The 1974 Season
The OBA returned to the court (and future internet forums) after what seemed like forever. Four new teams made the league as intriguing as ever. Let's see how it went down:
The Desherd City Dachshunds dominated the season, winning all but three of their games and running away with the top spot in the league. The Desherd Dogs were led by Brian Williams, who took home the League MVP trophy for the second time in his young career.
Andre Oz carried The Team of the River Galloway, remaining one of the dominant two-way players the league had seen. The Team won many close games, sporting only one loss at their home, The River Centre to the regular season top dogs.
Two new teams joined the fray to much success. The Bay Bishops, despite not having anybody make either All-League team, played stout defense en route to the #3 seed and a playoff appearance in their first year. Following them is the Irving Ricos, led by Uisto Aldivando. When Uisto wasn't correcting news outlets on the spelling and pronunciation of his name, he was putting basketballs in the bucket. His 23.5 ppg contributed to his nomination to the All-OBA Second Team.
Despite finishing the regular season with the same record as the Ricos, the McQuelsey Woodpeckers found themselves on the outside looking in. Deacon Moss put together another great campaign, solidifying himself as one of the most dangerous players in the league. With the help of Isaac Revon, they made the Woodpeckers an exciting team to watch. The Woodpeckers were swept by the Ricos in the regular season, resulting in their exclusion from the playoffs.
The Murdlock Razors and Boothtown Mobsters put together solid showings, despite finishing with losing records. In the case of the Razors, Carl Baker led the league in assists, but had little help on the defensive end. Boothtown, despite boasting four players across both All-OBA teams, battled injuries and some disgruntlement from management throughout the year. Darnell Donald emerged as a force in the league, earning himself First Team honors.
The Murdlock Monocles, Irving Crows, and Ensylvan Drakes held down the bottom of the league. Although they played teams tough, they simply failed to eclipse as many wins as the teams above them. Highlights for the Monocles and Crows included a split in their respective in-town rivalries.
Ensylvan's bright spot included a new type of salt added in the popcorn sold at the concession stands so... at least there is that...