4.5 League Preview

As I'm sure everyone is aware, the League season begins Thursday. There are 5 4.5 divisions with the top 3 non-division-winners qualifying for the citywide championships. Here's a quick look at the five divisions:

Div I

Clearly, Lakeside remains the favorite in this division. Their roster has not undergone a great deal of turnover from last year, but they did lose Hai Vu and Greg Zachary to 5.0. They have added a couple of players but no true "difference makers".

The Katy Coaches look to be the only competitive team in this division, with the same key roster elements as last year with the addition of Chris Lubrano. They have a chance to win the division but should at least be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

The other teams should be also-rans.

Div II

Based on recent history, the Black Sheep should be considered favorites. Every year Tommy Ristau adds a stud or two to his roster. Where are they this year? They've lost Pio Davila and Fonseca and Morgan have not yet signed up. The team looks weaker on paper but I'm sure they'll still be tough. Hal Hale will help.

An aside: Where is the new blood in 4.5 this year??? Am I just uninformed or are there very few new impact players out there? Clue me in.

Ssshhhhwings will be the same type team. A little older, a little greyer, and rumor has it they've lost Giordanelli. It seems like they've been slightly regressing year after year.

Are the Gypsies interesting? Are they a threat? I don't see it, though they have some firepower in Muhala and Li/Regent, if Phong is able to play a full schedule.

Div III

Another lopsided division. Are the Hurricanes the favorites to win citywides? It's not a slam dunk, by any means. How much will Greg Jones play? Is Borkop healthy? Has Phoummarath lost a step? If two of those three play at full strength, this team will be hard to beat in singles. Baer/Jones have been tough in doubles. Foster is hitting the shit out of the ball in practice, but will it translate? Jannuzzi is crafty. The pieces are there, and with Benzon/Freeman running the show an impact addition is always possible/probable.

Ummm...who else is there to talk about in this division? Is Armen Allahverdian the best non-Hurricane in the division?

Div IV

Hmmm...an interesting division. To me, Copperfield looks to be the class of the division. How will they manage their roster of 20 players? Will Kudrick be able to devote much time to Thursday night matches? They've got options if he doesn't. Anderson Kelly is a nice add. McMullan and Martinez can play some singles. The Kents are dangerous. What will the doubles lineup look like in the big matches?

I can't see the Deucebags contending. Goldberg, Schlensker, Chavarria, Bishop, and Morales are all possible number two singles guys. Where's the number one? Tran has become a top doubles guy, and the Dugas brothers have some nice wins, but I don't see the firepower necessary to challenge Copperfield.

The Jedi Knights are exactly what they have been lately. A bunch of older guys who can play some good doubles. Very Shwing-like. Can they take enough lines or steal a win from the Dugasbags to prevent them from getting a wildcard?

Div V

Another fun division with three intriguing teams. As usual, Sugar Creek's roster is not complete, so we will have to speculate that they'll be similar to last year, minus Antoine Ford, a big loss. Word on the street is that Simon Jim is playing some good ball right now. He'll need to, because there is some singles firepower in this division.

Chancellor's will be a fun team to watch. James Dat Bui, Hung Nguyen and Huy Nguyen are all solid singles options. Has Bui elevated his game to the elite 4.5 level? The doubles seems slightly weak on this team. A bunch of ex-4.0 guys who will have to earn their stripes against the big boys. They're capable. Lan Nguyen looks like a player and will help out immensely.

Finally, the JCC Blast will be a threat. Pete Taylor has converted to a two-handed backhand and I hear that his practice results have been good. Has Greg Medford lost a step...you'd be surprised how many different opinions I've heard. Who will be a solid doubles line for this team? There's not much proven 4.5 doubles success and that may come back to haunt this team.