NLL Insider

Usually when a guy is getting ready to play with his third team in just four years, it’s cuz he’s been bounced around from city-to-city, trying to land a full-time spot with a franchise as an off-season freebie inking. It’s the start of being labelled a journeyman.

That’s not the case with Luke Wiles.

After being dealt in a draft-eve blockbuster three way deal, Wiles will be throwing his third pro sweater on in Toronto, helping with a pretty hefty rebuild of the Rock’s offense.

Wiles’ almost five points per game last winter should help bolster a Rock offense that was twice held to four goals in franchise record losses in 08.

Luke landed in NLL Insider’s Top 20 throughout last year’s in-season rundown, but obviously slipped completely outta the mix after breaking his foot in a game against Edmonton 11 in. We nixed guys a bit in the Top 50 that got nailed by injury last year, which is why Wiles is lower right now than if this was simply a “skills to pay the bills” countdown (Have had a few emails on ranking guys on rep versus what they did last year, but why would we do that? The Top 50 would be virtually the same every year, right? Boring!).

Over the last two years in San Jose, Wiles has posted at least a point in each of the Stealth’s games, only twice being held scoreless in his already impressive three year pro career.

Wiles plays with a heart and hustle that has not only gained him a rep as a guy that works his ass of for everything he puts away up front but also a guy that evidently a lot of teams wanna have on their roster. He brings the kinda attitude to the floor and locker room that any team makes room for and is the type of player the Rock will no doubt benefit from in a huge way in 09.

Wiles, who previous to this summer had found himself in the top ten of the MSL’s scoring charts with the Barrie Lakeshores, came back from his broken wheel with Victoria this past WLA season, throwing up 29 points in nine games in the much lower scoring summer loop.

Does Wiles belong in the NLL Insider Top 50? Hit the boards and let us know what your Top 50 looks like heading into the 2009 NLL season…

#50 Matt Roik, San Jose Stealth
#49 Jon Sullivan, Minnesota Swarm
#48 Billy Dee Smith, Buffalo Bandits
#47 Steve Toll, Rochester Knighthawks
#46 Jarett Park, New York Titans
#45 Bruce Murray, Colorado Mammoth
#44 Shawn Evans, Rochester Knighthawks
#43 Peter Lough, Toronto Rock
#42 Matt Vinc, New York Titans
#41 Jeff Shattler, Calgary Roughnecks
#40 Craig Point, Minnesota Swarm
#39 Scott Ranger, Calgary Roughnecks
#38 Brian Langtry, Colorado Mammoth
#37 Sean Pollock, Minnesota Swarm
#36 Jake Bergey, Boston Blazers
#35 Pat O’Toole, Rochester Knighthawks
#34 Kyle Sweeney, Philadelphia Wings
#33 Luke Wiles, Toronto Rock

Hit this link for NLL Insider’s Top 50 archive and keep checkin’ back every week as we countdown the top 50 best in the pro game, with #1 being named just before the NLL season kicks off.

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