With just one final week left in the Fall Exposure League presented by NEPA Hoops, the spotlight is still up for grabs. While some stars have already claimed their standout honors, these players have flown under the radar until now.
Here are the top five underrated players to watch in Week 7, each looking to leave their mark before the league concludes.
Adam Badryka (Team Purple)
Last weekend may not have gone Purple’s way, but those results weren’t due to a lack of effort from Adam Badryka.
The Holy Cross junior continued to provide a steady force in the backcourt for his team in the first week of the Fall Exposure League postseason, picking up where he left off in Week 5.
Badryka only played in the first game of Purple’s slate in Week 5, putting together a solid outing with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in a 90-79 loss to Grey.
With his focus shifted to the postseason, Badryka made sure to reach that next level he is capable of.
In Purple’s 77-61 North quarterfinal loss to No. 2 North seed Yellow, the 6’2″ guard tallied 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Badryka then posted 7 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist in Purple’s 88-77 consolation quarterfinal loss to No. 1 North seed Grey.
Badryka’s ability to score is no secret, though. Back in Week 4 of the FXL, he finished 10th on the overall scoring leaderboard with 17 points per game.
Badryka will have two more games with Purple to showcase his talent, first in a matchup at 11:35 with the loser of the Light Blue vs Grey game on Court 2.
Michael Keating (Team Pink)
His team isn’t one of the two teams playing for the Fall Exposure League title this morning, but Michael Keating and Pink have a lot to compete for.
On a team that is in the running for a third place finish, Keating’s production is necessary in ensuring this.
The Wilkes-Barre Area senior presence provided a boost for Pink in their 1-1 Week 5 slate of games.
Keating dropped 12 points, 4 rebounds, and a steal in Pink’s rough 97-64 loss to Light Blue. In a buzzer-beating win over Green, his 7 points, a rebound, and 2 assists guided Pink over the top — finishing the regular season with 4 wins.
During the first week of the FXL playoffs, Keating cracked double-figures in both of Pink’s matchups.
In a 78-54 loss to No. 2 South seed Light Blue in the South quarterfinals, the 6’1″ forward recorded 12 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist. Keating led Pink in scoring in their consolation quarterfinal win over Green, tallying 11 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
Keating and Pink face off against Red in the consolation semifinal round today at 10:30 a.m. on Court 2, looking to advance to the consolation finals.
Tyler Lombardo (Team Pink)
While his name hasn’t been on the standout list just yet, Tyler Lombardo returns back to the spotlight in “Matt’s Top 5 to Watch” after a one week break.
Lombardo has been showing off his all-around game all Fall Exposure League long with Pink, making big-time offensive and defensive plays.
The Delaware Valley senior played a large role in ensuring Pink’s fourth and final win of the regular season in Week 5 over Green.
In the 87-86 win, Lombardo recorded 6 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The 6’2″ guard continued to produce similar results in the postseason for his squad.
Lombardo added 7 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal in Pink’s 78-54 loss in the South quarterfinal to No. 2 South seed Light Blue. He followed this performance up with 7 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists in Pink’s 60-47 consolation quarterfinal win over No. 4 South seed Green.
His defensive efforts proved worthy as he tied for the 2nd spot on Week 6’s overall defensive impact (REB + STL + BLK) leaderboard with a score of 10.5.
Lombardo joins fellow “Matt’s Top 5 to Watch” honoree Michael Keating in their shared mission to bring home 3rd place. Their journey tips-off at 10:30 a.m. today on Court 2.
Isaac Shrager (Team Yellow)
Unlike most players that make this list, the reason that Isaac Shrager is on here isn’t that he is yet to earn a standout — he earned one in Week 3.
It’s because he can be the X-factor for Yellow in the Fall Exposure League title game this morning.
Shrager impacted winning in the final week of the regular season for Yellow when they went 1-1.
In a 75-64 win over Red, the senior from Northern Valley Old Toppan totaled 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Shrager finished with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in Yellow’s tough 86-48 loss to Grey.
To start Yellow’s title run, Shrager played two solid games, helping Yellow advance to the championship game.
The 6’4″ guard nearly posted a double-double in Yellow’s 77-61 North quarterfinal win over No. 3 North seed Purple, adding 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Shrager’s connected on three triples in Yellow’s thrilling 84-83 win over Red, finsihing with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Shrager ended the week tied for 15th on the overall defensive impact (REB + STL + BLK) leaderboard with a score of 7.5.
Shrager’s play could go a long way in determining Yellow’s result in the FXL championship game, today at 11:35 a.m. on Court 1.
Malik Wimberly (Team Red)
Malik Wimberly heard the playoffs had arrived last week, and man, did he turn it up a different level for Red.
Much of the attention on Red is directed towards Riverside sophomore Nico Antoniacci, but Wimberly played just as important as a role in securing the quarterfinal round win.
The Seton Catholic Central junior put together two decent showings in Week 5 before breaking out in Week 6.
In a 75-64 loss to Yellow, Wimberly dropped 8 points, 6 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He went on to add 6 points and 6 rebounds in Red’s dominant 106-82 win over Purple to finish the regular season.
Wimberly played a huge part in the upset of the FXL as Red took down No. 1 North seed Grey — 61-58 last Sunday, compiling 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He contributed with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and a steal in Red’s crushing 84-83 loss to No. 2 North seed Yellow in the North semifinals.
The 6’3″ guard tied for 12th on Week 6’s overall scoring leaderboard, averaging 14.5 points per game during the first round of the postseason.
Wimberly and Red look to make a push for the FXL third place trophy with a date set with Pink at 10:30 a.m. today on Court 2 in the consolation semifinals.
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- Matt Mascarenhas — NEPA Hoops Reporter
MATT SPORTS MEDIA 
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