish then Bronx would run express. I like both teams but I have to roll with the Bronx express defeating the sharp shooters by at least 4 points as they prepare for the Final 4.
Kingsboro Kingsmen vs Christian Fellowship Hawks:
Well I never thought I would see Fellowship in this spot after reeling downward the last couple of games of the season. They seemed to get their swagger back at the right time and defeated QB by 26 points. Kingsboro on the other hand showed why they are a dangerous team with a solid close to the vest win against Cornerstone last week. Both teams faced each other during the regular season and Fellowship lost by 1 point in that match. Now it's for all the marbles and both teams should be ready for a fight. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Kingsboro must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and minimize the turnovers. Fellowship on the other hand must make stops, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and out rebound their opponent. Look for a close game with lots of score changes. But in the end I feel this is Fellowship time to shine and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 4 points as they finally reach the Final 4 round.
Bethany Ballers vs White Plains Professors:
East meets northeast as the ballers of Bethany try and repay the defending champs from an earlier loss this season. Bethany balled last week and defeated NJ by 8. Now they face the number 1 seed and defending champs WP who by the way blew the light out of Corona last week. Both teams are familiar with each other and both teams want to make a statement. WP don't have to do anything more to solidify their status, it's the teams they are facing that will be gunning for them. This is what happens when you experienced the type of success WP and their fans have been going. Back in March Bethany played hard and lost to WP by 11, this time they think they have the blueprint for success and believe other teams will be scouting to see if there is a kink in the armor. What are the keys to victory for both teams? Bethany must play solid defense, shoot extremely well from everywhere, make stops, and minimize the turnovers. WP on the other hand must out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the line, get bench contributions, and attack with their bigs. Look for a close game the first half, but by second half I expect to see the guards of WP start penetrating the heart of the ballers defense at will. WP wins this match up by at least 8 points as they continue their quest for a repeat.
Well that's all for Milo's Elite 8 Picks. Players come out and give the fans a show; fans come out and support your teams and lets fellowship together. Remember to pray for those less fortunate and pray that God continue to guide us. This world is a cold place and if we don't have Christ in our hearts we are doomed. Help someone less fortunate because God expects nothing less from his people. Until next time this is Milo signing out. God Bless.