PCTI Players Poll: #13 BMac

The Brat's Preamble: PCTI can bring out the selfishness in anyone. Maybe it's when you get pissed off reading the blog and decide you (YOU!) are going to show out this year - and thereby you've put yourself ahead of the team. Maybe it's in a game when you feel like you (YOU!) aren't touching the ball enough or on the court enough or having your jokes laughed at enough or going high enough in the roommate draft so you do something to change it, usually something that retrospectively you'd chalk up as a stupid decision. (It goes without saying it's easy for me to draw from personal experience here.)

I don't think there's a selfish bone in B-Mac's body. I've known the guy for around half of my life and like probably 99.9 percent of people who know Bryan, I can't say a bad thing about him. In all honesty, I'm not sure I can say the same about anyone else in this thing (except for maybe Beas and Spot.)

But the thing is, sometimes a degree of selfishness is a good thing. Especially in sports and especially in our sporting weekend where the teams are thrown together anew and it often takes guys asserting their will to get things to function. At the very least, it gets you noticed.

By no fault of his own, BMac just sort of blends in especially early in the weekend when teams are figuring out their pecking order. I think we'd all agree that his lack of selfishness is often a good thing. But for the purposes of this experiment, it probably lands him lower on the list than (at least by looking at past performances) he deserves.

Voting Breakdown: highest vote: 9, lowest vote: 14

PCTI Lifetime Record: 2-2, seems appropriate.

Lifetime Stats: 7.2 ppg (T-10 with Skillz), 3.8 rpg (12th, for BMac loyalists like myself, this stat is most surprising/disappointing), 7 blocks (7th), 18 steals (4th, good showing), 39 percent shooting (9th but for perspective, one made shot away from being tied with Abe), 27.9 from three (8th, three makes away from jumping Beas and being tied with Abe for sixth.) and the all important Sabin Productivity Rating: 108 (11th)

Lifetime Bests: 17 points (PCTI IIII, game 5), 9 rebounds (PCTI II, the deciding game 7), 4 assists (PCTI II, game 5)

Other Notes: Interesting that B-Mac's best scoring game happened in a loss at PCTI IIII. History remembers his performance in the late stages of last year's weekend very differently. It felt like he made one back breaking shot after another in the final games but that's not really what happened, although his play in those last few games was certainly solid.

Perhaps this speaks to a little bit of what is working against BMac's image and standing within PCTI. All of us are hyper tuned in early in the weekend. The biggest impressions are made in the first couple of games. After that, everyone gets tired and more focused on themselves and is less likely to observe what is happening around them. For BMAC, his stats play out nearly the same in all four of his PCTIs. He's very quiet early. With the lone exception (oddly) of a pretty solid game in the very first PCTI game, he's never done anything significant early in a PCTI. All his good games from a statistical perspective have been late in the tournament. This certainly also can be traced back to BMacs infamous stamina (pause) that although has shown signs of deterioration in recent years, is still at an elite level relative to the rest of the competitors.

For instance, to go with his solid play late in last year's tournament, he went for 12 and 9 in game seven of PCTI II and had a nice 15 point game in a critical game five win in PCTI I. Obviously anyone would rather have a teammate deliver late in the weekend than early but it's not good for one's image when the same people who are forming opinions are also the ones trying to survive the physical grind.

One other interesting note. BMac had nine (!!) rebounds in all of PCTI IIII. That would be last place. As I'm sure he'd admit, that's unacceptable for a guy like him who has shown that he has the timing and motor to be an impactful rebounder.

Lastly, true to form, BMAC barely registered in the superlative voting. He got a vote for most overrated player....and a vote for most underrated player. He got a vote for most disappointing player...and a vote for most overachieving player. He also snagged a vote for best looking!

PCTI Players' Poll: #14 A-Hop

The Brat's Preamble: The first thing that sticks out about Hops coming in at no. 14 is this: someone thinks Hops is the second worst player in PCTI, while someone else thinks he is the third best player in PCTI. Believe it or not, he's not the only guy who received a third and a fifteenth vote. With the other guy, the likely reaction is, “wow, who hates that guy?” With Hops, the likely reaction is, “wow, who is in absolute love with Hops?”

Perhaps this was a backroom deal that Hops cut with someone, promising to vote that person high if they did the same for him. Looking at the ballots, if that's the case, that person was either irrationally insecure in where he stood in the minds of his playing partners...or he got screwed. Maybe that was Hops' plan all along, to prove he can move the puppet strings and should not be taken lightly as one of the power players within the Bored of Directors.

Or maybe Hops loves himself a little bit more than we thought. I think for the great majority of us – if not all of us – we generally think more favorably about our games than how the other fifteen view us. It's easy to internalize and justify most of our personal PCTI shortcomings. Plus, we see ourselves play all year, these guys see us play only three times a year. Right? Right? Right? Maybe Hops thinks he's the third best player and if so, I'm okay with that.

Or maybe there's someone who genuinely values Hops' game that much. Hops is a great teammate, a bigger bodied back court player who can cause problems with his defense and – as the stats point out below – a guy who has a very hard to explain (and easy to forget) track record of delivering in a big way for his team once – and historically, only once – every PCTI.

One other thing that applies to others but that the Hops' vote further exemplifies: what you did in the first two PCTI's means nothing. In fact, if you weren't at one or both of them, you're probably in the best shape of all.

Voting Breakdown: highest vote: 3, lowest vote: 15

PCTI Lifetime Record: 3-1, an impressive number for a charter member. This stat will only continue to gain in prestige as the years go by. The lone loss was in PCTI II.

Lifetime Stats: 5.4 ppg (13^th), 4.6 rpg (T-9 with Smo), 19 steals (3^rd that puts him just ahead of one quarter of the league, who all have 17 steals), 4 blocks (T-9 with another feared rim protector, DTOMFS. Fun to think of each of them getting one and only one every PCTI...don't let it be you!), 30.6 percent (15^th, I crunched the numbers: Hops can miss his first three shots before his first make without dropping below the Murray Line – aka 30 percent. So, uh, no pressure, man.), 21.6 from three (14^th out of 15 with Smo throwing everything off by not recording a stat) and the all important Sabin Efficiency Rating: 114 (10^th, pretty decent score)

Lifetime Bests: 23 points (PCTI II, game 2), 14 rebounds (PCTI I, game 6), 4 assists (a few times)

Other Notes: To go with the 23 point gem in PCTI II Hops also had an 18 point effort in PCTI I and an efficient 13 point effort in PCTI 4. The only PCTI where he failed to deliver a game with a significant scoring output was the four game KD.

In those three big games, Hops was a combined 12-of-17 from three. That's 71 percent! With Pitto and perhaps Sabin being the only exceptions, I'm not sure there's anyone else who can take three games and come up with that high a number.

But the odd part is that these games never build on anything. They happened after statistically quiet games and usually were followed by statistically quiet games. My favorite breakdown of these three rogue games: While he shot 71 percent in those games from three, he shot seven percent (SEVEN!) from three in all other PCTI games. All but four of his makes lifetime happened in those three games! I'm not even sure that streak shooter is the right term for that.

Now on to the rest of the poll. A-Hop tied for second in voting for the guy who most excels in off the court activities, picking up 17 percent of the vote. He also is part of a four way tie for second in favorite teammate, picking up 12 percent of the vote. He received a vote for most overrated player, most disappointing player and the guy who has played most above his ability.

I know Hops probably would have liked to make a run at the title of off court activities king. But this year, it's his arch rival Smo that owns that title.  

The Players' Poll: #15 Smo

The Brat's preamble: As you would imagine, every spot from here forward had plenty of variance, with the exception of no. 1. Smo's 15 spot no doubt hurts, but he did capture perhaps the most valuable of all the superlatives voted on by his peers. 

Voting Breakdown: highest vote: 11, lowest vote: 16

Lifetime PCTI record: 2-1, wins in the even numbered PCTIs with the one loss being the KD (kittens disaster)

Lifetime PCTI stats: 3.7 ppg (T-14 with his brother in arms at FreshPoint), 4.6 rpg (T-9, right square in the middle of the logjam in the battle for the title of PCTI's most average rebounder), 8 steals (14^th), 12 blocks (3^rd and behind two guys who have played all four PCTIs), 44 percent shooting (T-3, tied with Bruiser, kind of interesting since the two are often compared), SMO HAS NEVER ATTEMPTED A 3, NOT ONE! (for some perspective, the second lowest attempted threes is 21), and the all important Sabin Productivity Rating: 106 (12^th)

Lifetime bests: 14 points (KD: PCTI 3, game 2), 11 rebounds (PCTI 2, game 4), 3 assists (several times)

Other notes: The fact that Smo hasn't even considered jacking up a three at any point in PCTI, especially in the dumpster fire that was year three, game four may be the greatest display of self discipline this side of A.C. Green's virginity. I hope if the time is right this year Smo lets one fly on a pick and pop, although I'm not holding my breath.

Smo was largely looked over when it came to the basketball related superlatives. He did get a vote for the guy who has played most above his skill level, which comes as a surprise to me. He also got one vote for being a favorite teammate. He probably deserved more here considering he passes constantly and is willing to sit on the bench for long periods of time. In my mind, that puts him well on his way to being the perfect PCTI teammate.

The biggest accolade here is that he captured perhaps the second greatest honor in this entire project (with being voted number one player obviously being the top.) He was chosen as the guy who most excels at the off-court activities. Smo got 23 percent of the vote and he probably deserved more considering there's not one part of the stuff outside of the hoops – big or small - that he doesn't dominate. Considering how much PCTI has evolved to be a social event, I think this is quite an honor and I'm not just saying this because he came in next-to-last in the rankings, though it does make it a less bitter pill to swallow. 

The Players' Poll: #16 Wes-fil-A

The Brat's preamble: Before we begin, let me say that Wes "the caboose" Murray deserves some credit, and I mean this totally sincerely. All of us would be terrified of coming in last and with how equal the majority of us play, it could easily be a lot of us.

 But over the past few years Wes has been cast as the unquestioned Mr. Irrelevant of all PCTI drafts. The fact that he's handled it with humor and grace is something we all probably should be a lot more thankful for than we are. So here's to you, Wes. And remember, while you are unquestionably the worst right now,you're but a few good games away from making this post a year from now really awkward for someone else.

So without further ado, lets see how it breaks down...

Voting breakdown: highest vote: 15, lowest vote 16

Lifetime PCTI record: 1-3, a win in the original.

Lifetime PCTI stats: 3.6 ppg (last by .1), 1.8 rpg (last by a lot more than .1), 2 steals (that's just kind of funny), 2 blocks (tied for 13th!), 28 percent shooting (last and the only person below PCTI's Mendoza line of 30 percent), 25 percent from three (11th) and the all important Sabin Productivity Rating: 25 (last, first is a 235)

Lifetime bests: 19 points! (PCTI I, game 4), 9 rebounds (PCTI I, game 5), 4 assists (PCTI I, game 3)

Other Notes: How about that? Wes had a 19 point game once upon a time. Not only that but the guy who is ridiculed for his lack of physical condition managed to put up that number in the most infamous contest in PCTI history, "the cramp game."

Wes finished second in the voting for the most disappointing player, snagging 11 percent of the vote. He also got one vote for being the most underrated player. I can see this argument, when you consider the point I made above, that he is universally hailed as the worst player in PCTI. Is he really that much worse than others? I'd say probably not, especially if you consider that he was arguably a middle of the pack player for the Kentucky PCTIs.

Training Hard or Hardly Training?

Over the first 4 PCTI’s, there has always been the balancing act of partying versus hooping. Granted we have never had a participant not play because they partied too hard (even though we did have one leave because of a long drive?). We have had plenty of people play hungover and some possibly still intoxicated.  Now, I happen to be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to going out, having a good time and playing with a hangover. To be honest, I like going out with the QuadPod and various members of PCTI as much as I do playing basketball with them.

I also am very competitive and hate losing, especially in basketball. So my question was how do I party and still help my team on the floor? Then I remember a podcast (remember those? AH the memories!) where BC talked about why the FT and overall shooting percentage was low when many of the players are considered “good shooters.” He then went on to talk about how in high school being tired did not affect us as much because we were always practicing tired. Then it hit me! I have to practice like I play.

Sometime last winter I got included in a game at Brentwood high school (sucks) with a group that on average was a little older. It reminds me a lot of Sabin’s game except not ran as well. They play on Saturday morning as well as occasionally on Sunday morning. Because this was the first regular game I had been involved in that I did not have to put together, I thought this is my time to really practice for PCTI. So every Friday I would get nice and toasty w a bottle of bourbon (4 Roses single barrel or Woodford is my taste of choice). Sometimes I would go out, while others I would stay home and watch Shark Tank. Regardless of what I did, I still made sure I was intoxicated (I know you are all thinking how lucky Carrie is at this point).

The real training really started when I got my jobless friend, Benji Wilsan, involved. He craves a competitive basketball game just as I do, but he also enjoys going out on the town. With Osama Bin in town, I knew I could rage with a friend and then get up and hoop hungover. This was just like PCTI minus the stat keepers, refs, and Deuce filming. Ben also loved that we were training hard for both the basketball and social aspects of PCTI.

My play is definitely affected by me going out. Even though I am very competitive and want to win, I also view PCTI as a chance to hang out with guys I enjoy and don’t see much and is also a vacation. My feeling is that the 70-85% of my playing potential I am hitting because I am hungover is not going affect the series to the point of a win or loss. Maybe someone who has more of a scoring burden would cause a bigger affect or maybe I’m just making an excuse to claim I’m still competitive and care about winning. In the end, I have had some of the best times at PCTI and whether I helped win or not, I have a respectable overall record of 3-1. Until one of those changes, I will continue to train the same way I intend to play at PCTI, happily hungover.

PCTI IIII Annoymous poll

Use the address below to get to a ten question survey.

I will reveal the results once everyone has participated in the poll. Everything is totally anonymous, including the results coming in on my end. Please vote only once.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/38Z8DMK

Dogs

As PCTI5 gets closer, it's time we start kicking up the blog for basketball related posts.  Instead of rehashing the recycled storylines, predictions, etc... I wanted to dive into another comparison post, this time linking players to their alter dog ego.

The Brat, Dalmation: Tall, skinny and nice looking on the exterior.  Mean, nasty and miserable on the interior.

Stickman, German Shepherd: Powerful and loyal, beloved by men and women... Typically an incredibly nice breed of dog, but if you cross one of his people... Watch out. 

Abe, Siberian Husky: Athletic, active breed that loves the outdoor lifestyle.  Nature dog but still keeps a pretty boy look, similar to Abe.

  

Fil-A, Japanese Chin: Small, smart, mild-mannered but lazy, the Chin enjoys a day on the couch... And nothing more.  Exercise is the devil to both these two.

Pitto, Yorkie: Bold to all and loyal to few, both Yorkies and Pitto love to cause trouble.  They also hate meeting new people.

Skillz, Border Collie: A notorious workaholic, the Collie is known for it's instincts, preparation, and workhorse mentality.

Wil$on, Pappilion: Cute, cuddly, happy, book smart... But lacks physicality. 

B. Mac, Jack Russell Terrier: Boundless energy that never seems to wear down at any point.  Interestingly enough, JRT's have eye disorders, which BMC can relate to from his many shots to the eye over the course of his hoops career.

Spotlight, Chihuaha: Ugly but known as good looking, always jawing, and incredibly annoying.

Smo, Poodle: A poodle is the only living creature that requires more aesthetic upkeep than my guy Smo.  

Sabin, Greyhound: No one flip a switch from fast, athletic and productive to tired and incoherent faster than these two.