Former HoopStar player Hillary Wenning is once again in the local newspapers for her basketball journey. This year Wenning took her hoops skills to the University of Indianapolis. While most of her growth was made from the bench, she did seize her opportunities down the stretch to shine.

I was first introduced to Hillary when she was in 4th grade and played YMCA basketball with my younger brother Dustin. Even back then I was amazed at her playing ability. She brought a tenacity to the court that dominated the boys she played against.

Here is a brief recap of Hillary’s first season as a Greyhound. We look forward to more to come from Miss Wenning.

DJ Wright Prom Court Story Our second HoopStar spotlight victim guest is DJ Wright. DJ just completed his senior season at Greensburg Community High School (HoopStar’s alma mater. While his season was plagued with multiple foot injuries, we was also a success off the court. He was nominated to the prestigious GCHS prom court. In his newspaper picture, DJ sported one of his most prized possessions, a HoopStar tournament shirt. We wish DJ the best of luck in his future pursuits.

Now that I have your attention, here is the most recent trade that went down in the Official HoopStar Basketball Fantasy League on NBA.com.

Charlie’s Team sends Al Harrington (C/PF/SF), Kobe Bryant (SG), and Jason Williams (PG).

Team Sean Bower sends Paul Pierce (SF/SG), Kirk Hinrich (PG/SG), and Drew Gooden (PF).

Pros For Charlie’s Team: The addition of Kirk Hinrich adds a lot of assists and 3pts with respectable points (at least when he is not in a slump). Pierce is capable of crazy multi stat lines with the Big 3 in Boston. And Drew Gooden is averaging a double double. This new lineup is stronger for this season.

Cons For Charlie’s Team: I know all the Kobe trade rumors made this deal happen. If Kobe gets frustrated he could use a minor injury to keep him on the bench to force a trade. However, we are in a 2 keeper league and you already traded away Chris Paul earlier in the season. Your keepers went from Kobe and Paul to Pierce and Caron Butler. Hope your season goes well since you gave up a lot for next year.

Pros For Team Sean Bower: You added Kobe, a guy that can single handedly win you the points category on most nights. He is one of the highest players that have big games often. Jason Williams is putting up respectable assists right now. And Harrington gives you a multi-position eligible guy that will start and protect your lineup from injuries. You essentially traded 2 starters and a bench player for 3 starters for you team. Your keepers improved though with Kobe and Gerald Wallace.

Cons For Team Sean Bower: Hinrich and Williams are no where close to equal in value. Hinrich is in a slump right now and is still out performing Williams. And Williams most likely will lose minutes or get injured as the season goes on. Kobe is a big risk right now for missing games or being traded.

Overall Advantage: I really think this trade is wash for both teams. Charlie’s Team will benefit more this season and since he is in the highest division this is important. Team Sean Bower benefits more in the long run by increasing the keeper value and since this team is in the second to last division this will help a lot in helping to advance to the next division in a couple of seasons.

This was a very controversial trade in our league as it received 3 protests. I only overrule a trade when it is clear that someone is giving up or is making a trade that will drastically alter the league balance. Do you see anything that powerful?

Well the first week of our annual fantasy league on NBA.com got off to a controversial start. The Full Roster Rule (AKA Charlie’s Rule) didn’t start out well as the commissioner was not able to enforce the rule as it was worded. This is leading to a possible redesign of the rule (more on that when it happens). Here is a recap of what happened.

The Legends- HoopStar (1-0) beat True Boilermaker (0-1) (this is where the controversy started when Mike Conley failed to log a singe minute). Boilermaker had a pretty good showing even with two of his stars (Wade and Artest) riding the bench. KG was studly.

Charlie’s Team (1-0) beat PirateMD (0-1) thanks to a crazy stat line from Kobe and Big Z. JJ Redick killed PirateMD’s chance of winning by putting up a lot of goose eggs.

SuperStars- Brewtown Bucks (1-0) dominated Caston Crap (0-1) with a huge defensive line thanks to Marcus Camby (18RPG and 5BPG).

Elite Force (1-0) was able to hang on over Phat Daddys (0-1) even though they got handicapped by starting an ineligible roster. Even with Boozer being forced to pine in accordance to Charlie’s Rule, the team was able to hold on.

All-Stars- Jamm Time (1-0) posted the highest score of the week by destroying and injury depleted CryBabies (0-1).  

Team Sean Bower (1-0) got things rolling in a win over Popigh Rebelion (0-1) with Tayshaun Prince having a career game.

Shooting Stars- Big Al & Co. were able to hold on The Undefeatables with the emergence of Chris Wilcox and Marvin Williams.

Side School Nets fell victim to Bull Sharks due to a poor showing from Mo Williams.

I have worked hard on making these videos and this is the first time I have done any editing/soundtrack/video work before. Overall I liked how they turned out. Let me know what you think.

Opening Ceremonies

Live Game Action

Hall Of Fame Ceremonies

Half Time Entertainment

Here is a preview of the Official HoopStar Tournament T-shirt for our 3rd Annual Halloween Hoopfest on October 27th in Greensburg, IN.

There is still a few spots left for this tournament, so call 317.489.6527 today to register your team!!

We will also be opening our “Hall of Fame” at the Hoopfest this year.

It’s time for the final draft review for the Official HoopStar Fantasy Basketball League hosted by NBA.com.

Before I get into the final division here are the links to the other 3 divisions that I made predictions for in case you missed them: Div. 4 ShootingStars,  Div.3 AllStars,   Div.2 SuperStars. Just a reminder that we use a promotional system where the best team in each division moves up and the worst teams move down. The top 2 teams in each division are invited to the end of season tournament.

Without further ado, here are some insights on the Legends. HoopStar Basketball (my team) is the defending champs. I was very active in the offseason to improve my draft picks (even though I had to give up some studs to my competition). True Boilermaker is always a threat since he will make a lot of moves in the season (even though he had one of the most questionable drafts this season).  Charlie’s Team and PirateMD always seem one big win away from challenge the league for supremacy.

Charlie’s Team- This team has the guard positions on lock with keepers in Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.  Even though CP3 season ended early with having some screws inserted, I think he has another solid season. He could push for a share of the steals and assist title if Peja comes back healthy. Kobe can single handedly win the ppg section. My only concern with Kobe is his trade demands. I think he will either play out of the world to improve his trading power, or could pull a Scottie Pippen if an injury sidelines him.
Keeper Grade: A

Charlie was able to take advantage of our online draft for the most part, but since he had given up his first pick for the rights of Paul, he wasn’t able to draft another stud to help anchor his team. This move may hurt some this season, but having Paul and Kobe should provide to be a good move for the long term. Rd2.7 Tyson Chandler, Rd3.10 Al Harrington, Rd4.7 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Rd5.10 Darko Milicic, Rd6.7 Jarrett Jack, Rd7.10 Jason Williams, Rd8.7 Vladimir Radmanovic, Rd9.3 Jamaal Magloire, Rd9.10 Glen Davis. I’m not a huge Chandler fan even with his huge rebounds (his FT% and lack of points hurt a lot). I liked the Jarrett Jack grab (which he later dropped) and the Glen Davis pick. The other guys are a bunch of underachievers that have potential, but haven’t shown signs of reaching it anytime soon.
Overall Draft Grade: C-                  Predicted Division Finish: 3rd

PirateMD- This team seemed to lose by the smallest margin last year. You could never chalk up a win even when this team was struggling. With Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire as keepers, this team touches every category except for steals. The only problems I have with these keepers are the they play on the same team and their production involves the other one. If Nash goes down then Amare will lose out on a faster paced game and easy dunks in transition. If Amare’s knee acts up, then Nash doesn’t have a legit post presence that he can bail out to when he drives.
Keeper Grade: A-

With Nash and Amare already anchoring this team, PirateMD could leave his options open in the draft. Even though he wasn’t able to make the draft (I don’t see how med school or the fiancée could have gotten in the way), he lucked out with some pretty good picks. Rd1.9 Antawn Jamison, Rd2.8 Josh Howard, Rd3.9 Raymond Felton, Rd4.8 Chris Kaman, Rd5.9 Andrew Bynum, Rd6.8 Boris Diaw, Rd7.9 Hakim Warrick, Rd8.8 Jeff Foster, Rd9.9 Nick Young. I can’t believe Josh Howard slipped that far. I think Felton, Kaman, and Diaw (if the Marion trade happens) could all have break out seasons. I’m not high on the Warrick and Foster picks, but Nick Young could be good down the stretch.
Overall Draft Grade: A                  Predicted Division Finish: 2nd

True Boilermaker- Oh yes on to my nemeses.  This team is owned by my younger brother. Each year he makes a serious push for the title. Last season he saw his hopes go down the drain with DWade was injured. His title quest became even more meaningless when KG sat out when the Wolves were trying to tank the season. Well he decided to keep Kevin Garnett even with the move to Boston and decided to take a chance on DWade even after having gone through major surgery. To me both these keepers are in a brand new situation. They have been studs in the past, but I’m not sold on whether they can repeat past performances, let alone have the chance to be better than last season.
Keeper Grade: B+

This owner can to the draft without any preparation at all. He decided to wing it and it showed. He by far had one of the most questionable drafts in HoopStar history. Rd1.11 Zach Randolph, Rd2.6 Richard Hamilton, Rd3.11 Mike Conley Jr., Rd4.6 Kenyon Martin, Rd5.11 Shaquille O’Neal, Rd6.6 Al Horford, Rd7.11 Elton Brand, Rd.8.6 Earl Boykins, Rd9.11 Chris Webber. The only good pick I see is Conley Jr. (and maybe Horford). Randolph is on a new team and has an identical player already sharing his soft role (Eddy Curry). Rip went early and offers little besides FT% (unless we had a most 15-footers made category). Kenyon Martin…are you serious???? IN THE FOURTH???? He most likely would have been there in the 9th. Shaq must have magically learned to shoot Free-Throws. Elton Brand is out for most of the season (and with the Clippers not looking good, they won’t rush to get him back).
Overall Draft Grade: F-                  Predicted Division Finish: 4th

HoopStar Basketball- I hate doing a review of my team because I have certain strategy in my picks and in my roster. So this one will be brief but accurate.  I was able to make some moves early and late (getting an injured Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, getting Randolph at a bargain, drafting Brandon Roy, and getting rid of CP3 at the end) in the season that paid off dearly and made my title run possible. As a result I have Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki as keepers. Dirk is a good yen to Lebron’s yang (bad FT% and TOs).
Keeper Grade: A

I was able to improve my draft picks by making trades before the draft. I sent CP3 and Pao Gasol away in order to move up in the draft. I hated making my competition stronger in the long run, but I could only keep 2 players and Lebron and Dirk made more sense. Rd1.3 Caron Butler, Rd1.10 Brandon Roy, Rd2.2 Mehmet Okur, Rd2.14 Ricky Davis, Rd3.3 Andrei Kirilenko, Rd4.14 Peja Stojakovic, Rd5.3 Marco Belinelli, Rd6.14 Luis Scola, Rd7.3 Jeff Green. I used my first pick on the best player available (Caron) instead of needs since Lebron is already anchoring my UTL spot. I liked having Roy last season and his numbers should improve with Greg Oden out. I like Okur’s offensive numbers but it does hurt my defensive stats not to have a blocking big man. I should have added assists at the Ricky Davis spot. With my starters set I used risky picks that could pay off huge. Peja and AK47 could return to fantasy domination this season (especially if Kirilenko goes to Phoenix). Coach Nelson seems to love Belinelli and all the starters in the Warriors system do very well. Scola and Green could see an immediate impact this season since they have little competition for their jobs.
Overall Draft Grade: A-                        Predicted Division Finish: 1st

Well there they are folks. A complete ranking on each division. The trade market is starting to come alive as teams start tweaking rosters for the season to start. Feel free to stop in and see who is doing well. I will post a weekly update on standings and transactions as the league starts its games.

Well we are getting close to a complete league review. This session is about our SuperStar Division. I think this division will prove to be one of the toughest for seasons to come because some owners will try everything in an effort to move on up to the top division. I think teams will be made or broken when they are here.

This year’s SuperStar Division has some very tough teams. The Brewtown Bucks just barely missed the playoffs last year and were awarded the top pick in the draft this year.  Caston Crap was dominating the top division last year until injuries to Yao Ming and Rashard Lewis derailed his season.  Phat Daddies dominated the lower division (even with the Carmelo suspension) after a phenomenal draft. And Elite force barely made the playoffs last year while in the top division.

Brewtown Bucks- This team was very active last season. While it barely missed the playoffs, this team had a vision for the future. It traded away the rights to Ray Allen and Allen Iverson to a playoff bound team for the rights to an injured Gilbert Arenas. He then acquired Josh Smith in the Expansion Draft. Agent Zero has been able to dominate the fantasy scene when healthy. Josh Smith does a little bit of everything and puts up big men stats (along with a crappy FT%) from the SF position.
Keeper Grade:  A

This team was awarded the first pick for this year’s draft. Immediately you could see that the owner was going to gold or get last. Here are the results: Rd1.1 Marcus Camby, Rd2.16 Ben Gordon, Rd3.1 Danny Granger, Rd4.16 Andres Nocioni, Rd5.1 Richard Jefferson, Rd6.16 Derek Fisher, Rd7.1 Troy Murphy, Rd8.16 Juan Dixon, Rd9.1 Desmond Mason. This team has been accused of being a homer in the past (and for the Bucks of all teams), but this year managed only 1 Buck on the roster. Camby is the ultimate high risk, high reward player. If he manages a repeat of last season he was a steal. I like all of the picks except for Murphy, Dixon, and Mason. Juan Dixon is by boy (Go Maryland), but he doesn’t do anything on the fantasy scene. If Jermaine gets traded then I’d be higher on Murphy.
Overall Draft Grade: B                  Predicted Division Finish: 1st

Caston Crap- This team was a beast until the midway point last season. Everyone else was playing for second until the injury bug bit. Well the manager decided to keep faith in Yao and put him on the keeper list. He was also able to select All World fantasy star Shawn Marion. I was going to give this team an A in keepers until the latest trade rumors involving the Matrix. If he goes to any other team than the Suns, I think it will be a major blow to his fantasy value.
Keeper Grade: B

This owner was not able to attend the draft due to not having the net after his recent change in real life coaching venue. So as a result his draft was hot and cold.  Rd1.4 Chauncey Billups, Rd2.13 Tony Parker, Rd3.4 Jason Terry, Rd4.13 Shane Battier, Rd5.4 Kyle Korver, Rd6.13 Sam Cassell, Rd7.4 Mike Dunleavy, Rd8.13 Alonzo Mourning, Rd9.4 Paul Millsap. Too many PG’s taken early. I like Billups and Parker, but no need to take Terry. Korver, Cassell, and Dunleavy were wasted picks. Zo is an okay back up, should Shaq get injured the same time as Ming, the this was a steal. I like Millsap and would like to see him get more burn on another team (maybe he will be included in the Marion deals).
Overall Draft Grade: C-                  Predicted Division Finish: 2nd

Elite Force- This owner always seems to make trades that absolutely boggle my mind. At one time last season he owned Dirk, then owned KG. At the end of the season he owned neither. While he still had a solid season these moves didn’t help him this season. He finished by electing to keep Tracy McGrady and Carlos Boozer over Andre Iguodala. I don’t see the logic in this unless he has a crystal ball saying Iggy will get hurt.
Keeper Grade: D+

The draft didn’t seem to make more sense. Not only are the keepers a bunch of injury question marks, his draft picks were too. Rd1.2 Baron Davis, Rd2.15 Andre Miller, Rd3.2 Corey Maggette, Rd4.15 David Lee, Rd5.2 Jameer Nelson, Rd6.15 Rafer Alston, Rd7.2 Tyrus Thomas, Rd8.15 Adam Morrison, Rd 9.2 Jorge Garbajosa. My calculations have 9 injury/bench risks on this team. B-Diddy, Maggette, and Garbajosa have major injury labels attached. Lee, Alston, Thomas, and Morrison may all see the pine a lot this year. Looking back, this team selected Adam Morrison last year in the 2nd or 3rd round, either he has faith or just likes Morrison.
Overall Draft Grade: D-                        Predicted Division Finish: 4th

Phat Daddies- This team was loaded with talent after a strong draft last season. Tim Duncan, Melo, CP3, Joe Johnson, and Gasol. Gasol and CP3 were traded away when they became injured. Phat Daddies went big and kept Melo and Timmy. Both of these players are solid and seem to compliment each other well. This team would have been a lot better though if they had kept CP3 and Gasol on the roster for the playoffs, but the other two are solid backups.
Keeper Grade: B

With the SF and PF positions on lock (barring anymore brawls or referee distractions), this team needed guard and center play in the draft strategy. So he achieved this by drafting: Rd1.12 Lamar Odom, Rd2.5 Ron Artest, Rd3.12 Rajon Rondo, Rd4.5 Nenad Krstic, Rd5.12 Chucky Atkins, Rd6.5 Brevin Knight, Rd7.12 Tim Thomas, Rd8.5 Trevor Ariza, Rd9.12 Marcus Williams. As you can see they decided not to stick with the draft needs and instead took the best players available. Odom and Artest are risks not needed on this team. Only one is going to get to play in the UTL while the other has to wait for an injury to help. Rondo should be a solid source of assists this season. I personally like Krstic, but would have drafted a backup early in case his knee doesn’t hold up. I think Atkins and Knight will do well in their new teams. I also think Ariza could rise as Orlando’s third option this year. Marcus will only make an impact if Kidd gets traded or hurt. I like the players taken, but too many PGs and not enough C.
Overall Draft Grade- B-                        Predicted Division Finish: 3rd

That’s 3 divisions down and 1 to go. Next up The Legends Division.

It’s time for our second entry concerning the recent draft for the HoopStar Basketball Fantasy League. Last time I discussed the ShootingStars, now we look at a couple of teams that competed last year.

The biggest change in this division was that 2 inactive owners were given pink slips while 2 new fresh faces were given the rights to take over the teams. Bebe’s Kids became known as Jamm Time, and B-Dub became known as Popigh Rebellion.

These teams all finished near the bottom of the league last year. Each team was given the choice to keep 2 players from original roster or give up the player(s) for a spot in the expansion draft. Jamm Time was the only one that exercised the option to start fresh and take part in the Expansion Draft.

Jamm Time- This team decided not to exercise the keeper options on any of its previous players that included Jermaine O’neal, Baron Davis, and Mike Miller.  Jason Kidd and Ray Allen were selected in the Expansion Draft. These players were certainly an upgrade from the previous roster. Kidd is a multi-cat monster and Allen can carry a team in 3pt made and FT%.
Keeper Grade: B-

This team seemingly did not do due their homework before the draft. After having received multiple lists on players already taken in the expansion draft and keepers, this team tried to draft several unavailable players. The end result was a form of chaos. Their draft included: Rd1.5 Jermaine O’neal, Rd2.12 Manu Ginobili, Rd3.5 Samuel Dalembert, Rd4.12 Stephon Marbury, Rd5.5 Josh Childress, Rd6.12 Jamaal Tinsley, Rd7.5 Anthony Parker, Rd 8.12 Zaza Pachulia, Rd9.5 Chuck Hayes. There’s not much to like here except for O’neal and Ginobili. Marbury’s best days are behind him and Childress will never be the same again. I do like the Zaza pick, but really don’t like the Tinsley, Dalembert, and Hayes pick.
Overall Draft Grade: D+               Predicted Division Finish: 2nd
Popigh Rebellion- This owner decided to build his team around Deron Williams and Michael Redd. I like Williams as I think he will get better this year. However, Redd is very one dimensional. He is a great shooter, but that is it.
Keeper Grade: C-

This team had a draft strategy right from the beginning while participating in the online draft. Picks included: Rd1.7 Kevin Durant, Rd2.10 LaMarcus Aldridge, Rd3.7 Eddy Curry, Rd4.10 Charlie Willanueva, Rd5.7 Jamal Crawford, Rd6.10 Daniel Gibson, Rd7.7 Gerald Green, Rd8.10 Channing Frye, Rd9.7 Morris Peterson. This team decided to draft very young and inexperienced. The question on where Durant would go was solved very quickly. While this strategy may not lead to a lot of W’s this season, it may pay off very strong in upgrading his keepers for next season.
Overall Draft Grade: C-               Predicted Division Finish: 4th

Cry Babies- This team made a series of questionable moves during last season, especially the decision to trade away LeBron James. However, the team obviously had a plan as it secured 2 of the elite young big men of the game in Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. While both of these players have weaknesses, they are young and could become studs that will anchor this team for a long time.
Keeper Grade: B

This owner was not able to attend the draft but was able to submit a predraft ranking list. Here are the results: Rd1.8 Loul Deng, Rd2.9 Mike Bibby, Rd3.8 Monta Ellis, Rd4.9 Corey Brewer, Rd5.8 Raja Bell, Rd6.9 Devin Harris, Rd7.8 Yi Jianlian, Rd8.9 Bobby Simmons, Rd9.8 Shareef Abdur-Rahim. I like several of these picks. I was surprised to see Deng and Bibby slip this far, but the Cry Babies made great grabs. Monta Ellis is a solid pick especially when Baron Davis goes down. I thought Brewer and Yi were reaches. The Bobby Simmons pick was very valuable. A good blend of proven players and young players.
Overall Draft Grade: B+               Predicted Division Finish: 1st

Desert Geckos (A Name Change is Coming)- This team switched ownership on draft night. The new owner had no control of its keepers as they were already declared. Paul Pierce and Gerald Wallace will anchor this team. I’m not a big Pierce fan without seeing how the Boston experiment will work. Gerald Wallace is a good multi-cat contributor although he will see a hit in his ppg.
Keeper Grade: B-

As previously stated, this owner took over the team on draft night. He had no draft preparation and you could tell in the spuratic picking.  I like some of the players picked, but not as early as they were picked. Rd1.6 Kirk Hinrich, Rd2.11 Andrew Bogut, Rd3.6 Acie Law IV, Rd4.11 Tayshaun Prince, Rd5.6 Drew Gooden, Rd6.11 Walter Herrmann, Rd7.6 Jerry Stackhouse, Rd8.11 Josh Boone, Rd9.6 Rashad McCants. Hinrich is solid but could have gotten better players at that pick. Bogut has done nothing to make him worthy of that pick. Acie Law IV was a sleeper on my board, but not in the 3rd round. I really like the Herrmann and McCants picks but hate the Stackhouse and Boone picks.
Overall Draft Grade: D-               Predicted Division Finish: 3rd

I like the Cry Babies to win the division. My only worry is that the owner becomes absent at times and this will cost the team some wins. I really think that the owner of Popigh Rebellion has put his team in a good position for the long haul. If Durant meets his expectations then this team will be a force even this year. I think overall what sets this division apart is that only one team has great big men play (Cry Babies).

Up next will be the SuperStars Division (This division will likely be the most competitive this year).

There are still some spots available in this year’s 3on3 in Columbus, Indiana on September 29th. Any interested teams should call the HoopStar Hotline (317)489-6527 or the HoopStar secretary, Chris Jackson, (812) 614-2558 ASAP. Get your team together and register today.

The HoopStar Basketball team was crowned the Decatur County YMCA’s Adult Basketball League (Upper Division) Champion this past Sunday. The game proved to be a defensive battle between the two heavy weights. It took HoopStar 4 trips to the finals to finally claim the title.

HoopStar’s captain, Devon Brown, missed most of the action due to a fractured rib and torn back muscle. However, he was able to give a much needed boost in the semifinals playing 6 minutes and getting 7pts including a big 3 pointer down the stretch.

Nick Stevens lead HoopStar in the Finals with 19 points. Bryan Hurst also chipped in 18 points. The final game resulted in HoopStar (57 points) vs. Stewart (44 points). Stewart was paced by their starting point guard, Jesse Stewart, with 14 points. Stewart came into the finals as the number 1 seed, while HoopStar was not far behind in the number 2 seed.

The Lower Division champions, L & W, featured some of the HoopStar faithful as well. JD Crook, Philip Farley, and Leroy McQueen are regulars in HoopStar’s 3on3 series. Great job fellas.

Congratulations HoopStar, way to bring the title home where it belongs. The next league starts in October. Any interested teams should call the Decatur County Family YMCA at 812.663.9622.