What's good NCBL family, last week we had so much exciting games that I don't know where to start. Although I went 6 - 1 in my picks I must admit I was a bit surprised by some teams performances. We had the destroyers of New Dime blow the venom out of the vipers defeating them by 49; the eliminators of Ephesus tamed the tigers by 18; the hustlers of Horeb out hustled the juggernauts by 21; River of Life sustainers out lasted the sharp shooters of Ebenezer by 7; T&T kings squeezed the life out of the rejuvenators of New Life; Bethany balled all the way to the finish line crushing the crushers of Cornerstone by 19; and in Milo's game of the week the undefeated professors of WP showed why they are problems grounding the high flying hawks of Fellowship by 28. See the pattern with teams, one week they shine and the other week they look uninspired. Teams need to focus more on execution rather than outside noise. You can't function on a high level if everyone isn't on the same page. Team chemistry is vital for success and until players and coaches understand and make adjustments the outcome would always be the same. This week we have some more exciting games with lots of playoff implications. Let’s see what Milo thinks about this week games which would make or break some teams dreams. Let's go.

River of Life Sustainers vs Corona Crusaders
East meets southwest as the crusaders of Corona try and stop the sustainers in their tracks and get back to their winning ways. ROL won last week and looked primed for a deep run come playoff time. They face the crusaders of Corona who was off last week. Both teams knows what at stake and a couple of wins could bring them back to the pack. What are the keys to victory for both teams. ROL must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers and out rebound their opponent. Corona on the other hand must execute their game plan and attack the rim, shoot well from the field, play solid defense, and get bench contributions. Look for a close game throughout but in the end I feel it's ROL year to shine and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 6 points as they stay with the pack.

Christian Fellowship Hawks vs New Jerusalem Juggernauts
Southwest meets east as the hawks of Fellowship try and right their ship and hammer the juggernauts to submission. Both teams lost last week and both teams are reeling. Fellowship is still in first place however, they have been playing poorly the last couple of matches. NJ needs to play better because the top team in their division only have two more wins. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Fellowship must get back to basics and attack the rim, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and out rebound their opponent. NJ on the other hand must minimize the turnovers, play solid defense, shoot well from the line, and get bench contributions. Look for a close game but I feel Fellowship would bounce back and take this game in the finals minutes defeating the juggernauts by 6 as they stay on top in their division.

Horeb Hustlers vs Ebenezer Sharp Shooters
Southwest meets east as the hustlers of Horeb try and out hustle the sharp shooter and continue their grind. Horeb looked like they found the right mixture for success. They defeated NJ last week and is on a three game winning streak. They face the sharp shooters who played hard last week but eventually lost a tough game to the sustainers. Both teams are in striking distance for first place but need to continue winning games to see it through. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Horeb must push the rock, play solid defense, shoot well from the field, and minimize the turnovers. Ebenezer on the other hand must out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the field, make stops on the defensive end, and get bench contributions. Look for a close game because both teams are good, however, I feel the sharp shooters have the edge inside and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 4 points as they continue to fight for the top spot.

Bronx Hawks Express vs Cornerstone Crushers
Northeast meets west as the Bronx try and run express and crush the crushers of Cornerstone. Bronx was off last week and was watching the professors do their thing. Bronx knows it would be hard to catch them this year especially without a loss. Cornerstone on the other hand needs to play better overall and need to focus more on execution and playing on a high level. Sometimes when a team have too much distractions and not enough leadership on the court losses pile up. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Bronx must push the rock, shoot well from the field, play solid defense, and minimize the turnovers. Cornerstone on the other hand must play solid defense, out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the field, and get bench contributions. Both teams need this game and both teams know what's at stake. Look for a close game the first half but I feel Bronx would run express and leave the crushers in the rear view. Bronx wins this match up by at least 8 points as they continue their quest.

Sharon Shockers vs New Life Rejuvenators
Northeast meets west as the shockers of Sharon try and get their first win against the rejuvenators and rejuvenate their season. New kids on the block Sharon has had a tough first year. Although they haven't won a game yet they at least come to play every game. These are the growing pains that new teams go through especially in a league where teams are looking for any edge. New Life knows exactly what I'm talking about because a couple of year ago they were Sharon learning how to win. Now they are in second place in their division with a winning record. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Sharon must play loose and have fun, shoot well from the field, play solid defense, and attack the paint. New Life on the other hand must out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the line, get bench contributions and play solid defense. Look for a close game the first half but I feel the rejuvenators would show why they are better and win this game by at least 10 points as they continue to roll.

White Plains Professors vs Mt Sinai Tigers
Northeast meets west as the professors and only undefeated team so far try and tame the tigers and cage them. What can I say that hasn't been said before. WP is undefeated so far and they look primed for the chip. Coach Felix continues to show why he's considered elite with the way he rallies his troops. Mt Sinai lost last week to Ephesus and has been on a three game losing streak. Now they have to face the best in the northeast and it would be difficult. What are the keys to victory for both teams. WP must play their style and attack the rim, get inside scoring, shoot well from the field, and minimize the turnovers. Mt Sinai on the other hand must play smart and pick their spots to run, shoot extremely well from all over, get bench contributions and minimize the turnovers. Look for a close game the first five minutes but WP is too powerful and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up blow out style as they continue to prove their worth.

Bethany Ballers vs New Dimension Destroyers
East meets west as the ballers of Bethany try and continue their winning ways and destroy the destroyers out of first place in Milo's "Game of the week". Yes Bethany I'm showing you some love this week after a good win last week. Bethany out balled Cornerstone defeating them by 19 points and proving they are worthy to be in first place. New Dime on the other hand I told you guys are dangerous because they play at a high level all the time. What folks have to understand is no matter how good a team feel they are it is how well they execute that matters. Both teams have players who understand their rolls and both teams have star power. What would be interesting is how well both teams strengths would play out this game. Bethany has size and vets that understand how to win and they complement each other on the team. New Dime on the other hand is stacked with studs and players that over the years have made a name for themselves in this league. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Bethany must definitely place solid defense especially in the open court, shoot well from the field, out rebound their opponent, and minimize the turnovers. New Dime on the other hand must push the rock, attack the rim and paint, shoot well from the field, and play solid defense. Look for a close game throughout because both teams are good. However, the ballers would have a difficult time trying to stop New Dime guards who are explosive and New Dime would have a difficult time out rebounding the ballers. Who wins in that department would eventually win this game. I feel it would come down to the wire but New Dime would find a way in the closing seconds to seal the deal and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 2 points as they continue to prove it's their year.

Mt Vernon Vipers vs Triumphant Tabernacle Kings
Northeast meets southwest as the vipers try and sting the defending champs and drop them out of second spot. Mt Vernon lost last week and didn't seem prepared for their match. T&T on the other hand won last week and is starting to feel good about themselves. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Mt Vernon must play solid defense, shoot well from the field, minimize the turnovers, and attack the rim. T&T on the other hand must get back that swagger and play solid defense, shoot well from the field, get bench contributions, and out rebound their opponent. Look for a close game the first half, but by second half I expect to see the kings do what they do and defeat the vipers proving they are immune to the poison.

Well that's all for Milo's week 8 picks. Players come out and give the fans a show. Fans come out and support your teams and lets fellowship together. Although Black history month has passed we all must remember the battle for equality continues. The devil wants to cause confusion and distractions so that we don't focus on what is important in life and that is Christ. The devil comes in many forms (friends, relatives, employers, church goers, siblings) and sizes and his goal is to keep us stuck in the mud so progress can't be attained. Keep your eyes focused on Christ and don't allow others to influence your commitment to Him. Believe in something or fall for anything. Until next time this is Milo signing out. God bless.