The final score says it all: 61–54 TABC Storm, but that doesn’t even begin to capture what this game felt like. This wasn’t just a Tier II final — this was two teams that battled all week, earned their way here, and played like it with a trophy on the line. You had the #13 TABC Storm, riding momentum after knocking off #12 YULA and #9 Berman. And across from them, the #10 Ida Crown Aces — the Kings of Tier II — looking to prove they still owned that title after taking down #1

This isn’t just a Tier II final. This is a matchup between two teams that have played like contenders all week — and now get one last shot to prove it. The TABC Storm and Ida Crown Aces didn’t coast their way here. They earned it through some statement wins like the #13 Storm upsetting #12 YULA and #9 Berman, while Ida Crown, notably the Kings of Tier two, beat #15 MTA and #14 Fuchs Mizrachi. So what are the keys for the Aces from Chicago to retain their moniker or for the S

ANNOUNCEMENT: With Ramaz falling to Jewish Culture in the Tier I quarterfinals and being eliminated from championship contention, we welcome Ramaz Assistant Coach and MacsLive legend Akiva Poppers back onto the picks panel. STANDINGS:  Marvin Azrak: 15-2 Yosef Silver: 13-4 Zachary Sicklick 12-5  Ari Schopf: 11-6 Oren Glickman: 7-8 Akiva Poppers: 0-0 Tier 2 Quarterfinals: #12 YULA vs #13 TABC: Akiva Poppers : I’m told that no one cared about the panel without me on it, but thi

Friday picks: #3 Frisch vs #6 SAR Yosef Silver: Give me the Sting in this one, as SAR ends Frisch’s season twice in upset fashion. SAR 62 Frisch 58 Ari Schopf: Frisch will avenge their Yeshiva League semifinal loss to SAR and Stepner will put up 25+ points in the win. Frisch 60 SAR 54 Marvin Azrak: Stepner takes over. And that’s the difference as the Cougars avenge their Yeshiva League semifinal loss. Final: Frisch 68, SAR 60 Zachary Sicklick: These are both 2 great teams. Fr

Well, so much for the upset. Sorry, I doubted you, Shalhevet. The #2 Firehawks didn’t just avoid it; they shut the door on it immediately, rolling past #15 MTA 71–46 in a game that was never in doubt. Coming in, the thought was if MTA slows it down, turns it into a grind, and lets Gavi Engel control the game, you’ve got a tight, uncomfortable battle for a #2 seed. Instead, Shalhevet flipped the entire premise in about five minutes with their transition play. They came out fly

The #2-seeded Shalhevet Firehawks will face off against the host #15-seeded MTA Lions in a Tier I qualifier on Thursday at 5:30pm in the MSAC. Shalhevet enters Sarachek with momentum under Coach Tim Tucker, having played their best basketball down the stretch to finish their season with a 22-8 record. After a disappointing upset loss to Magen David at last year’s tournament, the Firehawks are hungry for redemption. They are led by Sam Jacobson, a dominant force in the paint a

Note: Akiva Poppers has resigned from the panel as he is now an assistant coach at Ramaz. In his place is MacsLive Associate Producer, Zachary Sicklick.  Wednesday picks: HANC vs. JEC Yosef Silver: These two teams played earlier in the year, but both coaches would tell you that they aren’t putting too much stock into the JEC blowout victory. JEC is a talented team with a few nice pieces. In their playoff game, HANC showed us they can hang with some of the best. I think this g

This one isn’t about the standings. The Yeshiva Macs head into the regular-season finale at 15-0 in Skyline play, already locked into the #1 seed and hosting rights throughout the conference tournament. Across from them? Mount Saint Mary — still searching for its first conference win at 0–14. On paper, this feels straightforward. Yet the regular-season finale is never about paper. It’s about tone. The Macs don’t need Zevi Samet grinding 38 high-stress minutes. They don’t need

This is it. The final battle at the end of what has been a treacherous non-conference journey. The Macs have faced some of the nation's best. They fought #2 Randolph-Macon and then #15 Mary Washington down in Virginia, hosted defending champions #1 Trinity CT, taken a trip to Boston to face then #4 Tufts, notched a win over runners-up NYU, and played an intense rematch against legendary foes, Illinois Wesleyan. Not to mention tough battles against Chapman and Saint Joseph CT.

The Yeshiva University Maccabees have forged their identity in the fires of adversity this season, proving time and again that they can compete with the very best in the nation. This squad has shown remarkable resilience, most notably by pushing then #4 Tufts and #15 Mary Washington to the absolute brink in heart-stopping overtime battles. While those contests against nationally ranked powerhouses ended in narrow defeats, they served as a proving ground, preparing the Macs fo