Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Scouting Report: Brent "Big Bambi" Carney

PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-10.7
RPG-5.9
APG-2.1

Pro's:

Tall, long and BIG with a superhuman wingspan. Relentless on the offensive glass. Can step out and shoot it with good lefty touch. Excellent passer for a big man. Goes full throttle every second he is on the floor. Despite low numbers last year, blocks a lot of shots due to superior length, patience and timing. Can take a hit and finish. Stronger than appearance shows. Great core muscles.

Con's:

Not much in his arsenault with his back to the basket. Stiffest hips defensively one will ever see. Not as strong on the defensive glass as he is offensively. Has developed a reputation for playing well when his team loses. A ticking time bomb that is known for snapping on his teammates and refs when he begins to feel comfortable with them.

Overall:

Big Bambi has been draft #1 and #2 overall, along with being a captain for a DMVP performance. The measurables and things he brings to the table are clearly highly thought of, despite a small decline in performance in PCTI2. Has been known to do his best work when thought of as a 3rd or 4th scorer, so if he can bring Breaking Bad together mentally, The Man They Call Bambi could be in line for a serious break out performance.

Scouting Report: Ian Van Horne

PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-9.3
RPG-7.9
APG-0.7

Pro's:

Physical, powerful post with strong base. Natural football player with good basketball instincts. Can step out and shoot it with good touch. Master of positioning that can have his way on the block when motivated. Improved rebounder. Strong defensive player that has the quickness to cover the perimeter. Quick hands. Has surprised the PCTI faithful with his passionate play and love for the tournament. Great teammate that never complains and goes about his business each game. Enjoys taking a hit when going up for a layup. High motor. Superior hands for a big.

Con's:

Conditioning will always come into question. One can't help but to wonder if it's not being in great cardio shape, or that he just goes full throttle every second he is on the floor. Tends to get mental after missing a few shots and loses aggressiveness offensively. Lack of playing consistently hurts his touch around the goal. The development of one post move in his arsenal could add 4 PPG to his bottom line. Tends to rely too much on a turn around fade, which does not relate to his otherwise powerful style of play. Does not utilize all leadership skills because he still feels like a football player playing basketball, rather than recognizing he is a top player in PCTI and a guy that is looked upon to lead his team.

Overall:

The man they call Bruiser has come out of nowhere the last two PCTI's as a force to be reckoned with. Averaging close to 10 and 8 a game last year, he has re-dedicated himself to clearing glass and is inching his way towards the first PCTI athlete to average a double double. Came into PCTI2 in freakish condition, and displayed aggression along with it that stood out in a big way early on. Van Horne has showed continued improvement with his dedication to conditioning and basketball the last two years, and if he continues to build on his progression, we could be chanting MVP come April.

Friday, November 25, 2011

PCTI 2, Game 3 Review

Synopsis: Game 3 was simply a tale of two halves. Like many PCTI performances, this game came down to one team hitting some shots in the 2nd half as the other team struggled. My take after watching the game is that Team Eskildsen was actually the aggressor as we took 9 more FGAs, 13 more 3FGAs, and just 3 fewer FTAs. This surplus in extra shots for our team can be explained by us snatching 3 more offensive rebounds and turning the ball over 3 fewer times. Even with that advantage though, team BC was too efficient for us to overcome as they shot 49% from the field for the game and 40% from 3s, while we shot 35% from the field and 25% from deep. Team Eskildsen jumped out to an early 7 point lead as Pitto hit some 3 balls in succession, and B-EZ created some nice scoring opportunities with penetration. Bruise also powered in some buckets with some strong play underneath. Team BC made a late push towards halftime to close the deficit to 41-38. From that point, team BC took control and out scored us the rest of the way, 39-25, earning a 77-66 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

Analysis: I actually thought we were in really good shape at halftime. We had a 3 point lead and our best offensive player hadn't scored yet. Pitto had a really nice first half with 18 points and Brian was steadily getting into the paint for us. But the tide soon turned when team BC went several possessions without missing a shot, while team Eskildsen went multiple minutes without scoring. In the second half, team BC shot 14-27 from the field for 52% and 3 for 5 from the 3 point line. Meanwhile, team Eskildsen shot a pisspoor 8 of 35 from the field for 23% and just 2 of 16 from deep for 12%. The lack of any kind of consistent 2nd half scoring threat ultimately doomed us to our fate. For team BC though, balance was the watchword, as Hite went for 17 points, JT 15 points, Abe 13 points, and BMac 11. Their ability to consistently take and make good shots trumped our inability to generate sustained offense. Team BC's strategy was crystal clear in this game: whoever Pitto is guarding, attack there first. Although Pitto played a valiant offensive game, it became apparent that his porous defense was attractive to team BC and they exploited it. Team Eskildsen did not make any adjustments and should have in hindsight.

Notable Performances: Josh Pitto. 25 points, 8-14 FGAs, 5 triples, 4-4 FTAs, 4 boards, and a steal. Lots of nice shotmaking by this guy in Game 3.

Abe: 13 points, 11 boards, 5-8 FGAs, 2-2 FTAs, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 5 amazing turnovers. Stephens makes double-doubles look relatively pedestrian. Guy is very talented.

Doctor: 15 points, 5-10 FGAs, 3 triples, 2-4 FTAs, 2 boards, and an assist. Really let the game come to him and played with nice pace.

BMac: 11 points, 4 boards, 5-11 FGAs with a triple. Really asserted himself this game against a smallish team Eskildsen.

Bruise and B-EZ: Combined for 23 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals as the only teammates who could help Pitto in this game.

Forgettable Box Scores: Ben. I love the BMW more than anybody in PCTI, but this was just a tough game for him. 0-11 FGAs, 0-6 from deep, 0 points. Funny thing is, I actually thought he played a really nice floor game with 7 boards and 5 assists against just 1 turnover. I doubt we see this ever again in PCTI.

Sabin. 6 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 2-8 FGAs, 2-2 FTAs, and didn't piss a drop when his team needed him. This was a low point for me in PCTI.

Great Plays: Ben finds a cutting Hops with a screaming bullet pass after drawing a few defenders. Hops then proceeds to shoot a wide open layup off the top of the backboard and softly through the net. A great play and comedy at the same time.

Hops also beasts Abe on an offensive rebound, then converts the putback with the left hand. I had to rewind it a few times to take in the full awesomeness of this play.

Hite beats Wes off the dribble and jumps over Sabin while getting fouled for a really nice And One conversion.

Chase blocks a driving layup attempt by Hite with such authority that it made me say "Damn, that was a grown ass man play".

Bruise literally almost assaults DK after the Commissioner fouls him while trying to score a layup. It was so violent and terrifying that DK walked away from the altercation laughing it off. But deep down, he knows that he was pissing his pants. It's awesome how 2 best friends can become enemies on a basketball floor sometimes.....you know, like me and Pitto.

Mediocre Plays: JT and Abe fight for a rebound with no member of team Eskildsen within 15 feet of them. Neither of them defers to the other for the ball, and it trickles off their hands and out of bounds for an unforced turnover. JT is visibly fuming after the play, probably wondering why the best rebounder in PCTI is going for a board in the Doctor's area. In a related story, when asked about this incident afterwards, Stephens could not remember this play and couldnt quite recall who Joe Thompson is either.

Sabin skies for a rebound, only to bring the ball down on teammate Ben's head, while the ball falls harmlessly into the hands of Smo for an uncontested layup. Sabin responds to this play with a "Shit!!!" that is easily picked up by Deuce's camera from the other end of the court.

JT shoots a 28 footer that hits nothing but the foam on the underpart of the backboard. The next trip down the floor, The Doctor shoots a contested 3 ball from the corner that somehow goes in. That is the type of consistency that allows JT's teammates to loathe and detest him.

Observations: Brian Eskildsen is a really good ballplayer. Never in a rush, can play with either hand, competent in all 3 phases, and can guard almost any position in PCTI. When I watch this guy on film, I love the old school technique, the deceptive change of pace, the wicked crossovers, and the fundamental spin moves. Plus, I feel like he is a celebrity since I see him on ESPN all the time with the Stanford men's program.

Can anybody tell me why DK passes up 5 footers so that he can make a nice pass to JT for a terrible 22 footer? No? Me neither...

I know many of us think this, but Abe is just a flat out tough shotmaker. Seems like every one of his buckets comes with a hand in his face or somebody draped all over him. Easily the best shotmaker in PCTI history.

Pitto scored 25 points on offense, but I graded him out as a minus 17 on my adjusted plus/minus scoring system. That means he was responsible for giving up 42 on the other end. Seems like a lot to me...

The Doctor referred to my team's strategy as "bullshit" on a number of occasions during timeouts. He didn't offer any explanation other than that and would not expound on which part of our game was the "bullshit". That type of insight and analysis will take you places...

Hops is now shooting heat check 3s, hoping that his Game 2 magic will continue on with him. In a related story, it didn't.

At halftime, Hops interviews Pitto and asks him, "so what do we need to do in the second half to maintain the lead?". Pitto responds with "we need to work hard, defend, and rebound". Hops replies with "but you don't do any of those things". Pitto walks away in disgust, thinking that his secret is now known to the rest of PCTI.

When your team's strategy is to post BMac and Joe (who have never posted in their lives) because Pitto is guarding them, you must really think that guy can't play defense.

By my count, Smo posted 38 times in this game, of which he completed 37 passes out to the perimeter, and one nice-looking hook shot. There is one possession where he posts, catches, and passes out to the perimeter on 3 separate occasions. I thought my DVD was caught on a loop, but it actually happened.

JT yells to his team,"Slow it down, let's work it around for a good shot". Usually, this is code for "Fellas, I haven't jacked up a 27 footer in a few possessions. Lets work the ball to me so I can put my 27% 3 ball to work."

Wes and BMac seem to be the only PCTI participants who are willing to take a charge. Friendships and health be damned!!! If you are taking it to the hole, these guys will step underneath you even though there is nothing positive that can come from it.

Sabin thinks he gets a clean strip on Hite, but is called for the foul. He then turns to the official and says "I'm on top of the ball. I can't play any better than that". I think I understand now why team BC thought I was crying for some of the weekend.

Conclusion: Team BC earned the victory with better offensive efficiency and consistent scoring. Team Eskildsen had too many droughts and was not able to overcome its lack of sustained scoring. Even so, it was a 3 point game with less than 2 minutes to go, and is evidence of a consistent PCTI theme that both teams are evenly matched no matter what the experts say. This was a swing game and put team BC in the driver's seat for much of the weekend.

Sabin

Saturday, November 19, 2011

28/29

What Are You Doing This Offseason?



THOSE WHO WORK THE HARDEST ARE THE LAST TO SURRENDER.

PCTI 2, Game 2 Review

Synopsis: With Brian Eskildsen at the emergency room and a fractured Team Eskildsen staring at a potential 2-0 series deficit, one man, and one man alone was able to bring us back from the brink of extinction: Hops. In many ways, he was our John Connor, leading his army against the threat of permanent destruction at the hands of the superior Terminators. With 5 triples in the first half alone, Hops was able to provide hope and relief to his beleaguered team, and inspired them to a better performance. His halftime speech to rally the troops was the stuff of legend, and will probably rank among some of the great speeches of all time as the years roll by. William Wallace and MLK don't have anything on this guy. In the end, his revolutionary individual performance and Rocky Balboa sized heart propelled his team to a 74-62 victory and a 1-1 series tie.

Analysis: If I had told you before Game 2 that Chase Hardin would shoot 0 for 8 from the 3 point line, that Pitto and Wes would combine to shoot 2 for 12 from the 3 point line, and that Ben Wilson would've had just 10 points in this game, how much money would Team BC have bet that they would win? Looking back on it with hindsight, Team BC must be kicking itself for not winning this game and earning the first sweep in PCTI history. But it wasn't to be. Both teams came out swinging in the first half, landing body blows but not delivering any knockout punches. By halftime, Team BC held a slim 39-38 advantage. But in the second half, Team Eskildsen began to separate from Team BC, mostly because they just couldn't hit a shot. Scoring just 23 points in the second half, Team BC set an all-time mark for 3 point futility, shooting just 1 of 16. In case anybody is wondering, that is 6%. Team BC was able to shoot almost 50% from 2s in this game, but abandoned that successful strategy for the much less effective 4 for 26 from 3, and 4 for 11 from the line. That's 15% and 36% respectively. Team Eskildsen wasn't much better, but we at least were able to shoot 14 for 35 in the second half, hitting all 6 free throw attempts and adding 2 triples. Our 36-23 second half margin was the difference in the game. Team BC was hurt by two of its most potent offensive weapons, Abe and Mike Hite, combining to shoot just 6 of 29 from the field, adding 0 for 12 from deep and just 3 of 8 from the line. Team BC's offensive performance in the second half of this game will most likely not find itself in the annals of Coach Wooden's "Winning Basketball" DVD series.

Best Player: Hops. 8-15 FGAs, 6-9 3FGAs, 1-2 FTAs, 23 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, lots of leadership, heart, and defense.

Honorable Mention 1: Bash Brothers. Bruise and Sabin combined for 10-19 FGAs, 5-5 FTAs, 25 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.

Honorable Mention 2: Podcast Brothers. BC and Joe combined for 10-22 FGAs, 3 triples, 23 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, and 7 magnificent turnovers. Seriously fellas, that's a lot.

Honorable Mention 3: Hops' Halftime Speech. I'm convinced that was the difference in this game, and nobody can tell me otherwise. Damn Deuce didn't catch all of it on video though. But trust me, it was spectacular.

Observations:

* How in the world did Chase shoot that many air balls? Not trying to bag on the guy, but through 2 games, he has shot about 6 of them by himself. Seems like a lot to me.

* Bruise has an unbelievable dunk between game 1 and game 2. Serious props, and couldn't happen to a better guy and teammate. Respect.

* DK yells "He'll shoot that" as Bruise benignly catches the ball on the wing. Yeah, Danny, we get it. Most guys in this thing will "shoot that". So not much value being added on your end.

* Bruise throws BC's shit early in the first half. In a related story, BC doesn't shoot another shot inside 24 feet the whole game. Foreshadowing?

* Hops enters the game in the 1st half, immediately takes the ball to the rack, and gets his shit thrown by Smo. Hops then repeated this same sequence 3 times during the game, only to produce the same outcome. What's the definition of insanity again?

* Scott Donley consistently murders Ben Wilson on every other trip down the floor. Seriously, how did Ben not shoot 20 free throws in this game?

* Hops was so hot in the first half that his broke ass 3s that were 2 feet off actually bounced off the side rim, off the top of the backboard, and in softly through the net. In a later timeout, Hops would then tell his teammates how hot he was and how we needed to get him the ball more. I believe he said "this comes around once in a blue moon, so ride me like a pony." No mention how his heat check 3s in games 3 through 7 turned out.

* Bruise is the best traffic rebounder in PCTI history. Lots of guys can rebound in their own lane, but Bruise can rebound in his lane and your lane. Dude is an animal.

* When BC went to the blue and slipped, it reminded me of Bambi's first foray onto the ice as a baby deer. All knees and elbows. Did I just compare PCTI's most likeable guy to a Disney movie? You're damn right I did.

* The aforementioned baby deer on ice incident was caused by Josh Stephens' terrible hit ahead pass. BC made a valiant effort to chase it, but couldn't get it and slipped. I understand Abe hurting Eskildsen and dislocating Sabin's finger, but injuring your own teammates crosses the line of teammate decency.

* Josh Pitto does many things on a basketball court at half speed, but most impressive of them all is fouling at half speed. Guy could not give less of a fuck when the other team has the ball.

* Wes Murray looks like he sweats gravy. I'm bringing a gravy IV to the gym in Dallas for PCTI 3.

* Pitto begins to yell at our team for not rebounding. Ironic?

* BC yells at Pitto going into a timeout "You're gonna look like the biggest bitch on film". Not sure what preceded it, but that may be a story worth sharing when we get together in Dallas.

* Chase misses all 8 3s in the game, then when the game is over and the refs have blown the final whistle, he knocks down a triple that hits nothing but net. Some days, you're the hammer. Other days, you're the nail.

* Hops went 8 of 15 from the field. Ironically enough, all 7 of his misses were blocked by Smo, BC, or Donley. So he actually never missed a shot this game. Pretty impressive.

Great plays:

* Joe stalks Ben from behind, steals the ball, goes coast to coast with a nifty layup. Incidentally, he facefucked the camera after the play, you know, in case you were wondering.

* DK and BC pull off a nice give and go, then awkwardly point to each other like that's what they planned the whole time. This kind of chemistry can only be borne from years of not playing well together.

* BC also had an unbelievable lefty tip from outside the paint as he jumped around me and Hops to get to the ball first. I'm not stretching the truth by saying that was the greatest tip in PCTI history.

Forgettable plays:

* Joe lines up a catch and shoot 3 ball, only to have the ball slip through his hands, and fall harmlessly out of bounds for an unforced turnover. Could happen to any of us, but I like that it happened to the Doctor.

* Both Sabin and McKinney missed point blank wide-open layups. BMac was set up perfectly by Hite, and me by Pitto. But we just blew them.In fairness to me, though, DK was threatening to block my shot with his WNBA vertical leap.

Forgettable Box Scores:

Hite. The guy can ball, but he had a tough game, going 2 of 14 from the field, 0 for 6 from deep, and 1 of 4 from the line. Would've been worse if not for a meaningless layup in the final 45 seconds. We all have stinkers, but this one was especially tough given that Team BC was superior in talent for this game, and that he played 32 minutes.

Chase. 0 for 8 from the field, 0 for 8 from deep, no free throws, 0 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 3 turnovers. Just have to flush this down the toilet and get to the next game.

Stephens may have had his worst game in PCTI. Still had 10 points, 8 boards, and 3 assists, but went 4-15 from the field with no triples and 5 turnovers. He doesn't see too many like this.

Conclusion: Hops did his Superman imitation and bailed us out of this game to keep us in the series. I nominate that this game be known simply as "the Hops game" moving forward so we can all reference it immediately. For Team Eskildsen, this may have been the highlight of our basketball weekend. For Team BC, this is the one that got away.

Sabin

Thursday, November 17, 2011

New Podcasts Featuring Dan Krow

Listen to internet radio with BestCoasts on Blog Talk Radio

Scouting Report: Scott Donley

PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-6.6
RPG-5.0
APG-0.8

Pro's:

Superior athlete on PCTI terms. Has bulked up since college and added frame that has resulted in a nasty, physical on court demeanor. With the trademark up and under, possesses the superior basketball move in PCTI. Has good range for a big man. Will hit the boards and battle hard. High motor. Quiet coach on the court.

Con's:

Black hole in the post. Despite good size, not much of a shot blocker. Shot tends to be streaky. Regardless of temperature, will fire away with no concern. Questions remain about his passion, leaving his team to fend for themselves in the two most important games of PCTI2, just to bypass an hour of traffic. You have to wonder if he deserves to be coined physical, or just a downright cheap shot artist.

Overall:

Donley burst onto the scene quickly, hitting a few big shots in key moments in game 1 and ending with a 10 point, 6 rebound stat line that gave his team a significant boost they were not expecting so quickly. After hovering around the court contemplating competing in Game 6, he finally made reference to the fact that he was only supposed to be a one year rental as to why he was walking out on his tired, ailing teammates. In an offseason that resulted in a lifelong contract, questions will linger if they are getting Scott Donley at 100% mentally and physically for all seven games, or if he is just going to play when it's convenient for him. You also have to wonder if his popularity from the PCTI faithful this offseason has any merit, or if his teammates are sucking up to him in hopes he will hang around for the whole weekend.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Scouting Report: Josh Pitto

PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-13.1
RPG-4.1
APG-2.1

Pro's:

After what will go down in the history books as one of the most controversial PCTI performances of all time, the new look Josh Pitto burst onto the scene in year 2 and made a significant impact to a team that needed him in the worst way. A deep threat that stretches the D, puts defensive players on their heels and attacks the basket effectively, JP kept his mouth shut (For the most part) and had one of the most efficient offensive series in PCTI history. Excellent quickness and handle. Good body control and passer. Shoots a high percentage from deep and plays bigger offensively than he is. Rebounding is signficantly better than it should be.

Con's:

Not just bad, but unwilling defender. Lack of effort builds a bad rapport and frustrates teammates. Hot head that has no problem calling out teammates for physical mistakes, despite making plenty of his own. Me-first guy that cares more about his performance than winning. Get's upset if the ball is not constantly in his hands. Mental midget.

Overall:

Going on his third year as the last overall pick, you have to wonder when Pitto will have an epiphone and realize all he has to do is shut his mouth and defend and he will shoot up the draft board. One can't help but to wonder if being a villain means more to him than the respect and admiration from his peers. Regardless of his shortcomings, expect Pitto to build off PCTI2 with another solid offensive performance, another bad defensive performance, a good behavior year within his team under the tuteledge of his mentor Brian Eskildsen, and another four games of bickering with his arch-nemisis, Jeff Sabin.

Monday, November 14, 2011

PCTI 2, Game 1 Review

Synopsis:

Team BC outlasted Team Eskildsen by the narrowest of margins, 70-67. Even so, the game was much closer than the score indicated as Team Eskildsen had a chance to win the game in the last 30 seconds on a BMW jackknife layup attempt, and several attempts at the buzzer to tie the score with a 3 ball. Neither team had a lead of more than 7 points during the entire game. However, the adrenaline must have gotten to many of us, as each team shot less than 35% from the field, and less than 28% from 3. An aesthetically brutal game to watch, the defense for each side was better than the offense, and it took some time for many players to get rid of the excess energy they had to open the tournament.

Analysis:

Team Eskildsen jumped out to an early 6 point lead in the first several minutes as Bruiser established himself in the paint and Ben attacked the rim with success. On the other side of the ball, Team BC took some time to work out the kinks in its offensive game and couldn’t make a shot for several minutes to open the game. Both teams then locked up in an offensive struggle. By halftime, Team BC had gained a 31-29 advantage, but the only players who had asserted themselves were Ben, who was having success getting to the rim and to the line, and Scott Donley, who came in gunning, thinking it couldn’t be a worse idea than anyone else on his team. Team Eskildsen tired quicker than did Team BC, and could have been the reason for victory in the last few minutes. Ultimately, this game should be remembered for how difficult it was to score the ball, how neither team could establish a good rhythm, and how intense the first several minutes of the game were.

Noteworthy Moments:

• Esklidsen gave a completely underwhelming pre-game speech as he basically told us our team was small and less talented than the other team, so let’s try hard.
• Sabin had the worst jump center ever, basically jumping into the other man in a terrible attempt to get up.
• Wes threw Joe’s shit on the first possession as the Doctor completely underestimated Wes’ athletic ability.
• Bruise beasted BC for our team's first points. In a related story, BC wanted no part of that trip down the floor.
• Donley hit his first 2 long shots, then tried to be Dan Majerle for the rest of the tournament.
• I counted 6 airballs in Game 1. That seems like a lot for self-professed, fundamental white players.
• Abe, why do you hurt so many people in PCTI?
• Why do Pitto and DK bring the worst looking shoes to PCTI? Where’s the pride in personal appearance?
• Ben is the only player in PCTI who can play left-handed.
• Joe yelling “Wet!” for making a 3 point shot, while shooting 27% for the weekend, is annoying at best and non-sensical at worst.
• Wes and Pitto gave analysis at halftime that can only be described as incoherent and awkward. No broadcasting future for these two.
• Sabin should have dialed down the pace. In a related story, Pitto visibly cries when I take shots. Our chemistry is strong.

Best Player in Game 1:
Ben Wilson: 27 points, 13 boards, 1 steal, 9-22FGAs with 2 3-pointers, 7-11 FTs, and one spectacular assist.

Honorable Mention:
Josh Stephens: 15 points, 15 boards, 3 triples, 2-2 FTs
Scott Donley: 10 points, 5 boards, 4-8 FGAs, 2-3 3FGAs
Danny Krow: 6 assists, 4 steals, 4 points, 3 boards, no turnovers

Best play:

Ben Wilson drawing 3 defenders and dropping a nifty dime to a cutting AHop along the baseline. Very nice play.

Worst Play:

Pitto dribbling between his legs with no defensive pressure and having the ball kick out of bounds for an unforced turnover.

Worst Shot:

Josh Stephens shot a ball from 27 feet out that grazed harmlessly off the front rim. I know this because I was 7 feet away from him when he shot it, and I had 2 feet above the 3 point line.

Worst stat line:

Wes Murray: 20 minutes, 0 FGAs, 0 FTAs, 0 boards, 0 points, 1 foul, 1 assist, and 1 spectacular block of JT.

In the end, this game will be remembered for being evenly matched, and each team having a chance to win it in the end. It will also be remembered for the lack of shot-making on both sides, some terrible timeout strategies on both sides, and the fact that Josh Stephens continues to needlessly injure PCTI participants.

Scouting Report: Brian Eskildsen

PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-8.0
RPG-6.2
APG-3.3

Pro's:

Has gained praise throughout the PCTI ranks for his prowess as a top teammate, coach on the court, defensive stopper, and cocky demeanor. A once passive player, has since become cocky, arrogant and aggressive on the court, all of which have made him that much better of a player. Understands spacing and does a good job of getting his teammates in the right spots to succeed. Nothing showcases his savvy play like his 75% 3-Point shooting percentage in PCTI2. Despite claiming to be a low stat guy, has actually put up significant numbers two straight years across each line. Brings a high IQ to a team that badly needs it in PCTI3.

Con's:

Temper that has developed significantly over the last four years. Injury prone.

Overall:

Eskildsen is the key cog to his squad in PCTI3. Questions will remain if he will be able to balance his team out and keep everyone happy and in the flow of the game. Despite claiming to have never been injured before, will he be able to get through a full series? Can't help but to question if the way Hopkins put the team on his back in PCTI2 was directly correlated to the loss of Eskildsen, and whether or not it was a good or bad thing for their team. Regardless, look for him to seperate himself this year as the top defender at PCTI, and quite possibly be the first player to get over the 5 assists per game hump.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Scouting Report: Michael Orr

PCTI2 Totals:

PPG-3.9
RPG-5.6
APG-1.7

Pro's:

Long, skilled big man with off the chart defensive instincts. Motor does not stop when he is on the court. Is one of the only big men in PCTI with a go-to move. Baby hook has been a career 60% shot for him. Excellent passing skills for a big man. Talks on D and is rarely out of position. Active hands and effort blocks, steals and alters a significant amount of possesions. Runs the floor extremely well for a big man. Quality teammate. PROTECTS THE RIM.

Con's:

Does not rebound up to his potential. Despite quality hook shot, does not fight for the position to utilize it frequently. Passive offensively. Not known for physicality, but will battle in the trenches.

Overall:

During the spotlight session of PCTI, it was obvious the man they call Smo is one of the most popular teammates amongst league ranks. The combination of measurables/intangibles that Orr possesses make him one of the most intriguing prospects going into PCTI3. Will he play more aggressively offensively? If Orr takes the step, watch out for Legs Feed the Kitten.