Will He?

As I sit here in my parents sauna (where you aren’t allowed to drip sweat, true story) and Christian Ponder PCTI, I started thinking about important questions…

Beast: Ever earn his nickname? We have beaten this to death, but the reality is he hasn’t averaged over 5 rpg since rebranding as the Beast, and there’s never been a more important year for him to do so. 

Smooth: Find his demon to motivate him? The screws are always loose in this brain, but the implementation of how it motivates is another story. Will Smooth find the right comment to set him off and motivate him? Many factors are required… Has to be authentic. Has to be timed perfectly. Has to be before he gets tired. Goodness gracious.

Dan: Play hard? PCTI’s beached whale loves to screen but not role, won’t move without the ball, and doesn’t play help defense… But what a teammate!!!

Beas: Touch a ball? Having a good body is great, and he definitely has one, but will he break his PCTI conditioning routine and incorporate a couple shooting sessions?

Spotlight: Return to form? One of PCTI’s most closet competitive guys, will he return to form as a premier shooter and ball movement guy after a long layoff?

Donley: Build on momentum? Not sure anyone’s ticker is trending more upwards right now… We know he’s going to bring it full throttle. No one finds open shots better, if the shots keep falling at the rate they currently are, The Don is going to the top of the guard cluster. 

Smo: Care? No one has stacked a better (and longer) off-season then old Smo. Can he complete his resurrection after almost three years off? His issue has always been apathy, and that appears to be gone. Would be a huge boost if he could pair up with the Beast and formulate a Psychological Bash Brothers duo. 

TP: Take the leap? Teetering at the top of the pecking order, will he complete the power struggle and bump Kyle off his tower? We know Kyle won’t hand it over easy, but maybe the mental midgets Kyle’s playing with this year will do the dirty work for TP.

Hops: Get unhot? An unprecedented run the last few years in all ways PCTI. Whether it be on the court, off the court, or aesthetically, all things are clicking to the point that he’s co-captaining the first team ever centered around beauty… Can it continue at such a rapid rate?

Abe: Ever regress? How many straight years has Abe been in the top three in points, rebounds and assists? How many straight ATT selections has he stacked? Has he ever been in single digits points? Going on his 14th year, he’s as solid and productive as ever. 

Juice: Get bullied? After receiving protection from the Alpha Academy in 13, will he be able to tackle a duo that’s haunted him for a long time? With Hops’s brawn and Beas’s speed, they can overpower Juice and he knows it… One thing we know about Juice, he’s not going to tweak his approach, so it will be interesting to see how this shakes up. 

Bottles: Buy a bottle? A lot of buzz about Bottles being in line for the BMAC Award this year, and I’m a big supporter of that movement. That being said, he’s going on year 3, and still no bottles. To his defense, Seattle doesn’t have people and Tahoe doesn’t have bottles since it shuts down at 10, but this year there are no excuses. 

Deuce: Show any signs of physical, mental, emotional regression? Seriously, when is this guy going to slip even just a little? 

Sabin: See synergies between his bench press increases SPERM increases? A very unconventional off-season for Sabin where he uses a narrative to drive him into his next PCTI, then support it with random strategy. Last year he lost his legs, so he combated that with a heavy dose of upper body strength improvements. Will that strategy yield increases in SPERM?

Virgil: Lift his team? This team invested a high pick in a bucket getter, and if he gets them like he did last year, let alone more as he gets comfortable, it could be lights out for a very slow, methodical team Ugly. 

Kyle: Handle the glass? Very sensitive to rebounding feedback, Kyle will not only be asked to handle the scoring duties, but also the rebounding ones as he’s surrounded with the worst rebounding guards and bigs as teammates. Juice is his next best option on the glass based on numbers. Good luck buddy. 

Ben: Stay Healthy? It seems the former Sick Boy has gotten in a good place, and it showed last year. But there’s a substantial amount of data that shows that Ben’s productivity fluctuates depending on how he’s feeling. He’s had years at the top of the pecking order, and he’s had some down piggy backing off side effects from a Z-Pack, cramps, and I’m sure others. Let’s hope it’s a healthy year, followed by an MVP award.

PCTI XIII All Tournament

 PCTI XII All Tournament Winners

Another PCTI in the books and I am in awe of how we continue to improve the experience. As we do every year, we vote on the All Tournament team but I want to give a few shout outs before we jump to the awards. 

First to Beas! What an incredible location! I enjoyed the experiences and time away from the court so much!! The resort was perfect and felt we got closer as a group than we have in any previous year. To host takes more than most know, especially when the refs get canceled in the days before everyone arrives. 

Second, to Virgil and Mike. We all felt like we were punched in the gut when Spotlight had to stay back and tend to his fam but Mike came in and played great! He also meshed well off the court and gave a boost to the weekend. And Virgil came in and played well and was an easy addition to the cool guys. Your first year is tough because you are learning who everyone is, how everyone plays, where you fit in, how things operate off the court, etc. I'm pumped to see what Virgil does in year 2! On to the awards...

Got votes but not enough

Ben (2 AT votes) - What a return for Ben after a 2 year hiatus. Offensively, he is a guy that can handle, score, and dish but defensively he is known as a liability. This year, not only did he play well offensively but I thought he did very well on D.

Beas (3 AT votes) - Beas was solid all weekend but exploded game 3 to help lead his team to the only win for the weekend with 25 points, 5 assists, and 4 boards.

Donley (2 DMVP, 1 AT votes) - Game 5 Donley! He did not miss in game 5 and helped secure the win for the Alphas. While defensive stats are harder to get, Donley was a menace on D. Surprised there wasn't more votes for him.

Virgil (1 DMVP, 4 AT votes) - And just like that we have a new talent making a case for AT. Watching the tapes, some of the plays he made jump out. 12 steals lead the tournament and 9.4 PPG was 4th. I wouldn't be surprised if he is in the MVP conversation in the next few years.

ALL TOURNAMENT

DK (8 AT votes) - After a few years of not being AT, Dan returns. His efficiency on offense and his defensive presence bring him back to all tournament status. I thought this year was hard to figure out the last 2 players for all tournament, but with the Alphas winning 4 games to 1 and DK shooting in the 60% range for both 2's and 3's, he deserves the nod.

AHOP (4 DMVP, 5 AT votes) - I did not think I deserved to be all tournament when I shot a mind numbing 20% from the line and one of the more embarrassing missed layups in a long history of them. After not getting any AT the first 11 PCTI's, this is my second consecutive. Already moved on to 14 in my mind.

Abe (3 MVP, 1 DMVP, 11 AT votes) - The last 3 guys were unanimous. Abe returns to the AT team after missing last year. Second on the Alphas in scoring, first in rebounds and assists. Had a SPERM of 102 and continues to chug along as one of the top players in PCTI. Can he return to being MVP as his last MVP was in PCTI X.

D-MVP

TP (7 DMVP, 8 AT votes) - Just a monster on both ends of the court! 16 stocks and guarding Kyle all weekend gives him the votes for best defensive player (wake me up when he's not). He also average 15 and 12 nbd. He also seems to get in better shape each year, so when does he get over the hump and win MVP?

Kyle (12 MVP, 3 AT votes) - 5 years: 4 MVPs, 1 All Tourney and a 4-1 record. He and TP have set a high bar to reach to get MVP and not sure he is slowing down. 15.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg is a career year for most and a down year for Kyle. Being a captain and calling everyone on his team an Alpha the night before the games is one for the ages. The Alpha of Alphas.

How We Built This - PCTI Edition

Last night during a discussion with the BORED I started thinking about how my relationship started with all the guys in PCTI, and after reminiscing on a couple, I started laughing over how much of a miracle it is that this exists given how things started between myself, and the majority of you.

Not all are negative, but most are.  Below are a few lines about how my relationship started with each of you, in chronological order.

• Cum: First Grade - Threatened to cut off my head with the switch blade he smuggled into school elementary school. Can't say things have improved since then, but he's somehow still around.
• Smo: Third Grade - Pegged me three times in a little league baseball game, had me bawling in tears and lead to a near brawl between Mr. Orr and Mr. Krow.
• Beast: Third Grade - New guy, on the play ground was selected first before me, in which a rivalry begun.  Got exposure early to the temperament, as he was picked and dubbed "Tall Boy" which made me snap back with a "My name isn't Tall Boy, it's Brent."  Once a brat, always a brat.
• Beas: Fifth Grade - Although three years younger, took a liking because he was on my brother's team and played the entire season with a broken arm.  And when I say broken, I mean right arm was in a sling.
• Abe: College - Positioned to me as a package deal with Hops, but ended up as a package deal with John O'Rourke, which meant in order to get Abe, I signed up for years of misery having to deal with Pitto Jr.
• Hops: College - Touted by Beast and Act as the second coming of me a hoops lover/top teammate who will take the burden off me on the organizing front.  As soon as I got excited, I was told he had a reputation for over organizing, and that the two of us could be highly volatile together.  
• Cockstrong: College - Having to utilize his nickname to protect his online presence, true to his name I was introduced to him by a female who drunkingly showed me his handprint from the night before.
• Ben: College - A morning hoops game was always challenging, and one morning we had nine show up.  I would call it fate that Ben just so happened to be the only human in the gym at T-Recs at 8:00 am, as he was on the adjacent court shooting free throws.  The rest is history.
• Sabin: Post College - The second day after moving to Dallas, a highschool teammate of mine invited me to an organized pickup game.  Having thought he coordinated with the organizer, I show up to the game and made 20... Low and behold my old teammate showed up unannounced as well, and Sabin was in a mood.  There's next to nothing that makes me more uncomfortable then showing up to an organized hoop game that does not welcome outsiders (no one is less welcoming then Sabin) and I sat there pondering leaving the gym as I watched Sabin in a cranky mood get the group going.  Thankfully I stayed, and even more thankfully I ended up on Sabin's team.  All it takes to get in his good graces is a good in rhythm chest pass, and the rest is history.
• Spotlight: Post College - Man this guy.  I moved to Boston and yet again, the dynamic duo of Act and Beast have me setup with a teammate of theirs.  Having reached out to Spotlight about six times inquiring about hoops with no response, three months into my stay I get a text saying "League starts tomorrow at 6:00pm, can you make it?"  No one can ever accuse Spot of not being spontaneous.
• TP: Post College - Not negative at all, at Smo's wedding we sit down and have a face to face interview.  Him and his wife pass with flying colors, and unfortunately is one of the few positive introductions.
• Juice: Post College - The way to Juice was one of the most excruciating situations I've ever been through, and it's been nothing but pain for me ever since.  I was on my last week in a job before making the jump to the PRODUCE BIDNESS, and this guy I was with forced me to go watch a Gonzaga soccer practice because of this "cool kid" on the team.  Not sure what I hate more, soccer or hanging out, but I got to do both.  Well the "cool kid" somehow won me over, and I gave him my contact info in case he ever wanted a job.  Well,  three months later he reaches out, and I somehow ended up responsible for bringing on young talent.  He gets hired, and somehow manages to do the world's easiest job so bad he gets fired.  The one contribution he had along the way was getting Juice hired, and he's done nothing but torture me ever since.
• Smooth: Post College - I had joined a gym and was on my first day... Didn't know anyone but was enthused over the idea of the group being good players who don't talk and just play.  Well, I made the mistake of guarding Smooth, and as he's slowly dribbling 40 feet from the half court basket, I don't even reach, but make it appear like I am... Little did I know the mistake I was making, as that woke up a mouth I've never seen before.  All I could think in my head is who is this doofus, and how I was going to punish him and make him regret running his mouth.  Five years later, here we are.
• Bottles: Post College - Met the same day as I did Smooth, just a slightly different approach.  Such a nice guy I didn't feel comfortable guarding him because I couldn't get motivated, then as I close out he darts by me and throws down a dunk.  He maintained the niceness that makes anyone hard to guard, but then slowly became the most difficult person I've ever had to guard.  
• Kyle: Post College - Had been campaigning to get this guy in PCTI for years before finally meeting him.  Was always appalled by how quiet he was and how he kept to himself, and was secretly offended that he never approached me to make a pitch on being a part of PCTI.  When approaching Ben about it initially, he said he was probably too good for it, so I villainized him in my head that Kyle was the one saying that.  
• Virgil: Post College - Moved to Frisco and got his contact info from Hops.  His first game he showed up was the worst session of my life (and there have been A LOT of band ones), and I'm not sure I even completed a pass.  Nothing he did wrong, but I'll forever associate my first experience with him with that performance... 

PCTI XII Seattle All Tournament Team

 

PCTI XI Awardz

If you want to relive what is being labeled as the most competitive PCTI ever but don’t want to watch the full games on YouTube, you’re a bitch BUT also Sabin’s recaps are posted here:

·        Game 1

·        Game 2

·        Game 3

·        Game 4

·        Game 5

·        Game 6

·        Game 7

As close as the series was, you would not think that was the case based on the awards. I attribute this to the Boxes having a top heavy performance from a couple of guys (especially on the offensive end) and the Bullies had more of a spread of contributions. The Boxes dug in on defense and worked mainly through their offensive weapons and fought their asses off. The Bullies did not have players that were consistent and sputtered on offense because of it. On to the awards!

Just Missed…

BC – 2 All Tourney votes

BC had an “off year” and only received a couple votes for all tourney but he average 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. For most that would be a stellar (if not career) year on the offensive side. He realized his role would be better served as facilitator and led the Bullies in assists. Game 5 (half star) and 6 (1 star of the game) he had his best 2 games. If he makes his layups, I think he earns A/T.

Juice – 3 All Tourney votes

The other captain that had his own struggles even though he led his team in assists, 3 point %, and steals. He brought good energy to his defensive, was leading the charge on trying to get his team out and running, and outrebounded everyone except TP and Kyle. Ultimately, his mental weakness prevented him from making all tournament.

Abe – 5 All Tourney votes

The most decorated player in PCTI misses out on an award, which has only happened twice before (PCTI V and VIII). His shooting performance was not up to his usual standards and but when his team needed it, he performed in Game 7 with 18 points on 41% shooting and earning 1 of the stars of the game. Kudos to the Boxes for making his life difficult. To be fair he had a bachelor party (and wedding) to worry about!

 All Tournament

Hops – 1 MVP vote, 7 All Tourney votes

“WTF” was my reaction to an MVP (no I did not pull a Joe and vote for myself). I still disagree with the vote, but I guess some people are scared of my new bully persona and don’t want to get on my bad side! Game 4 was his shining moment (earning 1 of the stars of the game) but was also solid on defense all weekend. In a weekend where good performances were hard to come by, intangibles won out. My first ever award will be savored and then I will slip the headbead back on and bully some weights in the gym!

Sabin – 10 All Tourney votes

The resurgence! Sabin continues to inspire me (and hopefully everyone) that PCTI will be around for a long time and hard work in the offseason will pay off. After struggling physically towards the end of recent PCTI’s, Sabin’s consistency and sharp shooting made this an easy decision for most. He split half of a star of the game with Kyle by having 15 points and 9 boards and another star of the game in game 4 with 21 and 6. Just an overall good performance!

All Tournament/Defensive MVP

Beas – 1 MVP vote, 6 D-MVP votes, 6 All Tourney votes

TP – 4 MVP votes, 6 D-MVP votes, 5 All Tourney votes

I grouped these two together because the D-MVP vote was tied but I also think it’s very fitting in the  impact they had on our team. While Kyle’s numbers were ridiculous at times, the job TP did on him compared to everyone else cannot be understated. His energy and being an animal on the boards is uplifting for his team. Meanwhile, Beas was a menace on anyone he guarded. He started out making Juice a mental midget, then moved on to try and slow Spotlight and Sabin. Beas averaged 8.1 points, 6.4 boards, and 3 assists per game, while TP led our team in points (9.7), boards (10.9 good lord), blocks (1.7), and steals (1.9). TP was a star of the game in games 1, 4, and 5 but his impact is felt every game. Beas was a star of the game in game 1 and 7 because he kept making plays on both ends of the court. We obviously cannot fail to mention the biggest play in PCTI history from Beas when in the 3^rd OT of game 7 he stole the ball and scored the series clinching layup!!

MVP

Kyle – 8 MVP votes, 6 All Tourney votes

Another year and another MVP award. I think we can all agree my hesitation to add him because of how dominant he can be on the court was warranted (but off the court the dude is perfect, except for skipping going out on Saturday this PCTI). It is hard for some people to vote for an MVP from a losing team, which is why this isn’t unanimous but a well deserved MVP. The first 2 days he was “held in check” and only averaging 15 and 7.5. The last day, his numbers are gaudy. The last 3 games he average 25 points and nearly 10 rebounds per. He earned 5.5 stars. He had 67 more SPERM for the weekend than the 2^nd best. Even though he finally lost a series, this is his 3^rd MVP in his 4 years of being in PCTI. Congrats to Kyle!

 

 

 

 

PCTI XII Game 7 - Sabin's Analysis

 Recap Game 7

Game 7 is in the books.

Guts. Glory. Disappointment. Exaltation. Injury. Attrition. Relief. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. This game had it all. While it may not go down as the best technical game ever played, it certainly has a chance to be remembered as the most competitive. The Bullies survive a triple OT thriller and win 57-55 on the strength of a championship-level play by Biz with 5 seconds to go. The Biz steal-and-layup will be remembered not just as a series-clinching moment, but as one of the all-time clutch plays in our history. Let me take you through a brief chronology of events that preceded his play:

1) Regulation - Tied at 46, Juice takes a wide open 3 from the corner with 30 seconds to go that just misses, followed by a missed runner from Abe and a missed putback from TP at the buzzer. Any of these shots wins the tourney. 

2) 1st OT - Boxes up 49-47 with 20 seconds to go. Biz gets a huge offensive rebound and assist to TP to tie the score. Abe fouls Sabin with 6 seconds to go. Sabin chunks the front end and misses a chance to win the tourney. BC has a chance to win at the buzzer with a long runner but misses. Juice is injured and cannot continue.

3) 2nd OT - Kyle and Biz exchange FTs and account for the only scoring. Tied 50-50, Donley has a 3 ball to win, but misses followed by a Sabin halfcourt heave that is straight but long. Abe is injured and cannot continue.

4) 3rd OT - Kyle’s and-1 gives the Boxes a 53-50 lead, followed by a huge triple from Aubrey to tie it. Spot gets a layup, followed by another Biz offensive rebound to BC putback. Boxes have the final possession, but Biz steals it at halfcourt and converts the layup with 2 seconds to go. Spot gets a decent look from 3 that is just wide at the buzzer.

What a game. What a series. What a finish to an incredible weekend. BC said it best….”I thought we lost it 2 or 3 times, and somehow we won. You guys probably felt the same way.” Not sure how this happens, but these PCTI events just keep getting better. Im already looking forward to Tahoe.

Analysis:

1) Somehow, the Bullies shoot 30% from the field and 20% from distance and still win this game. Look no further than offensive boards, where the Bullies earn their moniker by bashing the Boxes 17-6. This gives them 5 more shot attempts and 8 more free throws in a game that quite literally goes down to the final possession.

2) While there were several heroic efforts in this game, it really was a clash of two titans. Kyle drops a 29-8 while playing EVERY MINUTE of day 3. Meanwhile Abe goes for 18 points and makes several HUGE shots coming down the stretch to keep his team it. I’ve run out of superlatives to describe these two. Just two elite players leading their teams.

3) Fatigue matters. Boxes shoot 3-18 from deep for 17%, while Bullies shoot 4-20 from distance for 20%. Shooting while tired is damn near impossible. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…These games come down to who makes layups and who makes triples.

4) Props to everybody that gave their all in this tournament. This series brought down Dawson in game 4, then got the best conditioned athlete in game 7, then further claimed the Secretariat in overtime. And still, both teams soldiered on toward the final outcome. One of my favorite moments is watching both teams hug each BEFORE game 7 as if to say, “I’m sorry that one of these teams has to lose.” Both teams had a chance to win this event, and both teams gave all of themselves. Like BC said “I’m just spent.”

️ ️ ️ of the Game:

1) Huck - Goes for 29 and 8 with 2 assists and a block on 11-17 FGAs and 6-8 FTAs. It was feared early on that Kyle shouldn’t be a part of PCTI because he was too good. This game and his overall series just fucking confirmed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dan tries to kick him out this off-season. What a fucking magnificent performance and player. And one of PCTI’s best dudes. 

2) Abe - On 2 bad feet, he uncorks his best game of the series with 18 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block on 7-17 FGAs and 3-4 FTAs. Made several huge shots at the end of regulation to keep his team from defeat. PCTI’s most-decorated player shows you why he is still a premium player in this event.

3) Biz - While not his top statistical performance, the quality of the plays he made in OT earn him a spot here. 5 points, 11 boards, 4 offensive, 4 assists, and 2 steals. 2 ENORMOUS offensive rebounds in OT that lead to points for TP and BC. And a series-clinching bucket that will go down in PCTI folklore as one of the best and most clutch plays ever made. Respect.

PCTI XII Game 6 - Sabin's Analysis

 Recap Game 6

Game 6 is in the books. 

Wildly entertaining game that moves up and down, filled with great playmaking and shotmaking from both teams. Boxes come out firing and never let their foot off the gas pedal in a 68-50 barn burner that evens up the series at 3-3 and forces a game 7. Boxes are led by a ginormous 23-15 double-double from Huck and Spot pours in 15 points with 3 triples. The game is close at 44-40 with about 10 minutes remaining but the Boxes close the game on a 24-10 run behind great playmaking from Smooth and 3 balls from Spot, Juice, and Sabin. Bullies get a breakout performance from Bc with 20 points, but ultimately the Bullies can’t stay with a balanced attack from Boxes. Game 7 is on deck!!!

Analysis:

1) Shooting once again tells the tale. Boxes shoot 29-62 FGAs for 39% and add 7 triples. Bullies shoot 18-50 FGAs for 36% and 5 triples. Boxes get 12 more shot attempts from an offensive rebounding advantage of 15-7. Boxes flip the script on the Bullies.

2) Every Boxes player scores at least 7 points. Stunning contribution from a team that couldn’t hit a shot in the previous game. Dan starts the scoring for the Boxes on his way to 8 points, matched by Sabin. Juice and Smooth both pitch in 7 apiece. Kyle and Spot combine for 38 on a combined 50% from the field. This is what Captain Juice had in mind on draft day.

3) Bullies get bullied. 15 offensive boards from the Boxes, 10 by Kyle alone. Bullies shoot just 5-23 from distance, good for 22%. And they get pounded on the boards overall, 41-26. On a certain sense, this game seemed like a mirror image of game 5. BC goes big in this game but doesn’t get enough support from teammates and the team fades in the 2nd half.

4) In a statistical anomaly, all Boxes players record a SPERM score of at least 12. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Kyle with another 41 SPERM. He’s just making a mockery of stats, which are hard to come by for many players in PCTI. His 2k rating must be 99.

3 Stars of the Game:

1) Kyle - 23 points and 15 boards on 11-19 FGAs. 10 offensive boards. IN ONE GAME! I’m getting tired of saying how good this guy is at basketball.

2) BC - 20 points on 6-13 FGAs with 2 triples and 6-6 FTAs. Everybody knows how hard it is to make shots when fatigued and BC was a shot maker from all 3 levels in this game. He has a great ability to continue making plays when fatigue sets in.

3) Spot - Great game from Spot. 15 points and adds 4 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals. 6-15 FGAs and 3-7 from deep. Boxes don’t win this game without his shotmaking.

PCTI XII Game 5 - Sabin's Analysis

 Recap Game 5

Game 5 is in the books. 

Wow. The Bullies embrace their personality and emerge victorious with a convincing 58-39 victory over the crestfallen Boxes. While the game ended in a blowout, this game was still in doubt with less than 10 minutes to play. However, a 4-possession stint in which the Bullies got back-to back-to back-to back 3s from Donley-Donley-Aubrey-Aubrey sealed the Boxes’ fate. The Bullies had incredibly balanced production from the entire lineup as 5 players have between 9-12 points, with Donley throwing in 6. The Boxes are incredibly imbalanced as Kyle scores 23 of the total 39 points. BC breaks a finger and continues to play as he remembers that day 3 is Beast Day.

Analysis:

1) Bullies shoot 20-46 FGAs for 43.5%, including a scorching 11-22 from deep. Meanwhile, the Boxes shoot an anemic 19-60 from the field, just 31.7%. Boxes add to the futility by shooting 1-20 from distance. It sounds like very simple analysis, but the Bullies made triples and the Boxes did not.

3) Bullies get exceptional balance on the offensive end. TP leads with 12 points and 12 boards. Double-doubles are becoming routine for him. 10 points each from Beas, Aubrey, and BC with a combined 6 trey balls. Biz adds 6 boards and 5 assists. Another 9 points from Abe with 3 triples and 6 boards. Donley adds 6 with 2 backbreaking 3s. Total team victory and performance by the Bullies.

3) Kyle plays alone. He shoots 11-23 FGAs for 23 points, 6 boards, and 3 steals. The rest of his team shoots 8-37 from the field and 1-19 from deep. I’m sure at some point Huck was asking himself “Is anybody willing to help me battle the Bullies?” The answer for game 5 at least was a resounding NO!

4) For all of the chatter about the Bullies, and especially the Headband Crew, getting into Juice’s head in this tournament, he acquits himself nicely with 6 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He seems to be giving just as much as he is taking. 

4) For all PCTIers who hate the Sabin Productivity Metric, it continues to fire on all cylinders, and more importantly, tell the truth. Hops records an enormous 37, while TP scores a 32. Kyle records a 27, which is becoming commonplace for him. For reference, a SPERM score of 15+ is productive, while 20+ is amazing. 25+ is silly good.

3 Stars of the Game:

1) Kyle - A grown man doing grown man’s work. Pumps in 23 points on 11-23 FGAs and 1-3 FTAs. Adds 6 boards, 3 offensive, and collects 3 steals while he’s at it. Records a SPERM score of 31. Dude is really separating himself from other great players with a preternatural finishing ability. Best finisher in our history and it’s not particularly close.

2) TP - I can’t be the only one who’s seeing this. Bill Simmons calls it “making the leap”, where a player goes from good to great. 12 points on 4-8 FGAs and 4-6 FTAs. Adds 12 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals. Biggest SPERM score of the game with 34. AND HES GUARDING THE BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER IN PCTI. This guy has to be in the top 2 of any draft board moving forward.

3) Aubrey & BC - Couldn’t decide so I copped out and split the vote. These two combine for 20 points on 7-12 FGAs. They add 5 triples on just 8 attempts. BC leads his team early with a personal 5-0 run to start the game, while Aubrey shuts the door with two huge triples in the last 5 minutes of the game. Bullies are riding high with production from the entire roster.