It's the half way mark of LTU's first ever mens Championship competition.

Today we will review each team in order of their current pool position.

POOL A

1st - And 1 5-0

The And 1 team has clearly established themselves as the team to beat with a 5 and 0 record. Many thought that any team with a former NBA player would make any team tough. However the amazing outside shooting from the whole team has been almost unstoppable. So far this season, And 1 makes an average of 17.4 3 pointers a game. Leading the charge for And 1 is the form player of the league, Mike Petridis. Petridis currently leads the league in scoring with 32.6 ppg including a stellar 7.4 3 pointers per game. Mind you, if a team tries to shut Petridis down, then Chris Moore (19.8ppg) steps up outside, or Rob Chapelle (21.25ppg)gets things going inside.
Needless to say, these guys are favourites for the title.

2nd - Prime Time 3-2

Prime Time, named by Josh Croall after himself currently holds the 2nd playoff position in Pool A. Consisting of several of the LTU Big V squad, Prime Time is going about business quietly. As with all good teams, there have been no standouts this season and no less than 4 players are averaging over 15 points per game. If there was to be a standout player, it would have to be Josh Croall (sling me a $50 anytime Josh). So far this season, the BTO (Big Time Operator) has been taking care of business on offense and defense, inside and outside.

3rd - Ya Mum 1-4

Ya Mum joined this comp not really knowing what to expect and are definitely having a learning season. Their sole win has come from a walkover, yet that has been enough to put them in 3rd. For a team that consists of players who are playing their first ever season of basketball against the cream of Big V, the boys can hold their heads high.

4th - Ward 1-4

The only team to have lost to Ya Mum (forfeit) this season. On paper, Ward has game. But could this be a case of all talk and no action? Ward probably has the tallest team in the comp but until they all play on the same night, they can't get it together. A promising victory against Prime Time earlier this season has many thinking Ward is a dark horse for the playoffs. Ward's namesake, Ben Ward has been dragged out of retirement and after hitting a few 3's has been heard to say "Really, it's a disservice to basketball for me to stay retired!" Nice Ward!


POOL B

1st Reservoir Dogs 4-1

The best team in Pool B is the favorite to take on And 1 for the title. An All-Star lineup of Egan, Nazza, Brack Attack, Senad and Lister are complimented by some of the Big Vs up and coming stars in Steven and Datson. The Dogs combine deadly outside shooting with superior athleticism and quick ball movement. The only blip on the radar was the embarrassing loss to And 1. Ok, maybe it wasn't that embarrassing, And 1 were on fire and nailed 23 3's in the game. But hey, a 32 point loss is a 32 point loss! Let's see how the Dogs finish off the 2nd half of the season.

2nd Rick James ........... B*ITCHES 3-2

To quote the great Rick James, "I'm Rick James! Enjoy yourself!". Don't know why but it's just a cool line! Oh that's right, the team. So far RJB have won the games they have needed to on the back of Andrew Oliver's dominant inside play. Never shy of a shot, Ollie is averaging 25.20ppg. The glue of the team though is point guard, Dean Sutton. Sidelined from Big V with a knee injury last season, Sutto has done what all guards do when they lose their athleticism - sit on the 3 point line and jack up shots. Against Ya Mum, Sutton had a league record 48 points including a league record 13 3 pointers. Quote of the season - "Even Jason Gillespie could get a ton against Bangledesh" Neill "Humphrey" McCormack (following Suttons 48 points. And yes, he actually came up with that comment on his own)

3rd Inter BW 2-3

The Barnes Way/ Chisholm boys have had their ups and downs this season. Riding the amazing athleticism of freak of nature and Zimbabwian import, Neville Chivhanganye, Inter BW have been able to take it up to the big boys on occasions. A lack of structure is what hurts them the most, but an ability for the team to get hot from the outside has given most teams a scare so far this season.

4th DV of Old 1-4

The team that Danny Cullinan started and then departed is struggling with a lack of depth right now. As a result, every girls dream boat, Adam Moore has taken the team on his massive shoulders, bristling biceps, tremendous triceps (whoops, getting carried away) and taken up to all opposition. The DV team even had And 1 scared last week and held a half time lead over them. A sign of how worried And 1 was that Sedale Threatt matched up on Adsy in the second half and showed the league why he was a premier defender in the NBA. Respect Ads. Wokka Straw has also got his eye in and when the 2 of those guys get going, anything is possible. With rumours that the Giant Head has returned from Ireland circulating, DV shape as the dark horse in Pool B.

To catch all the action, come and see the teams play at the LTU Sports Centre on Thursday nights. Fixture details, results and league leaders are available under the fixtures/results section on this website.