Jackets Showing They Belong In First Month

The Steel City Yellow Jackets have played some high-scoring, hard-fought games in the first month of the American Basketball Association season. Their record stands at 3-2 and they are currently ranked 20th in the country after playing a tough game with the number three team the DMV Warriors.

After one month of play in the American Basketball Association's 2016/2017 season, the Steel City Yellow Jackets are showing that they belong among the elite. Their record sits at 3-2 on the season coming off of a hard nose basketball game against the number three team in the country where they lost by the final score of 128-127. After the loss, the Yellow Jackets are sitting as the number 20 team in the country as they look to make a run for the playoffs for the third year in a row.

The Yellow Jackets offense has featured high scoring in every single game as they have yet to score less than 114 points on the season. They are averaging 124.2 points per game and have outscored their opponents 621-581. The team has lead or been tied at half time in all but one of their games and they have not lost a game by more than seven points on the season.

Lawrence Baker has turned it on offensively in his second year with the Steel City Yellow Jackets scoring a team high 121 points on the season. He has lead the team in scoring in three out of the five games on the season and has been the driving force to this offense. Three year veteran Antonio Reddic has the game high for points in a game so far for the Jackets with his 37 point effort against the DMV Warriors last Saturday.

In the last couple of games for the Yellow Jackets, their veteran core has come together to help the Jackets play more complete basketball. Gilmore Cummings has 48 points in the last two games alone including some big shots that have helped put games away for the Yellow Jackets. Perhaps his biggest shot of the night on Saturday, Cummings hit a three pointer with 17 seconds remaining that would tie the game bringing the Yellow Jackets back from being down by 23 points. His 22 point effort against the Cleveland AM Pro'ers was enough to earn him player of the week for week three of the season.

Antonio Reddic has upped his game in the last two weeks and he has been awarded as the Steel City Yellow Jackets player of the week two times in the first four weeks of the season. Reddic scored a team high 37 points in the last game against DMV and combined that with his 20 point effort two weeks ago to up his total on the season to 105 points which is good for second on the team.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets have been playing exciting defense. They have held teams to under 120 points in all but two of their games this season. The Yellow Jackets are a physical defense that likes to guard tight especially under the hoop. With bug men Lawrence Baker and Juan Franklin under the net, it has been hard for anyone to get to the basket against the Jackets team.

Reddic leads the team in the rebound department with his 35 on the season. Reddic has yet to start a game for the Yellow Jackets this season, but has been a key contributor to the team up until this point of the season. Juan Franklin has produced the only double-double of the season for the Yellow Jackets when he collected 10 rebounds against the Cleveland AM Pro'ers two weeks ago. Isaiah Prince has also played a key role on defense collecting 15 rebounds so far on the season.

It has been a mixture of both veterans and rookies on the team that have driven the Yellow Jackets to this point of the season. Juan Franklin is one of those rookies who set the pace for this Yellow Jackets team when he opened the season scoring a team high 32 points for the Yellow Jackets against the Kentucky Enforcers. He is also the owner of the team's only double-double on the season and has been a key part of the Jackets success.

The Yellow Jackets have also gotten contributions from rookies Luke Kochka, Khari Bess, Marcus Smith, and Bobby Swartwout on the season. Marcus Smith is another one of the starter on this team who has helped the team throughout the season. He has scored 47 points so far on the year in his first professional season and is working hard to lead the Yellow Jackets on the court. Both he and Lamont Wright have seen time as the play caller for the Yellow Jackets.

If the Yellow Jackets can continue to play the way they have been over the past two weeks, there is no doubt in my mind that they can once again push for one of those coveted American Basketball Association playoff spots. They have been communicating on defense and have shown the ability to hit from beyond the three point line on a consistent basis. There is a bunch of talent on this Steel City team, and when they play together they are one of the most unstoppable teams in all of the American Basketball Association.

As the Yellow Jackets venture into the cold month of December, things will begin to heat up as they take on the PG Valor this Saturday at The Neighborhood Academy this Saturday. The Yellow Jackets will be looking to bounce back after having their three game winning streak broken in last Saturday's game. Tickets are 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for students. Be sure to come on out to The Neighborhood Academy and Catch the Buzz.