IBC 19 - Everything Thread

by **Vaugania** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:00 pm

Official Communication
Vaugania Sports Federation

To: Mr. Henning Bakken, Head Coach, Vaugania Basketball

We would like to congratulate you, Mr. Bakken, on being the first man to lead the new Vaugania Scarlets into international competition. As you know, this has been a very long road for the Vaugania Sports Federation. After our great nation cloistered some time ago, the future of sporting was in doubt in Vaugania. We had played host to a variety of international tournaments and were building quite the reputation on the international scene. It is even possible that we could have bid to play host to an official, World Cup Committee-sanctioned event such as the Baptism of Fire or Cup of Harmony. While our reclusion was perhaps necessary to solve our domestic issues, we are overjoyed to be back in competition.

As you know, the Vaugania Sports Federation replaced the Department of Sport, a subdepartment with the Department of Health and Human Services. While we are still responsible to the government for our actions, we are now a privately funded organization. Thankfully, our brothers and sisters at home were incredibly enthusiastic and generous due to our return to the international scene. We have ensured plenty of funding so you need not worry about that. However, we aren't the government anymore so our budget isn't earmarked into the budget and we can't just go ask for some more, so we are going to ask you to give us some results. If we can't meet our goals, your job will certainly be in danger. There isn't room to waste money on coaches that are going to tank our team. But all of us at the VSF know that you are very capable and won't disappoint.

Of the seven teams in the group, four are ranked and we are at the bottom of those four. For our return to basketball, we want you to at least maintain the status quo and finish 4th or higher. We understand that the Scarlets are at quite a disadvantage being nearly 100 places below the team that is the 2nd lowest ranked in the group. That being said, there are also a number of unranked teams in the group. This is where we expect you to bring results. For the group stage, we desire at least 3 wins. You should be able to pick them up against these unranked teams. If not, you'll have a fight on your hands to steal a win from one of the higher ranked teams. As for a stretch goal, we'd like you to pick up a 4th win. This way, we will have proven that the Scarlets can take on better teams and e would even have a shot at the top two and qualification for the Round of 16.

As for tournament information, it seems that the Valladars are not being kind neighbors. You will have to take your team east to the Valladar mainland. Of course, it would have been much easier for us if they had scheduled a group in Edmonton or Adelaide, seeing as we border the Westlands, but it seems that this is not so. We will also provide two translators to your team. It seems that the placement of our group is also disadvantageous to us. We will be in the Spanish-speaking city of Pradera.Had we ended up in the Foix, Mountbatten, or Eterna areas, we would have been absolutely fine with English or French, but it seems that this could not be so either. Anyway, here's to a good tournament. God-willing, we'll put on a strong showing.

Yours in Christ,
The Vaugania Sports Federation

by **The Sword Bloke** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 12:45 am

THE SWORD BLOKE NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM
COACH: Shop Owner
NICKNAME: Over 200cm Murderballers
SKILL MODIFIER: -5

STARTERS
PG: #6, Owen Fraigh, 208cm (6"10)
SG: #35, Alfred Borford, 203cm (6"8)
SF: #14, Blaine Marks, 202cm (c) (6"7)
PF: #2, Shane Penfold, 206cm (6"9)
C: #00, Billie Mauley-Thein, 216cm (7"1)

BENCH
G: #8, Jack Rodrick, 200cm (6"7)
G: #16, Kenny Gonzalez, 205cm (6"9)
G: #12, Frank Farens, 201cm (6"7)
F: #22, Theo Tomsson, 208cm (6"10)
F: #13, Will Donald, 203cm (6"8)
F: #4, Craig Sults, 209cm (6"11)
C: #23, Joel Tavares, 221cm (7"3)

RP PERMISSIONS
Pretty, much, TG me for everything except for scorers(which you can do) and doing anything to Shop Owner(which you can't do). That is all.

by **The Sword Bloke** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 1:31 am

CONQUERER'S ACADEMY TOPS O'sN POLL; TOP COLLEGE TEAM AGAIN

Conquerer's Academy RedBlacks; the name of the greatest team in Swordean college basketball history. Whether you want Blaine Marks to win the IBC MVP or Billey Mauley-Thein to get a start, they both have roots to remember from the RedBlacks. And the RedBlacks again topped the O'sN (Owner's News) 'Poll' (OK, it is an actual competition), to win the TSBCAA Basketball Tournament ahead of the huge December Drownpool tournament.

The RedBlacks played 8 games and won all of them; one of 3 of 28 teams to do so, but the superior RedBlack scoring to the Angelou State Romans and Anderham College Wanderers saw the RedBlacks claim the first official O'sN Poll.

What poll is this? The poll makes up the December Drownpool Standings. The National Champions, the RedBlacks will be the No. 1 Seed in the tournament, with the other 2 unbeaten teams in the second and third seeds. The other 29 seeds go to the 29 best College teams according to the poll; the teams with the most success, the best financial record and best talent rank well In the poll.

And the name December Drownpools? 1 player from each team that had to qualify through the poll is put up as a 'Sacrificistian'. If that team doesn't make it past the Last 32, that 'Sacrificistian' will be drowned in a pool that goes 4 metres deep.

Shop Owner has stated interest in having the tourney go global; unfortunately, the deaths wouldn't occur anymore. But who cares? A Swordean idea gone global. Now that is something to me. If the December Driwnpool tournament does go ahead, it would need another name, but the MVP Voting, and the 32 teams, and the Bracket idea would stay the same.

The Pick 'Em Bracket contest has made this cup. In your work or whatever, you are given a college team who you want to win. If your team goes through, you win money or prizes, with that amount rising until the final, where the winner gets a huge amount of money. This is a crowd favourite at half time of games, and will surely continue.

Even if Shop Owner's plan ain't going ahead anywhere, the tourney will be exciting. Here's hope for another exciting DD tournament, hey!

by **Banguela** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 4:58 am

Banguela Bestas

This will be the first appearance of Os Bestas (The Beasts and not the Best, as some might suspect) at an international tournament. Manager Luis Radeba considers this tournament as an excellent preparation for the upcoming Olympics and to lay a foundation for the future of Banguelan basketball. The year is 2007 and the second edition of the Liga Boll has just ended. Despite its limited size, only nine teams, it allows professional basketball in the nation and this has augmented the level so significantly that an endeavour at the international stage forms an option. The group is built around Djangao, the impressive centre from Mpulo Diamonds and GBC Bassuto’s point guard Joao Vicente.

Style modifier: +1
Offence: 4 out, 1 in motion offence
Defence: 1-3-1 zone defence

STARTERS

Center: Djangao (#5 – 27 years old – Mpulo Diamonds – 2m06)
Power Forward: Bocca (#4 – 29 years old – Ntangele Axes – 1m99)
Small Forward: Rui Dekotele (#3 – 21 years old – Mpulo Diamonds – 1m86)
Shooting Guard: Vandu (#2 – 32 years old – Bassuto Phonica – 1m97)
Point Guard: Joao Vicente (#1 – 23 years old – GBC Bassuto – 1m89)

SUBSTITUTES

Center: Henrique Brava (#10 – 22 years old – Ntangele Axes – 2m11)
Power Forward: Samuelao (#9 – 32 years old – GBC Bassuto – 1m93)
Power Forward: Pedro Dunça (#11 – 24 years old – Nacional Mpulo – 2m02)
Small Forward: Fidalgo Junior (#8 – 25 years old – Purtaruca Lightning – 1m81)
Shooting Guard: Marco Felipe (#7 – 19 years old – Bassuto Phonica – 1m97)
Shooting Guard: Afonsa (#12 – 25 years old – Mpulo Diamonds – 1m94)
Point Guard: Martim Goncalves (#6 – 28 years old – Bassuto Phonica – 1m91)

by **Saint Kanye** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:39 am

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

KANYEANS IN VALLADARES FOR IBC 19 REACH 1,000

by Dante Dinkley

METROPOLIS - Air Yeezus Flight 526 arrived at Stanford-Miller International Airport at 5:00 PM Valladar time today, carrying 280 Kanyeans with tickets to the International Basketball Championships 19. With 724 already in the country, who arrived within the week, and not counting the St. Kanye national basketball team and its staff, that brings us to 1,004 people expected to wear the purple and lime and cheering on the likes of "Jimmy B" (team co-captain James Blackwell), "Chill Phil" (starting point guard Cedric Philips) and company. The Surge, as the Kanyean team is known, will be playing their group games at the 18,000-seater Coliseo de Oriente stadium in Campo Grande city, several kilometers north of Metropolis. The fans have started going their own way there, by plane, train, or bus.

This writer interviewed 38-year-old dentist Tyler Ramirez from Jalton City*, who is travelling with his wife and three daughters, on a TAV from Metropolis to Campo Grande. (Interview was held around 1:00 PM Valladar time earlier this day.)

DD: Good afternoon, Dr. Ramirez. What can you say about the huge support of our countrymen for the national team, travelling thousands of kilometers to Valladares to watch the IBC?

TR: It's amazing, you know? We Kanyeans are dedicated to supporting each other, not just in sports. Well, not all of us are able to make the trip... but I know, loads will be watching the games at home, and that's not any less support, right? Some of us, like me, we just have a little extra Coinyes to buy ourselves tickets, so why not, right? The wife and kids are fans, too. The wife actually had this idea for the purple and lime hair dye. I like it. But I'm bald. Too bad, huh?

DD: OK... what do you expect from our team in this tournament? From our opponents?

TR: Well, of course, I want the Surge to go all the way and win, but we're newbies. It's gonna be hard. Not impossible. Hard. There's a chance, you got me? We're not a weak team. We're gonna win some games, really. But still, we can't underestimate anybody. We got so many strong teams, like Cosumar [world #3 and IBC 18 champ], Ko-oren [world #1], Andromeda Islands [world #10 and St. Kanye's Group D opponent] ain't too shabby either... I should know. I follow international hoops. *chuckles*

DD: Who's your favorite player?

TR: I like them all, they're all good in their own ways. Hmm... Trick Shot [Frederic] Trichet. Have you seen that buzzer-beating Hail Mary he did in last year's [Pro League] semis? Went in! For the win! Dude needs to work on his D, though.

DD: Any message for the team?

TR: SHOCK 'EM, SURGE! HA HA HAAA! Show the IBO that first impressions last!

DD: Thank you for your time, Dr. Ramirez.

TR: No problemo.

For those who are not able to come to Valladares for whatever reason, all Surge games will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19.

*Jalton City is St. Kanye's second largest city, after the capital Kardashia.

by **Electrum** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 6:38 am

National Basketball Team of Electrum
National Team for International Basketball Championships 19

Management Team
Paula Hobson - Head Coach (temporary)

Background
Electrum have had a storied history in the International Basketball Championships. In their debut, the 14th edition held in Cassadaigua, they shocked the entire multiverse as they stormed their way towards the Championship Final, where they took the then number-ones, Saintland to the fifth game before losing. The basketball team were then on a steam roll, taking home the second World Hoops Showcase, held in Mizuyuki and Electrum, as well as the gold medal in the Men's Basketball Olympic tournament. By IBC 15 however, things took a nosedive, as the Electrumites failed to make it out of the group stage in the own home venue. In IBC 16, where they also co-hosted a third basketball tournament with Mizuyuki, they got out of the group stage, but lost to Saintland -- this time in the semifinals.

By IBC 17, Electrum got through out of the Casaran stage alive, and finally defeated Saintland in a series. This time, they would make it to the Championship Final, but this time against Ko-oren. It was not to be again, as they lost 3-1 by a stronger Ko-oren team. The next championships were a shocker, as they lost to the Quebecois 2 matches to none in the quarterfinals. The Quebecois had a strong home advantage, and the Electrumites were simply outclassed in every aspect. During the intervening time between the last tournament and this one, the basketball system in Electrum was restructured once again. Before there was a two tier basketball league, with the top teams in one tier, and the college/university teams in the other tier. Now, both of these tiers have been dissolved, and it has shifted towards a franchise format, promoting exciting competition by having city-based teams.

Because this tournament clashes with the Olympic Basketball Tournament, where Electrum is defending a gold medal in the Men's Basketball event, the largely new team has been split into two. The 'older' players, who have played for Electrum for a long time will be playing in the Olympics, so they have a chance to defend their medal, and to play for the home crowd one last time, whilst the new blood will have to keep up Electrum's reputation being at the top of the basketball ladder in Valladares in the meantime. The former duumvirate of Paula Hobson and Jack Allen has been temporarily split, with Paula Hobson taking charge here, and former head coach Jack Allen leading the Olympic teams.

Roster
Defense: Zone Defense (3-2)
Offense: Motion Offense

Starters:
G: Nick Bowen, 5'11", 25 - Centralis Evergrande
G: Dean Waters, 6'8", 23 - Somer Sunshine
F: Wendy Bishop, 7'1", 28 - Burnton Bulldogs
F: Hector Valduz, 6'9", 26 - Agri Irrigation Systems
C: Kate Jacobs, 6'10", 24 - Prescott Polar Bears

Bench:
G: Lina Zhang, 7'1", 24 - Fairleigh-Warburton
G: Ronald Taylor, 6'10", 27 - Centralis Highflyers
G: Fredrick Erickson, 6'3", 26 - Kale Islanders
F: Darcey Shields, 6'4", 29 - Port Grenville Storm
F: Ashley Richter, 6'11", 31 - Prescott Polar Bears
F: Estelle Seeker, 7'0", 19 - Hamilton Heat
C: Arthur King, 6'6", 22 - Hamilton Heat

RP Permissions

I Give My Opponent Permission to do:
Everything except murder

by **Banguela** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:32 am

There is some nervous anticipation in the vibrato which encircles the answers of national manager Luis Radeba as Os Bestas prepare for the opening match of the 19th IBC, the first one in which the Banguelans partake. Opposite on the court is Semarland, a side that can bank on a steady growth curve across the past three cycles and that certainly targets a spot amongst the final sixteen that will challenge for the multiverse’s title.

”It’s an interesting side to test our own prowess,” Radeba explained to us, ”but whether it is an advantage to face off the highest-ranked side in the group remains a question mark. We will have to fight for our spot on the court and especially for the less experienced of our players, I would have preferred if they had had a longer incubation period instead of immediately facing these big names. But we should not make excuses.”

We can assume that Radeba is referring to the vast and imposing Coliseo Mayor de Valladares, the majestic sports temple in Metropolis where our side will not only face Semarland, but all other opponents in the group. With over twenty thousand seats, it could produce a swirling atmosphere, especially when we collide with the home side on the third match day. Notice, with this in mind, that the manager spoke about ‘the highest-ranked team’ and not ‘the best team’ as the Valladars will evidently be able to do a little bit more in front of an ecstatic home audience.

It is, in fact, not easy to compare the group Banguela meets tonight with the ones that came within inches of the second round four years ago. First of all, manager Torsten Eikqvist has passed the baton to his former assistant Asamoah Diallo. This young coach has an apt preference for offensive tactics and tends to put defence on the second row of his list of priorities, but whether this idea fits the group as a glove will have to be proven. On top of this, only four members of the IBC 18 squad will be returning of which the Jansberg Nets duo Jakobsen and Oyebanyo are without any doubt the main figures. Missing, however, is the iconic centre Lamar Okore-Johansson. Marc Mpeko from the Nets will be replacing him underneath the basket, with two very young back-up solutions on the bench. Something which could produce opportunities for Djangao but the key man of the Mpulo Diamonds remains modest.

”One should look a bit further than that,” he elaborates, ”Not only is Mpeko a very respectable opponent, we’re up against a physically impressive team. A double meter is only standard with them, it’s exceptional for us. This means we will not only have to keep up with that but will have to outsmart them technically and tactically to take home the victory. A tough job but fine, we’re not here on vacation.”

Upon the questions from the press about his relationship with Joao Vicente, the point guard that captains GBC Bassuto, but with whom he now will have to form an unbreakable tandem, Djangao had a textbook answer in store.

”I see it as two separate things and so does Joao Vicente,” he reassured the fans, ”We’ve had a great number of clashes already and when we’re up against one another, things can get heated and on the edge, but always with sportsmanship. As long as you’ve got that, you can turn around the switch when wearing the shirt for your nation and work on something beautiful. Of course it’s not evident, there’s little time to work on the routines you’ve build up over the years with your teammates. But we both push the other one to the limit during practice and that’s how it should be.”

Promising words that hopefully will be followed by similar deeds tonight, as Banguela plays their first international basketball match against Semarland.

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:36 am

Starters:

# 	Name 	age	 position 	height
4 	Mihai Márius Silva 	19 	point guard 	1,80
6 	Ion Carolus César 	18 	shooting guard 	1,98
8 	Públius Márcus Varro 	20 	small forward 	1,98
5 	Ion Victor Molnár 	17 	power forward 	2,50
7 	Mihai Gabriel Souza 	18 	centre 	2,00

Captain's name is in blue

Bench:

#	 Name	 age	 position	 height
9	Patrick Mihai Álvares 	20 	point guard 	1,70
10	 Cáius Júnio Fostar 	29 	point guard 	1,75
11	 Mihai Ion Alekhine 	22 	winger 	1,95
12	 Ion José Capablanca 	24 	power forward 	1,96
13	 Alexander Márius Botvinnik	26 	power forward 	1,89
14	 Mihai Caeso Enderssen 	20 	centre 	2,01
15	 Mihai Márius Fischer 	19 	winger 	1,85

Starting positions:

RP Permissions:

Chose my scorers:No
godmod scoring events:Yes
RP injuries to my palyers:No
godmod injuries to my players:No
godmod other events:No

by **Zovorossia** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 1:07 pm

THE REPUBLICS OF ZOVOROSSIA
THE CRUSADERS

The Republics of Zovorossia are a Slavic, Spanish speaking nation that spreads across two continents and in addition to the main state of the Commonwealth of Zovorossia, has a number of client states including the Federated Districts, a dystopian bannana republic, the city state of Jonasstad, the French speaking, weapons producing, Republic of Sorne, and others. Most players from colonies attempt to play for the Zovorossian National Team, but the team is mostly made of ethnic Zovorossians.

Team Info:

Nickname: The Crusaders

Stadium:

Head Coach: Kosta Vanchev, the forty five year old head coach of the ZBPL's Greater Saburova Clash. Coached the Clash to two titles in the last league, creating one of the most consistent teams in the league.

Assistant Coach: Rayko Genadiev, the thirty nine year old head coach of the Vlasovo Knights.

Starting 5:

PG: Milas Stephanidas, Vlasovo Knights

SG: Miroslav Dmitroff, Slawa B.C

SG/SF: Yannis Megalos, GS Clash

PF: Nik Marinos, GS Clash

C: Henrik Kasabin, Pericin Eagles

Bench: TBA

by **Ethane** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 3:51 pm

Ethane Representation at the International Basketball Championships

Basketball in Ethane is a semi- popular sport. It has not been commonly adopted into a league structure in a big, commercial way such as football and soon to be rugby has been, but there is a league presence in rugby there in Ethane. Most people know what the sport of basketball is about, and mostly how to play it, as it is widely popular in schools as extra- curricular activities, but once you get out of school, the basketball world is lacking in terms of participation levels. While it is an interesting sport for many people to play for fun, reviews from when the Basketball Federation for Ethane tried to create a commercial league out of it suggested that it was not the most exciting sport to watch, and people would rather watch a game of football or rugby than basketball, because they feel that basketball just lacks something that the other main sports in Ethane have. While the basketball scene has dwindled in recent years due to the lack of participation and the lack of a league structure, the Basketball Federation for Ethane is hoping to boost support for basketball in Ethane, with the eventual goal of rebooting the failed commercial league structure, in the hope that it attracts more people due to the increased participation on the international stage.

The Basketball Federation for Ethane has hand- picked the best basketball players in Ethane to represent their country in this championship. Because Ethane does not have a formal, commercial league structure, it can sometimes be difficult to find the correct people to represent Ethane, but the selectors know where to look, as although it is not the most popular of sports, there are local teams that are in an informal league that is unrecognised by the Basketball Federation for Ethane, and most schools have plenty of young players who would be willing to give it a shot on the international stage. While lacking in experience, the Ethane basketball team is full of determined young people, who are full of energy, and will not stop at anything to win.

Management Team
Nation: Ethane
Trigramme: ETN
Modifier: -3
Manager: Devyn Weekes
Assistant Manager: Denzil Nye
Offensive Trainer: Riley Tyrell
Defensive Trainer: Bruce Stanley
Physical Trainer: Pete Parish
Diet Advisor: Jerold Hobbs
Psychologist: Wolfe Audley

Starting Lineup

C  #7  Joshua Cremmings          6' 8"
PF #11 Samuel Anderson         7' 4"
SF #2  Adam Bentley           6' 6"
SG #23 Kevin Stacey            6' 10"
PG #13  Andrew Steven- Pauls     7' 1"

Reserves

Center  #5  Cyril Adkins     7' 3"
Center  #21 Stewart Lanerston       6' 10"
Forward #14 Steven Pauling   6' 8"
Forward #3  Graham Davidson         6' 10"
Guard   #14 Ethan Mann    7' 0"
Guard   #1  Jordan Summers      6' 4"
Guard   #27 Billy Graham     7' 4"

Group

Group B
Nova Anglicana (6)
Ethane (UR)
Flardania (13)
Bongo Johnson (UR)
Levivania (124)
Andromedan World Assembly Territory (UR)
Frenline Delpha (70)

Schedule

Match Day 1- November 20th 2015: Ethane vs Frenline Delpha
Match Day 2- November 21st 2015: Nova Anglicana vs Ethane
Match Day 3- November 22nd 2015: Bye Day( No match)
Match Day 4- November 23rd 2015: Ethane vs Flardania
Match Day 5- November 24th 2015: Bongo Johnson vs Ethane
Match Day 6- November 25th 2015: Ethane vs Levivania
Match Day 7- November 26th 2015: Andromedan World Assembly Territory vs Ethane

What Are Ethane's Hopes?
Ethane is going to struggle in this tournament due to the difficulty of their group, who are much more experienced and much better skilled than them. Their first game against Frenline Delpha is important as it will show how good they are against a moderately ranked team, who they always seem to be in the same group as. Ethane will be looking to beat the team they are always pitted against, I think the Ethane fans see Frenline Delpha as their ultimate rivals in sports as a whole. Their game against Nova Anglicana is difficult, and they are not expected to win this game. Again, the Ethane game against Flardania is expected to be a brutal loss, because of their superior ranking. The game against Bongo Johnson is very important as they are a fellow unranked team and Ethane must beat the easy to have a chance of beating the hard teams. The game against Levivania is again expected to be difficult, but not as difficult as the other ranked games. The final game against the World Assembly nation is a must win as well, although by this point, the group is expected to be long gone for any chance for Ethane.

After destroying Frenline Delpha in the IBX X edition, the Ethane team will be looking to trounce them again in the IBC. Previous fixtures between these teams in a variety of sports have always ended up in various different results, but the Ethane team will be looking to inflict further misery onto Frenline Delpha by beating them in another sport which they should be better than us at. All hope is that we can pull off the surprise beating of Frenline Delpha as we did many times is baseball.

RP Permissions

YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT- JUST DON'T GO TOO OVERBOARD!!!

by **Ficiscia** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:59 pm

Tele Ficiscia 3 live broadcast from Valladares

A studio overviewing the city of Pradera, where Ficiscia is playing its matches, occupied by a young red-haired lady with sparkling blue eyes in a Ficiscian away jersey and a tall blonde guy wearing the black home jersey. The woman is Laura Marcella, Ficiscia's most famous and popular sports host, and with her is Quintilius Magnus, three-time streetball champion and TF3 expert.

LAURA: "Hello and welcome to the TF3 World Cup Studio one day before our big game! I cannot wait to see our boys on the court against Kirisaki tomorrow! I assume we have to agree that the favourite is Kirisaki though, Quintilius?"

QUINTILIUS: "Yes, Laura, I fear so. But this does not have to be bad - if they underestimate us, this might be our chance! It's obviously a key game if we want to have any chance to qualify, but I don't think that has to be our goal. If we get wins against the other unranked, we certainly can be happy. I wonder how well Urbanius can control our guys though, which will be key against a team like Kirisaki. If they attack blindly, we will hardly stand a chance."

LAURA: "You mentioned possible goals for us, and obviously qualifying is not a realistic one. But what do you think of our group? I would say we got quite lucky, no?"

QUINTILIUS: "We definitely did. If we look at the pots, we got a team of the lower half in every pot, plus the other unranked ones. But we shouldn't forget that we still have three Top 50 teams in our group. It will take a big effort to beat one of them - which is what we have to do if we want a positive record and we even have to beat two of them to get to the KO round. Never say Never though..."

LAURA: "So, Quintilius, what do you think of the starting five Urbanius Vero presented? We have Lucius Astrius on the PG position, even though many expected the more experienced Ianicios. Are you surprised?"

QUINTILIUS: "No, not at all. Ianicios is an important player for the team, but on court, Lucius is the stronger man lately. Also, he is the only guy in this starting five who has no street background, and that will be a helpful thing. If you got them all showing off their tricks, Lucius might be the one to structure the game again, as he has great overview. I am interested if Marci gets to play though - he is a man looking to shine, but how young can Urbanius make his team? You need some experience out there. I hope we can see him though, cause he is a great player."

LAURA: "Moving on to the shooting guard. Nobody is really challenging Pacorus, right?"

QUINTILIUS: "Right, but I am no big fan of this. There is no backup for him except Ianicios. a point guard too small to play effective SG. What would we do if Kyrillos gets injured? If he has a bad day? I think Vero puts too much pressure on him. But thi is the coaches' decision, and I am sure he had his reasons. Pacorus could become one of the great players in this championship, or he could brilliantly fail."

LAURA: "Ficiscia's strength is expected to be on the Forward position. Now I would agree with that, as we got a total of six forwards here and all of them have their strengths, but I wouldn't have expected Rasukas in the starting lineup. Do you think this is a decision we will regret?"

QUINTILIUS: "No, I don't think so. Rasukas is often criticized for his plays, but did you see the Streetball semi? What he pulled off there? I have never seen teamplay like that from Precastrum, who is just as infamous for trickyness. And for Nannajovs, I don't think he is ready for international games. Rasukas is a threat to any defense with his speed, and really needed as an element of surprise. What concerns me more is our PF. I know they say Andrinus Rectus is the next face of Ficiscian Basketball, but I think they all got a bit carried away with the Streetball championships. Rectus hasn't showed anything major in the hall though so far, and we got twi of the famous indoor players here on the bench. Urbanius seems to have forgot it's not a streetball championship, Andrinus isn't ready to play a vital role yet. But we will see where he ends up."

LAURA: "Now to my favourite player - I admit a little crush on him." She chuckles a little. "Tall, handsome, young and skillful: Janis Cantrapas. But also dangerous. What is your opinion on this man, Quintilius?"

QUINTILIUS: "Demas Harnijevs would have been the better choice in my opinion, as he scores much more points. But I see the thought behind it - Cantrapas is usually hot and motivated, and hard to control. I assume Urbanius wants to keep the enfant terrible happy, but I would prefer to see him on the bench as a joker. Harnijevs will get tons of playtime anyway. I wonder a bit about Martinus Nari - I would have given that spot to another SG as Nari will rarely play behind these two. But for the 18 year old, this is a great opportunity."

LAURA: "Thank you, Quintilius. Good night to all of you and see you tomorrow - when it is on for Ficiscia against Kirisaki!"

MATCH SCHEDULE:

20/11/15 Ficiscia vs. Kirisaki (37)
21/11/15 Outworld (UR) vs. Ficiscia
22/11/15 Ficiscia vs. Welcomzia (UR)
23/11/15 Royal Kingdom of Quebec (7) vs. Ficiscia
24/11/15 Ficiscia vs. Vaugania
25/11/15 Kaboomlandia vs. Ficiscia
26/11/15 bye (no match)

SUMUS FICISCIA! HIC PRO VICTORIA! CITIA ET FORTISSIMA! SEMPER FICISCIA! (fan chant: "We are Ficiscia! Here for victory! Fast and very strong! Always Ficiscia!" - "Sumus Ficiscia" is also the title of our national anthem)

by **Valladares** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:14 pm

Welcome to MY party. Scores:

International Basketball Championships 19 - Matchday 1

Group A
New North Aqmuland 76–66 Britenia
Banguela 71–84 Semarland
Chromatika 91–84 Jesushorse

Group B
Ethane 71–86 Frenline Delpha
Flardania 72–67 Andromedan WAT
Bongo Johnson 87–91 Levivania

Group C
Noksentin 73–78 Zovorossia
Halfblakistan 57–58 Nueva Andalusia
Natanians and Nosts 73–78 Elejamie

Group D
Equestrian States 71–67 San José Guayabal
Saint Kanye 66–67 Britonisea
Drawkland 84–66 Pinoyistan

Group E
Pulunia 61–70 Jacobandia
United States of Devonta 66–85 The Boatia
The Sword Bloke 63–94 Gim

Group F
Vangaziland 67–72 Omerica
Silvacometopia 66–92 United Vietussia
Derpsadaslkkf 79–70 The Serbian Empire

Group G
Vaugania 93–74 Welcomzia
Kaboomlandia 88–61 Outworld
Ficiscia 72–84 Kirisaki

Group H
Sioux Lookout 74–83 HUElavia
San Llera 72–78 Valanora
Filopines 84–90 Magehold

by **Kaboomlandia** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:11 pm

Kaboomlandian National Basketball Team

Team Info:
Nickname: Phoenix
Trigram: KBM
Head coach: Michael Myers
Playing Style: Quick, but very defensive
Style mod: -3.0

Roster

PG 42 Michael Buckner, Age 33, 6'8", 235
PG 17 Seth Roach, Age 20, 6'4", 198
PG 47 Drayden Thomas, Age 22, 6'4", 231
SG 32 Dwayne Griffin, Age 25, 6'11", 200
SG 94 Jon Locke, Age 21, 6'5", 195
SG 47 Fernando Gay, Age 29, 6'6", 184
PF 13 Dustin Burns, Age 32, 6'8", 215
PF 38 Jimmie Donaldson, Age 20, 6'2", 175
PF 18 Albert Clayton, Age 22, 6'3", 180
SF 3 Isaac Frank, Age 19, 6', 165
SF 12 Wesley Moreno, Age 23, 6'3", 185
SF 35 Jon Harrison, Age 27, 6'4", 190
C 6 Jorge Carpenter, Age 29, 7'1", 235
C 49 Cecil Perry, Age 36, 6'4", 220
C 31 Anthony Vance, Age 31, 6'9", 230

Starters in bold

Roleplay Permissions

Choose my point scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
Give my players fouls: Yes
Foul my players out: Yes (max per game: 1)
Give injuries to my players: Yes (only out for next match)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Godmod other events: No

by **Saint Kanye** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:46 pm

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

SURGE OPEN IBC 19 CAMPAIGN WITH SINGLE-POINT SETBACK

by Claude Harlan

CAMPO GRANDE - The St. Kanye Surge suffered a bad start and a 16-point halftime hole before getting fired up in the third and fourth quarters, but the comeback wasn't enough and the boys in purple and lime drop their first international game, 66-67, to 124th-ranked Britonisea.

Frederic Trichet was the top scorer for the Surge with 18 points (6/14 field goals, 4/5 free throws). He made the Kanyeans' first international basket on a left corner three, 5:41 left in the first quarter, but by then Britonisea had already scored ten. James Blackwell added 15 points, including back-to-back threes during St. Kanye's 12-to-nothing run at the start of the third that cut the lead to four, 38-42. Big Jason Morrigan was brought in during that span; while scoreless, he was a huge help on defense, blocking the Britonisea center's shots thrice. But Britonisea pulled away again, increasing the lead to nine at one point, 43-52, before a three-point play by Marc Stevens and a reverse slam by Billy Forrest brought the Surge back to within four, 48-52.

The Surge had two chances to try and pull the rug from under Britonisea, but Trichet's mid-range jumper was a miss, and so was Forrest's putback that saw him beating three defenders for the rebound. Forrest later said after the game, "If we didn't mess up at the start, and if we had more time at the end, and maybe if I didn't mess up at the end, it was supposed to be an easy shot, then the result woulda been different". Trichet added, "Nah, it was I. If I made my shot, which I usually do, but some nights just ain't the same."

28-year-old Kardashien* accountant Jade Hebert, one of the 1,350 Kanyeans in attendance at the Coliseo de Oriente stadium, stated: "Hey, at least it wasn't a blowout. You still made the country proud. Go Surge!"

St. Kanye's next opponent is San Jose Guayabal, who also lost today, 67-71, to Equestrian States. Britonisea faces Drawkland, who defeated Pinoyistan 84-66. All of St. Kanye's games in the International Basketball Championships will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19.

Next uniform: White. Odds against San Jose Guayabal: Underdogs, 35-65.

Scores:

BRITONISEA 67 - Individual scores not available.

ST. KANYE 66 - Trichet 18, Blackwell 15, Forrest 10, Stevens 7, Overton 4, Philips 4, Gatson 3, Larsson 2, Page 2, Smith 1, Warner 0, Morrigan 0.

Quarters: 21-17, 42-26, 52-48, 67-66.

* A Kardashian is a resident of the Kanyean capital, Kardashia city. A Kardashien, which is what Ms. Hebert is, is a resident of Kardash city, 230 kilometers west of Kardashia.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:34 pm

Nova Anglicana IBC 19 Preview

In the last IBC, the Nova Anglicana Lions finished 5-1 in their group and advanced to the playoffs. In the Round of 16, they slipped past New Wolfopolis in two games, beating them 66-64 and 88-87, showing they could win a defensive struggle or a shootout, albeit not by very much. The Lions then took on Saintland in the quarters and started off well, winning 72-71 on a late shot by star shooting guard Omar Martin. They got their butts whipped 93-74 by Saintland in game 2, then lost a tightly contested game 3, 86-83. Their run ended in the quarters, but it wasn't a bad tournament for a team breaking in some new starters.

This time around, there is even more change. Cameron Fischer, the 3-bombing and good-dribbling forward moves into the starting lineup to replace Cody Lewis, who will move to the bench. Familiar faces like veteran and former superstar Dominic King, as well as sweet-shooting guard Stephen Knight and physical forward Alphonse DuBois, have retired from international play. Their replacements are all-O, no-D Lee Morrison, point guard phenom Ben Ryan, and Jean Peltier, a forward who is a real battler on the glass. The Lions' lineup is taller than usual, with the team averaging a little taller than 6'6 across the board. While this doesn't necessarily translate into a rebounding and frontcourt advantage, it will allow the Lions to contend with taller teams they may face. On offense, look for Caleb Burns to constantly find Fischer waiting on the wing or in the corner for 3-balls and for Omar Martin to light it up both inside and outside the arc. Fischer is not as good of a defender as Cody Lewis, but he plays decently enough to not be a black hole on defense. Martin, Braxton, and Mbaraza will form the core on defense.

As for the Lions' opponents, they find themselves in Group B, where they are the top seed. They start off with a bye and extra time to prepare for their first opponent, unranked Ethane. Ethane boasts an unusual starting lineup, with a point guard at 7'1, a 6'10 shooting guard, a 6'6 small forward, a 7'4 power forward, and a 6'8 center. While 7-foot guards may be intimidating in terms of height, surely they can't be that good at handling the ball; there's just so much to keep track of when you're that tall. Nova Anglicana's guards should be able to dribble circles around them and the other players can exploit the matchups to their heart's delight. While this should be a win, the Lions can't get caught up in looking ahead to Flardania. The Flardanians are their strongest rival in this group, as they are ranked 13th in the world. They haven't released a roster yet, but it will no doubt be a tough game for the Lions and one they absolutely have to win if they expect to win the group. After Flardania will be unranked Bongo Johnson, 124th-ranked Levivania, and unranked Andromedan World Assembly Territory. These are three games that they should quite frankly dominate. The Andromeda Islands are strong, but their WAT has given no indication of any similar strength and can be taken down. The final team the Lions will face is Frenline Delpha. Frenline Delpha, like Ethane, boasts a ridiculously large lineup. They field a 7'3 PG, a 6'11 SG, a 6'7 SF, a 7'2 PF, and a 6'9 center. Frenline Delpha, like Ethane, will learn that height isn't everything. The Lions' superior experience and strength should allow them to make the playoffs. However, if the subs don't mesh with the rest of the team and the outside-focused offensive game goes flat, the Lions could be in a whole heap of trouble.

MD1: bye
MD2: Nova Anglicana (6) v Ethane (UR)
MD3: Flardania (13) v Nova Anglicana
MD4: Nova Anglicana v Bongo Johnson (UR)
MD5: Levivania (124) v Nova Anglicana
MD6: Nova Anglicana v Andromedan World Assembly Territory (UR)
MD7: Frenline Delpha (70) v Nova Anglicana

by **The Andromeda Islands** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:38 am

Coliseo de Oriente
Campo Grande, Valladares
Tuesday, July 17
1:45 pm

Coach Al Gooden and Assistant Coach Norm Peterson watch the contest between San Jose Guayabal and The Equestrian States. The game is surprisingly close, considering that some of the Equestrian Players are horses. The Equines are up 65-63.

GOODEN: So, our first game is going to be very slow. Most of the teams are somewhat humanoid, but these Equestrians? It’s a horse of a different color.

PETERSON: Real slow is right. We make sure they don’t get away from us. We keep the reins tight. Man-to... Man-to-man on D. A guard focused offense...

GOODEN: And two guys in the paint. Don’t give them any runway. They’ll have to win it from outside.

PJ Hardwick, Tommy Egan and Holly Rosener walk up behind Peterson and Gooden.

GOODEN: You guys just get here?

EGAN: Yeah. We was brushing up on our Spanish on the way here.

ROSENER: Es muy terrible, jefe. (His Spanish is terrible, boss.)

HARDWICK: Looks like me and Tommy need to practice our charge-taking.

GOODEN: Yeah. None of that flop-house Dennis Rodman mess. We don’t want to run with the horses, so you guys in the middle will have to take a few for the team.

----------

La Restaurante Del Monaco
Near Coliseo de Oriente
6:00 pm

A few players met at this Italian eatery between games. Kenny Hurley, Helena Press and Maria Rivera came from the Stadium after watching an exciting game between Britonisea & St. Kanye. Shaniqua Watson, Fawn Hopkins and Dan Stuckey are also there, on their way to the evening game. Stuckey’s wife, Jamie, sits with the group.

STUCKEY: Did you see the first game, Ken?

HURLEY: Saw the tail end of it. Our first opponents, the Equestrian States, won by four.

STUCKEY: How about the second game?

Rivera taps Hurley on the shoulder.

RIVERA: Don’t tell him.

HURLEY: How’s this? Experience made the difference.

Stuckey knows that Britonisea is more experienced than St. Kanye.

WATSON: How much of a difference?

PRESS: That’s for us to know and you to find out.

Press presses her glasses up to her face using a single finger, signaling to Stuckey the margin of victory.

PRESS: So, Dan. You know about our first game.

STUCKEY: Yeah. We’ll be taking more charges than MasterCard.

----------

Coliseo de Oriente
8:45 pm

After the third quarter, Drawkland had opened up a large enough lead on Pinoyistan that many of the spectators started to leave the Coliseum. Stuckey is still watching the game in earnest, trying to figure out how they will play such a tall Drawkland team. The girls were discussing some team gossip.

JAMIE STUCKEY: Have you seen Coach Deutsch?

WATSON: Not since practice yesterday. I’ve heard some things about her.

HOPKINS: Really? Like what?

WATSON: Like she doesn’t really coach the team.

JAMIE STUCKEY: What do you mean?

WATSON: Their Assistant Coach, Velvet Jones does the real coaching. Her and Becky Westchester.

HOPKINS: That don’t surprise me. Westchester runs that offense in St. Paul.

JAMIE STUCKEY: What about Mr. Anderson? Isn’t he married to Coach Deutsch.

Chuckles come from both Watson and Hopkins.

J. STUCKEY: What?

STUCKEY: This one’s pretty much done. You want to head to the Hotel?

WATSON: Yeah. We’ll give you the 411 on the way.

Stuckey is checking something on his iPhone

STUCKEY: Wait just a second.

Stuckey checks to see how Dave, his younger brother did. Dave Stuckey is a reserve forward for the Andromedan WAT team that lost 72-67 in Carloburgo earlier today.

Stuckey also found out that the Kanyeans were a bad break short of celebrating their first IBC win earlier today.

by **Banguela** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:31 am

It must have prophetic words by national manager Luis Rabeta when we bumped into him an hour or two before the game. Even if the jump ball was still far away, several hundreds of supporters had already found their seats and the nervous stewards were going back and forth with binders and whistles. “They’re having the same thing as us,” he spoke and we were a bit surprised that Rabete saw his own worries reflected in these officials in their blue-and-green organisation t-shirts. Still, he made his argument, “they’re about to face their limitations as well. Look at my group. Of course there are always debates on who should be in and who shouldn’t but these are all guys who are used to winning matches, deciding them. Being the better side and taking that to the board. But now, the cards are differently and all they can hope is that they make the cut. Like a high jumper for whom the bar suddenly is raised by half a metre. The same for these guys,” he pointed to the passing people, ”they probably know their stuff, but now they have to perform in front of the multiverse.” Facing your limitations would indeed be the vocal element of the conclusions after the game.

First of all, we want to press on the fact that what Banguela brought to the court yesterday was promising. The first test always sets the standard and what Os Bestas managed to produce despite a lack of previous experience should give hope to the following five fixtures, starting with fellow novice Britenia tomorrow evening. Especially the opening half, in which Banguela kept up with Semarland and even managed to edge them out at certain moments leading into a one-point advantage halfway, saw well-organised basketball combined with personal class to meet the needs against such a powerful opponent.

However, after the break, things went in decline and that could mostly be explained by the moderate performances by the substitutes. While the second string of Semarlandians kept up the standard set by their starters, our reserves failed to convince. The most painful examples of those were Henrique Brava and Marco Felipe, although none of the subs really managed to add something substantial to the display. Brava suffered most, not only against Mpeko but also against Javan Green, a promising element in the squad from Diallo. As the only back-up for Djangao, Rabete had to keep him on the court for a while, contrary to Marco Felipe, who was released from his suffering after three agonising minutes in which the junior of the squad never got a proper grip of the ball.

A weakness in depth and that even goes further than the reserve players. Over seventy percent of the points were scored by the duo Djangao and Joao Vicente. Of course it was a relief to see that the two proverbial and literal big boys of the squad could cooperate, but we had expected more danger from the forwards. Bocca and Rui Dekotele kept tight to the tactical plan and it shows their dedication to the project but their creativity suffered under the stringent tactical needs posed at this level.

That left a lot of weight on the shoulders of the center and point guard of this formation. Especially the plays from Djangao, who showed himself the better one of Mpeko underneath the ring several times, made the crowd roar with joy and the ‘Giant from the Diamond’ seems to have caught his best form for this confrontation. Joao Vicente, on the other hand, might have attracted less attention, but scouts across the multiverse will have spotted his clever runs. But even if they lived up to the expectations, their battery went flat at a certain moment, a bit too early to bring home more than an honourable defeat. It demonstrates how there is still some room for physical evolution, not only for the competition as a whole but for its stars in specific.

Last but not least, this brings us to the man who started this article at first, Luis Rabeta. The national manager had done an excellent job of bringing his men to the parquet with the right focus and dedication to wave the red-and-black. It would be unfair to blame the gap in stamina between us and the real big nations on him and we’re certainly not going to do so. But he went along in the general atmosphere over the good start and hesitated too long to allow his two star players some rest, some time to recharge. It is exactly the manager who should see through all the fanfare and make the unpopular decision to release the accelerator pedal in order to keep the car running till the last minute. Luis Rabeta failed to do so and so it has been, as for all his players, an educating evening. We’re curious to see whether lessons have been learned.

by **Vangaziland** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 8:38 am

Kate Foyelson is the new assistant coach of the Vangaziland Royals. She has coached the Overglade University women's basketball team for 8 years now. In that time, she has won 6 national championships, and placed in the finals twice. Vannish women's basketball has a lot of talented players on the pro and collegiate levels. Every year she was challenged. Almost every year, her championship victories hinged on tight play calling towards the end of close games.

Many of her rival team's players became really successful professional athletes. It's a testament to the strength of her competition. She didn't get to the top just by having a talented roster. She has proven to be a leader and a mentor. Molly Heyson went on to be one of the greatest Vannish female guards. Heyson credits Kate for helping to push her over the threshold from recruit to superstar.

"It was her playcalling. She taught me how to really exploit a defense, find gaps and such", Heyson said. "We also could never get away with lackluster defense. She worked with us, broke down our form and gave amazing feedback."

The Royals lost to Omerica in game one of IBC 19. It was Kate's first international match. "A lot of what I do as a head coach is behind the scenes", Kate said about the game. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind having a bigger role in drawing up some fourth quarter plays. But at the end of the day, Tim gets the final say as head coach. He had an angle he wanted us to go with late game, but it just didn't click this time."

Talk radio host Scott Janssen criticized Foyleson, saying she needed to step up her presence late in the game. "She's known for her late game mastery", he said. "She probably could have turned this game around."

"Omerica is a talented team", Center Lonnie Knucks said. "They stepped it up towards the end. We had a plan, we just didn't connect on a few plays. It could have went either way."

Some would say that Knucks is the culprit for the loss. He has been touted as an offensive and defensive powerhouse, but only went 4 for 10, grabbed 7 boards and didn't claim any blocks or steals in 25 minutes.

There were several lead changes in a game that was close until the end.

The Vannish backcourt did well. Handsen scored 18. Yulssen dished out 10 assists. There were highlight plays from both teams in what became a low-scoring, defensive matchup.

"Kate has done a lot of work with this team and had a say in the play calling as well", Coach Tomasson said. "She was behind every play because we both designed a strategy for this team, this year."

Handsen and Fulborg were the late game culprits who just couldn't connect on the final plays drawn up for them.

Team Captain Jon Jennsen said, "We knew Omerica was one of the tougher teams in our group. We're focused on the next game and on gathering up some wins for Vangaziland."

by **Nueva Andalusia** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 11:19 am

Horneros Barely Scrape By

Marco Gonzales, El Clarín de Córdoba

The Horneros are returning for their third International Basketball Championships, and despite the country's great love of basketball, the national team has never seen great success. In IBC 17, the Horneros started 2-1, only to finish on a five-game losing streak and return home to boos and jeers. In IBC 18, the Horneros again saw early success, starting 3-0, only to lose their final three games to Brockholtistan, Electrum, and The Sword Bloke, the top three teams in the group. Before this tournament, head coach Emilio Rossi vowed to change the results. "We will not succumb to a second-half swoon like we have in the past two tournaments. We will continue to give our best effort to represent our country well."

The pattern of early victories continues, at least so far. The Horneros won their first game yesterday 58-57 against Halfblakistan, a team making their IBC debut. However, the Horneros' performance does not inspire confidence that they will be able to avoid such a collapse. The Horneros led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter and 29-27 at the end of the first half, largely due to Francisco Aguirre's 5-7 shooting, including 3-4 from beyond the arc. His thirteen points represented nearly half of the team's total, but he would go 0-5 in the second half, hitting just a single free throw. His cold shooting was infectious, as the Horneros shot only 40.7% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. Point guard Javier Medina dished out seven assists, but he only scored six points, well below his average in the domestic league. The Horneros were saved in the second half by two key threes from Federico Rojas and buckets and blocks from center Marcelino Navarro. Rojas hit a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 43-41, and hit the go-ahead three with four minutes to go, making the score 51-49, a lead the Horneros would never surrender.

Navarro scored the team's last seven points, including a key three-point play that would put the Horneros up 58-54. Two of his three blocks came in the last two minutes, including a block of Halfblakistan's center that sent the ball flying out of bounds with just 01.6 left on the clock. With less than two seconds remaining, Hafblakistan could not get off a good shot, settling for a desperation 25-footer that clanged high off the iron and harmlessly to the court. Reports indicated that Rossi, while happy with the win, gave his team a tongue-lashing in the locker room for their poor play. The Horneros will take on Natanians and Nosts next, who are ranked 117th and lost a close game to 32nd-ranked Elejamie, 78-73.

Boxscore: http://novaanglicana.blogspot.com/2015/ ... istan.html

by **Kaboomlandia** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 1:48 pm

Phoenix Flatten Outworld for First Win

The Phoenix return for their third straight International Basketball Championship with a chip on their shoulder. In IBC 17, the team started decently, but plunged like clay pigeons in the second half, finishing 36th of 56 teams. The team was similarly bad in IBC 18, going 2-4. Not this time. The team is back and hungry, and they showed it with an easy 88-61 win over unranked Outworld. Michael Buckner was on fire, hitting an unbelievable 22 straight shots for 49 points. The Phoenix' next opponent will need to shut down Buckner, who is the Phoenix' only bona fide offensive weapon, with the rest of the team playing staunch defense.

by **Ficiscia** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:41 pm

FNSN.fc Basketball: Ficiscia loses first international match

Last night, the Ficiscians started IBC 19 with a game against world number 37, Kirisaki. It was a game with a clear favourite, as the Ficiscian team was facing the second-highest ranked nation in its group, but nevertheless, the black and green wanted to show their best and convince the world that they are a worthy opponent. In a sold out stadium in Pradera, almost 4'000 Ficiscians cheered on their team whose spectacular technical skills managed to pull the neutral crowd to their side. After an even first few minutes, the score being 8-8 after five minutes, the game picked up speed and Ficiscia started to become a victim of Kirisaki's superior tactics, resulting in a lead for the favourite in the first break. However, the boys tried their best and managed to stay close, going into the second quarter with a 17-21. Urbanius Vero managed to keep the players more or less calm and Andrinus Rectus showed brilliant skills, resulting in him scoring five points in a row and turning the score to 30-29 a few minutes into the second. Unfortunately, Kirisaki was able to answer again and could retake the lead by halftime, leading with 41-44. After the break, the Ficiscians started to become a little bit more aggressive and losing their patience, resulting in Kirisaki getting more and more opportunities to counter and reaching their biggest lead, a 54-71, when the teams went into the last break. Ficiscia could get back a little right before the end though as Kirisaki got more defensive, eventually losing the game with 72-84.

FICISCIA 72-84 KIRISAKI

Quarters: 17-21 / 41-44 / 54-71 / 72-84
Fouled out: FIC #24 Janis CANTRAPAS (37')

FNSN.fc player marks
1 = terrible, 6 = superb

#4 Alexandros HEPHASTOS (F, 2 pts) 4 Didn't play much, but when he was on the court, he was there and helped his team. Almost no wrong passes, but often a bit too conservative.
# 8 Manuel IANICIOS (G, 5 pts) 4.5 Often used as replacement SG by the coach, which he is a bit too short for. Struggled with his aim today, stood in the shadow of Pacorus. Great performance in his one shift as PG though.
#11 Ioannus MARCI (G, 4 pts) 5 Best choice on the PG position, even though he did not score much. Good overview and strong passing, but slightly troubled in defense.
#13 Demas HARNIJEVS (C, 10 pts) 4.5 Good as a replacement after Cantrapas fouled out, but didn't seem to get into the game when used during the game as a sub.
#15 Kyrillos PACORUS (G, 18 pts) 6 Almost perfect game, scored lots of points and served as good motivator. A brilliant leader.
#17 Andrinus RECTUS (F, 13 pts) 5.5 Charmed the crowd with his brilliant technique leading to the five-point-streak that made Ficiscia take the lead for the first time. Sonetimes lacking overview a bit.
#21 Lucius ASTRIUS (G, 5 pts) 4 Good defense, but lacked ideas in offense. Important to control the buildup of his team, but the actual performance was flawed. Gave up too many balls.
#24 Janis CANTRAPAS (C, 8 pts) 3.5 Was on a good way, but gave up scoring chances more than expected. Didn't help his team with getting fouled out. Defensively not always flawless.
#41 Michal RASUKAS (F, 5 pts) 4.5 Did more show than good plays, but when needed, he actually showed that ha can play for the team. Ended up getting not too much playtime due to an injury from preparation.
#42 Tertius DECURIO (F, 0 pts) N/A Not enough playtime to be rated
#55 Carolus NANNAJOVS (F, 2 pts) 3.5 Ineffective in terms of scoring. Played his strengths well, but didn't manage to cover his weaknesses. Often a bit out of position in Defense.
#69 Martinus NARI (C, 0 pts) N/A Not enough playtime to be rated
#75 Valerius PRECASTRUM (F, 0 pts) 2.5 Failed to make an impression. Was rightfully benched in the second half. Two terrible mistakes that both lead to points for the opponent.

MATCH SCHEDULE:

20/11/15 Ficiscia 72-84 Kirisaki (37)
21/11/15 Outworld (UR) vs. Ficiscia
22/11/15 Ficiscia vs. Welcomzia (UR)
23/11/15 Royal Kingdom of Quebec (7) vs. Ficiscia
24/11/15 Ficiscia vs. Vaugania
25/11/15 Kaboomlandia vs. Ficiscia
26/11/15 bye (no match)

Vaugania 93–74 Welcomzia
Kaboomlandia 88–61 Outworld
Ficiscia 72–84 Kirisaki

RANK	TEAM		GP	SCO	SCA	DIFF	PTS
1	Kaboomlandia	1	88	61	+27	2
2	Vaugania	1	93	74	+19	2
3	Kirisaki	1	84	72	+12	2
4	Quebec		0	0	0	0	0
5	Ficiscia	1	72	84	-12	0
6	Welcomzia	1	74	93	-19	0
7	Outworld	1	61	88	-27	0

SUMUS FICISCIA! HIC PRO VICTORIA! CITIA ET FORTISSIMA! SEMPER FICISCIA!

by **Ethane** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:21 pm

''What do you mean, we lost?!'' Pete Smichael was heard shouting down the phone towards the manager. Pete was a very important figure in the Basketball Federation for Ethane, and had high expectations for Ethane in this tournament. ''We can't go around, losing our first game!'' He was extremely angry that the Ethane basketball team had lost their first game of the tournament, and to Frenline Delpha of all teams. Pete always felt that there was a rivalry between Ethane sport's teams and Frebline Delpha's sports teams, although this was not necessarily recognised across the whole nation, and he wanted to make sure that Frenline Delpha didn't show them up in this tournament. He wanted to replicate the success that was currently being achieved in the IBX X and most likely progress, although he knew this would be a lot harder with the increased group sizes, and the group that Ethane was placed in, which had a lot of high ranked teams. He knew it was going ot be difficult, but he was expecting nothing less than progression from the Ethane team. He had been criticised for high expectations before, but he was head of the BFE and he didn't really care what other people felt.

In Valladares, the Ethane team, destroyed after being beaten by Frenline Delpha, by a considerably margin as well, was changing in silence. Devyn Weekes walked in to discover such a low morale in the team. He had to get the morale back up for their next game. I f they had such a low morale through the group stages, they would never have any chance. They had to get happy and hyped up. Therefore, Devyn began one of those really annoying motivational speeches, that he always seems to nail, and get absolutely right.

''Come on boys. Get up, huddle round. You can't let that defeat get you down boys, it's only 1 game. There are plenty more games to come yet. Focus on the next one, not this one. You may not have won this one, but if you dither other this loss, you're never gonna change the play for the next game are you? You need to get all hyped up. One loss does not mean all loss. You can still beat them. There are other games to come. And remember, you're unlikely to progress, because in all reality, these teams are higher ranked than you. However, you have to show them that there is some skill in you, that you can play, and that you can win, and that next championships, next time, when they play you again, they're gonna be the ones having to watch out, and not you. So improve your morale, because you can do it.''

by **Vaugania** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:03 pm

The Vaugania Scarlets gathered around their coach and bent their heads in prayer after the final buzzer rang out to finish their game with Welcomzia. The final score of 93-74 made them the second highest-scoring team of the day despite their primarily defensive mentality. One would expect the final score of this game to look more like the 58-57 final of the match between Nueva Andalusia and Halfblakistan. No matter the expected result, the Scarlets were incredibly happy and thankful for their win.

"Mr. Angerhausen," Coach Bakken said, addressing his starting small forward, "Would you like to lead us in a prayer?"

"Dear Lord," Angerhausen began, "We would like to thank you for this victory and for the opportunity to play in this tournament. We are thankful for your numerous blessings, O Lord and pray that you see fit to continue extending to them to us. Amen."

"Amen"s rang out from the rest of the team and they collectively made the Sign of the Cross before returning to the locker room.

The team had been led to this victory on the backs of double-doubles by Nils Oedegaard and Rearden McNeese. Oedegaard controlled the low post the entire night. By the time the game was over, he had recorded a very impressive 16 rebounds. Of the 6 that were on offense, he picked up 14 points, having put all 6 back up for two points and being fouled on two of them, where he made his foul shot. In total, he put up a phenomenal 26 points and even managed 5 blocks. McNeese's double-double came from points and assists. He put up 20 points, going 4 for 5 from behind the arc, and also contributed with 12 assists. Also helping on the scoring front were the remaining starters. Amundsen put up 10, Angerhausen contributed 14, and Syversen put in 9. The last 14 came from the bench.

There would be no rest for the weary. After showering and changing into sweats, the team immediately regrouped for a strategy meeting on their next opponent, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

Bakken passed around the scouting report to his players in manila folders.

"Uh, Coach?" My folder is empty," Otkupschilov stated.

"Mine too," added Yates.

"Everyone's is, boys," Bakken said, "Quebec hasn't provided a roster and had a bye today, so we have absolutely no information on them."

"So what are we going to do?" McNeese queried.

"We're going to play our game," Bakken began, "We put on a great show out there today. We held our shape and played very effective defense. We passed the ball extremely well and had great penetration into the lane. Nils was an absolute killer under the basket and Rearden was the same on the outside. I know Quebec's rank. Everyone does. A lot of people might say that they also have the advantage because they are fresher. But I think differently. When teams get up high into the rankings, they can get big heads. And I'd also be willing to bet that the Quebecois haven't touched a basketball since arriving in the country. We're the fresher team. The rust is gone. We've played a full game. We know what we're doing and we've established ourselves. If we play our game and keep our faith. There is absolutely no reason we shouldn't be able to win this next game. Now get out of here. Fantastic work today."

by **San Llera** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:15 pm

IBC Preview and Predictions

I think the title says pretty much all one needs to know. I'm going to do some previewing and predicting for these International Basketball Championships.

Group A: Valladares (49), New North Aqmuland (80), Banguela (UR), Chromatika (70), Jesushorse (UR), Semarland (28), Britenia (UR)
The first group of the Inernational Basketball Championships is also one of the most open, as the team out of the first pot is not a basketballing elite but rather the hosts, Valladares. They will have home court advantage, but they aren't the most talented team in the tournament in all honesty; only 7'1" small forward George Russell should start on a Pot 1 team. From Pot 2 is Semarland, a good but not great team and the top-ranked team at 28th. Then there's some interesting teams behind them, including 70th Chromatika and unranked Banguela, who seem to be the class of the unranked.
Prediction: 1. Semarland 2. Banguela 3. Valladares 4. Chromatika 5. New North Aqmuland 6. Britenia 7. Jesushorse

Group B: Nova Anglicana (6), Ethane (UR), Flardania (13), Bongo Johnson (UR), Levivania (124), Andromedan World Assembly Territory (UR), Frenline Delpha (70)
Group B, as opposed to Group A, is very top-heavy. It is one of the stronger groups even at the bottom, but no one is going to compete with Nova Anglicana and Flardania, two of the best teams in the multiverse. Nova Anglicana will look for their first title, while Flardania, perhaps like San Llera, is looking to make the next step and become one of basketball's elite. Behind them there's Frenline Delpha, who might win a couple games, and Ethane, who could theoretically destroy someone's tournament, but will lag behind in all likelihood. After that, not much, just a nation that seems to be related with The Andromeda Islands, but isn't nearly as good, and low-ranked Levivania.
Prediction: 1. Nova Anglicana 2. Flardania 3. Ethane 4. Frenline Delpha 5. Andromedan World Assembly Territory 6. Levivania 7. Bongo Johnson

Group C: Cosumar (3), Noksentin (UR), Halfblakistan (UR), Natanians and Nosts (117), Elejamie (32), Nueva Andalusia (44), Zovorossia (UR)
Group C features one team looking far beyond the group stage and two who will fight out for the second place. Third-ranked Cosumar are the defending champions, and they should cruise to first in the group, being one of the best if not the best basketball teams in the world. From the second two pots are Elejamie and Nueva Andalusia, two solid teams but ones yet to take the next step. The battle between those two squads should be pretty fierce, and the game between the two especially should make for fine television. Behind those two there isn't too much, just a mediocre Natanians and Nosts team and some unranked.
Prediction: 1. Cosumar 2. Nueva Andalusia 3. Elejamie 4. Natanians and Nosts 5. Zovorissia 6. Halfblakistan 7. Noksentin

Group D: The Andromeda Islands (10), Equestrian States (16), Saint Kanye (UR), Drawkland (UR), Pinoyistan (UR), Britonisea (124), San José Guayabal (53)
The Andromeda Islands, the class of Group D, have been a basketball powerhouse for a while now, and they are the indisputable favorites for the Group D title. Behind them are another nation experienced in basketball - Equestrian States, who are currently ranked 16th. They have faltered recently, however, and their aging core of ponies may not be able to do too much for them this IBC. Looking to take their place at second is San Jose Guayabal, who recently finished third in the World Cup, but don't possess the same class in terms of basketball. Britonisea is the last ranked team, but their ranking isn't particularly high and they probably won't do too much. Saint Kanye is the most promising of the unranked teams, but I don't believe they have quite enough.
Prediction: 1. The Andromeda Islands 2. Equestrian States 3. San Jose Guayabal 4. Saint Kanye 5. Britonisea 6. Drawkland 7. Pinoyistan

Group E: Ko-oren (1), Pulunia (UR), United States of Devonta (40), The Sword Bloke (25), Gim (UR), The Boatia (UR), Jacobandia (UR)
Ko-oren came up just short in the last edition of this tournament after going up 2-0 in the final, but they are still ranked number 1, and are one of the favorites for the title. They'll finish first here barring a shock. Behind the, The Sword Bloke is a pretty solid team, and United States of Devonta should play them hard for second. Given that the rest of the teams are unranked, the Devonta - Sword Bloke pair should be alone in the race for second, save for the small chance of a ru by Gim. The Sword Bloke and their excellent defense have my money, but it will be close.
Prediction: 1. Ko-oren 2. The Sword Bloke 3. United States of Devonta 4. Gim 5. The Boatia 6. Pulunia 7. Jacobandia

Group F: Abanhfleft (5), Vangaziland (42), Silvacometopia (UR), Derpsadaslkkf (UR), The Serbian Empire (133), United Vietussia (UR), Omerica (26)
Many San Lleran fans probably remember Abanhfleft beating San Llera last IBC in the Round of 16, and that win helped catapult the Fleftic squad to fifth place, easily the best-ranked team in their group. Behind Abanhfleft are a couple good teams, and they'll have to work for first place, although they will still probably still finish at the top. But Omerica and Vangaziland, the teams from Pots 2 and 3, are not to be messed around with, as they are potent teams in their own right. The struggle between them two and Abanhfleft should make some great entertainment for basketball fans. The Serbian Empire is the last ranked team in the group, but at 133rd, they shouldn't be too much of a threat.
Prediction: 1. Abanhfleft 2. Vangaziland 3. Omerica 4. The Serbian Empire 5. Derpsadaslkkf 6. Silvacometopia 7. United Vietussia

Group G: Royal Kingdom of Quebec (7), Vaugania (142), Kaboomlandia (45), Ficiscia (UR), Kirisaki (37), Outworld (UR), Welcomzia (UR)
Group G is on probably the most open group in the tournament, with the field including the 7th-raked Royal Kingdom of Quebec, some very solid lower-ranked teams in Kaboomlandia and Kirisaki, some decent unranked teams, and Vaugania's return to basketball. Royal Kingdom of Quebec won't be on their best form, but they're still the favorite. Then there's a mishmash of solid teams, any one of which could theoretically finish second. As of now, I've no idea who that team will be.
Prediction: 1. Royal Kingdom of Quebec 2. Vaugania 3. Kirisaki 4. Kaboomlandia 5. Ficiscia 6. Welcomzia 7. Outworld

Group H: Electrum (4), Sioux Lookout (UR), San Llera (23), Filopines (111), Magehold (UR), Valanora (38), HUElavia (UR)
Well, they saved the best for last. After long last, we finally arrive at San Llera's group, Group H. And this time, for the first time in San Llera's basketball history, they're actually a favorite to advance! The Swagfish come from the second pot, and should finish in the top two based on rank, never mind the team they've assembled, with solid players such as Ganchana, Carlos Tell, and Atualo Vela. I would love to say that they are to finish first, but Electrum is a very good basketball country; beating them will not be easy. But I do say with confidence that we will advance - Valanora and Filopines don't stand a chance against the ol' San Lleran spirit!
Prediction: 1. Electrum 2. San Llera 3. Valanora 4. Filopines 5. HUElavia 6. Magehold

There's the group stage of the upcoming IBC, all previewed and predicted. It's almost time, so let's turn on the TV and find out if I'm right, shall we?

by **Gim** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:27 pm

"Watchers of WATV 8 News, this is the end of our current affairs news. We will now turn you towards WATV Sports."

Camera switches to WATV Sports with Anchorwoman Jo Jin Ri standing in the center of the WAT Sports platform.

Jo Jin Ri speaks:

"Hello, I'm Jo Jin Ri for WATV Sports. After participating successfully in two football tournaments, Baptism of Fire and Cup of Harmony, the Gimian Sports Association has successfully placed its basketball team into the International Basketball Championship in its 19th season. However, coming in as an unranked team, the Gimians have a mountain of teams to overcome, especially the No.1-ranked basketball team, Ko-oren. Luckily, the morale of the team was boosted after playing a team that is not Ko-oren, but Sword Bloke. Let us see how they fared against them."

Camera switches to a basketball court, where the Gimians and the Swordeans are in a warm-up.

"Gim, having its first ever international basketball match against Sword Bloke. First quarter. Ban Yeong Hoon dribbles the ball to the right side of the Swordean zone, attempts to dribble past the Swordean defenseman, Alfred Borford, but turns around, and then turns around again and does a fade-away, and scores(0:05-0:12)! Gim up by 11-4!"

[b}Camera switches to Sword Bloke attacking within the Gimian zone.[/b]

"2nd quarter. Swordean forward, Shane Penfold, drives the ball into the Gimian zone, after turning right from the Gimian defenseman, Seo Jin Soo, and then passes backward to an open Billie Mauley-Thein, and makes an easy tip-in(0:22-0:29). 23-16. Gim still leading."

Camera switches to Gim attacking within the Swordean zone.

"3rd quarter. Ban Yeung Hoon dribbles the ball, trying to enter the Swordean zone, but he is barricaded by the Swordean defensemen. Therefore, he passes backwards to a wide, open Byun Do Won. He attempts a three-pointer, and he scores(0:07-0:17)! 73-48, Gim!"

Camera switches to Gim attacking within the Swordean zone.

"4th quarter. Gim leading 88-57. Gimian player, Seo Oh Min, dribbles the ball towards the right side of the Swordean zone, and passes left to a wide, open Byun Do Won. Byun shoots within the Swordean zone, and scores(0:35-0:41)! 90-57 for Gim with one minute to go in the fourth quarter."

Camera switches to Gimian and Swordean players shaking hands.

"First international victory for Gim in a basketball tournament. 94-63. Final. Gim is celebrating, shaking hands with their opponents, and raising their hands in appreciation of the fans."

IBC 19 - Everything Thread

Ethane 71-86 Frenline Delpha

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