This weekend from Friday October 17, 2014 will see the tipoff for the much anticipated post season games now dubbed the ‘mother of all playoffs’. Photo: VINO/File

Now that Hurricane Gonzalo has dissipated the next big item of excitement for Virgin Islanders is the playoffs in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League and Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) said it will be a weekend of great excitement for the fans. Photo: VINO/File

A press release issued by the League said fans can expect serious competition, drama, tension, suspense, great basketball skills and moves, along with a lot of trash talk. All the teams from the Western and Eastern Divisions in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Basketball League are hungry to win and be named the 2014 Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Champions. Photo: VINO

The action gets hotter in the Western Division with big teams like Bayside Blazers who have the best record in the regular season with 7 wins and 1 controversial loss to Game Boyz who they will meet first in the post season. Photo: VINO

“The playoffs will be one of great excitement for the fans and the players and we are looking forward to the championships. People should expect great games for this weekend. All four teams in each division are strong and they are well positioned to give great excitement to the fans,” Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) said. Photo: VINO/File

This weekend from Friday October 17, 2014 will see the tipoff for the much anticipated post season games now dubbed the ‘mother of all playoffs’.

A press release issued by the League said fans can expect serious competition, drama, tension, suspense, great basketball skills and moves, along with a lot of trash talk. All the teams from the Western and Eastern Divisions in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Basketball League are hungry to win and be named the 2014 Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Champions.

Eastern Division Teams

Defending 2013 Champions Ruff House will have to prove that they can easily get out of their Eastern Division with their draft pick Sean Woods when they play their first round against Desert Storm who seem determined for a win to stay alive. Desert Storm’s squad includes their draft pickup Jevone ‘Bugsy’ Demming.

If Ruff House give Desert Storm two knockout punch this weekend in the best out of 3 games they will face either Talk Done or Knights. One of the most anticipated games in the Eastern Division of the post season games is between the Knights and Talk Done.

Both Teams are equally matched with Talk Done not having a draft pick because they opted out of the selection process and Knights throwing their draft pick Steve E. Parillon under the bus by not allowing him to play with the squad after he missed the first four games in regular season.

However, Knights were lucky to add to their team the ‘big man’ Houston Penn who played college basketball and has showed improvements in regular season despite coming out of retirement.

Whoever comes out after the first and second rounds will then have to face the Western Division winner for League Champion.

The Western Division is believed to be the place with the most competitive teams in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed Basketball League.

Western Division Teams

The action gets hotter in the Western Division with big teams like Bayside Blazers who have the best record in the regular season with 7 wins and 1 controversial loss to Game Boyz who they will meet first in the post season.

Every team in the League takes pride in playing to defeat the high flying Bayside Blazers, as it's unclear whether their big shooting guard Deon J. Edwin will be on Island to play for the team in the playoffs.

Game Boyz, whose team is coach by veteran Morris Watley, saw their draft pick Phillip Glasgow quit the team earlier in the regular season and now not eligible to return to the squad after the League Committee granted permission for the team to replace him.

The Avengers with draft pick Travis A. Isaac will come up against Da 3rd who is on the radar only because of their draft pickup Ray D. Victor and about three other skilled players but would be going for the knockout punch over the weekend.

Avengers are not taking anything for granted and have recruited a big coach in the person of Brian ‘Bash’ Brewley. Da 3rd is coached by Roy A. Garraway aka ‘Yellow’.

The most anticipated game is between Avengers and Da 3rd as they battle to play either Bayside Blazers or Game Boyz. If Da 3rd and Bayside Blazers come out of the first round the game between those two teams will be indeed the Mother of all games filled with serious rivalry, tension and a test of coaching skills as they both have things to prove.

The Bayside Blazers is coached by Rhennie O. Phipps and assisted by Jason A. Edwin.

The much talked about playoffs in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed League first round will begin at 6:30 PM at the Save the Seed Energy Centre this Friday.

Speaking to this news site League Commissioner Rajah A. Smith said in terms of the preparations everything is set for the playoffs. “I think that the games will be amazing…it is going to be the best out of three series…you have to win two to advance…this is the first round and then you have the second round and then the finals,” said Smith.

Assistant Coach of the Bayside Blazers Jason A. Edwin said his team is prepared for the back to back nights. “It is important that we take game one, play with the utmost respect and come out with energy and fire to go up one in the series because it is important to take the bull by the horns and steer it in the right direction,” he said.

He said that it is really important for the team to win this weekend, “because if you come out and you set a tone for performance the other teams in the playoffs are looking and it could intimidate them and that could be a psychological edge.”

Asked how important is the Bayside Blazers points advantage of the regular season, Edwin said that basically the slate is wiped clean and everything starts afresh. “It is a brand new season basically…the regular season is gone and the playoffs are here. So we are not going to use what we did in the regular season to say we have accomplished anything,” he said.

“We had a good regular season and we are not satisfied until we have a good post season as well,” said Edwin.
Speaking to this news site, Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3) said, “I am very excited about the upcoming playoffs. The league as it was for this year was every bit as interesting as I expected it to be.”

He said that the League is much expanded from last year and that expansion brought some challenges to the Committee.

“But I think we are best prepared now going forward for next season,” he said.

“The playoffs will be one of great excitement for the fans and the players and we are looking forward to the championships. People should expect great games for this weekend. All four teams in each division are strong and they are well positioned to give great excitement to the fans,” he said.

Schedule for playoffs

Friday, October 17, 2014

6:30 pm Ruff House vs Desert Storm

8:00 pm Avengers vs Da 3rd

9:30 pm Talk Done vs Knights

Saturday, October 18, 2014

6:30 pm Bayside Blazers vs Game Boyz

8:00 pm Talk Done vs Knights

9:30 pm‎ Da 3rd vs Avengers

Sunday, October 19, 2014

6:30 pm Talk Done vs Knights [if ‎necessary]

8:00 pm Ruff House vs Desert Storm

9:30 pm Game Boyz vs Bayside Blazers

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

6:30 pm Ruff House vs Desert Storm [if necessary]

7:45 pm Game Boyz vs Bayside Blazers [if necessary]

9: 00 pm Avengers vs Da 3rd [if necessary]