By Paul Tutka, NLL Insider

Based on what he threw down last year, which is the bulk of the criteria being looked at for this thing, you better believe the once written off Scott Ranger belongs in the league’s best 50 current ball players.

In Ranger’s first two seasons in the NLL, which he spent with San Jose, who drafted him in the first round of 2003’s Entry Draft, Ranger managed to barely squeeze into nine games with the Stealth, posting an even more anemic 11 points in those games.

After being bounced around the Stealth’s active roster and pracky squad during the 2006 pro season, in which the former Vic Jr. saw zero big show minutes, Ranger’s lucked changed the following year.

Actually, luck would suggest Ranger tripped into his recent success, when really, his return back to the gameday lights of the NLL stemmed from his continuous solid play in the WLA, which has seen him post a pretty impressive 124 goals over the last four summers in Nanaimo.

Ranger, a Calgary freebie signing during the summer of 06, has exploded onto the pro scene since throwing on a Necks’ sweater, finishing within the NLL’s Top 20 scoring leaders last winter and also leading the Roughnecks’ own charts as well. It’s the first time in years that someone not named Lewis Ratcliff has held that honour.

Ranger’s hat-trick against the Rock in that late season 08 playoff decider was beyond crucial to not only help Calgary nail down a post-season spot, but also dump Toronto from the Champ Cup contender mix. It was Ranger’s tying goal with only a few minutes to spare in the fourth that forced the game into OT, where Tracey Kelusky lay TO out cold.

Not a bad season for a guy who was on the outside lookin’ in not so long ago.

So if you find yourself scratching your head at where Ranger is in this rundown, don’t worry, you’re not the first one to look past Scott Ranger, but you’ll likely be one of the last.

Does Ranger 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

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.

The foremost boxla writer, Tutka is a former NLL scout and a longtime Inside Lacrosse contributor. Email him at paul.tutka@nllinsider.com