Non hoops PCTI bios

My thought with this post was to make sure Kyle has a cheat sheet of sorts for each guy in PCTI as it pertains to his spot within the group outside of the hooping.

AHop will provide more life details in his posts, if you guys will actually answer his email. In the meantime, here’s the quick scouting report I would give on each guy.

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1.       Danny Krow

Nickname: Dan the Boy; Dan, Dan, the [insert whatever] Man

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, helped with initial organization.

Systems: Brentwood HS, University of Tennessee, Nashville Hooper, Dallas

He is the genus of the species: every PCTI member can be traced back to him.

Social profile: Only drinks liquor, only drinks it straight, carries the flag for breakfast, brings almost nothing to the table after the first night, film watcher, itin-stick maker

2.       Brent Carney

Nickname: The Beast, BC, The Brat (2010-2016)

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, infamously questioned the scalability of the idea, lifelong BFF of Dan The Boy

Systems: Father Ryan HS, Nashville Hooper

Knew the majority of the early PCTI crew either through Nashville or visits to UT during the college years

Social profile: Vastly underrated social chameleon, doesn’t believe in loyalty, will get emotional at a dinner, will pretend to smoke a cigarette, BEER GUY, film watcher

3.       Michael Orr

Nickname: Smo

PCTI Connection: Lifelong friend of Dan The Boy and The Beast, added to PCTI roster in year two

Systems: Brentwood High, Nashville Hooper, Dallas, Former linebackers society (legacy)

Despite not playing basketball has deep connections with most of PCTI. Along with Nashville roots and a current Dallas residence, he put in time in Chattanooga at which point he got to know BenWilson (I think) and currently works closely with TP.

Social profile: Funny man, will sell you out for a good joke, almost no tolerance for drinking, drives the PCTI van

4.       Ian Van Horne

Nickname: Bruiser, Stickman

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, staple of the Brentwood High/UT scene

Systems: Brentwood High, Nashville Hooper, University of Tennessee, Former linebacker society

Social profile: Insatiable desire to know what the plan is, volume drinker, good on the grill, versatility in social settings, breakfast aficionado, prideful drinking games participant 

5.       Joe Thompson

Nickname: Actor, Act, $ingz (2014-2016)

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, initially part of the Father Ryan scene but was active in the Dallas stable at the time of PCTI I

Systems: Father Ryan HS, Nashville Hooper, Dallas (alumnus)

Heavy weight in the Nashville Hooper community, based on fact that people who have just met him think he’s funny

Social profile: Liar, single so remains in going out shape, low key drinker who relies on ACTING ability and FUNNY JOKES rather than intoxication, makes up fake biographical details in order to LIE and ACT, volume public maker outter.

6.       Pat Higdon

Nickname: Spotlight

PCTI Connection: Part of the Father Ryan scene, connected with Danny when both were living in Boston during the early years of PCTI, also part of UT scene but sneaky age difference kept that from amounting to much in terms of PCTI bonds, joined PCTI for III

Systems: Father Ryan HS, Nashville Hooper, University of Tennessee

Social profile: One of the few actually interesting people in the group, usually has the cigs, versatile drinker, good versatility to switch between high brow and low brow social settings, hugger, does not require maintenance, new father

7.       Anthony Hopkins

Nickname: AHop, Hops

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, only guy who can rival Dan The Boy for PCTI connections

Systems: David Lipscomb, Nashville Hooper, University of Tennessee, Dallas (alumnus)

King of the Nashville Hoops scene. Reputation as a good run organizer followed him to UT. Dabbled in the Dallas scene during early PCTI years. For two plus decades many have branded him as a package deal with Abe.

Social profile: Prolific night life guy who prefers to lead from the front, good at what he does and knows it, never a threat to vibe kill, underrated for dedication to PCTI-centric social elements (dinners, trivia, etc.)

8.       Josh Stephen

Nickname: Abe

PCTI Connection: Founding Father

Systems: David Lipscomb, Nashville Hooper, University of Tennessee

Social profile: May maintain PCTI’s only perfect record for making it out every night anyone was doing anything in any of the PCTIs, like his hoops profile prefers to be low key and win you over with consistency, Colorado address makes sense, no threat to vibe kill, deep love for PCTI is understated and is his ace up the sleeve, too often falsely characterized as a space cadet

9.       Deuce Hite (only guy who’s real name won’t be used)

Nickname: Deuce

PCTI Connection: Founding Father, his brother Mike Hite played in the first two PCTIs and that’s where the idea to bring Deuce in to the fold began

Systems: Father Ryan High School, Former linebackers society

Social Profile: MVP, only “popular” PCTI guy who isn’t at all hateable, free wheeling and big spending persona, good in any environment but raises his game with the moment

10.   Scott Donley

Nickname: Cockstrong (2011-aprox 2016), currently a nickname free agent though reputation as being busy seems like it’s going to lead to something this year

PCTI Connection: Joined for year two after being too busy year one.

Systems: University of Tennessee

Made his connections in Knoxville with all of the UT PCTIers, Hails from Cincinnati.

Social Profile: Tweener due to being a former social legend but now dedicated family man and business titan, strong drinker who isn’t afraid to prove it, versatility, good energy

11.   Ben Wilson

Nickname: BenWilson

PCTI Connection: Founding Father

Systems: Farragut HS, University of Tennessee, Nashville Hooper (adulthood)

Made his connections in Knoxville with all the PCTIers. High school with TP and Kyle. Currently a staple of the Nashville hoops scene

Social profile: Low key guy who has been questioned by some (Dan) for going a little too low key in recent years, one of the few actually funny people in PCTI, sneaky great PCTI history knowledge, keeps up with the laundry

12.   Tyler Powell

Nickname: TP

PCTI Connection: Joined in PCTI VII

Systems: Farragut HS, University of Tennessee

Social profile: Confident and battle-hardened approached to partying, unshakeable, much like on the PCTI court he doesn’t need any plays called for him to make an impact, will gladly go with the flow

13.   Jeff Sabin

Nickname: Sabin

PCTI Connection: Founding Father who left amid controversy (Dan) only to gloriously return for PCTI VII

Systems: Dallas

The only native Texan in the Dallas pipeline

Social profile: Does not drink tracing back to LDS background, PCTI’s foremost conversationalist, best of class game recapper, leads from the front on any recovery/maintenance outings

14.   Michael Beasley

Nickname: Beas, Natch (hard a pronunciation), Biz

PCTI Connection: Joined for PCTI III

Systems: University of Tennessee, Nashville Hooper

Was in the Brentwood system but attended Brentwood Academy. Long-standing relationship with the Krows.

Social profile: Resident good-looking guy, more likely to fall hard and fast than fling, sneaky good at burns, best laugh in PCTI, funnier than Actor w/o trying to be, “popular guy” in the group

15.   Andy Cibotti

Nickname: Smooth

PCTI Connection: Joined in VII, roommates with Dan and Juice

Systems: Dallas

Social profile: sloth-like motor, likely to only be seen awake for games and late night social activities, nickname reflects his reputation with women, unapologetic, still a little green behind the ears in terms of PCTI but doesn’t seem to care

16.   Jeff Godon

Nicknames: Juice

PCTI Connection: Joined in VII, roommates with Dan and Smooth

Systems: Dallas

Social profile: nickname is literal as he makes his own fruit juices, youthful exuberance, reputation for being a loose cannon that has yet to manifest in PCTI, value pick for going out accomplice on account of youth, not being married and energy

PCTI's Best 25 Individual Games, 1-5

As a follow-up to the top 10 best PCTI series performances of the past 8 years, here is a top 25 list of best individual games ever. If you feel like I omitted one of your best individual games, please know that there were some VERY difficult cuts and I’ll just say RESPECT.

 

5) BC – PCTI 1 (Lexington), game 4: Here we are in the top 5. Honest to God, some of these games I am about to introduce are just stunning. And some of them are made all the better given the context surrounding these particular performances. For example, BC slapped up 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 9-14 FGAs and 8-10 FTAs. He also scored 1.86 PPS and posted an enormous Productivity metric of 48. Now place of all of that incredible production in the setting of the iconic “Cramp Game” from PCTI 1 and you begin to understand just how legendary this output was. Players were quite literally begging to come out of the game, while others were forced out with cramping and dehydration. Keep in mind this was our FOURTH game of the same day, which sounds completely and wholly unattractive at this point in my career. But there’s BC, just producing away like the Big Engine that Could. It’s surprising to me that he didn’t earn his BEAST moniker in this game. I don’t want to say much else except that this should always be regarded as one of the most legendary performances in PCTI’s history.   

 

4) Ben – PCTI 1 (Lexington), game 2: Continuing in the same thread as BC’s performance above, Ben announced very early in his PCTI career what is possible in terms of individual performances, posting 29 points, 7 rebounds, 11-16 FGAs, and a brilliant 7-10 3FGAs. His 91% EFG and 1.81 PPS are personal bests. You also have to factor in that the particular gym we played at in Lexington had no air conditioning, bent rims, and a blue area surrounding the court that was quite literally tackling players. This performance really shines as one of the all-time great offensive outputs, and helped Ben to an All-Tournament selection. It’s blowing my mind right now that there are 3 better performances coming up.  

 

3) Beas – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 4: This was Beas’, and just about anybody else for that matter, high watermark for both production and efficiency. 29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, while shooting 11-15 FGAs and 4-6 3FGAs. It’s hard to imagine a more efficient and productive game than this, given 87% EFG and 1.93 PPS. He also scored his personal best in the Productivity metric with 49. For context, there have only been 3 better outputs in Productivity in PCTI’s illustrious history. What a brutally dominant individual performance in a close-out victory for his team that also propelled them to the coveted “Sweep Team” category. Simply a sublime performance.   

 

2) JT – PCTI 3 (Dallas), game 4: I watched this game the other day. It was hard to take your eyes off of The Show as he made the second half of game 4 his personal playground. 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and ZERO turnovers as he dispatched the Kittens and got the better an off-season feud with Sabin. He went 10-15 FGAs with 9-14 3FGAs, producing an EFG of 97% and 2.00 PPS. He also earned his single-best Productivity output with 56, which is the second highest mark all-time by any player. He had 2 separate stretches in the second half of this game where he hit 3 consecutive 3-pointers in something close to 90 seconds. This is not only the only performance in PCTI history to break the 30-point scoring plateau, but it is perhaps the signature performance from arguably PCTI’s best team of all-time. This game propelled Joe to an MVP award and also the captaincy for PCTI IV. Absolutely remarkable.  

 

1) BC – PCTI 1 (Lexington), game 3: In what may rightfully be remembered as PCTI’s perfect game, BC posted 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and ZERO turnovers, while shooting 9-13 FGAs, 2-2 3FGAs, and 6-7 FTAs. It is hard to overstate how perfect this game was. Not just an EFG of 77% and 2.00 PPS, but this is the single greatest Productivity score in PCTI’s history with a score of 57. Given the current group of players and teams that are being created in PCTI, it is equally difficult to think that someone will out-produce this game as the best of all-time. This is also the only game in PCTI’s history in which a player eclipsed the 30-point barrier in the EFFICIENCY category, which is a much harsher metric to judge performance. Absolutely magnificent in every way, and hard to think that this game will ever be supplanted as number 1.  

 

Sabin

PCTI's Best 25 Individual Games, 6-10

As a follow-up to the top 10 best PCTI series performances of the past 8 years, here is a top 25 list of best individual games ever. If you feel like I omitted one of your best individual games, please know that there were some VERY difficult cuts and I’ll just say RESPECT.

 

10) Abe – PCTI 6 (Portland), game 5: Another huge double-double from Abe that seems routine from just a peripheral viewing: 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 10-18 FGAs and 4-10 3FGAs. He also shot 67% EFG and scored 1.33 PPS, while eclipsing the 40-point Productivity barrier with 43. This was also a close-out game, and to be able to bring your best when it is needed is not always something that is discussed in PCTI. I’m not sure what else to write except that this dude is really good at basketball.  

 

9) Sabin – PCTI 3 (Dallas), game 1: When the offseason chirping had quieted and it was time to play, I was able to begin the series with an unexpected and positive performance. 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist, while shooting 8-12 FGAs, 4-5 3FGAs, and 4-4 FTAs. This was my high watermark for EFG of 83% and I also breached the mythical 2.00 PPS. Given that Breaking Bad hated my guts, it was a strong way to start the most uncompetitive series in PCTI history.

 

8) Ben – PCTI 7 (Cincinnati), game 4: In a must-win game for his team, Ben came up big by delivering 26 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 9-16 FGAs and 6-11 3FGAs. The performances as we get closer to the top spot begin to breach the 45 and 50-point plateaus in Productivity, and this effort by Ben put him in the 45-point arena, which is the sixth best mark of all-time. He also produced a gaudy EFG of 75%. Just a huge game for him and again, maybe the easiest scorer of 26 points of any player in PCTI.   

 

7) Dan – PCTI 8 (San Diego), game 3: Although PCTI has yet to have a player breach the vaunted triple-double status, Dan put PCTI on notice that it is within his reach as he produced 12 points, 8 rebounds, 16 assists, and 3 steals in a momentum-building win for Team Weakness Leaves The Body. He shot 4-10 FGAs with a triple and 3-3 FTAs. It was his second-best Productivity mark with 39, and he asserted himself as the gasoline of a high-octane offensive engine. The record for assists in a single game (16) may quite literally never be broken.

 

6) Ben – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 2: Another incredible effort by Big Ben, with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, all while shooting 11-21 FGAs and 4-11 3FGAs. Although not his best individual shooting effort, the overall production across the boards is stunningly good. This was also the first time Ben eclipsed the unicorn-level 50-point plateau in Productivity, which has only been accomplished 3 times in the history of this event. It’s hard to imagine any of us having a better game than this one in our personal PCTI histories, but he actually has one more in the top 5. Pretty ridiculous.  

 

Sabin

PCTI's Best 25 Individual Games, 11-15

As a follow-up to the top 10 best PCTI series performances of the past 8 years, here is a top 25 list of best individual games ever. If you feel like I omitted one of your best individual games, please know that there were some VERY difficult cuts and I’ll just say RESPECT.

 

15) Ben – PCTI 6 (Portland), game 4: Big Ben had multiple memorable performances in both Denver and Portland, characterized by this juggernaut of a game with 24 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, 1 block, and 3 steals, while shooting 11-18 FGAs and a triple. I’ve always thought this about him, but I’m not sure anybody gets 20 points in PCTI more easily than does Ben.  

 

14) Sabin – PCTI 3 (Dallas), game 3: Although I captained perhaps the most miserable team in PCTI history, this game stands out as one of my personal bests. 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal, while shooting 8-13 FGAs, 2-3 3FGAs, and 3-4 FTAs. I also recorded a Productivity score of 42 with 1.62 PPS. One of several PCTI regrets that I have is not being able to lead the Kittens to a better performance, but it was also a great teacher.

 

13) Dan – PCTI 7 (Cincinnati), game 1: For years, Dan had been known as a pass-first, pass-second point guard who would shoot the ball as a last resort. That changed in Cincinnati as Dan shed his old game and became offensively aggressive. He asserted his new game with 23 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while shooting 8-14 FGAs and 7-10 3FGAs. He recorded a personal best 40 Productivity score, while shooting 82% EFG and collecting 1.64 PPS. More importantly, he set the tone for himself moving forward that he would bring a complete game to PCTI and begin to lead his team in both production and spirit. Dan has not been the same since this moment.  

 

12) Abe – PCTI 8 (San Diego), game 4: It’s hard to believe that PCTI’s all-time leading scorer had never breached the 25-point plateau before this game, but he pumped in 26 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists, while shooting 10-17 FGAs and 4-7 3FGAs. His 71% EFG and PPS of 1.53 are incredibly strong, and it says quite a bit about Abe that this was not his best game in his history. Truly an incredible display of basketball talent on day two of a difficult series.

 

11) JT – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 2: I had to do a double-take when I saw this game: 22 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block, all while shooting 7-11 FGAs and 7-9 3FGAs. To score 22 points on just 11 shots from the field is stupid good, and his 2.00 PPS is one of the all-time high watermarks in PCTI history. Think about how good you have to be to record a 96% EFG, while eclipsing the rarified 40-point Productivity score on just 11 shots. It’s one of the most amazing stat lines in our history and worthy of remembrance.  

 

Sabin

PCTI's Best 25 Individual games, 16-20

As a follow-up to the top 10 best PCTI series performances of the past 8 years, here is a top 25 list of best individual games ever. If you feel like I omitted one of your best individual games, please know that there were some VERY difficult cuts and I’ll just say RESPECT.

 

20) AHop – PCTI 2 (Lexington), game 2: With his team’s back against the wall staring down an 0-1 deficit and the loss of captain Brian Eskildsen, Hops put the team on his back and produced an incredible game of 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 8-15 FGAs and 6-9 3FGAs. His EFG of 73.3%, PPS of 1.53, and Productivity of 40 are all personal bests. A masterful game on the court and an incredible pre-game speech to rally the troops are Hopsian signatures of PCTI II. "Boys, this comes along once in a blue moon, so if I'm open, get it to me."

 

19) JT – PCTI 6 (Portland), game 1: Perhaps lost to the archives of PCTI’s low period is one of the most outstanding individual performances in PCTI history. JT went off for 24 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks, while shooting 9-16 FGAs and 6-12 3FGAs. He also produced an EFG of 75%, PPS of 1.50, and a Productivity score of 40. One of the all-time classic performances by The Show.

 

18) Abe – PCTI 6 (Portland), game 1: Unfortunately, Abe gets short-changed quite a bit as the victim of his own lofty expectations. However, he should be recognized for some of the truly terrific performances he has had in past PCTIs. Such was the case in Portland, where he scored 21 points, grabbed 11 boards, and had 2 steals, while shooting 8-13 FGAs and 5-9 3FGAs. He posted an EFG of 81%, with a PPS of 1.62 and a Productivity score of 40. Although many of us expect these types of performances from him, we should also acknowledge how great they are.

 

17) BC – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 3: The Beast has this tendency to produce enormous double-doubles in PCTI, and he did not disappoint in this game by tallying 21 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 10-20 FGAs with a triple. He slapped up a 40 Productivity rating and led his team to victory on day two, something of a habit for the PCTI wins leader. Does anybody realize how good this guy is at basketball?

 

16) Beas – PCTI 3 (Dallas), game 4: Something of a coming out party for Biz, he showed flashes of brilliance and dominance by scoring 21 points, grabbing 6 boards, dishing 7 assists, and contributing 2 steals, all while shooting an efficient 7-12 FGAs and 3-4 3FGAs. For good measure, he shot 4-5 from the free throw line as well. This was Beas’ second best game in his history and announced to the rest of the group that he was ready to be considered as one of the top guards in next year’s PCTI draft.

 

Sabin

PCTI's Best 25 Individual Games, 21-25

As a follow-up to the top 10 best PCTI series performances of the past 8 years, here is a top 25 list of best individual games ever. If you feel like I omitted one of your best individual games, please know that there were some VERY difficult cuts and I’ll just say RESPECT.

 

Honorable Mention #1: Bruise – PCTI 2 (Lexington), game 6: The Bruise posted 9 points, an otherworldly 17 rebounds, 4-9 FGAs, 5 offensive boards, and a menacing physical presence.

 

25) TP – PCTI 7 (Cincinnati), game 5: TP posted a huge double-double with 13 points, 15 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 6-9 FGAs, 1.44 PPS, and a Productivity score of 34. This is the game he became a PCTI monster.

 

24) BC – PCTI 8 (San Diego), game 3: One of PCTI’s most efficient performances ever with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-11 FGAs, 3-4 3FGAs, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 1.73 PPS, 86.4% EFG, and a Productivity score of 39. Just another day at the office for the BEAST!

 

23) Spot – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 1: Spot announced his presence with authority, tallying 23 points, 5 rebounds, and no turnovers, all while shooting 9-13 FGAs, 5-8 3FGAs, 88.5% EFG, 1.77 PPS, and a Productivity score of 39. Damn that boy can shoot!

 

22) Sabin – PCTI 2 (Lexington), game 4: Sabin posted a double-double with 18 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 7-10 FGAs, 3-3 FTAs, 75% EFG, 1.80 PPS, and a Productivity score of 39. In a related story, Pitto thought I played poorly.

 

21) Ben – PCTI 5 (Denver), game 3: Ben double-doubled in this game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while shooting 8-14 FGAs, 4-8 3FGAs, and 2-2 FTAs. He also posted 1.57 PPS, an EFG of 74%, and a Productivity score of 40. While most of us would consider this our best individual PCTI performance, this was only Ben’s 5^th best effort.

 

Sabin

Personality Power Rankings

It's no secret one of my favorite parts about PCTI is when everyone sees each other for the first time... Each year I slap up a post that no one cares about (like most of my others), ranking who I'm most looking forward to seeing... One day I'll go back and look at my past to get a weighted average, which my guess would have Abe at #1.

Going from least excited to most...

17 & 16: Juice and Smooth: As three members of an Epicurean community, we can't get away from each other... Despite multiple on-court verbal altercations each week, the three of us get along pretty well... That said, no reason to be excited to see them.

15: Smo Orr: Been trying to get out of the Smo Orr business for a while now, but that has driven him to extend his year to year contract with PCTI despite his continued disdain for the game of basketball.  He's also relatively local, which makes him even less appealing.  The love he gets from everyone else in this thing makes me sick.

14: Jeff Sabin: Although my basketball brother, Sabin is unbearable as a captain and automatically drops on the list due to that... The fact that he's in Dallas and I see him enough doesn't help.

13: brent carney: Working on getting out of this system as well... You want to feel good about yourself? Take 21 years of verbal poundings from him and Orr.

12: Busy Donley: Absence has made the heart grow fonder (slightly) but my rivalry with the word busy, on top of his busy schedule makes it only go so far. 

11: TP: Very few topics I enjoy more than talking about the body recovering, and as of now, he's best in class. 

10: Beastley: Spent a lot of time with him already this year, plus I'm out on "popular" guys.

9: The Actor: Ever since I moved part time to Santa Monica, I've increased my time with Act... Which is good because he's very particular about who he spends time with at PCTI, and I'm not one of them... The last eight times I've been out with him he's been spotted making out at the bar, and I'll be interested to see if he can handle the spotlight now that that statistic is public knowledge.

8: Spotlight: See Beastley (popular) comment, but makes up for it due to my lifelong love for his response when telling me he was moving to London but it didn't effect his PCTI future.... As much as I love to be a hater, few people genuinely care about how you're doing more than Spot, and I appreciate that.

7: The Beast: I've been on a behind the scenes campaign to get this guy onto a PCTI contract for over three years... It's pathetic how excited I am to go to battle alongside him.

6: Hops: Sharing a bottle of red at team dinner has become one of my favorite moments of the weekend... The mutual PCTI obsession helps.

5: Sticky: Should never be this low but since I've transitioned into focusing on hoops and not the logistics of the weekend, not having the itinerary on lock for Sticky has caused us to be at frequent odds... That said, is there anyone more fun to have a drink and break down film with?

4: Ben: PCTI 1-6 would be in the top 2... But sick boy in Cincy then dehydrated boy in San Diego has me salivating for the Ben that more or less kept PCTI together during it's depleted years.  I need him back.

3: Abe: I love this guy... I don't know how else to say it.  He does or says one thing every year that I gush over. 

2: Deuce: I don't like popular, but this guy defines it... He carries the hat of PCTI's most beloved, glue guy, camera man, and friend.  As Sabin said last year, he is the most important guy in this and if he goes, so does the weekend.

1: I totally screwed up the numbers forgetting about myself, and am too lazy to re-number. 

What will happen at PCTI IX

One of the fun parts about PCTI is that, despite having the same small group of guys year after year, there's never any shortage of surprises. With that said, here's what we know will happen in Minneapolis. Sorry Kyle, you're a ball of clay so I excluded you.

The BEAST will yell at an official after claiming this is the year when he behaves...

Donley will spin middle...

Bonus: The Beast also will spin middle...

Act will spend all off-season claiming he's going to face guard an opponent, only to lose interest three minutes in to game 1...

Hops will miss layups...

Bonus: Hops will knock down a few shots late in an already decided game to boost the ppg...

Abe will come out of a timeout with his team losing and score twice in the post...and then never go back down there again...

Dan The Boy will from the bench scream at his teammates for not playing with enough energy...

Bonus: Dan will yell "help side" but not actually move over to stop the ball...

Sabin will make multiple 10 foot bank shots...

Bonus: Sabin will look like his legs no longer bend after game four...

Juice will try to choke back his excitement after making a shot, so as not to smile on cam...

Bruise will hang his head dejectedly when he does everything correctly and a taller player reaches over him and grabs a rebound...

Beas will do something cool/sexy/funny in game one warmups...

Bonus: Beas will briefly go in to rage over-dribble mode...

Smo will not play much...

Ben Wilson will wear a random NBA team's shorts...

Spot will lovingly console a struggling teammate...

Deuce will need a second to change the battery...

Smooth will get called a scab by Actor under his breath every time he scores...

TP will make a shot that you were hoping he wouldn't actually shoot but you didn't say anything because he's working so hard and is a nice guy...

PCTI's TOP 10 Individual Performances, Part 3

As we approach PCTI 9 and the animosity between Dan and me begins to crescendo, I’ve started thinking about some of the best performances in PCTI history. While there have been many noteworthy accomplishments over the years by various players and teams, I thought I would limit the scope of this post to top 10 series performances all-time by an individual. Without further ado, here is a list of top 10 all-time individual performances with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:

 

4: Joe, PCTI 3 Dallas

Joe averaged a huge 16.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 2.3 APG as he led his team to one of the most dominant performances in PCTI history, dispatching the Kittens in 4 games. Ultimately, Breaking Bad will be remembered as one of the best and most talented teams of all 16 teams, boasting a lineup of JT, Abe, BC, Eskildsen, Spot, Donley, Hops, and Pitto. Once the team caught its groove in the second half of game 1, it sprinted away from its opponent and Joe was a large reason why. He shot 55% from the field with 14 triples on just 27 attempts. His game 1 helped his team erase an early 18-point deficit as he scored 19 points on 7-11 FGAs and 4 bombs. He followed that with a game 4 performance in which he set the PCTI scoring record with 30 points on an absolutely sizzling 9-14 3FGAs. In the close-out game, he also recorded the second-highest Productivity score of all 8 PCTIs with 56.  As JT might say, “Your best? Losers always whine about doing their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.” This was Joe’s moment where he fucked the prom queen.

 

3: BC, PCTI 1 Lexington

2: Abe, PCTI 1 Lexington

BC averaged 15.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG on a team that fought 6 games before bowing out in the very first PCTI. He shot an historically blazing 50% from the field on 32-64 FGAs. He also recorded 21-27 from the free throw line for 78%, which is absolutely stunning given the fatigue factor and how players were quite literally dropping out of games due to injury on day one. Without any hyperbole, BC may have recorded the finest individual session of PCTI basketball in the history of our event with 52 points and 24 rebounds in games 3 and 4. By the way, this was his SECOND SESSION of two games on the SAME DAY! In this event, games 1 and 2 were played in the morning, while games 3 and 4 were played in the afternoon. Just thinking about that makes this feat all the more remarkable. He also shot 18-27 FGAs during this session for an amazing 67% from the field. Add to that number that he recorded two of the gaudiest double-doubles in PCTI history with a game 3 of 26-14 and a game 4 of 26-10 and you begin to get an idea of how legendary his performance was. If this list was about best individual sessions, I’d have a hard time thinking that any session ever would supplant this one. This performance should ALWAYS be remembered as one of the best ever. In this moment, BC expressed with no words what it means to be a leader and a warrior. An absolutely remarkable and brilliant all-time performance.

I want to add Abe’s performance to BC’s as part of the same PCTI. Abe averaged 16.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG as he was BC’s counterpart and led his team to victory in 6 games. He shot 43% from the field and another 41% from deep, with 78% from the free throw line. It is hard to overstate how incredible these shooting percentages are given how exhausted all participants were from 4 games in the first 8 hours and 6 total games in 26 hours. Abe scored double figures in EVERY game, and never had a game in which he didn’t score at least 12 points or grab at least 5 boards. This all occurred while he played through the game 4 CRAMP GAME, in which overall fatigue and dehydration began to claim victims, including Abe and at least 4 others. Impressively, he also never failed to record a Productivity Rating of less than 20 in any single game, which has only been accomplished twice ever. This was Abe’s introduction to PCTI, but also PCTI’s introduction to how big of a motor this guy actually has. It was said about Secretariat in the 1970s that the horse was an unbeatable champion given that it just had a bigger engine than other competitors. In this moment, Abe became the Secretariat of PCTI.

 

1: Ben, PCTI 5 Denver

Ben averaged 22.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG, and essentially set the standard by which all other great PCTI performances are judged. It’s not just that he averaged 20+PPG and it’s not just that he damn near averaged a double-double, it’s that he shot 50% from the field on 31-62 FGAs, shot 44.4% from deep on 16-36 3FGAs, made 11-17 FTAs for 65%, and led his team to a sweep victory. He was perhaps the biggest factor why the series was uncompetitive for the other team, which included Abe and a highly-conditioned JT. In 3 of the 4 games, he scored at least 22 points, and never had a single game in which he didn’t score at least 15 points. He also double-doubled in 3 of the 4 games, with individual outputs of 15-13, 28-12, 22-10 and 24-4. Also in 3 of the 4 games, he made at least 4 triples including game 4 where he made 6. In this tournament, he also breached the 50-point Productivity Rating in game 2 where he scored 28 points, grabbed 12 boards, dished 3 assists, had 3 steals, and shot 11-21 from the field. He also had a separate game 3 in which he passed the 40-point mark in the same Productivity category. His EFG% for the weekend was 63% and he scored 1.44 PPS, marks that are rarely seen in PCTI’s history. There’s not much in the way of description of this performance except to say that this is the standard. In my mind, this performance stands alone.

 

Sabin

PCTI's TOP 10 Individual Performances, Part 2

As we approach PCTI 9 and the animosity between Dan and me begins to crescendo, I’ve started thinking about some of the best performances in PCTI history. While there have been many noteworthy accomplishments over the years by various players and teams, I thought I would limit the scope of this post to top 10 series performances all-time by an individual. Without further ado, here is a list of top 10 all-time individual performances with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:

 

8: Abe, PCTI 6 Portland

Abe averaged a stunning 18.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 2.2 APG as his team won in 5 games. Statistically, this is one of the most dominant performances in PCTI history and solidified Abe’s standing as PCTI’s top player and producer. Adding to his legend, he shot 45% from the field with 15 triples in just 5 games. Abe scored in double figures in each game, and only had ONE game in which he didn’t rebound in double figures. He also broke the 20-point plateau twice, while never having a single game in which he didn’t make at LEAST two 3-pointers. He also broke the mythical 40-point mark in the SABIN Productivity Metric not once, but twice. For context, the 40-point metric has been breached just 20 times by PCTI players in 8 years. He did it twice in one series. Just a remarkable individual performance.

 

7: Spot, PCTI 5 Denver

Spot averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.3 APG on a team that swept 4-0 in Denver. He shot a blazing 51% from the field and made 12 triples on 50% from deep as he laid claim to the title of PCTI’s best long-range bomber. He recorded one of the best day one sessions in history with 42 points, 11 boards, and no turnovers, all while shooting an impossible 15-22 FGAs and 10-16 3FGAs, 68% and 63% respectively. His EFG% one day one alone was 91%. For context, that is like Babe Ruth hitting 61 homers back in the 1920s while the next best guy had 20. In addition, given his efficiency, he recorded one of the best historical EFG%s in PCTI at 66.7% and a blistering 1.41 points per shot. In a sense, this was Spot’s announcement to PCTI that he was not just a popular world traveler, but an incredibly valuable player and teammate. Spotlight may have cracked the top 5 on this list had he not accepted an invitation to join the infamous QuadPod.

 

6: DK, PCTI 8 San Diego

DK averaged 9.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and obliterated every PCTI assist record with 9.0 APG as his team swept in San Diego. Essentially, he erased anyone’s name who had been attached to the assist category and etched his name in permanent ink. While his scoring number may not overwhelm, to have 3 games out of 4 with at least 8 assists is a remarkable achievement. In addition, his day two performance included 26 assists, including 16 in game 3 as his team scored 57 points in the second half alone. Like Cy Young’s 511 wins in baseball, this assist record may in reality never be broken. He put PCTI on notice that he is triple-double threat when playing with a high-octane offense. Even more, Dan solidified his reputation as the gasoline that ignites a fire. When you add in the fact that Dan accepted the challenge of guarding Abe on the other side of the ball for much of the weekend, this performance goes down as one of the all-time great performances in history. This was Dan at his very finest.

 

5: Sabin, PCTI 3 Dallas

Sabin averaged 19.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG as he captained one of the most underperforming teams in PCTI history, the Kittens. En route to getting swept in 4 games, Sabin shot 59% from the field and 79% from deep, while canning 9-10 from the free throw line. Sabin scored in double figures each game, with at least 19 points in 3 of those games. He also cracked the 40-point mark in Productivity twice in 4 games. His EFG% of 70% for the weekend and 1.6 PPS may be marks that aren’t seen for a while. Ultimately, this performance was meaningless as his team was not competitive on day 2, and Sabin’s reputation took a hit as a horrible drafter and underwhelming captain. It would take years to repair the damage caused by the Kittens year, but the shooting percentages are startling to look at. Although the Kittens will make another post as one of the worst 5 teams in PCTI history, this was his personal best from a shooting standpoint.

Sabin

PCTI's TOP 10 Individual Performances, Part 1

As we approach PCTI 9 and the animosity between Dan and me begins to crescendo, I’ve started thinking about some of the best performances in PCTI history. While there have been many noteworthy accomplishments over the years by various players and teams, I thought I would limit the scope of this post to top 10 series performances all-time by an individual. Without further ado, here is a list of top 10 all-time individual performances with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:

 

Honorable Mention 4: BC, PCTI 5 Denver

BC averaged 13.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and nearly 2 assists as his team swept in Denver 4-0. He also shot 47.2% from the field and 40% from 3. BC had two double-doubles in this series, including a 13-10 effort in game 1 and a monster 21-16 showing in game 3.

 

Honorable Mention 3: Joe, PCTI 5 Denver

Joe averaged 20.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and nearly 3 assists on a team that was swept 0-4 in Denver. He never had a game where he scored less than 17 points, and made an astonishing 22 triples in just 4 games. Joe would’ve graded higher on this list were it not for his 39% FG and his team getting swept, but this was a remarkable performance and perhaps Joe’s best PCTI performance from a conditioning standpoint.

 

Honorable Mention 2: Beas, PCTI 5 Denver

Beas averaged 14.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and nearly 4 assists on a team that swept 4-0 in Denver. Beas also shot an efficient 43% from the field with 7 triples. This series also includes one of the greatest single game performances in PCTI history, with a game 4 effort of 29 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, 11-15 FGAs, 4-6 3FGAs, and 3-5 FTAs. He also slapped up a Sabin Productivity Rating of 49, one of the best marks of all time.

 

Honorable Mention 1: Ben, PCTI 6 Portland

Ben averaged 14.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 2 APG on a team that won in 5 games. Ben was at his efficient best in this series at 47.5% FGs with 6 triples and 77% FTAs. For good measure, he threw in 6 steals and combined with Abe to form an indomitable 1-2 punch that overwhelmed the opponent. It says quite a bit that this was only Ben’s THIRD best performance on this list.

 

T-10: DK, PCTI 7 Cincinnati

DK averaged 10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.5 APG on a team that won in 6 games. In something of a coming out party, Dan shot 43% from the field and with a remarkable 50% from 3 on 32 attempts. Dan may have posted one of the best day ones in PCTI history with 41 points, 6 boards, 8 assists, 11 triples, 56% from the field, and a stunning 69% from deep. This may have been the moment that Dan announced his presence with authority as a scorer/shooter to the rest of PCTI.

 

T-10: Ben, PCTI 1 Lexington

Ben makes his second appearance on this list by averaging 14.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.3 APG in PCTI’s inaugural event. Ben also shot 44.6% from the field with 16 triples as his team succumbed in 6 games. What cannot be overstated in this performance is how grueling this particular event was. Ben played 4 games on DAY ONE alone, and 6 total games in about 28 HOURS. This is just mind-blowingly good production over 6 games, including one of PCTI’s best ever individual games with his game 2 performance masterpiece of 29 points, 7 boards, and 11-16 FGAs with 7 triples.

 

9: Sabin, PCTI 8 San Diego

Sabin averaged 15.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and nearly 3 assists as his team swept in THE DIEGO. He shot 51% from the field with 6-14 from deep. Sabin scored in double figures in each game and recorded a day 2 session of 38 points on 17-26 FGAs for 65%. This was Sabin’s first PCTI championship after years of disappointments and failures, and he rode this populist wave to an MVP. Although Sabin has stated on many occasions that he was not even the best player on his own team, this team was uniquely constructed to bring out his best individual abilities and it did. In a way, the team’s game 3 performance in which it came from down 7 to being up by 28 in the 2^nd half was the seminal moment of his weekend and the realization of his PCTI chemistry experiments from years past.  

Sabin

Last Picks, Historically

I thought I'd take a minute to explore the numbers of all the last picks in PCTI history, for no particular reason.  Aside from the team-dependent W/L numbers, I thought I could get an idea of the value that each of the last picks provided to their team throughout the years using EFFpg.

I admittedly do not remember if Wes was last pick in PCTI 1, so that's an assumption.  I also forgot about Pitto being the last pick two years in a row, but that kind of drives home the point: draft with your head and not your heart.  A caution, if you will.

See you in Minny.

1: Wes  7.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0 spg, 3.3 EFFpg, 4-2 W/L
2: Pitto 13.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.8 spg, 9.3 EFFpg, 3-4 W/L
3: Pitto  8.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg, 7.3 EFFpg, 4-0 W/L
4: Wes  1.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0 spg, -1.1 EFFpg, 3-4 W/L
5: Wes  3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.8 EFFpg, 0-4 W/L
6: Wes  1.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.6 spg, 2.2 EFFpg, 1-4 W/L
7: Wes  (3 games, 3 DNP's not averaged)  3.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.3 spg, 4.7 EFFpg, 2-1 W/L
8: Wes  (0 games, quit, not averaged)

Last picks, lifetime:
Pitto, 11 games: 127 pts, 44 reb, 27 ast, 11 stl, 94 EFF, 7-4 W/L
Wes, 25 games:  82 pts, 63 reb, 25 ast, 6 stl, 44 EFF, 10-15 W/L
Combo, 36 games:  5.8 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.5 spg, 3.8 EFFpg, 17-21 W/L

Ben, lifetime:  13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.95 apg, 0.8 spg, 6.98 EFFpg, 20-23 W/L

PCTI8 Pre-Season Awards Review

As we anticipate PCTI9, let's take a look at how predictions vs. reality shook out from PCTI8.

Awards were as follows:

• MVP: Sabin.
• ATT: brent & The Boy.
• High Rebounder: Sticky (9.8 rpg).
• High Scorer: Sabin (15.8 ppg).

Each accurate selection received one point.

Mad props to Act and and TP for their selections.