By: Erin Wilcox / October 19th, 2020
Everyone knew this was never a given. But the second season of Penthouse League basketball is about to get underway. We'll have the PHL I defending champion Howell Hammers, the Seattle Snakes, the Anaheim Bullsharks, the Boston Bartenders, the Fort Lauderdale Fortune, and the Staten Island Bombers.
The 10 game regular season will start tomorrow, 10/20, with Howell hosting Boston, and then Boston hosting Seattle. Nothing is confirmed yet, but it looks like Staten Island and Anaheim will kick their seasons off on Thursday. Follow @phlbasketball and my colleague, @tommy.rossettini on Instagram for the latest updates on upcoming matchups.
"Who are these new teams?", you may ask. Well, fans should be very familiar with Howell, Seattle, Fort Lauderdale, and Staten Island. Eric Areman "Hammer" will play for the Howell Hammers. He won the PHL I Championship, taking down the Snakes, the favorite to win it all.
Matt "Snakes" Kaskel plays for the Seattle Snakes. Snakes started the playoffs with the #1 overall seed, and was defeated in the final round by Hammer.
Tyler Tufano will represent the Staten Island Bombers. Tyler had a solid regular season in PHL I, started the playoffs with the #2 seed. However, Hammer made quick work of him in the first round of the playoffs, sweeping the best-of-3 series.
Brian Chen, now of the Fort Lauderdale Fortune, is hoping a new team name and logo will
better his luck in PHL II. Brian struggled in the first season,
finishing winless (0-10).
Kyle Cooper's Anaheim Bullsharks are-I believe-the biggest threat
to the two-headed monster (Howell and Seattle) atop the PHL. Kyle is likely the most athletic player entering PHL II. We'll have to wait and see if Howell and/or Seattle's previous experience in the league will keep Anaheim from rising to the top of the pack.
Finally, we have Michael Karapetian's Boston Bartenders. Many experts believe Mikey's lack of height and inexperience will hinder his success this season.
The top 4 teams will qualify for the Infinity Cup Playoffs. I think Howell, Seattle, and Anaheim will have no trouble grabbing the top 3 spots. The biggest question: will one of the heavy underdogs (Fort Lauderdale or Boston) sneak up on Staten Island for that final playoff spot. It's going to be a wild ride this season! Best of luck to all teams!
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