2009 WFBL CONCLUDINGS PREVIEW

PARK CITY LOOKS TO GO FROM BAG-TOTERS TO TROPHY HOLDERS, BUT THEY"LL HAVE TO PRY IT FROM THE ABOMINABLES' ICY COLD GRIP FIRST

For the third year in a row, the previous year's Tote Bag winner will be playing Zermatt for the Commissioner Barnes Trophy. Park City seeks its first ever title, while the A-Boms will try to become the first back-to-back WFBL Champion in league history.

SEASON SERIES: SUNDANCERS, 5-4-0








SEED: 1 RECORD 92-65-5









SEED: 1 RECORD: 89-70-3

FIELD GOAL%: The Sundancers' Dwyane Wade is shooting over 50%, but otherwise the Wasatch champs have been a bunch a bit erratic with their shooting lately. Not that the Abominables have been much better, and aside from the high-percentage Chris Paul, it's hard to tell what Zermatt'll do. This one's too close to call.

EDGE: TIE



FREE THROW%: The A-Boms are the fourth-worst free-throwers in the league, and, other than EBP Chris Paul, really can't rely on anyone from the foul line. Park City shot 82% for the year thanks to reliable marksmen like Kevin Durant and Chris Bosh, which should give the Dancers the makes—along with the high quantity of trips to the line—that they'll need.

EDGE:









THREE-POINTERS: The 'Dancers and A-Boms were third and fourth, respectively, in threes made for the season, but the edge here goes to Park City. The usually clutch Rashard Lewis has been so unreliable that he rides the bench for the A-Boms, while every Park City starter but Chris Bosh has been getting at least one three-pointer per game over the last 15 days.

EDGE:









REBOUNDS: One may question Mike Miller's starting lineup nod, but the small forward has averaged almost eight boards a game over the last two weeks. That, along with Dalembert and Jamison, should be enough for the A-Boms to win rebounds going away.

EDGE:









ASSISTS: If anything keeps Zermatt from winning the category they almost never lose, it'll be the fact that Paul only has three games this week. Still, Iguodala and Miller should be able to lend enough of a hand to keep Park City at bay. Unless of course Wade does his triple-double thing again...

EDGE:









STEALS: Another category the A-Boms have dominated all season long would normally be a no-brainer win for the Champs. But Wade's extra game this week, along with solid contributions across the board from the rest of the Sundancers, gives the slight edge to the challengers.

EDGE:









BLOCKS: The Abominables were next to dead last in blocks this season, as Coach Barnes usually was content to punt the category. But with the Sundancers not being the same since Stoudemire went down, Barnes brings in Dalembert to try and give Zermatt the edge. This one goes to the A-Boms, but again, don't underestimate Wade. He's been known to get a clutch block or two, am I right, Twin Falls?

EDGE:









TURNOVERS: The only category where the Sundancers didn't strive this season was turnovers. Park City turns the ball over like it's going out of style. The A-Boms don't fare too much better, but surprisingly have cut down on their turnovers as the season has gone on. In the end, the edge goes to Zermatt, because with Wade and Lil' Nate in the lineup, you can pencil in Park City for at least 24 turnovers this week from the backcourt alone.

EDGE:









POINTS: Zermatt obviously decides to punt this category with Miller and Dalembert, but really, did they have a chance? Park City was the highest scoring team all season long, averaging almost 400 points per week. Scoring machine Kevin Durant's recent return to the lineup, along with Wade's propensity to put up 50 a game from time to time should leave no doubt in this category.

EDGE:









PREDICTION: 4-4-1 TIE

And according to WFBL rules, Park City wins the tiebreaker by having the better regular-season record. But consider this: Previous-season tote bag winners are 1-1 in the Concludings. Having said that, Commissioner Barnes-led teams are 2-1 in the title game, while Dave Barton-led teams are 0-0. But don't forget, Zermatt hasn't beaten Park City since 2006. At the same time, the A-Boms own a 23-21-1 record all-time against their arch-rivals. As so often seems to be the case, this year's Championship could be decided by which team has fewer players miss games.