A look at the most anticipated intramural season in recent memory

It’s spring time, and every Malvern student knows what that means… Intramural Basketball!  The road to the intramural program’s most coveted championship is underway.

The league features 19 student teams and an inaugural faculty team.  It will resemble the NCAA tournament, as each team took the name of a college and the 20 teams have been divided into four regions (East, West, Midwest, and South).

The competition will be stiff and fair, as each team is limited to either one player with previous varsity experience or two junior varsity players.  The regular season games will be played in the O’Neill Center.  The final four and championship games will be hosted in the cathedral of Malvern basketball, Dougherty Hall.  Dougherty has been the site of the intramural basketball playoffs for the past three years.

As the postseason approaches, look for these teams to be serious championship contenders:

Penn State: Led by seniors John Nassib, Britt Kershner, and Rich Chakejian, Penn State is the deepest team in the field.  Nassib has the size and ability to be a force down low, along with starting varsity quarterback Alex Hornibrook.  Junior James Keating is a stud athlete and will provide skill and strength on the perimeter.  If Kershner and Chakejian can hold down the backcourt, this will be a dangerous team come playoffs.

Davidson: Andy Pancoast headlines this group of eclectic seniors.  The twins St.Amour will start in the backcourt, and Cornell bound Jordan Majors will anchor the post.  Seniors Nick Flowers and Chris Nyugen will be coming off the bench.  If Davidson wants to shock the world this spring, Pancoast will have to take over games, something he’s done quite well in years past.

Slippery Rock: Diaper dandy Zac Fernandez leads this group of young talent.  Danny Sullivan, Rich Mingey, and Rich Heaney will join Fernandez in the starting four.  Fernandez has the varsity experience to excel in Intramurals, and the members of his supporting cast were stand outs on the freshman team.  The question for Slippery Rock: will they be able to handle the pressure packed Intramural postseason as first timers?

ITT Tech: This online institution has arguably two of the best freshmen ballers Ring Road has to offer.  Ray Baran and Tommy Wolfe were key contributors to the junior varsity team this winter, and will put up big numbers this season.  Tech’s problem is they aren’t much deeper from there.  Will Baran and Wolfe be able to work the 1-2 punch deep into the playoffs?

Valparaiso:  Murph Rogers is the star for Valpo, which includes four other capable seniors.  Alex McLaughlin, Joe Disipio, and Brendan Hallinan each have at least 1 intramural championship this season, and are hungry for another.  Dan McGlinn and Disipio will have to provide the hustle and rebounds if this team wants to go deep in the tournament.  But their backcourt is one of the best the field has to offer.

Nebraska: This is the most skilled Mixed team in the field.  Saint Denis CYO standouts Jake O’Riordan and Fran Pannepacker are the seniors for Nebraska.  They will be trying to collect their second basketball championship of 2014, as their Denis Dawgs won the Region 32 high school championship.  Joe Fitzpatrick and Liam Wheeler round out the starting four.  If this team of Del-Co all stars plays well together, Nebraska will be a tough out.

Gonzaga: Jeff Hagen, the 6’6’’ Bucknell bound water polo stud, is an early favorite for intramural MVP.  Hagen does it all: shoots, rebounds, blocks, and dunks.  He will be joined by fellow seniors Connor McNeill, Kevin Burns, and Luke McStravick.  Team chemistry will be an advantage for the Zags, as Burns, Hagen, and McStravick played together on Saint Pat’s high school CYO team this winter.  The only problem for Gonzaga will be its reliance on Hagen, so if he runs cold, this group of seniors could be in trouble.

Howard: This senior laden team can be a Cinderella come playoff time.  They put up a fight against heavily favored Penn State in their opening game, losing 30-29.  Tom Ferrari, Zach O’Neill, and Mike Milliken will have to step up big if Howard wants to pull off some upsets this year.  Team captain Brian Tatlow told the BFC, “What to expect from our team: big numbers from me off the bench. What not to expect: mercy.”

Stop by the O’Neill center in the next few weeks to check out the action!  This should be the most exciting basketball season in recent history, so make sure to follow @MP_Intramurals on Twitter and check your Malvern email for all scores, schedule changes, and updates.