PCTI Faction Rankings (Fall, 2013)

It continues to be a slow off-season on the blog, but a disturbing trend captivated us subconsciously: Factions.  It all started with one despicable faction and now PCTI has turned into the WCW of 1997.  Here are the first rankings of Factions within PCTI.

1).  Quad Pod

Members: Jarsh Stevens, Tony Hopekin (1/2), Mich Beesly, Spotlite Hipspin (from right to left)

Defections: None

FA Wishlist: Bend Wilfsum

Location(s): Portland, OR; Nashville, TN; Denver, CO; Boston, MA

STRENGTHS

--The first faction to ever exist in PCTI.  

--Spearheaded a movement of hate that has not been seen since Berlin, Germany in 1938.

--Blog Strong: any opportunity to throw a "QP" behind a member's name, it is done.  

--Staples of going out late at PCTI and frollicking with co-eds.

--Best looking group in PCTI now that Jarsh Stevens no longer has braces.

WEAKNESSES

--Despite being Blog Strong, these guys never hang out or text each other outside of PCTI.  Several inside sources have indicated as much.

--They have never been truly a "Quad Pod" on the court which has lead to some dissension in recent years.

--Do they have a leader?  4 UT grads need someone to tell them what to do.

2). Danie's Flock

Members: Danie Crow, Britt Carnee, Mitch Ore, Jes Sabbine

Defections: None

FA Wishlist: John Tompkins, Brine Eshelledsin, Scout Dumbly

Location(s): Plano, TX; Austin, TX

STRENGTHS

--Quickest ascension in the rankings.  These four have molded together to give Quad Pod a run for their money as the top faction in PCTI.

--Quality hoops twice a week combined with a quality breakfast on saturday mornings keeps the rapport at an all-time high.

--Responsible for 80% of PCTI media production (blog posts and podcasts).

WEAKNESSES

--Volatile personalities.  If you wrong these guys in any way, they'll let you know about it.  They aren't afraid of picking on their respective members.

--Power struggle of who truly leads the crew.  Sabbine has the gym and pick up games.  Does Carnee or Crow run the podcast? Who is the wittiest in the group: Carnee or Ore?  

--Lack of direction with or without a compass could have this Faction on a collision course with the bottom of the rankings.

3). NashTrash

Members: Tony Hopekin (2/2), Joust Pits (1/2), Ivan Horner

Defections: Mitch Ore

FA Wishlist: Brine Eshelledsin, Britt Carnee, Bend Wilfsum

Location: Nashville, TN

STRENGTHS

--Unapologetic love for all things related to Nashville.

--Make no mistake about it, Nashville will always be a force come PCTI Location voting time due to the voice of Ivan.

--Quality hoops can happen at anytime.

WEAKNESSES:

--Unapologetic love for all things related to Nashville. 

--No unity at all.  Who is running the show?

--Ivan and Joust's rift between eachother grows wider by the minute.

--Recruiting budget has diminished in recent years.

--Two many married people.

4). BestCoasters

Members: Bryn Mickany, John Tompkins

Defections: Danie Crow, Brine Eshelledsin

FA Wishlist: Mich Beesly, Tony Hopekin, Bend Wilfsum, Jarsh Stevens

Location(s): Scottsdale, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Wherever a beach is

STRENGTHS

--Best friends

--Cool, laid back demeanor at all times, which leads them to being consistently tan 330 days out of the year.

--Will never get fat due to pressure from variety of sources: media, peers, and the sun.

WEAKNESSES

--Would always rather be elsewhere: another party, another bar, another babe, another city.

--Lack of basketball playing leads to diminishing returns come gametime.

--Marijuana smoking.

--How many web videos before Tompkins gets signed by a big agency?

--Bryn's lack of blog awareness.

--Will it only be these two forever?  Lack of recruiting and recent defections has hurt long-term prospects of the group.

5). Love, Actually

Members: Joust Pits (2/2), Brine Eshelledsin

Defections: None

FA Wishlist: None

Location(s): Nashville, TN; Houston, TX

STRENGTHS

--Their love has no boundaries as Pits went across the country in his Mustang to be with Eshelledsin.

--Eshelledsin didn't throw out Pits for driving a Mustang.

--Play well together and love has found a way.

WEAKNESSES

--Distance.  Pits can't live for too long away from Nashville. 

--Pits tendency to shut out anything anyone says regardless if it comes from Eshelledsin.

--Calf disproportions.  Eshelledsin has gigantic calfs that dwarf the rest of his body.  Pits has tiny calfs which are dwarfed by the rest of his fragile body.

--Pits drives a MUSTANG.

--One has a home and the other has taken over Tompkins role as the new vagabond of PCTI.

6). Identity Crisis

Members: Bend Wilfsum, Scout Dumbly

Defections: None

FA Wishlist: None

Location(s): Neenah, WI; Atlanta, GA

STRENGTHS

--Both get along famously with everyone in PCTI.

--Upper echelon players who manage to stay in basketball condition despite not always having their PCTI brethren near them.

--Both are good offensive players in PCTI.

WEAKNESSES

--Lack of faction or bad luck have lead them to be look inwards for sense of camaraderie within PCTI.

--Bend had a strong faction with Mitch Ore and Tony Hopekin with the 3 Cities Twist.  However, it fell apart with the recent defection of Ore to Danie's Flock.

--Scout has too much love for wife and soon-to-be-born child to get involved with a faction long-term.

--Scout also enjoys Wisconsin.

--Is Bend's love of indie music helping or hurting his stock to join a faction?

7). Wes Murray

Members: Wus Mourny

FA Wishlist: Everyone

Location: Parts Unknown, WV

STRENGTHS

--Not caring what anyone thinks of him.

--Relying on himself.

--Stomach has become a muscle.

--Well-liked by everyone.

WEAKNESSES

--Buffets.

--Emails.

--West Virginia.

--Direct Flights.

--Tennessee Vols.

--Groomed Beard.

Check back in January, 2014 for the Winter Rankings.