International Basketball Championship 38 - Everything Thread

[The Jovannic]

The Jovannic Roster for the 38th International Basketball Championship

Centers
Avius Kratewager, 25 (227cm)
Chun Wai Hong, 22 (203cm)

Point Guards
Phillippe Halton, 22 (172cm)
Kaiden Wiltro, 21 (188cm)
Talry Waldorf, 26 (190cm)

Shooting Guards
Theodore Yustat, 26 (208cm)
Tai Di Jun, 30 (186cm)

Small Forwards
Joshua Phua, 24 (201cm)
Broge Cantes, 32 (203cm)

Power Forwards
Charlie Winston, 26 (205cm)
Tactalon Hisper, 24 (211cm)
Sunt Bowman, 21 (210cm)

Head Coach
Samu Hastejeles, 42

Style Modifier: -3.5

Hastejeles has assembled a rather physically centric team, somewhat against Jovannic sporting philosophy.

Avius Kratewager is an absolute behemoth of a person and a very capable defender, perhaps the best in the side, his height often being enough to remove big threats from within the paint. Offensively, he prefers to dunk instead of layup and likes to screen. Chun Wai Hong is somewhat more well rounded, and is more consistent offensively and in free throws.

Philippe Halton is undoubtedly the standout player in the squad both in terms of height and scoring ability, having a top class three point game, a consistent mid range jumper and being quick enough to drive into the rim. While not the best defensively, he is difficult to screen and can be a constant nuisance. Wiltro perhaps has greater similarity to the rest of the first five squad, with capable physicality and decent all round shooting. Talry Waldorf is definitely the worst shooter in the trio, but makes it up with creative passing ability and high work rate.

Theodore Yustat is another good shooter, having great flexibility going forward and adaptable when driving towards the rim, while also being a very strong defender. Tai Di Jun is arguably better than Yustat in terms of shooting, but he is not too strong defensively and is well utilised when chasing a game.

Joshua Phua is a very well built player, and it is unlikely that anybody would be able to outright overpower the stallion from New Hope. Offensively he likes to stay close and take rebounds, and has good creative link up play with Kratewager. Cantes is similar in playstyle, perhaps just a tinge less powerful and more agile.

Charlie Winston is the nation's best stretch four, combining versatility with pure strength defensively. Tactalon Hisper likes to stay close to the rim, and acts more like a traditional PF. Extremely unpredictable, Bowman is physically sound defensively but isn't great going forward, instead having a competent screening game as hisain offensive contribution.

Overall, The Emperors prefer a strong defence and utilises a 2-3 Zone or Triangle and two to combat strong singular offensive players. This makes scoring from the baseline or from rebounds much harder for the opposition, and forces shots from corners and beyond the three point line. For star players, a double man mark may be implemented. Offensively, a High Low triangle is roughly what is used for the majority of situations, but expect players to ramp up the screening, driving and other ways they can use their bountiful physical ability(All players love to screen, some more than others). Most of the taller players prefer to score two pointers, but several, including Halton, are dangerous from afar.

Most of the roster is not known for being particularly sporting, and will often badmouth, intentionally foul, or otherwise try to rile the other team up. When agitated, they may use aggressive or multiple screens when attacking.

Home Stadium: Frehiden Arena, 6,500

The Emperors make this cozy facility nestled in Caeton, southwest of Jovannica their home as the Illushire Arena, together with the brand new SportJovannic SuperFacility Centre is under construction, and is yet to complete seating arrangement and field specification tests.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Yes
Assign other stats (e.g. rebounds, assists): Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Ask
Eject my players: Definitely, try to keep it roughly equal
Godmod other events: Ask

[Cassadaigua]

Will Cassadagan Basketball step up?
by Rachel McGuinness, Concord Heights Times

As the sports world goes on, we have seen various Cassadagan programs regain their status of being at minimum, a moderate contender, to win a title. That has not happened in basketball, where the Matriarchy has been back for a couple editions now but simply cannot gain much traction overall. It is not as if we do not have any basketball pedigree, since the nation has won three NSCAA college championships, and is continuously a contender at the collegiate level. That does not have to translate to us being a top nation at the professional, but one would think that we are better than our #43 ranking implies. However, that ranking is exactly what we deserve based on our performances, so what has to change?

I was a little surprised to see Kristen Baynes brought back as the head coach. Like it or not, the Cassadagan Association of Basketball loves Kristen, and feels that the team's inability to accomplish is not a product of her coaching or team assembling. Perhaps, then, they are right, and it is not Kristen's fault, but eventually you have to find someone to point your finger at. If you don't think it is the coaching, then the roster should get a complete overhaul. While it was changed somewhat with two new starters, the amount of turnover is not as high as most people think it should be. So, the only conclusion that I can think of is that Kristen Baynes and company are getting a "last chance" to show something in the International Basketball Championships. It's either that, or you have to get the impression that CAB is content with just being a part of this tournament, taking whatever comes with the results, and moving on.

In her pre-competition interviews, Baynes insists that this team will have a good tournament, "I really believe in this group that we will be putting out on the court. It's a good mix of players that can shoot accurately from inside or outside and do well on the boards. Defensively, they should make things very difficult for the opposition. No one will want to play us when we are out there, and we are going to surprise people who don't think that we are any good." La dee da, right? Can you have had a more scripted quote? Sorry, Kristen, but the rest of the world simply does not feel the same way, and that starts with the fans right here in Cassadaigua. I hope that Kristen is right, though, maybe this group will surprise, but don't put money on it. There are eight groups of six, and only sixteen teams will make the knockouts, so you will have to finish in the top two of the group. The Fillies are the fourth pot team, and will have to beat at least two of Nova Anglicana, Juvencus, and Qasden in the group, while obviously keeping the unranked sides behind them, in order to make the playoffs. So, are we going to sit here, and have to say things like, "Hey, yeah, maybe if we go 5-5 we can build on that for the future."

Oooh wow, doesn't that sound fun and make you want to watch? "Maybe we can go 5-5". "If we can go 5-5 we can call it a success". Yeah, that doesn't work in Cassadaigua. We're not a nation that sits here and hopes for a .500 record. Perhaps if this competition was not conflicting with the World Cup and the Cassadaigua-hosted World Baseball Classic, our fans will have more interest in seeing if this group can claw together a .500 record or not. But if you go to a bar, and ask to watch basketball over soccer and baseball, you better be prepared to get kicked out, or at least have to settle for a small TV in a back corner somewhere.

Hopefully they'll do, and we'll be keeping an eye on them, but in order for them to get more respect at home, let alone to the rest of the world, they are going to have to be a lot better on the court. Perhaps, it will be best for them to have this low profile. Now, let me get back to baseball, please.

[Valanora]

Valanora Roster
For IBC 38

My opponents if they RP first
May RP slight injuries
May choose my scorers

Denonym: Vanorian

Jerseys


Staff
Manager: Odin Nagy, age 44
Assistant: Dovydas Smeby, age 55

Modifier: +2

Starters
PF: Erik Karlsen, age 31, 6'6", 209 lbs, Capri Firebirds
C: Leander Berge, age 28, 6'7", 211 lbs, Valanari Highlanders
SG: Sofie Rønning, age 32, 5'9", 158 lbs, Valanari Highlanders (F)
PG: Hans Söderström, age 31, 6'1", 178 lbs, Raynor City Monarchs
SG: Leah Opsahl, age 31, 5'10", 177 lbs, Raynor City Monarchs (F)

Reserves
C: Aslak Nygård, age 27, 6'8", 199 lbs, Mar Sara Phoenix
PG: Selma Omar, age 32, 5'9", 162 lbs, Mar Sara Phoenix (F)
SG: Ilse Sjöberg, age 34, 5'9", 154 lbs, Capri Firebirds (F)
PG: Maia Klausen, age 30, 5'8", 149 lbs, Valanari Highlanders (F)
PF: Ella Sørensen, age 30, 6'3", 182 lbs, Valanari Highlanders (F)
PF: Ulrik Hansen, age 29, 6'4", 201 lbs, Raynor City Monarchs
SG: Malin Lien, age 22, 5'11", 159 lbs, Mar Sara Phoenix

[Sarzonia]

"All right, that's it! We'll see you all at 0600 for the team breakfast, then we'll board the bus to the arena at 0830. All right, everyone, Stars on three. Ready? One, two, three!"

"Stars!" the players intoned.

As the players filed onto the bus to head to the restaurant for dinner, Joy Knight began to feel the weight. Not expectations. She'd guided a Stars team with no delusions of championship aspirations to the second group stage. She had a team still playing under the system Tom Manningham and just about everyone else employed, not the one she wanted.

But more importantly, she had a team that gave it everything it had. It lead to some head-turning upsets, and it led to a devastating overtime loss that spelled the difference between a knockout round appearance and going home.

Had Sarzonia sent her and her Stars to the 37th edition, there's no telling how far they would've advanced. But they didn't, so she'd have a similar situation to what she faced as a first-time manager.

She recalled a conversation she had with Manningham after she'd glibly explained to the media her intentions of adopting the three-guard lineup and having no one amongst the starting five taller than 6-foot-9. She wanted speed. She wanted ball movement. She wanted a team effort on the glass.

"I don't know, Tom," she told Manningham, "Lynn gave me a chance to rebuild the team moreso in my image, but what if it flops?"

"Then you look at film, you watch practice, you talk with the players," he told her. "You figure out if it's the system that needs adjusting, if it's the players who need replacing, or if it's something else." Manningham looked at Knight and saw the look on her face. He figured what her question was, but he decided he'd let her ask it so he wouldn't look like he was mansplaining.

"But what if what needs to change is me?" she asked. Manningham nodded slightly and smiled for a moment. It was exactly the question he thought she'd ask.

"Part of what makes a good manager great is their ability and willingness to ask that question," he said. "To acknowledge that they don't know all the answers. To be willing to answer the tough questions from the media, from their players, and," he said, leaning in with a wider smile, "from themselves."

"You did that?"

"Aw, you bet I did. I'd never managed internationally before I was hired here. This was the first time I managed guys I coach against. You think you're nervous now? I was petrified."

"I never knew."

"Part of the reason I was so stressed out was pretending that I wasn't having a nervous breakdown every night that first IBC." Knight laughed. Manningham looked in her eyes and smiled inwardly, satisfied that anecdote had the desired effect. "You did a great job in IBC 36. I'm proud of you. I know you can do it."

Knight could go to bed knowing that even if just about the entire starting lineup and half the bench were brand new, one player was not. And he was arguably the one player who was most important to the team. The team had always looked to Mike West before. They still will now, no matter how many players joined him in the backcourt.

On a team where the biggest constant was change, one thing didn't.

[Lisander]

OOC: Seems like Katterimunk regarded my first Roleplay, made before the posting of the roster, as my roster. To make things work nicely, I replaced the contents of that post with the roster (WIP), and reposted the old post here.

Every new season is a new return. Will this ever be the "definitive? - A post by user "Basketboy0075" in TheBasketballForums.

The fans made noise, complained, didn't support him, and there were even people who asked for Helder Machado to come back. And it worked. Inaki Vizargorri, after much hostility, resigned immediately after the last IBC, citing a completely unacceptable environment as the reason for his request. To replace him, the name found was another, extremely unexpected one: Laurent Oyon. At 38 years old, the former Power Forward of AS Virtus 1904 had left the courts just two seasons ago, and joined the coaching staff of his alma mater, Universitas Concordia Kasandora. As head coach last season, he led the team to only a 14th place finish in the NSCAA Eternal Conference two years ago. However, being a name Eric Hahn trusts entirely, as well as a veteran of the 25-28 generation, which led the team to its best results, he should receive less pressure from the fans, perhaps.

The generation itself is not one of the best. One of the reasons is the drop in the domestic level. The demise of the IUBC, which was a victim of inaction by international bodies that presented themselves as alternatives but ended up leaving not only basketball, but also Rugby Sevens and Field Hockey in a state of neglect, has made a team with very little or no international contact. Unable to sustain international structures, alone against an elite with little interest in continuity, and with no provision for change at the local level, Lisanderian basketball suffers on two fronts. By the way, is anyone aware of the growth of the NBL? The league that was supposed to be the second division of the ring-fenced SuperLiga is getting several better numbers. Put the attendances of AEL Lerna (NBL) and CA Oeste (SL) in the balance. Which of the two teams team the most crowded arena? The "smaller" one. Which of the two leagues has more closely contested games? The "smaller" one. The SuperLeague better start thinking about expansion, realignment or a promotion-relegation system, or soon they will be just a "fenced league" that nobody wants to look at, like those Formula Libre leagues that have only the relatives of its participants in the crowd.

Oyon's first challenge will be to filter, among the available options, a national team that can achieve a minimally decent result on the Katterimunk courts. He needs to analyse all these factors, after all the national team is still the showcase of basketball in the Principality.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec and Shingoryeo Men's and Women's National Basketball Teams - IBC 38

The Basketball Quebec, in continuation of its practice also shared by Royal Quebecois Volleyball Federation (RQVF) and Royal Quebecois Football Association (RQFA), is proud to continue its practice of sending mixed teams with expanded rosters to international competitions, even as the QBL and the QWBL gender-separated. In regards to their opponents' preferences to play the men, women or mixed teams will remain flexible in advanced consultation with their opponents (OOC: please read my team information right below).

Team Jerseys - Designed by Spear (Lisander)

Quebecois Basketball In Nutshell

Considered to be one of the 'Big 3' of indoor sports played in Quebecois winters (Basketball, Hockey and Volleyball, while Handball is a summer sport here), basketball is an extremely popular, well-loved sport in Quebec. With massive attention given to both teams, and all levels of basketball being watched from high school to the international stage, the Quebecois are expected to bring fire and fury to their cheering and jeering game.

After looking at the roster, you may have noticed that the Quebecois national teams are...slightly bigger than usual, with Quebecois women being taller than average and men shorter, even though neither are really Drawkians to start with. There is nothing to deny about how the talent disparity exists between the Quebecois women, one of the best (if not the best) program in Multiverse right now, and the men, who would be at their best in the top 15, and that's the way of life.

That said, for where they lack in particular height, the Grim Reapers make up for it with tactical versatility, power and strength, not to mention their ability to maximise rotations. The previously-mentioned disparity of talent between the Quebecois men and the women, as well as the international basketball scene's tendency to have predominant number of national teams be mostly male, had influenced the Quebecois brand of double-squading their tournaments with 16-18 players selected from the 30-player preliminary list to represent Quebec every international window. This is particularly evident in the group stage, where the Quebecois have almost always experimented with any format, and often key starters are rested whenever possible. Once the Quebecois national team enters the elimination round (or in the case of IBC 31, second group stage), the rotation tends to shrink to around 11 or 12.

Please see here for domestic-international calendar.

Position          Team/Program     Name                     Age Affiliation
Program Director  Men              Franck Briere-Bourque     39 Basketball Quebec (BQ)
Program Director  Women            Anne-Francoise Neubauer   63 Basketball Quebec (BQ)
Head Coach        Senior-M         Mirko Lazetic            N/A Basketball Quebec (BQ)
Head Coach        Senior-W         Kweon Joo-Hyeon           47 Hamilton SonicBoom (QWBL)
Assistant Coach   Senior-M         Kiggwe Muhumuza           63 Basketball Quebec (BQ)
Assistant Coach   Senior-W        Johanna Youngblood-Parker  33 Queen's College at Cornwall (QIS)
Trainer           Joint            Yi Hye-Ryeong             40 Nunavut North Stars
Doctor            Joint            Kim Bessette-Wolf         58 Montreal Koreana (QBL/QWBL)

After decades of waiting, the Grim Reapers are the Champions. Having survived a difficult group stage with their traditional rivals - though more on other sports and in general than basketball itself - they would emerge victorious in playoffs where they, after surviving a pair of last-minute matches against familiar faces in Cardenao and Banija, would outlast Valentine Z and Valanora to win their title for the first time.

There is no denying in that this run, as dramatic as it gets, was made possible on the commitment of running back their entire national team during the championship run in Poafmersia, one that both team coaches Allison Dubois and Mirko Lazetic had pledged the sixteen players to sign following their difficult quarterfinal loss to Nova Anglicana in Hannasea. It is true that most of the Silver Generation of talents involving men and women's players - which would include legends Moustapha Niang, Franck Briere-Bourque and Noh Seung-Hoon on men, Heo Myeong-Yoon, Hazel Hanson-Conavacio, and Yim Se-Ryeong on women - have moved on, but the group of players who had come after them too watched them and maybe the tail end of the Golden Generation of players grow up, and it would be this group of players who peaked right on time to win it in Poafmersia.

Now, it is time for coaches Lazetic and Kweon to name their players. With the Grim Reapers finally getting over the infamous semifinals hurdle, where they had previously stood with a 1-7 record before their victory in Poafmersia - Basketball Quebec is by all means positive about the program's outlook and hope that they could continue it. At least in terms of on-field performance here is no doubt that Mirko Lazetic, a traditionalist, team-driven coach best known for his consistency in bringing the Mytanars together before his gig with the Grim Reapers, is the right coach for the mostly individualistic group of players on the men's side. Having famously brought together a Evgeny Fomin and Zelimir Ateljevic tandem into the Mytanar national team, he had managed to keep the Grim Reapers' side continue their success since his arrival and has proven it with a trophy to prove it. The men's program continuing to find stability and success (they have not missed the playoffs since IBC-25, so a remarkable streak that goes over twenty-five years!), on top of the women winning Olympic gold two months later at the same KD Gardens, would suggest that there is no need for anything drastic to be taken at the upper level of all things to do with this team.

As has been seen by the Quebecois women's success in the Olympics, and not to mention the Quebecois clubs' general success in the IUBC, there is no doubt that iron sharpens iron, and targeted investment leads to success. Hockey, formerly the leader among winter sports in this northern Anaian nation, has been faltering in popularity and general attention due to extensive years of player-federation disputes and inconsistent international performance, allowing volleyball and basketball to take a greater chunk of popularity among the younger sports fans in past years. There is no doubt basketball has a consistent slate of superstars and international talent to promote - as seen in the QWBL where Xenia Dall'Antonia, the 2050 Bunjil Games' MVP, and a trio of stars from the underheralded 2056 silver medalists of Brookstation were signed to major deals - and the Montevicio Lakers may be the most followed team in Banija with Isaiah Lavaga as coach and Oluwasegun Tionge as their starting centre. Whether a more international league would translate to better results for the national team is another story, but then there appears to be a lot less pressure than in the past years where the league sometimes gets outshadowed by the drive for the ever-elusive IBC title that only they, in a miraculous, undefeated run in Poafmersia, had obtained this time around.

#    PO  Name            Surname                 Ht. Ages    Status   Team
01    PG  Dong-Joo        Yim                     1.93  23     DEBUT   Montevicio Lakers
02    SG  Alexandre       Armanet                 1.96  29  RETURNEE   Western Rifles (Græntfjall)
05    SG  Allende         Hong                    1.80  30  RETURNEE   Twin Cities Celtics
06     C  Austin          Muhumuza                2.10  31  RETURNEE   St. John's Arsenal
07    SF  Luigi           Tüjângér-Arngna'naaq    2.05  27  RETURNEE   Wansan Sparta
08    SF  Fabien          Grossinger-Bonga        2.04  28  RETURNEE   Jolbonopolis Kings
32     C  Horace          Karugunda               2.20  18     DEBUT   Levis Athletic
35    SF  Gilbert         Foringer-Kimpembe       2.01  30   RE-CALL   Jolbonopolis Kings
40    PF  Vuk             Vkujosavljevic          2.07  24  RETURNEE   Pahkatequayang Grizzlies
---
03    PG  Philippa        Price-Anderson          1.75  27     DEBUT   Nunavut North Stars
04    SG  Krista          Christopoulos           1.84  19     DEBUT   University College Jolbonopolis (QIS)
05    SG  June            Chavez Mayberry         1.79  28  RETURNEE   Myeongju Lynx
09    SF  Jocelyn         Keenan Morse            1.84  28  RETURNEE   Montreal Koreana
10     C  Taylor Anne     Rowsell                 1.97  31  RETURNEE   Fort Lowe Rattlers
14    PF  Soo-Jeong       Yeom                    1.88  23     DEBUT   Hochelaga BC
17    PG  Soo-Yeong       Joh                     1.77  28  RETURNEE   Myeongju Lynx
19    PF  Gloria          Akpannah                1.86  25  RETURNEE   Gaspe Golden Gophers
22     C  Larysa          Livitanova              1.92  27  RETURNEE   Zenit Attawapiskat

Feel free to check my newswire or ask me on Discord how these players are like.

Style Modifier (for IC purposes): -3

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers:Y
Godmod scoring events:Y, but please TG or PM me before you RP this. Make sure to read my roster information, to avoid any confusion.
RP injuries to my players:Y
Godmod Injuries to my players:I shall decide the severity
Suspend my players:Y
Godmod suspension events:Y. That said, please contact me in advance, especially if you wish to go to any event that may suspend two or more players
Godmod other events: Y, but TG or PM are a must if you are trying to get something rolling

[Graintfjall]

Team name: Græntfjall
Trigram: GRÆ
Demonym: Græntfjaller
Team nickname: Super Wolves
Home arena: Kyrkdorf MSK Arena

Head coach: Aðólf Ingibertsson
Assistant coaches: Theo Simonsson, Jesper Sesilsson
Conditioning trainer: Apríl Tótadóttir

№	Name				Pos.	Height	Club
4	Melrakki Vinjarsson		PF	2.08 m	 New Háttmark Blizzards
5	Tjörfi Ásason			PG	1.97 m	 New Háttmark Blizzards
6	Immanúel "Big Kunt" Knutsson	C	2.12 m	 Southern Black Goats
7	Oluwatobi Adedayosson†		SF	2.01 m	 Southern Black Goats
8	Benjamin Iirosson (c)		C	2.13 m	 Árberg Ice-Pandas
9	Hamid Uqmahsson‡	SF	2.06 m	 New Háttmark Blizzards
10	Nathan Einarsson		PF/SF	2.05 m	 Árberg Ice-Pandas
11	Þorkell Herfinnursson		PG	1.90 m	 Hinteram Ghouls
12	Farkhad Zhunusson* 		PF	2.07 m	 Kyrkdorf Tungsten Miners
13	Kristdór Yngvarsson			SG	1.96 m	 Árberg Ice-Pandas
14	Jari Jukkasson			SG	1.93 m	 Odinsfluss Voyageurs
15	Gísli Þórarsson			SG	2.02 m	 Árberg Ice-Pandas

* Referred to in Græntfjaller media as Farkhad Zhunusov.
† Referred to in Græntfjaller media as Oli Afolabi.
† Referred to in Græntfjaller media as Hamid Akbar.

The first generation of Super Wolves has now all but aged out: with the departures of Tom Farmansson and Hilmar Eldgrimsson, only Benjamin Iirosson (who began as a teenager) remains. Despite the evolution of the playing roster, the playing style shows less change, and though this team has more ethnic diversity than the painfully white teams of old, on the court they still tend to rely on size and strength over playing skill. The three-point game is reasonably well established but few Græntfjaller bigs have a true stretch game.

Last tournament the backcourt was in flux, but Tjörfi Ásason has emerged as league MVP and nailed down the point guard position. A slasher and capable defender despite his size with a good all round game, he is quickly establishing himself as a creative facilitator in the pick-and-roll game, and will start ahead of Þorkell Herfinnursson, a more limited defender if a slightly more potent shooter. Gísli Þórarsson is now ahead of Jari Jukkasson on the depth chart, the exciting young prospect from Árberg having a more rounded game than the defensively fallible "Chukkasson". Kristdór Yngvarsson is new as a three-point specialist.

Hussain Abdulla at small forward is the team's biggest loss, having established himself as the team's most dependable second option: in his place will be competing the rangy Hamid Akbar and defensive specialist Oli Afolabi, who can guard 1-5 and has earned the nickname "Oli the Octopus" for his long arms grabbing steals and swatting blocks. Lots of different play styles are listed at power forward, from wing shooter Nathan Einarsson, to Farkhad Zhunusov who is a good defender and rebounder but vulnerable to foul-a-Farkhad tactics with his barely 60% free throw shooting, to new call-up Melrakki Vinjarsson, a dominant post player but with no real range.

Benjamin Iirosson remains the standout player and the only guaranteed starter. A powerful presence at both ends, he’s a multiple defensive PoY and one-time MVP in the Græntfjaller Basketball Championship. He’s certainly no outside threat but can get to the rim and finish at will. It is a categorical imperative that Immanúel Knutsson will throw down some dunks and blocks, but his main role is to give Iirosson some rest in blowout games.

Code: Select all

    If my opponent RPs first, they may:
    Choose my lineup: Y
    Choose my scorers: Y
    Choose other statistics (e.g. rebounds, assists) for my players: Y
    RP injuries to my players: Y
    Godmode sporting events: Y
    Godmode injuries: N
    Godmode other events: N (ask first)

If you use non-photoshopped photographs, please don’t say they’re my players without asking. Please do not RP egregious violence without asking. Open to any IC collaboration, just ask.

[Katterimunk]

Basketball team of Katterimunk for IBC XXXVIII

Katterimunk has decided to allow 15 players to play in the 38th International Basketball Championship held at home.

Head Coach: Nuzen Ashikai
Asst Coach: Aoi Nasra

Point Guards

Tariq Khan         174cm
Steph Lawrence     169cm
Stenz Asimov       173cm

Shooting Guards

Rauf Khomov        178cm
Balter Greg        179cm
Cheng Kun          176cm

Center

Jack Dawn          189cm
Kevin Khumwunchuk  192cm
Narstik Toptunov   190cm

Power Forwards

Harzath Ali        187cm
Usman Chand        186cm
Khulmukh Alternov  187cm

Small Forwards

Ghiskar Asimov      178cm
Lurent Alkax        185cm
Jimar Sural         185cm

---

[Katterimunk]

Matchday 1

And with this we kickoff the 38th IBC held in Katterimunk. Cutoff for Group E-H

Group E
All games held @ Aurora Arena, Inaspolis City

Kharakia 59–73 Rwekazaland
Cardenao 82–60 Diarcesia
Pemecutan 67–64 Valanora

  Group E                  Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Cardenao                   1    1   0    82   60  +22    1.000
2 Rwekazaland                1    1   0    73   59  +14    1.000
3 Pemecutan                  1    1   0    67   64   +3    1.000
4 Valanora                   1    0   1    64   67   −3    0.000
5 Kharakia                   1    0   1    59   73  −14    0.000
6 Diarcesia                  1    0   1    60   82  −22    0.000

Group F
All games held @Eclipse Pavillion, Acrehull

Sarzonia 81–76 Nordic Airland
Benjium 73–98 Gran Saguaro
Valentine Z 100–83 Græntfjall

  Group F                  Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Gran Saguaro               1    1   0    98   73  +25    1.000
2 Valentine Z                1    1   0   100   83  +17    1.000
3 Sarzonia                   1    1   0    81   76   +5    1.000
4 Nordic Airland             1    0   1    76   81   −5    0.000
5 Græntfjall                 1    0   1    83  100  −17    0.000
6 Benjium                    1    0   1    73   98  −25    0.000

Group G
All games held @Galaxy Arena, Ancehaul

Delaclava 96–58 Sinyal
Equestria 69–72 Qubec and Shingoryeo
Eraman 68–86 Macbon

  Group G                  Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Delaclava                  1    1   0    96   58  +38    1.000
2 Macbon                     1    1   0    86   68  +18    1.000
3 Qubec and Shingoryeo       1    1   0    72   69   +3    1.000
4 Equestria                  1    0   1    69   72   −3    0.000
5 Eraman                     1    0   1    68   86  −18    0.000
6 Sinyal                     1    0   1    58   96  −38    0.000

Group H
All games held @Prism Court, Stritstead

Juvencus 69–68 Qasden
Nova Anglicana 84–83 Kronbia
Libonesia 66–78 Cassadaigua

  Group H                  Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Cassadaigua                1    1   0    78   66  +12    1.000
2 Nova Anglicana             1    1   0    84   83   +1    1.000
3 Juvencus                   1    1   0    69   68   +1    1.000
4 Kronbia                    1    0   1    83   84   −1    0.000
5 Qasden                     1    0   1    68   69   −1    0.000
6 Libonesia                  1    0   1    66   78  −12    0.000

Next cutoff on 24/06/2023 at around 9-11 UTC

[Sarzonia]

The question was bound to come up sooner or later.

Sarzonia was fresh off its closer-than-expected 81-76 victory over unranked Nordic Airland, a match that saw the unranked side battle back from a 15-point deficit to close the match to a one-possession contest before their best player fouled out with 0.6 seconds remaining. The foul sent guard Mike West to the charity stripe to hit two free throws that prevented a potential miracle 3-pointer from sending the match to overtime.

Manager Joy Knight took her team's foot off the petrol pedal with that 15-point lead with four minutes remaining by sending in depth players. She was forced to return three of the five starters she sat to the court, including West, who finished with a team-high 28 points. He also added seven rebounds and four assists, looking much like the Mike West of recent tournaments past.

"This competition is a grind," Knight said of her decision to send her starters to the substitute's bench in favour of the depth players late in the match. "We wanted to give our [starting] players a chance to rest up when they can, and we wanted to give our depth players, especially the new ones, a chance to get their feet wet in the event we'll need them later." Of the optics of a close contest against an unranked side, Knight pointed out that the team doesn't benefit from so-called style points.

"We're not trying to pad our stats against Podunk State," she said. "A one-point win against an unranked side counts the same as a 30-point win over a highly-ranked side in terms of what it does in the tables," she said. That may not necessarily be accurate, as the Stars would be on the outside looking in for a spot in the knockout rounds if only this one match determined the team's fate. Both Gran Saguaro and Valentine Z won their matches by much wider margins, with fourth ranked Valentine Z pummeling No. 10 Græntfjall by 17 points. Gran Saguaro toppled the Stars' next opponents Benjium 98-73 whilst Valentine Z's triumph was by a 100-83 scoreline. However, Knight was undeterred and unpreturbed.

"It's one match out of 10," she said. "We're still adjusting to the new offence against live competition. There's bound to be some growing pains in shifting from a traditional lineup to a three-guard set. It's best to get those out of the way now before we face the two highest ranked sides in our group." To wit: After the match against Benjium, Sarzonia will face Valentine Z on Matchday 3 followed by Græntfjall on Matchday 4.

"Coach wants to make sure we get a chance to get significant playing time now before those matches," reserve guard/forward Kent Bradley said. "We probably won't see much time on the court against either of those teams (Valentine Z or Græntfjall) unless we get into foul trouble, so she wants the starters well rested before those two matches." Knight didn't disagree, but said that was a greater concern during the return legs against both sides.

"Matchdays 3 and 4 are both going to be intense, and we're going to feel like there's no margin for error in either one, but on Matchdays 8 and 9, it's going to be absolutely critical that we be at top form. Our future in this edition of the IBC could depend on how well we do against the Big Two in our group."

[Hannasea]

The HBA hasn’t really taken on the analytics revolution in the way the HBL has. Players are more likely to take low percentage 2PT jumpers than might be common in other leagues. Flashy play – big dunks, hero ball – is popular regardless of what the percentages say. Defence can be pretty fierce or utterly lackadaisical, never in-between.

Coach: Florence-Anne Raabe, former Quebecois coach of the South Newlandian NT, lately of of Zenit Attawapiskat BC in the highly rated Quebecois league.

Roster

5. Késhaun Cunningham (PG, 6’4”, Greenville United)
With nice handles for a player of his size, Cunningham is a left-handed point guard who can be difficult for the opposition to defend. He’s a great passer but struggles to impact the game on defence and can be turnover prone.
13. Ra’eed Coleman (PG, 6’1”, Liberty Sabretooths)
Coleman is a pure chucker whose aggressive three point shooting can turn the game in either team’s favour depending on whether his shot is landing or not. Speedy and grabs steals but not a great man defender and his tricky passes end up in the stands as often as in the hands of the guy rolling to the basket.[/i]
6. Jayden Gordon (PG/SG, 6’2”, New Blopping Shade)
A speedy slasher with aggressive scoring instincts and a crazy handle that sometimes gets a little away from him. A hustler on defence.

11. Parker Collins (SG, 6’6”, Marble Hills Pirates)
Energetic five-tool player whose shooting blew a little hot and cold at the Olympics, though he did make some clutch corner threes. Can defend 1 – 4 and pull down some rebounds.
7. Nathaniel Rubin (SG/SF, 6’7”, Butterfly City Crazy Hippos)
Part of the Olympic team, Rubin is a rangy outside shooter with a slightly unconventional release that can lead to him getting blocked, but when he gets free, he’s above average in accuracy. A quiet undemanding guy who doesn’t mind putting in effort on defense or going without the ball for stretches.
4. Wyatt May (SG/PG, 6’2”, Coral Coast Dolphins)
Somewhat surprising owner of the HBA single game scoring record, but in general May doesn't hit his shots at a high enough percentage to make up for the fact that he doesn't really offer anything else.

9. Tom Powell (SF/SG/PG, 6’7”, Oak Park Blue Bees)
A popular, flashy wing whose 3PT shot is extremely streaky, middling career average but with some clutch moments to his name, particularly on defence. He’s been the face of the Hannasean team in international play to date. Listed as a SF in the past but playing as a point forward; Off the court, his relationship with the leader of a far-right party continues to attract negative attention for someone who is otherwise seen as having blazed a trail for Hannasean athletes of colour.
10. Nate Connell (SF, 6’8”, Chelcaste Force
Another Olympic carryover, Connell’s scoring wasn’t a major factor in the gold medal run, but his scrappy defense and hustling full-court energy were important contributing factors in the Sardines’ success.

8. Jean-Luc Kaplan (PF, 6’10”, Upper Niedewe Jackals)
A young prospect who's already holding down a 20/10 average and throwing in better than a block a game. Like most Hannasean PFs Kaplan isn't a true stretch four, but he has a decent midrange shot and seems to be working on developing as an outside threat.
12. TreQuell Whitaker (PF/SF, 6’10”, New Blopping Shade)
Whitaker’s defense was superb at the Olympics and has earned him an IBC berth. He’s not much of a factor on offense outside of dunks and putbacks, but his board crashing energy and huge vertical combined with impressive strength make up for not having the longerst arms. Not great from the line, but has improved to make ‘hit-a-Whitaker’ tactics risky.

14. Justin Griffin (C, 6’11”, Hillmouth Buxx)
A dominant scorer and rebounder at domestic level, Griffin found IBC play a step up and will look to improve on his showing on home floors. A classic center with no real outside game, but no weaknesses in the paint, either.
15. Blake Hopkins (C/PF, 7’2”, Oak Park Blue Bees)
Hopkins was the breakout star of the Olympic team as a primary scoring option, so adapting to minutes off the bench – he’s behind Griffin on the depth chart thanks to the latter’s superior defense – will be a challenge. A bit more able to stretch the floor than Griffin but nowhere near as athletic and fitness can be a concern late in the game.

Uniforms

The Sardines will play in black kit with gold piping, and wear the shorts and socks of their individual HBA franchises.

Code: Select all

If my opponent RPs first, they may:
Choose my lineup: Y
Choose my scorers: Y
Choose other statistics (e.g. rebounds, assists) for my players: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmode sporting events: Y
Godmode injuries: N
Godmode other events: Y

If you want to sign a player, send a TG/DM.

If you use non-photoshopped photographs, please don’t say they’re my players without asking. Please do not RP violence without asking.

[Banija]

Banija back in the IBCs, back in the top 10- are we legitimate contenders?

KATTERIMUNK- The climb back to the top of the international game, in basketball, is always a steep one. We know what kind of heights we've reached as a nation- and then, of course, after a player strike, we went back down. But the work is being put in to get back to where we once were- the talent has always been there, but that was never the question. The Q was this- was the drive there? Did we have the patience? Did we have faith in Laboto to get us back to the great heights of international basketball? The game moved on without us (as it always does), and now, we are trying to get back to the mountaintop.

Oscar Laboto, the team's head coach, has seen the last of the championship winning generation age out. It is the first Banija Lions roster without a former IBC winner since our return to international hoops, with Israel Arefani's retirement from the game. He spoke about that. "We lost a lot of veteran leadership, and experience, with the last of our title winners finally retiring." The head coach said. "But winning is built in our DNA. Those championship habits, that attitude, etc... Is all in this team. We've got a highly talented lineup, and I believe that, over the long-term, we've got a team built to continuously contend at the highest levels in this sport."

Quebec, our Commonwealth rivals, currently stand at the top of the mountain- finally getting past their mental hurdle at the semifinals, and being crowned kings of this sport. They, of course, went through us. A rivalry that had swung Banija's way in recent years has swung dramatically back towards Quebec, as they've eliminated us in the last two IBCs. IBC 36, they beat us in the Round of 16, with a one point, 79-78 win, in what was known as an absolute heartbreaker for our Lions. But last cycle, after we dramatically upset Hannasea in the Round of 16, we faced off again against the Quebecois in the QFs- and they pummeled us, whipping us by 24. That's when a lot of Banijans realized 'oh shit, this team might be different'- and they were.

That, of course, has brought this rivalry probably back to its greatest heights. With rumors swirling that the Banija v. Quebec SuperSeries is returning (annual contest between the men's and the women's teams of both nations), that rivalry will surely be in focus. But even beyond that, we've got to contend with this group stage that is laid out in front of us. Six team group- only two advance to the knockout stages(which are double elimination). We've wrangled our way back to Pot 1 for the first time since IBC 33, sitting as the #7 ranked team in the multiverse. But we're joined in the group by also another perennial title contender, Chromatika.

The two close allies are massive joint favorites to get out of this group- in which order, undetermined, but we'd be stunned if there was any other results than these two nations finishing 1 and 2- regardless of who is 1, and who is 2. They are joined by Poafmersia(26), Dod Rava(30), and New Dascos(UR). "Can any of them disrupt the clear top two? Unlikely." Said a TV analyst. "But it'll be about getitng upsets at the first chance you get. This opening game, here on Matchday 1, Banija's trip to Dod Rava- anything can happen. This ain't the early '30s. Let's go in there, in front of what's surely going to be a raucous crowd, pining for an upset- let's go in, get that win by whatever means necessary, and return home 1-0."

[South Newlandia]

Cutoff for Matchday 1, Groups A-D!

Group A
All games held @ SkyDome Arena, Cotmond

Katterimunk 81–79 Atheara
Hannasea 93–61 United States of Devonta
Drawkland 76–78 The Jovannic

  Group A                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Hannasea                       1    1   0    93   61  +32    1.000
2 Katterimunk                    1    1   0    81   79   +2    1.000
3 The Jovannic                   1    1   0    78   76   +2    1.000
4 Atheara                        1    0   1    79   81   −2    0.000
5 Drawkland                      1    0   1    76   78   −2    0.000
6 United States of Devonta       1    0   1    61   93  −32    0.000

Group B
All games held @Thunderdome Stadium, Ipheburn

Ko-oren 102–82 Abanhfleft
HUElavia 78–66 The Spartan Dominion
Kamijiro 79–66 Muralos

 Group B                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Ko-oren                        1    1   0   102   82  +20    1.000
2 Kamijiro                       1    1   0    79   66  +13    1.000
3 HUElavia                       1    1   0    78   66  +12    1.000
4 The Spartan Dominion           1    0   1    66   78  −12    0.000
5 Muralos                        1    0   1    66   79  −13    0.000
6 Abanhfleft                     1    0   1    82  102  −20    0.000

Group C
All games held @Phoenix Arena, Vrord

Dod Rava 67–80 Banija
Poafmersia 83–81 Chromatika
New Dascos 76–82 United Adaikes

 Group C                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Banija                         1    1   0    80   67  +13    1.000
2 United Adaikes                 1    1   0    82   76   +6    1.000
3 Poafmersia                     1    1   0    83   81   +2    1.000
4 Chromatika                     1    0   1    81   83   −2    0.000
5 New Dascos                     1    0   1    76   82   −6    0.000
6 Dod Rava                       1    0   1    67   80  −13    0.000

Group D
All games held @Stellar Center, Chedo City

Torisakia 89–67 Ealdracaland
TJUN-ia 67–75 Lisander
Trolleborg 75–65 Southwest Eastnorth

 Group D                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win % 
1 Torisakia                      1    1   0    89   67  +22    1.000
2 Trolleborg                     1    1   0    75   65  +10    1.000
3 Lisander                       1    1   0    75   67   +8    1.000
4 TJUN-ia                        1    0   1    67   75   −8    0.000
5 Southwest Eastnorth            1    0   1    65   75  −10    0.000
6 Ealdracaland                   1    0   1    67   89  −22    0.000

[Delaclava]

International Basketball Championship 38
Delaclava Phoenixes

General Information

About Delaclava: The United Republic of Delaclava is a massive democratic republic located in Sonnel, and consisting of a large mainland, numerous nearby island provinces and overseas territories, and the brand new mainframe. Delaclava is particularly notable for education and scientific development, advancement of culture and music, active lifestyles which see citizens frequently outdoors in public parks and natural forest and mountain areas, and a well-established public transportation system which connects all the diverse major cities and regions of the mainland. Isolation policies have been lifted completely only in the past several years, so modern Delaclava has a larger emphasis on national and regional cultures rather than international and global influences. Citizens have a large degree of personal freedom and expression, but within the framework of traditional social values which reinforce the structures of family and community.

About the program: The Delaclav national team was traditionally a consistent yet unimpressive presence in the early editions of the IBC, recording top-eight finishes at IBC5, IBC7, and IBC9. The Phoenixes also hosted the 7th edition. After returning to international play and putting together respectable qualifying performances in IBC29 and IBC30, the Phoenixes exploded in IBC31, compiling a 14-3 record en route to a silver medal in front of the home crowd, vaulting into the upper echelon of international basketball at a ranking of #4. The Phoenixes have also won a silver and two bronzes in the last three Atlantian Oceania Basketball Championships. After fizzling out of IBC32 and not participating in IBC33, the Phoenixes steadily built their way back to the top of the game in impressive fashion, going to the quarterfinals of IBC34, the semifinals and bronze medal of IBC35, and a heartbreaking yet competitive second silver medal in IBC36. Hotly contested contract issues held the Phoenixes out of IBC37, yet there is no reason to think they aren't ready to shake off the rush and get back to battling for a first title.

About the team: Delaclav teams emphasize pushing the pace at all times - the fast break, ball movement on the perimeter and through the top of the paint, finding shots early in the clock, and a full-court press on defense. Players are expected to give their maximum effort at all times - if they need a break, they will get subbed out for a few minutes until they are ready to push again. Despite the inclination towards speed and urgency, the tactics are patient enough that a fast break will not start without having properly secured the ball.

When the three-point shooters are finding their stroke, this results in high-scoring affairs. Often, it instead means the Phoenixes have trouble with their accuracy from the field and fall behind early. Their strength therefore lies in continuing to push the pace and wear down the opposition so that they can find layups and easier shots in the transition as the game goes on. At its worst, the team will have a tendency to lose composure against superior opposition, such that entire games simply get away from them. However, the IBC34 Phoenixes showed a remarkable ability to play its best basketball in the final few minutes, either to come back or to hang onto leads.

An unexpected trend in Delaclav basketball continues as big men are in, with centers dominating the scoresheets and the boards. Many fixtures of the IBC 36 runners-up return, particularly longtime captain Đorđe Zubić and big man superstar and master impregnator Przemysław Derda. Chris Feuz returns as starting point guard while supersub Alarig Gouyet and steady reserve Cash Marshall will step into starting roles. They will be bolstered by a slew of experienced players such as Sifiso Ntenga, Simon Rybakov, and Conor Fernandez.

Trigram: DEL
Denomym: Delaclav
Home Colors: Red with gold trim and white numbers
Road Colors: White with red and gold trim and red numbers
Special Edition Knockout Jerseys: Black with rainbow gradient patterns and rainbow numbers

Roster

Coach: Jim Levins, St. James University
Assistant Coach: Kent Kerner, BC Athens
Assistant Coach: Adam Fisher, St. James University

#	Pos	Name	        Age	Height	Weight	Current Team
3	PG	Chris Feuz	29	6'0"	185	Sardo Storm
4	SG	Alarig Gouyet	28	6'3"	195	Quinniville Wildcats
21	PF	Đorđe Zubić	36	6'9"	250	BC Athens
34	SF	Cash Marshall	34	6'6"	210	Catherina Capitals
51	C	Przemysław Derda29	7'1"	245	Irisbenis Hurricanes

1	G/F	Jay Francis	30	6'6"	215	BC Athens
2	PF	Lorenzo Austin	31	6'8"	220	Catherina Capitals
5	G/F	Sifiso Ntenga	30	6'4"	175	Saugenay Orions (QUE)
10	F	Melar Kerleroux	34	6'2"	185	BC Athens
12	PG	Simon Rybakov	32	6'0"	170	Manchester Lions
20	SF	Conor Fernandez	29	6'3"	185	Gifford Jets
32	SG	Julius Graber	30	6'3"	190	Irisbenis Hurricanes
33	C	Omar Harris	30	7'1"	245	Salem Wizards
35	C	Maxime St-Hilaire31	7'0"	235	Sardo Storm
30	C	Dwayne Kuman	30	6'10"	235	Tirana Tempest

High scorers, in order: Zubić, Derda, Gouyet, Marshall, Harris, Feuz
High rebounders: Derda, Zubić, Harris, Fernandez, St-Hilaire
High assists: Zubić, Feuz, Gouyet, Graber, Rybakov
Most frequent substitutes: Harris, Graber, Fernandez, Austin, Francis

RP permissions: Go nuts.

[Kronbia]

---

First Round

The Kronbia national basketball team is making a strong start, as it presented a strong match against the Nova Anglicana team, which is ranked first in NS, but Kronbia lost by one point, with a score of 84-83. The match showed the strength of our players and confirmed the aspirations of the basketball fans in Kronbia, who believe that our team is capable of achieving a distinguished achievement in the first participation. him in the International Basketball Championship.

---

President in Deportivo de Halcon

Today, Mr. Emilio Julio de Flavio, President of the Republic of Kronbia, visited the Deportivo de Halcon team, which won the LKB title, and congratulated the team. The newly elected president showed more than once that he is an Deportivo de Halcon fan through his Twitter account. The president talked about being a Deportivo de Halcon fan since childhood, and that he played basketball during high school, but he He did not succeed, and he said that he follows all the team’s matches, and in the end he hoped that Deportivo de Halcon would win more championships in the future.
The players all signed one of the team's shirt for the president, and the team owner invited the president to attend the team's matches in case they reach to the upcoming Playoffs.
Everyone sees that the new president shows his encouragement for sports, as he declared more than once that he wished to see more outstanding sports youth to be the future of Kronbia instead of some young people indulging in the criminal activities of drug smuggling gangs.

---

[Pemecutan]

1784 Pemecutan Basketball League

---

Pemecutan Basketball League

Season      1784 (1st)
Teams       16 (men)/10 (women)
TV Rights   GOR channel (GBC)
            S-Sport (SBS)
            TNT Olahraga (TNT)
            COK-S (COK)
            Sport-1 (YRTN)

The 1784 Pemecutan Basketball League, or Kartana PBL for sponsorship reason, is the inaugural season of domestic basketball league in Pemecutan after the reorganization of the previous league, Pemecutan National Basketball League which was discontinued after their 1782 season. PBA (Pemecutan Basketball Association), the governing body of the league spend a year to reorganized the league and trim down the numbers of participated clubs to ensure professionalism and ease the financial burden hold by the club which was the cause of the previous league dissolved. The association also pursue the establishment of women's league which already on their agenda for so long. The new established clubs are asked to send men and women team to the new league. However, only 10 out of 16 clubs that eventually established a women's section in their club structure. Although with adequate numbers, the association keep their promise to held a separate women' league.


PBL Putra

PBl Putra is the men's league of Pemecutan Basketball League.

Teams and Location

Team Official Name	Team Short Name	Homebased
Pesamuan Bola Basket Abiansemal	Pebasmal Abiansemal	Abiansemal
Sekaha Olahraga Balun	SOB Balun	Balun
Klub Bola Basket Campuhan	KBC Campuhan	Campuhan
Sekaha Bola Basket Canggu	SBC Canggu	Canggu
Sekaha Olahraga Gerenceng	SOG Gerenceng	Gerenceng
Sekaha Bola Basket Jematang	SBJ Jematang	Jematang
Sekaha Basket Kepaon	Sebaskep Kepaon	Kepaon
Klub Bola Basket Kerobokan	KBK Kerobokan	Kerobokan
Persatuan Bola Basket Kesiman	PBK Kesiman	Kesiman
Klub Bola Basket Mengwi	KBM Mengwi	Mengwi
Sekaha Bola Basket Pedungan	Sebasdu Pedungan	Pedungan
Sekaha Olahraga Peguyangan	SOP Peguyangan	Peguyangan
Sekaha Basket Petang	Sebastang Petang	Petang
Kelompok Basket Sanur	Kobasnur Sanur	Sanur
Sekaha Bola Basket Satria	SBS Satria	Satria
Pesamuan Bola Basket Ubung	PBU Ubung	Ubung

Personnel

Team	Manager	Captain
Pebasmal Abiansemal	Hendrik Kamajaya	Devan Arka
SOB Balun	Putu Cahya Anggada	Kamarudin Abdullah
KBC Campuhan	Wayan Eka Wisantika	Gede Danu
SBC Canggu	Pande Jaya Karang	Ngakan Putu Subrata
SOG Gerenceng	Sulistya Purnama Sidi	Putu Gede Sidartha Gana
SBJ Jematang	Viktor Alexius	Dewa Made Karyadi
Sebaskep Kepaon	Sang Putu Karmanatha	Dwipa Mahardika
KBK Kerobokan	Kompyang Sarjana	Yanuar Gunawan
PBK Kesiman	Kadek Dwi Sanjaya	Gede Ngurah Atmajaya
KBM Mengwi	Dewa Made Rai	Nyoman Giri Astawa
Sebasdu Pedungan	Wayan Gandara	Putu Gede Sastrawan
SOP Peguyangan	Gede Lanang Rupaka	Putra Ramayana
Sebastang Petang	Ngakan Made Suryawan	Komang Laksana Suputra
Kobasnur Sanur	Malik Hashidi	Kadek Lesmana Putra
SBS Satria	Komang Artajana	Lukman Marsadi
PBU Ubung	Putu Darma Wirata	Octavianus Bimantara

Schedule

Phase                   Date
Regular Season          Redite Wage Landep - Saniscara Wage Medangsia
Play-off Quarterfinal   Soma Kliwon Krulut (Game 1)
                        Buda Wage Merakih (Game 2)
                        Supra Pon Tambir (Game 3)
Play-off Semifinal      Sukra Wage Uye (Game 1)
                        Buda Wage Menail (Game 2)
                        Soma Wage Prangbakat (Game 3)
Play-off Final          Buda Paing Wayang (Game 1)
                        Sukra Umanis Kelawu (Game 2)
                        Soma Wage Dukut (Game 3)

Note:
1.) Regular season span for 10 weeks with 3 match days a week for a total of 30 match days. There are 3 weeks break from Sungsang to Kuningan week as the weeks are Pemecutan Holy Week.
2.) Play-offs are based on best-of-three games. All 3 games have to be held despite a team already won the first 2 games.
3.) Play-offs are held in neutral ground, Yowana Mandala Stadium is selected as the venue.

PBL Putri

PBl Putri is the women's league of Pemecutan Basketball League.

Teams and Location

Team Official Name	Team Short Name	Homebased
Pesamuan Bola Basket Abiansemal	Pebasmal Abiansemal	Abiansemal
Sekaha Olahraga Balun	SOB Balun	Balun
Klub Bola Basket Campuhan	KBC Campuhan	Campuhan
Sekaha Bola Basket Jematang	SBJ Jematang	Jematang
Persatuan Bola Basket Kesiman	PBK Kesiman	Kesiman
Klub Bola Basket Mengwi	KBM Mengwi	Mengwi
Sekaha Bola Basket Pedungan	Sebasdu Pedungan	Pedungan
Sekaha Olahraga Peguyangan	SOP Peguyangan	Peguyangan
Sekaha Bola Basket Satria	SBS Satria	Satria
Pesamuan Bola Basket Ubung	PBU Ubung	Ubung

Personnel

Team	Manager	Captain
Pebasmal Abiansemal	Putu Agus Suweca	Luh Ayu Santika
SOB Balun	Made Fitriani	Cahayu Mahayuni
KBC Campuhan	Ngakan Putu Agus Sarwana	Luh Gede Antarini
SBJ Jematang	Yuliawati	Komang Ayu Dewi Anjani
PBK Kesiman	Silvia Rezia	Putu Ayu Jayanti
KBM Mengwi	Komang Rai Purnami	Putri Agustina
Sebasdu Pedungan	Luh Ayu Suastini	Laura Hamid
SOP Peguyangan	Gede Sanjaya	Ketut Putri Komala
SBS Satria	Putu Ajus Setiawan	Luh Putu Indah Padmayani
PBU Ubung	Kadek Dwi Pratiwi	Septiana Budiman

Schedule

Phase                   Date
Regular Season          Redite Paing Gumbreg - Saniscara Kliwon Krulut
Play-off Semifinal      Soma Kliwon Uye (Game 1)
                        Sukra Umanis Menail (Game 2)
                        Buda Umanis Prangbakat (Game 3)
Play-off Final          Sukra Wage Wayang (Game 1)
                        Soma Paing Kelawu (Game 2)
                        Buda Umanis Dukut (Game 3)

Note:
1.) Regular season span for 9 weeks with 3 match days a week for a total of 27 match days. There are 3 weeks break from Sungsang to Kuningan week as the weeks are Pemecutan Holy Week.
2.) Play-offs are based on best-of-three games. All 3 games have to be held despite a team already won the first 2 games.
3.) Play-offs are held in neutral ground, Yowana Mandala Stadium is selected as the venue.

[Rwekazaland]

Rwekazaland Team Roster 

1. Eric Tran - Point Guard (#4)
2. Emily Nguyen - Point Guard (#7)
3. Brandon Lee - Point Guard (#11)
4. Rachel Kim - Shooting Guard (#23)
5. Nicole Chang - Shooting Guard (#32)
6. Justin Lee - Power Forward (#13)
7. Stephanie Wong - Power Forward (#25)
8. Andrew Kim - Power Forward (#33)
9. Karen Nguyen - Small Forward (#6)
10. Brian Lee - Small Forward (#9)
11. Samantha Kim - Small Forward (#12)
12. Tyler Nguyen - Shooting Guard (#20)
13. Jason Chen - Center (#17)
14. Jennifer Nguyen - Center (#22)
15. Kevin Park - Center (#30)

Despite the team's past struggles in the International Basketball Championship (IBC), they are working hard to turn things around this year. The players have been putting in long hours on the court and in the gym, and they're determined to make their country proud.

The team's coach has been emphasizing the importance of teamwork and mental toughness, and the players are responding well to his leadership. They know that they have a tough road ahead of them, but they're not giving up.

The fans are also rallying behind the team, showing their support at every opportunity. They know that the team has the potential to surprise everyone and make a deep run in the tournament.

While the team's past record in the IBC may not have been stellar, they're using it as motivation to work even harder this year. They know that every game is an opportunity to prove themselves and show the world what they're capable of.

[Cassadaigua]

Fillies Take Opener,
by Rachel McGuinness, Concord Heights Times

Fans at Prism Court in Stritstead, Katterimunk saw plenty of exciting basketball to get the 38th International Basketball Championships started, with two games being decided by just one point. The third game was the one that involved Cassadaigua, but the Fillies were not involved in a nail-biter. Instead, Team Cassadaigua put forth a solid 78-66 win over Libonesia, which was just how things needed to be for this team, given the weaker opponent and a possible unranked upstart within this group from Kronbia. That made this even more of a must win, and they got it.

From the start, the Fillies were the better team, and never trailed after being down 4-2 in the opening minutes. That is when the team took control of the match, with Hailey Randall converting back to back three pointers to make it 8-4, and eventually that lead ballooned to 22-10 midway through the first half. There was a brief cold spell that mostly every basketball team will experience, and the lead at half time would "only" be 36-31, but Libonesia never really mounted a series threat to come from behind after the intermission. Randall would lead the way with 28 points, and Monica Cahill was especially impressive bringing down rebounds. Cassadaigua was also a sharp 18-for-21 from the charity stripe during the game. All in all, a solid win for a team that needs positive developments and confidence. After the game, Kristen Baynes told reporters, "I thought our starting five did an exceptional job. Hailey led the way, but you have to also look at the contributions of Shannon Jacquemin, who was making her first start in one of these games. This is the way that I know this team is capable of playing, and I am thoroughly confident that we will be seeing this out of these ladies for the duration of our time in Katterimunk."

Will we now? Kristen Baynes is indeed an eternal optimist, but in fairness to her, do you want a coach saying things like, "yeah, the other teams are better, we're a longshot, blah blah blah?" Whenever you hear any team say they "are just happy to be here" you know that they are expecting to lose, and that is a loser mentality that our coaches can't have, or they won't be coaching long. This is a tough group, and when I look at what else happened in Stritstead last night, with the two games that were decided by a single point, it's going to be competitive. The 84-83 win by Nova Anglicana over Kronbia is an eye-opener, and will make things even tougher on our team. On paper, Kronbia is unranked and one of these teams someone like us would hope to beat, but you always get an unranked team or two in these tournaments who emerge as major spoiler, and if that becomes Kronbia, we may be lucky if we see 5-5. For now, we will all turn our attention to Qasden, who is one of the better teams in the group. After their loss to Juvencus, they are in a must win situation here against us, though should the Fillies actually get the win, it would be an interesting development to get a two game lead over them.

[TJUN-ia]

And so, we are back...ready to go again. The Hoops-Jaguars of TJUN-ia are in a similar position that baseball finds itself in now - used to be great but now, are just...good. Once upon a time, TJUN-ia was a team to be feared...but those days are gone and now, this team is good but not necessarily scary. That is a situation that Bao Zhou obviously wants to improve and he certainly doesn't want his Dynasty to be blown into the wind like dust or sand. This team may be ageing, but the stars are still there...but can they perform on the biggest stage?

Stellar Center in Chedo City, Katterimunk, will host all of our games in the group stage and up first was a massive one against the #29 side from Lisander, now under the management of Laurent Oyon. Lisander was always going to be a tough test no matter what and this game ended up being an absolute war between two teams looking for that opening dub. It certainly was a fun game, with both Mohammad Alawi and Hadley Castres balled out for large periods of the game and Jimena Siena and Lucas Vincennes also had moments of brilliance, but the real thing that mattered here was the final score. Things were undoubtedly close for a while in this opening game but in the end, Lisander got it done by 8 points. A respectable result for an opening game - but certainly still a defeat that will have to be stewed for a long time.

We fall in Game 1 but with 9 games left to go, we still have a lot to play for here. Torisakia is up next, a familiar name in an unfamiliar sport, and we hope to bounce back as soon as possible. GO HOOPS-JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group D, Stellar Center, Chedo City, Katterimunk)
MD1: vs Lisander (29) (H) L 67-75 (4th)
MD2: vs Torisakia (UR) (A)
MD3: vs Ealdracaland (UR) (H)
MD4: vs Trolleborg (13) (H)
MD5: vs Southwest Eastnorth (37) (A)
MD6: vs Lisander (29) (A)
MD7: vs Torisakia (UR) (H)
MD8: vs Ealdracaland (UR) (A)
MD9: vs Trolleborg (13) (A)
MD10: vs Southwest Eastnorth (37) (H)

[Nova Anglicana]

Clark needs to seize the moment and get progressive policies across the line

David Lucas, Progressive Policy Project

It's well known that the Nova Anglican banking sector, like many banking sectors around the multiverse, is dangerously under regulated, most often due to the cozy relationship that moneychangers have with members of national parliaments. This is why the bill presented before Parliament to allow the Bank of Nova Anglicana to offer accounts to all Nova Anglicans was so important. For the first time, citizens would have the ability to bypass predatory lenders, whether multinational or local monopolies, and put their money somewhere safe, as well as access low-cost loans. It would also allow the central bank to reach underbanked constituencies easily and pump stimulus into all bank accounts in the event of a recession. Unfortunately, this bill failed when renegade members of the Stewardship, Progressive Justice, and Liberal Secularist parties joined with the opposition to sink it. However, there is still hope.

The government-backed compromise bill to expand the postal banking system is better than nothing, as it still challenges monopolistic private lending's control over people's money. However, the opposition in the Senate, which is evenly divided, has shown no indication of being willing to back the bill, at least not without attaching unnecessary tax cuts for private banks to it. This would be a travesty and should be rejected by the Clark government. But the vote to pass the initial bill gives us a clue as to how progressive policy can move forward in this nation. When progressive members of all parties agreed to supply their votes for the bill, it passed with 63 votes, which means that even if the opposition rejects the bill in the Senate, the House of Deputies can override that vote and pass the bill anyway. This emerging supermajority can be marshaled to pass progressive policy on any number of issues, and it should begin with the bill Clark has promised to bring to the floor in exchange for progressive votes.

This bill, crafted by Maurician Society chair Julia Duncan, would impose much-needed regulation on a dangerously unsafe banking sector that promotes inequality. The bill includes prohibitions on "golden parachutes", a new tax on excessive bankers' bonuses, clawbacks for compensation issued to top executives of banks that fail, stricter capital requirements for banks, more insulation for consumer deposits when a bank also makes risky investments, as well preventing the government from bailing out big depositors and shareholders when banks fail. These new regulations will protect taxpayers and ordinary individuals from risky decisions made by speculative banks and put the responsibility where it should lie: at the feet of executives and corporate boards who choose to gamble instead of be reasonable stewards of their deposits. These regulations are common-sense and should be broadly supported across the government coalition.

But Clark shouldn't stop at overriding the Senate on postal banking or rounding up 60 votes on banking regulations. She should seize the opportunity while she can unite 60 or more votes around progressive policies and push for an omnibus bill that would broadly benefit the nation as a whole and all members of this 60-vote coalition. The welfare reform bill last year took a strong step forward in helping our nation break away from neoliberal ideas of what society should be, but we can go farther. Clark should design a bill that all members of the coalition have an important stake in.

For Equality, 18 weeks of paid maternity leave was a compromise, and we shouldn't stop there. Extending parental leave to 52 weeks and designating at least 13 weeks of it for fathers in heterosexual relationships will both promote better child development and gender equality, as men will take a greater hand in raising children and accomplishing household chores. For the Liberal Secularists, the nation should not close our doors to immigrants for arbitrary reasons. Raising the cap on high-skilled visas and expanding the definition of high-skilled worker should help Nova Anglicana gain access to folks around the world who can contribute in any number of ways to our nation. Additional incentives for immigrant university and graduate students to stay in the country after school would be welcome both in the LSP and in our society. For the Stewardship Party, we need to take bold action on the environment. Paulette Joseph's "Blue Rescue Plan", a massive investment in ocean, river, and local water cleanup, is a once-in-a-generation step to improve the quality of life for all organisms in Nova Anglicana and should be part of any real plan to improve this nation. And in the Progressive Justice Party, rural investment in healthcare will appease the right flank as well as bring justice to underserved communities, and increased investment in social housing will be welcomed by provincial premiers around the nation as they deal with an affordable housing crisis.

These are just some of the ideas that could find their way into an omnibus "social improvement" bill that will pass if Josephine Clark has the boldness and the vision to get it done. Although individual members of the 60-vote coalition might balk at some aspects of it, there should be enough for each group to keep them in line. In any case, with 63 votes, Clark can afford to let a couple of folks oppose the bill and still maintain an override threshold. Should the coalition fracture over specific issues and the Senate continue to prove intransigent, there's always the option of dissolving the Senate. Surely there are 60 votes for that, what with every party wanting to increase its representation in the Senate and the sheer impossibility of passing legislation when the Senate is obstinate. Now is the time, Madam Prime Minister. Don't let it pass you by.

Nova Anglicana 84-83 Kronbia

Stats: 31-67 FG (46.3%) 8-28 3-Pt FG (37.0%), 14-18 FT (77.8%)

Key Players: Greg Lindsey - 9-14/0-2/3-4 (21 pts) 11 rbds, 3 ast, 1 stl, David Beck - 5-11/4-9/2-3 (16 pts), 4 rbds, 2 ast, 1 stl, Félix Dedeaux - 4-7/0-1/4-4 (12 pts), 4 rbds, 7 ast, 2 stl

[Lisander]

The Geographic Problem - A post by user "FlavianKorres" in TheBasketballForums.

Lisander is a small nation, but even in small nations, there are local sensibilities and questions pertaining to the smallest divisions of the land, the communi. Sports remain one of the most common "local affairs", even if the pervasivity of our age, that helped people to connect together through mass transport and communication. Why? Because sports are social facts. Is not exactly simple to make new habits stick, even more when they need to be communal. That's why Lisander basketball suffers a geographic problem.

Let's have a look at the map of Lisander. I added some rough "encircling" features, to explain some of my points. They're meant to be rough, if your commune is inside or outside some of the "encircling", yet you think it should be otherwise, I'm sorry.

To exemplify, the extension of the "rugby cities" are encircled in the green blob. And it mostly resumes to Soria and Linville. The culture of rugby in Lisander emerged from the elite clubs in the capital, Soria. What are now the communes of Linville, Sobreiro, Veras and part of the Commune of Sainte Justine were originally parts of the Commune of Soria, suburbs where the elites built their clubhouses.

The blue blob is the Ice Hockey area. If you think basketball is in a bad situation, look at the poor guys. LNH is splitting and the northern teams threatening to leave the federation because of the same problem. It’s been two Hockey World Cups without even signing up.

Then there’s the red blob. The red blob is pretty much “The South”. The southern half of Lisander is the richer half, the most populous half, is where the biggest cities in the nation are. Soria, Despina, Kasandora, Sirenia, all of them with more than 300 years. The metropolis. The Mecca of consumism, culture, tourism, music, et cetera. The concept is quite shady, but roughly, the south is mostly everything that isn’t mountains, forests and farmlands. Geographically speaking, everything south to rivers Arno and Argent (and to the human-built Lake Valerian) is usually recalled as being South of Lisander. One could also consider it the “Association Football cities” since81% of the teams in the three top divisions are in this half. Also, since the money is there, there’s where we can find the biggest clubs. Club Sparta, AC Kasandora, Virtus 1904, the rich teams of the Sorian League like Linville Athletic, St. Helens or Victorian Club. Going up north, but still with strong ties to the capital and the south, Casterwill Athletic and Pines Athletic; The majority of big, multi-sport clubs, are in the south. And these are the clubs that can sustain a professional basketball team in the south. Forget the “artificial teams”. Armada Soria? Basketball Linville Métropole? They wouldn’t remain one entire season if it wasn’t by the Superliga money. You all have seen the fatidic destiny of Azhaar Basketball. Come on, leave the islands for sailing and cycling.

The “Basketball cities” are the orange blob. Not that we don’t have Basketball teams in the south or in other areas. But teams in them don’t get the same support that teams in the Midnorth cities. Basketball surged in these communi for a simple reason. It’s an indoor game. Midnorth is, as some of its parliamentarians insist in remember the rest of the nation, “The granary of the Principality”: “If we don’t plant, you don’t eat”, said Louis Giannakakis, longtime MP from Lerna. And they would not waste “some beautiful arable land” with futile pastimes like football or even worse, rugby, “that sport of barbarians that ruins the turf”. Lerna, the seaside city at the west of the region, the outlet of the agricultural production, is the home to lots of teams. Basketball talent grows like wheat or rye. However, money from wheat or rye seems to be unable to jynx the SuperLiga to disband its franchises and geographic conferences system.

SuperLiga wants to grow “at an equal pace in both north and south, and it keeps the biggest centre of the sport in the nation with only one franchise, while Soria and Despina already have both each. Strong teams like AEL Lerna, BAEK Eketzak, BC Montà and even the powerful Sporting Grandeville (that despite being geographically northern have strong ties with the elite clubs in the south), are confined to NBL just because there’s less interest in the south, where they have plenty of options other than Basketball to choose.

This is one of the problem that FLB and Superliga promised to address in the next seasonal meeting. I hope they address it as soon as possible. I, as a proud AEL supporter for all my life, feel somewhat bad for going to BC Olympia matches to support them, just because they are the richest team in the city, the only team in Superliga. Not that I hate Olympia. They're like the rich boy in the neighbourhood that owns the ball. I may not like him that much, but I know that playing with him will be good.

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from Katterimunk, where our basketball team right now prepare to the second game of World Cup.

While we are waiting for the start of the game, let's remember the key moments of our lads first game in the tournament, with SWEN team. In last tournament our players won the duel with the same opponent with a margin of 22 points, and the fans hoped that this year the gap would also be convincing. But the opponent is far from being the type to be discounted, and it took a lot of strength and luck in this game to tip the outcome in our favor in the end. And I must say that Vladimir Finn experimented a lot with the lineup in this game, apparently, testing newcomers and new combinations in combat conditions, and this is all at the expense of both integrity of the teamwork and the result. Our team, for example, during the entire game never let the opponents take the lead, but managed to break away beyond 12 points only twice. Score was +4 in our favour in the first quarter, +11 by the middle of the game, and then thanks to several successful long-range shots, and not a well-coordinated team game, +7 to the last quarter, and +10 in the final, although three minutes before the end the gap was reduced to +4. Nevertheless, last minutes did not become a time that made the fans much nervous and put whole game in balance. Many people were very interested in how the point guards would feel on the court, and so far no frank failures have been noticed in their game, but their performance cannot be called brilliant either. In general, according to both fans and experts, the team is like them – did not play perfectly, but reliably and robust enough to defeat a strong and uncompromising opponent.

Now we have a duel against Lisander on the schedule, who not only dreams of stopping their recent retreat from the heights of world basketball, but is also actively working on this. The victory over TJUN-ia – something that our basketball players managed last time many, many years ago – in the opening match of the tournament, will surely give additional strength to the opponents. Having won over the clear favorite of the group, Lisander, no doubt, would like to continue in the same spirit. In addition, two seasons ago, our team blocked their way to the playoffs, and, perhaps, opponents will play with a vengeance. We however, hope that this will not be enough to break Vladimir Finn team with support of big army of fans behind.

[Ko-oren]

Who's the sharpied jersey now, Abanhfleft?

It's no secret that before an IBC tips off, a Ko-orenite member of staff goes straight past the official merchandise stands and heads for some dodgier, less official merch sold on markets - or even from car boots - trying to secure a few dozen Abanhfleft jerseys. If possible they should be from the current IBC, but we're fine with anything. Then, carried back to the Dragon(fly)'s lair, several interns go to work, painstakingly covering the Fleftic names and the large 'AFT' (or 'REBS' for away jerseys) on the front and replacing that with 'SARMAZENINDHEN' et al, 'KOR', and 'FLIES' respectively.

That, however, all hinged on our inferior status on the IBC ranks. It's also no secret (we have very few secrets in Ko-oren) that our basketball team is probably worse than its rank suggests, so we could probably keep copying Abanhfleft jerseys and calling them our own, but seeing as we're now both top 16 teams in the world (and Ko-oren even being a top 10 team!) we might run into each other a bit more, with increased chances of knockout meetings... and to prevent a Spiderman meme situation, maybe we should get our own jerseys. That said, we've grown very attached to the rich shade of blue and diagonal lines of our flag's colours.

Until yesterday, we could even claim that our team was actually worse than Abanhfleft, ignoring the ranks. That kind of went out the window with a resounding 20-point victory for the Dragonflies and as much as we don't think we belong there, are we... contenders now? It also begs the question... are Abanhfleft using Ko-oren knockoff jerseys now? How about these turntables?

In fact, we were the only team to break 100 points. 102-82 leaves us in a position where our defence didn't do much - though an often heard complaint about basketball from Ko-orenites is its lack of defence as laid out in the rules - but it's always nice to get a big win and a great start to a tournament where we'll have to accept that we're slowly starting to mingle among those with a chance of getting a title. The Dragonflies still operate under 'making the quarterfinals would be sick as' but we'll have to remind ourselves that we've in fact made an IBC final before. Five times, actually, with one of them resulting in a win. That makes us joint first place in lost finals (4, with Sarzonia), ahead of Vangaziland (3), Valanora, Delaclava, Newmanistan, and Qazox (2). Our polar opposites would be Banija, also making five finals in total across six editions and winning four of them.

As an aside, it looks like the IBC has its fair share of dynasties - at least more than other big tournaments. Nova Anglicana have recently made two finals in a row, ending a streak of Hannasea making three in a row, in turn overlapping partially with Banija's five finals in a row played, overlapping with Newmanistan making it to two title deciders in a row. Before that, there was Vangaziland being involved in four of five finals, which in turn came after Saint Kanye winning a hattrick of titles plus one - and that puts us right at the Ko-orenite era, which overlaps majorly with the Saintland arc. We even had two Ko-oren v Saint finals, following two Cassadaigua v Andromeda Island finals. And as we're all the way back at IBC 12, we might as well finish the picture: the Andromedas became good as Qazox and Sarzonia were tapering off, and those two (and very early Newmanistan dominance) drops us off at IBC 4, which is as far back as history goes.

Basically, revisit any IBC final and chances are one of those teams made the final before or after.

Back to the game at hand. yGorllaenarsan was dominant in the Fleftic paint - not so much in ours though - and recorded a lot of rebounds. The true stars were our duos of forwards: Canton with Varon especially, but any pairing was a nightmare combo. Sarmazenindhen and Cherstar or Goslin was not really a step down from the primary players at the positions and they were also dominant. We even got Cherstar and Goslin playing together for a few minutes and that didn't detract from quality either. We had some issues shooting threes: the opponents know to guard Arzhendin or anyone else playing point guard, and our other best options all like to play close to the basket (though we would like them to excel near both baskets instead of just the offensive one).

Arzhendin did grab a bunch of points, as he was ready to take the shot from nearly every pass. Should anything happen to the Senoren Diamonds PG, we expect that our team is either done for or they'll have to reinvent themselves on the spot - he's our last line of defence on a lot of attacking plays (if a pass to him fails, we concede a dunk, basically) and sets up most scoring plays. That's something Canton can do - or at least, she should be able to - but we're not seeing it from Varon or Sarmazenindhen, for instance. So far, so good: if we keep getting the ball in somewhat good places to the forwards, the Dragonflies might go pretty far.

[Hannasea]

SkyDome Arena, Cortmond
                HANNASEA 93 – 61 UNITED STATES OF DEVONTA
(28–14, 22–19, 26–14, 17–14)
 Pts: Powell 25   Pts: unknown 15
Rbds: Collins 5   Rbds: unknown 8
  Asts: Rubin 4   Asts: unknown 5

Butterfly City Mercury
Blair & Brown hold line on Nova Anglicananian bond rating

Powerful credit rating agency Blair & Brown has given Prime Minister Jo Clark an implicit vote of trust after announcing they would hold their rating of Nova Anglicana's sovereign debt at AAA, the highest possible rating. The rating comes as the Clark government struggles through a period of legislative inertia on account of the deadlocked 15-15 Senate tie. Clark's coalition faces pressure from the left with the formation of a new progressive bloc, and recently lost a humiliating vote on a banking reform bill that would have created a system of postal banking. Expected to pass, left-wing parties -- whose own more radical proposals had earlier been shot down -- jumped over to vote with the right and deliver a symbolic (and actual) defeat to the Prime Minister. With 60+ votes in the House of Deputies, the progressive coalition leaders argue, Clark can afford to be more radical despite the Senate deadlock. Despite the bill's failure and a parliamentary session frustratingly light on legislative accomplishments for the Prime Minister, though, Blair & Brown's ratings update left Nova Anglicana in the "AAA" column.

"The lack of a rating downgrade wasn't a surprise," says Morganstern & Morganbaum credit analyst Tia Hamilton. "The current political deadlock doesn't really change the overall calculus. Nova Anglicana is an extremely stable, prosperous democracy. The banking bill may have been a blow to Clark's poll numbers but they don't affect the medium term fiscal outlook." The Anglican pound continues to trade strongly on Hannasea's internationally renowned currency markets. Katie Schroder, FX analyst at the investment bank vill.age, says that they will be "closely monitoring" the final text of any banking regulation passed but anticipate "little to worry about". "Some of the radical proposals from the progressive left such as a magic money tree monetary policy don't seem remotely likely to be realized, so we're very still very confident in the pound."

A more critical note comes from Cleverly Wainwright's Alexandra Griffith, who this week pushed downgrades on a handful of businesses in Nova Anglicana from "buy" to "hold". "Our main concern right now is access to financing," she says, "A postal banking reform bill will not primarily serve the interests of businesses but rather retail customers. The bigger issue is the higher capital requirements that are expected to be imposed. That means less available for financing business loans, and we do expect to see a contraction of new business credit over the next forecast period." Blair & Brown themselves came in for some criticism from Hannasean legislator Nevaeh White. The SuccDem Party MEP says the credit rating agency market is too concentrated and that credit rating agencies have made the wrong call before, such as their downgrade of Tumbran debt, which has rebounded strongly in response to developments in the energy sector of The Northlands.

[Graintfjall]

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Height disadvantage too tall an order for Super Wolves

After a Round of 16 exit in Poafmersia to Ko-oren, Aðólf Ingibertsson’s Super Wolves began their campaign in Katterimunk with a disappointing 83–100 blowout to “Gwen’s Angels”, representing Valentine Z. With an average height of well over 7 foot – starting center Antenor al-Harroun actually the runt of the litter at 7’1” in an unusual assignment featuring a taller backcourt than frontcourt – the Angels proved an intimidating matchup for the Super Wolves. Unsurprisingly the height differential proved much for the defense, with the disadvantage in the backcourt being particularly stark. Tjörfi Ásason and Gísli Þórarsson were simply overwhelmed by having to defend players two feet taller than them, and Damian Htun (25pts) and Hayes Tamotsu (24pts/12asts) reaped the rewards. Under the circumstances Ásason (20pts/12asts) did what he could on offense, helped out by 20 points off the bench from Jari Jukkasson, but he proved no more able to slow down the whirlwind Valentine onslaught. It was a quiet night for captain Iirosson (7pts/10rbds), though he did at least hold Antenor al-Haroun to 5 points in the only remotely close defensive matchup of the night. Græntfjall will next play little known Nordic Airland and promising upcomers Gran Saguaro before their biggest test, Sarzonia, who are the most likely to be vying with the Super Wolves for the second spot in the second group. But the double round robin format means there is still plenty of time for the team to regroup – or to double down on a dismal opening night.