Sports

Cluster Season Heats Up; Playoffs Around Corner: PKN is Team to Beat at 6-1, WQS Right Behind

Okay, so everyone knows how legit cluster basketball is and how it’s actually harder to make a cluster team than it is to make varsity; no explanation necessary. Everyone also knows that fans are not allowed to watch the magic happen until the cluster finals, in late February. Because of these restrictions, many are non-believers in a little sport that I like to call cluster basketball, but it is more real than you can ever imagine. Here’s the breakdown thus far. A strong back court makes the Abbot team a force to be reckoned with. With sharp shooters like Isaac Opper ’06, Travis Wright ’08, and Pat Curtin ’07, this team is hard to stop. More notable though is a shooting guard by the name of Ikechi Ngwangwa ’07, who can drop the open trey-ball like butter and can also hit the boards like Voltaire…I’m not sure what that means, but he plays for keeps. They have a 3-4 record thus far, but according to Ngwangwa, “they ain’t losin’ no’ mo’.” The enormous PKN team has a tough starting line-up and an extremely capable bench. With the Stockton-like passing style of Mike Tully ’07 and the paint domination of Peter Casey ’07, the Knoll has started out at the top, with a 6-1 record. Other notable players include Zack Dixon ’08, David Clark ’06, and Kevin McCarthy ’06. Currently, PKN is the team to beat. West Quad South’s 5-2 record is primarily due to points in the paint. With a rebounding game from James Watson ’06 that rivals Dennis Rodman’s, and some serious outside shooting from TJ Thompson ’06 and Mike Spiak ’06, South has shown itself to be a powerhouse team. Watson may very well be the highest scorer in cluster due to his “cleaning up the trash” style. Meanwhile, WQS’s team chemistry is straight-up out of control, in a good way. West Quad North’s team is led by one man, Dylan Green ’06. This lacrosse PG can light it up from the inside and out. He has been carrying this team on his back since day one. While they have a strong bench, they have been struggling and currently rock a 2-5 record. Other notable players are Dave Mauskop ’07 and Shawn Xu ’07. Flagstaff’s combination of three possible cluster all-stars and zero team chemistry equals a 2-5 record. With Billy Draper ’07 and Matt Fernandez ’06 representing from the three point line, the team relies primarily on outside shots. Charlie Houghton ’06 cannot be stopped in the paint, and Andrew Appalonia ’06 drops dime passes “on the reg.” If this team gets its act together, they could easily step it up and defy the odds.