When I received a call from Josh Stephens yesterday to confirm that we had 14 guys that play in this tournament with us, ten minutes before the draft was set to begin, I thought there was no way this guy is able to put together 7 solid selections. I must admit, I was wrong. Stephens showed that he was out to win this thing, not see how many points he could score (Despite what all of us may have thought). He shocked the PCTI world selecting Brian Eskildsen and Joe Thompson, two guys that are known for verbally berating his on court tactics. Overall, you have to be impressed with Stephen's sticking to his board and showing that he wanted talented, strong basketball players, not guys that would help him put points on the board. Now, for a recap pick by pick:
#2 Overall-"BIG" Brent Carney-B+
There is no rhyme or reason this pick does not deserve an A, but my goal is to show that I don't just hand out perfect grades for nothing. This was a no brainer-BBC is a do-it-all guy that plays hard, scores in bunches and gives the team some size and hip flexibility.
#3 Overall-Brian ESKildsen-B+
Give Josh credit for sticking to his board and recognizing a perfect compliment to himself and Big Brent. Brian can handle, defend anyone on the court, and is a quality cheap shot artist. He brings a sound IQ to the floor and will make sure if it's the last thing he does that the floor is spaced perfectly at all times. That being said, can the guy stay healthy? History would say no.
#6 Overall-Joe Thompson-A+
Great value at this selection, the other MVP candidate from PCTI2 dropped due to his lack of popularity and his Hollywood persona. After bursting onto the scene in year 2 as a run and gun ballhawk, the question will be if he sticks with his successful style, or if he wants to go back to the Hollywood look at me approach that he showcased in year 1. Give Stephens credit, no one thought he would select Thompson because of Joe's history for taking bad shots at David Lipscomb, but he stuck to his board and recognized the value he was getting.
#7 Overall-Scott Donley-B+
The new look SD came out of the PCTI gates firing last year, and it earned him immediate respect around the league. With his new muscular physique and gun slinging ways, Donley scored a quick 7 points in about two minutes, giving his team a significant lift in his first PCTI game during his rookie year. With a year of experience under his belt, will it help him, or has everyone learned his repitoire in the post? Also, Stephens needs to be concerned whether he will choose to fly or drive to Dallas. If he is able to play all 7, getting a big guy to battle with the Bruiser in the trenches will go a long way for this team.
#10 Overall-Dawson Huff-C
Value wise, there is no question this should be an A. After a strong PCTI1, $ shedded about 20lbs. of baby fat in hopes of being more explosive on the court. His hard work was shattered when he shredded his knee doing one of his explosive moves down low. Going on 6 months of rehab, $ claims he will about around 90% come game time. He has also gone on record saying his shot has never felt better. If there is one thing that proves to be deadly in PCTI, it's a guy that can hit open shots when the defense is tired (Which it is 95% of the time). The next few months will be important to see what kind of contribution Team Pitto will get from this beautiful man.
#11 Overall-Anthony Hopkins-A
Give Josh credit, the consensous PCTI opinion was that he would jump at his homie and pick him with either his second or fourth pick. He let the board come to him and still got his kryptonite, while stockpiling talent along the way. Between his leadership skills, speeches in the huddle, lock down defense, and one game a year that he goes off, you know you are getting a key glue guy that is necessary if a team wants to win. The missed layups are not important when he is busting 50% from three point land. THIS DUDE GETS LOOSE.
#14 Overall-Josh Pitto-C
Did Pitto get his wish? Yes. Did Sabin get his wish as well? You bet he did. In one of the biggest storylines over the PCTI offseason, Sabin and Pitto have put their enemy cards on the table, making PCTI3 that much more intriguing. Whether their hatred for each other as people, on the court or it's just a jealousy issue between both of their valiant efforts to become top villain within the PCTI ranks, expect this storyline to keep on giving. As a player, you have to give Pitto credit for his high % shooting and ability to distribute the ball. Will his teammates find the same humor he does about him not playing defense? Will Thompson and Pitto be able to Co-Exist? Time will tell.
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