Ryan Blackwell has successfully guided the Osaka Evessa during his first month as the team's new head coach.
The question now is this: Can Osaka maintain its super start for the remainder of the season?
For starters, the Evessa (5-1), last season's championship runnerup, play eight games against Western Conference foes this month, and it'll give Blackwell's club a chance to separate itself from the pack. (The Evessa currently hold a one-game lead over the Shiga Lakestars and the Rizing Fukuoka, among others — in the nine-team conference.)