As the IBL season continues, the teams are preparing for their final few games of the year. After many early wake-up calls, these teams have created rivalries on and off the court. 

Currently, the three teams which have had the most success and as a result sit at the top of the rankings are The B Team, The Basketball Team, and PLNU. Each of these teams are fighting for their spot in the championship game, where they will play for the highly coveted trophy. 

Each team has its own strengths, The B Team carries a lot of talent and past basketball skill. One of their players, Alex Thole ‘24 has dominated the court this season, with the B team currently in first place going into bracket play. They are ready to prove themselves and show what they can do.

“I think all of us are expecting nothing less than a championship this year after the kind of regular season that we had,” Thole said 

The B Team have all been playing together since eighth grade and they have formed a really great bond. They will play the winner of the eight/nine seed game after their first-round bye and if they win they will advance to the final four. 

The Basketball Team has some serious pressure on them because of their success last year, winning the entire tournament and taking home the trophy. Without a doubt, they have a lot of talented players but Nick Collins ‘23 is a player that has been a prominent contribution to their undefeated record. 

“What sets us apart from other teams is our team dynamic, we just work like peanut butter and jelly. If one of us is down the other person picks them back up,” Collins said.

Since their dominance last season, they have continued their focus on being back-to-back IBL league champions. 

“Getting that trophy is gonna be the greatest moment of my life,” Collins said.

PLNU is another team to watch, as they are hungry to beat the odds and rankings as the playoff tournament approaches. They are ready for this challenge and are prepared to climb their way to the top. They have recruited Ellen Mundell ‘24, to coach their team and are thanking her for their success.

“We’re Mundy’s team, everything we do is for her,” Liam Roney ‘23 said. 

Though they give all their gratitude to the coach, the real talent comes from the players.

Collin Davies ‘23, who is currently the highest-scoring player in the entire league, has over 100 points. 

Davies dominates all other competitions on the court, due to his previous dedication to high school basketball. Despite him no longer playing for the high school his past gives him a leg up on their components. 

“We have Collin Davies and Coach Mundy, no one else has anything close. No one can guard Collin, he’s really him”, Peter Cannon ‘23 said. 

After leaving the TBT team last year, Davies and Cannon want to show their old team what they are capable of. 

“TBT’s been calling us snakes but I’m just gonna say that those snakes are gonna win the championship,” Cannon said.

Another strong player in the league is Stav Okanin ‘23, who plays for the WNBA, the only girls’ team. Okanin is noticed by other players as one of the better shooters on the court. 

“Stav is a bucket, I’ve never seen anyone shoot like her before. I’ve never seen a ball go in off the top of a backboard either but she proved it could happen,” Collins added. 

While everyone waits for the two championship teams to be announced, the teams will continue to show their hard work and grit on the court on Saturday mornings until then.