NSCAA 15 - Roleplays

[Ranoria]

TOURNAMENT TUMULT
All of the Ranorian Schools have earned a berth in their conference tournaments, and with their record are likely safe bets to make the Ultra 64. What are we getting into with the first stage of hardware hunting havoc?

Undefeated Sadeg State with another legendary Beck - who'd have guessed, we've never seen that story before. The Cascade Tradesmen debuting as the best thing in sports right now. Pheasants. The Vanorian schools going on an absolute tear over the last few weeks. What's not to love about one of the world's most unpredictable sports? After a solid 26 game showcase to whet our appetite, we get the true litmus test for the Ultra 64 in the conference tournaments. And we're going to go over all the teams from that one cold country that should care more about basketball due to climate...but doesn't for some reason. Whatever.

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School
Matthensville Polytechnic Institute

Outlook:
CRYPTO CRASH

Record | Seed
17-9 | 4

The Cryptokleptics continue to be an above average NSCAA team for absolutely no reason that anyone can suggest. They don't care about the sport, their stadium is typically 25% full unless they're playing an extremely passionate, well-traveled fanbase, and even some of their own players are trading during games. It's nice that they put together a respectable season for the sake of Ranoria, but for Pete's sake, do we actually expect these guys to do anything significant in the tournament stages? 17-9, while again respectable and certainly competent, isn't anything to write home about and certainly isn't the marker of a championship caliber basketball team. Their first round matchup in The School of Destiny shouldn't be an issue at 6-20 (unless they really come out sharp wanting to make a statement) But eventually you'll have to get past someone like Mount Ester, Raynor, Küsbon, or Raikennax. Hell, Dhemixian Institute of Technology might be more than a match for the Cryptobros once the chips are down.

Their lack of motivation showed even down the stretch of the regular games. After a strong 15-5 start, they really fell off the horse, going 2-4 down the stretch, lazing off as other teams fought tooth and nail to secure victories. Don't expect a lot from these guys, even if they are fun. The Cryptokleptics will win two games - absolute ceiling - and probably couldn't care less when they get sent home for the moment.

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School
Richardson University

Outlook:
Dependably Mid

Record | Seed
18-8 | 4

The Governors, as much as they haven't had some insane run, are actually the only NSCAA team this cycle to have completed their goal - they beat Loyola-Istria, the bane of their existence and everything they hold dear. Sure, it was in the Orange Sky Classic - bringing in some nice viewership for the Banijan sponsored preseason exhibition, but that game was the biggest of their season. Franklin Jones continue to be pretty darn good at this - he's no generational talent, but the kid can ball and if he's open, he's a problem. At 18-8, Richardon's not exactly looking to be a convincing threat to win a conference championship, but they are the only Ranorian team to ever pull off that kind of achievement in international play. This is a well coached team with okay all around depth and one star who can certainly make a difference. It's not going to get them past an unscathed Sadeg State. It's probably not enough to bring down Grande Mountain or longtime NSCF foes Mar Sara Tech, but they'll do okay.

This is the beginning of the end for Franklin Jones though, the guy who spearheaded two wins over Loyola-Istria and overall one of the better players in program history. That's not saying a whole lot, but he'll certainly be motivated to leave a lasting impression with his play down the stretch.

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School
University of Rouyoutte

Outlook:
Dark Horse

Record | Seed
20-6 | 4

Easily the most exciting team to watch for Ranoria this season for one reason - Laurent Dupont-Lefèvre. Kid's one of the best basketball prospects Ranoria's seen in awhile and he's lights out, doubling his team's next leading scorer as he's carried an otherwise lackluster Rouyoute team to an impressive twenty wins. Rouyoute's weakness - of course - is that they have little to no depth behind him, starting or otherwise. Their offense lives and dies on his play, and that's a lot of pressure on the young man, even if he accepts that burden gratefully. Surprising that he ended up playing for the Lions, but familial pressure to stay home and study at such a prestigious university won out - can he deliver one of the greatest moments in the schools sporting history with a conference title in a sport that, more than any other, is defined by the play of the best player on the court?

Oh and of course, he's got Basil Thorne to likely go through if he wants to make some noise. The conference's fourth seed affords some easier games early, but Thorne is the best player in this tournament. Their first two showdowns weren't exactly Barnburners. Ducentu State won the first round in an 87-58 bludgeoning, and while they did a bit better at home, it was still a 77-60 blowout in favor of the bad guys. Dupont-Lefèvre will need to have the game of his life to even give a team like that a run for their money - and that's if he can lead his team deep enough to do it. Unlikely, but his raw talent would make it one hell of a show.

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School
University of Berlin

Outlook:
OVERSHADOWED

Record | Seed
22-4 | 2

By far the best performing Ranorian squad through this point in the tournament, UoB is ready to make a deep run. Ratting off 22 wins and cruising to the second seed in the conference, these are the boy to bet on if you're going to put the chips down on a Ranorian side. They're disciplined and every player on the court is well rounded, forcing tough scores and threatening to put up field goals when they've got possession. It makes for a tough matchup, and their lack of true star power makes them a nice team for those who get annoyed at watching one-player-sides that completely run through their best.

Of course, no one in Ranoria actually cares about The University of Berlin's NSCAA squad, because they're in the Woodlands Conference, and the Woodlands Conference is owned by the Cascade Tradesmen. The Ranorian populace has been fixated on the rough-and-tumble side since the tournament's start, and it's to the point that their most successful NSCAA representatives this go-round are basically an afterthought in their won conference. It's a cold world we live in, after all.

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School
The University of Dietrich

Outlook:
Favorites

Record | Seed
19-7 | 2

Unironically the team with the best shot of earning an auto-berth via conference championship. The Pheasants' 19-7 record isn't the most inspiring, but they were only a game back of winning the conference's regular season from Al-Hilal University's 20-10 squad. They split with the regular season champs, with Al-Hilal winning the first matchup 75-68, but the Snow Bears took off after that game. From an 11-5 start, they ripped off eight wins in their final ten with a perfect finish - a rematch with Al-Hilal, even if they'd already clinched the regular season auto-berth. And boy oh boy, did they take advantage - taking the victory in a 76-73 thriller that saw them come back from a 10 point second half deficit. Power forward Tillie Freund is the heart and soul of this fun loving squad, and hit a surprisingly common three pointer to seal the deal, then recorded a steal and ripped the ball into the stands as the clock struck double zeroes.

All the momentum's on their side in this - if anyone is going to win the country some medals, it's probably going to be these guys. Keep an eye on the boys named after the national animal.

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School
Vricksinburg State University

Outlook:
Biblical Flop

Record | Seed
18-8 | 4

Not gonna happen, and everyone's praying on their downfall. The pheasants are a generally well-liked school, one of those sports programs that if you see them against another random, you'll probably pull for, but holy smokes has center Carl Wentz been insufferable this season. The underachieving senior has classic delusions of grandeur, with some sort of inclination that he's going to change the game in Ranoria. Sure, he had some nice moments. Hell, he was even playing some really good basketball for a bit. His four double-doubles make this by far the most productive he's been in any campaign, but this is a senior who has done approximately nothing of note throughout his career until now. And while he is racking up assists and boards, that's mostly because they have a real stud shooter in Tom Austerlitz.

Wentz's ball-hogging ways have impeded this offense due to his not kicking the ball out until late, even if he is a hyper-efficient shooter (he only puts up layups). The university's media outlets are talking of Queen's College, Old Mountain, or Starksville as the mountains that these guys have to climb - are you kidding me? Petervale A&M's local high school feeder is probably good enough to give these overperforming chumps a run. If they really ran their entire offense through Tom Austerlitz, sure, they might be able to make something happen, but the star is being limited in his opportunities because Carl Wentz has deluded himself into thinking he's the next Astor Francois. What a hackshow. Literally. The guy is 23% on free throws this season.

Pheasants are cute, but not this kind. Can't wait to see this guy's face when reality hits. Even Corpsguy could get a smile out of it.

---

School
Ranoria State University

Outlook:
Redemption Arc?

Record | Seed
18-8 | 4

These are the only guys who we can say have actually been a major disappointment. Ranoria State's one of the truly elite basketball programs in Ranoria - the city simply attracts elite athletes of all levels. And they're becoming a case in point for the other top competitors to not enter the NSCAA. Not only are they not guarunteed success against the best in the multiverse, but realistically all their entering would do is further seal Ranorian basketball as mediocre at best. In NSCAA 14, the Wolfhounds ripped off a 21-9 campaign with Astor Francois covering up a lot of their flaws, and while they had a second round conference tournament exit, the team did win an Ultra 64 game before falling to basketball-centric University of Moravica.

All of that, and that was with the best basketball prospect the country's ever seen - a dude who won Quebec's rookie of the year award and stepped in to immedietely be the arguably best player on Ranoria's IBC team. So maybe some fall off should be expected, but realistically, it's still incredibly disappointing to see the Wolfhounds limping to the finish line here. They're gonna have to make a deep push to restore their credibility after a couple domestic seasons that haven't lived up to their standards as well.

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School
Cold Hill University

Outlook:
Why are they still here?

Record | Seed
18-8 | 5

What's pretty crazy is that Cold Hill - much due to the namesake weather - was traditionally a basketball school. And sure, they've pulled their weight and all, but they've got no one of relevance on this basketball team. No star player to go "wow, that guy's really gonna make something of himself!" If not for Chris Dale's arrival at the school, they'd have become pretty irrelevant in the sporting world with the decline they've been on lately, and this feels like just one more opportunity for them to continue to belly up when it counts. At least they've got Viktor Rowles, assuming he can get his act together.

[TJUN-ia]

The chequered flag is out. Congratulations on surviving the regular season of NSCAA 15! I know it was a long ride, but we managed to get through it in the end. Let's see how things shook out before the start of Conference Tournaments.

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Al-Hilal (20-4)
The Islanders of Al-Hilal were entering the final split looking to claim the Newlands Conference and a spot in the Ultra 64 as a result. All they needed to do was beat one of their final two opponents to pull off the feat. But in the end, they didn't actually need to do that. They lost both games to Paco=ific State and Dietrich but because Dietrich lost to New Cardonia State beforehand, the title was already secured. The Newlands was claimed in a whimper...but in the end, a spot in the U64 was theirs. And so was a bye in the NC Tournament at 20-6.

Pacifico (15-9)
Los Surfistas stabilised in the Five Star last time we saw them for these final two games, they did well with a 2-0! Both Küsbon College and Crimson Royal were taken down to secure a 17-9 record but due to tiebreakers over 3 other teams, they could only secure the #6 seeds. This means they will start the FSC Tournament against Lake Wakiso State.

UW-Wollongmatta Bay (14-10)
The Wallabies from Wisdom on the Bay went 2-0 to end their Eternal run, beating both U de Soria and Concord Heights in the process. That means a final record of 16-10 and the #4 seed overall. They will start the EC Tournament against Southern Angler.

CPortside (14-10)
The Mariners of CPortside ended the Pink 14 with a 2-0, beating both Columbus A&M and Blue Crescent to move to 16-10 and the #5 seed. They will start the P14 Tournament against Richmond Racing School.

Central State (13-11)
The Grizzlies haven't had the best of campaigns in the Flying Drawk and that was proved here with an 0-2, to Penske College and Niccostrato NA. That means 13-13 and the #6 seed, with FDC Tournament play starting against Svemira.

UCarib-Port Town (13-11)
The Green Flash did well last time to rebound their Calania hopes and that continued here as they went 2-0 over Sudoeste and Southern Victoriaville. That means 15-11 and the #6 seed, meaning they will start the CC Tournament against San Jose Tech.

Carlandas (13-11)
Los Leones continued their stabilisation here in the Salamantica as they finished up with defeat to Grande Mountain and a win over Endover. That means 14-12 and the #5 seeds, meaning they will start the SC Tournament against Ankole State.

Hongxai (12-12)
Finally, the Dragons ended the Big Seven Seven with a 1-1, beating Joe Gibbs before losing to LeBois Santura. 13-13 is the score, the #6 seed secured. they will start B77 Tournament play against St. Michael the Archangel.

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The Order (post-RS)
Al-Hilal/Pacifico/UWWB/CPortside/UCPT/Carlandas/CSU/HPU

[Valanora]

Cutoff for Round 1 of Eternal and Woodland Conference Tournament.

[Valanora]

Second half surges from nearly all of the Vanorian universities means that half of them get to have a bye into the second round of their respective conference tournaments and get that extra day to rest the weary legs after the regular season campaign has come to an end. The last week was an important week for several of the sides and despite fairly good results all around, no Vanorian school was able to get the results it needed elsewhere in order to grab a conference crown. While there was an initial hope of two to three regular season champions from the Empire, there had been an internal stated goal that they needed at least one given some of the disparity in the conferences that appeared and how good the rosters had looked before the regular season began. While we will not redress the issues of the first half and a few odd performances from the better teams from the Empire, there is a small amount of disappointment all around that not a single Vanorian school was able to earn their way to the pinnacle of their respective conferences and now have to rely on the grueling work of a conference tournament win if to secure an autoberth into the championship tournament.

The negative feeling of a lack of a conference champion has to be completely overwhelmed by the sheer delight at the way that Rinaldi and Turbani salvaged seasons that were on the brink and have elevated themselves to records that on paper look to be above the projected bubble line. If the current thought of a required fourteen wins holds to be considered for a berth into the Ultra 64, then all eight teams from the Empire will likely see themselves making their way into the championship tournament, although the seedings for those teams are currently quite wildly different thanks to their respective regular seasons. Turbani and Rinaldi for instance are likely going to be staring at a double digit seed unless they make substantially deep runs in the Newlands and United conference tournaments thanks to the troubles both teams had and then needed the miracle of the last three weeks to pull themselves from the brink and back into contention. Teams like Hondo and South Caddonia however may be looking at a top four seed, perhaps even Everlin, but the jostling for seeding truly heats up here in the conference tournaments where a good run in these successive day events lends itself well to the minds of the selection committee.

Of the teams that are having to play in the first round, Raynor may have the easiest go of it getting the bottom of the conference dwellers in Universitas Concordia Kasandora. The Lisander school did get four wins during the season but the form that the Rockets have had makes it seem very unlikely that they are going to slip up against the last place team in the conference. Two blowouts leading into this game means that the offense is finally flowing and the defense has seen a better return as a result, the team getting into their half court defense more readily. Failure to win would be tragic and definitely have a huge negative impact on their Ultra 64 seeding. Like Raynor, South Caddonia is also facing off against the worst team in their conference, Fabula de Forma University, but finished the season on quite the bitter note with a heavy loss in Cardenao. That loss had the team slip from second to third to their Cardenao adversaries and have to play in the first round, as although they would have been tied with Cavsar on record the Drawkland school had the advantage in the tiebreakers. A few second half losses have taken the sails out of the Caddo based school and a huge blowout over a team that they are considerably better than would help in getting the morale back and start the momentum needed to hopefully advance into the semifinals of the tournament where they will attempt to make amends for regular season losses against the other two best teams in the conference.

Both Turbani and Rinaldi will have to play in the first rounds of their conference tournaments and while they do not have the best of seeding, they still should have fairly easy matchups especially considering the run that both teams have been on in the last month. It has truly been outstanding to see the work both teams have put in, especially in their defensive adjustments in order to facilitate their turnarounds. The fifth and sixth placed finishes respectively make their road towards the latter stages of their tournaments a bit more of a challenge but it would be hard to bet against either team right now, especially Turbani who has rattled off six wins in a row. Elsewhere, if any team is feeling a bit like they have something to prove despite their bye in the first round, it will be the Raiders of Mar Sara Tech who finished third and had to watch their hated rivals of Sadeg State run the gauntlet without a blemish to their record. While Grande Mountain University also finished about the Raiders, Tech clearly had the Skyhawks in their sights and are aching for another chance against their rivals and would relish being the one who could knock them off their undefeated perch.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

First cutoff of tonight's slate of scorinations begins with Calania and Salamantica.

[Kronbia]

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Rising star

Today we will talk about a rising talent in the sky of Kronbian basketball. He is Cristobal Notario from Coraguna Colegio. Cristobal was born in Santa Rosana Island to a father who works as a mechanic and a housewife mother. He was the eldest son among five brothers. During his high school studies, he played basketball and showed an outstanding performance. He dreamed of completing his college studies to play to college team, but an injury to his father left him paralyzed and unable to work, which prompted Cristobal to work after high school and did not join the university. By chance, he got a job as a cleaning crew in the Santa Irene Court, Coraguna Colegio Court, and on one of the nights at work after the crowd had left, Cristobal threw several balls. On the basket from outside the arc, and He didn't know anyone was seeing him, but Gabriel was set in the grandstand reviewing some papers. He is a mathematics teacher at the Coraguna Colegio, a basketball fan, and a friend of the coach of the Coraguna Colegio team. Gabriel asked about the boy from the director of the cleaning department, and he informed the coach Lisandro Wilfredo, who requested him. To take a simple test, then teacher Gabriel and coach Lisandro asked the dean to grant Cristobal a scholarship to study at the university so that he could play for the college team. Cristobal agreed on the condition that he continue his work in order to support his family, and he saw the experts after his brilliant performance in the NSCAA 15 that he would soon be a rising star In the LKB

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New Surprise in Costa de Palmeras

A Costa de Palmeras team owner, David Luis Gustavo announced a contract with a new coach, who is the former star of the team and assistant coach of El Libertador Colegio, Ernesto Victorino. The biggest surprise is that the retired player will return to play in the team in addition to his work as a coach. Victorino said, “When Mr. Gustavo presented offered me to return to the team as a player and coach, I took the opinion of my former coach, "The Commander" Hector Mendoza, who encouraged me to come back and gave me some useful advice. The team and I will work to present a distinguished season and come back to the Playoffs again to win the LKB title.”

---

[Drawkland]

Basil Thorne let a week pass after he returned from the Ducentu State campus visit. He himself hadn't immediately decided if he wanted to stay or go. It was a tough decision, after all. He was gradating high school in a couple months. Up until a couple weeks ago, his life plan was to stick around the family farm and help out where needed. As far as he was concerned, life was ideal. No schooling, no need to interact with people outside a weekly trip to town for supplies. He could go hunting and fishing whenever he wanted, he could spend all day outdoors. He would live a quiet life in the backwoods, content until his dying day. At least, that's what he imagined.

The alternative was an enormous question mark. Basil barely knew the first thing about basketball, despite what everybody said about his talent. He certainly didn't know anything about college, though the concept of Wildlife Management as a course of study seemed much more interesting to Basil than ... whatever it was that normal people went to college for, he didn't know. He'd never lived away from the house he grew up in, beyond the few times a year the Thornes would visit family or close friends. Living in a city, much less right in the urban sprawl of one of Drawkland's largest burgs, was even less familiar. Yet, there was something about it that intrigued him.

The biggest issue was handling this decision in relation to his father. Basil respected and loved his dad, though their relationship had become strained after his mom passed and his siblings began leaving the house. In many ways, the vision Basil had for his future mirrored what his father had done. His old man stuck around the family homestead when his siblings found places of their own, helping his own father until he was too old to be useful. It seemed to be the path that would bring happiness, based on what Basil believed. Yet, when Basil watched his father closely over the course of that week, he didn't see much happiness. What he saw was loneliness, bitterness, and some sort of longing that Basil couldn't exactly decipher.

It was exactly a week later that Basil made up his mind. He was reading a hunting magazine in his room (reading being a relative term - he liked the full-page game photos) and letting his mind wander when things clicked. What's the worst that could happen? If he couldn't handle college, or if he really wasn't as good as everybody thought, he could just come back home and do what he thought he'd be doing anyway. Drawkians count on at least a century of adulthood before really worrying about death. What's one year in the grand scheme of things?

Immediately, Basil tossed the magazine across the room and thumped down the stairs. He swung into the living room, where the radio was faintly playing some country station in the corner. His grandpa, Ol' Otis as he was called, was snoozing with mouth agape in a weathered recliner. His father was intensely concentrating on the task at hand: reloading rounds for later use. In front of him was a press, to the left a pile of spent brass, to the right several boxes of recycled rounds ready to go for next season.

"Hey pops," Basil said, as casually as he could manage. Normally one would be stressed in this scenario, but Basil wasn't thinking about that. This was something that needed to be done, and it would be done regardless of the outcome.

"Dinner's in the fridge," the older Thorne grunted without looking up. "TV dinner." It was ironic, because the Thornes did not own a television.

"I already ate," Basil replied plainly.

"Eh?" Basil's dad turned halfway to look through the corner of his eye. "What's goin' on, then?"

"I made up my mind, dad." Basil walked further into the living room, leaning on the back of the couch and eyeing his dad carefully. "I think I'm gonna go to Ducentu State. Give that college thang a try."

"Wha-" His dad looked up from his press, squinting across the room at Basil. "Whaddya talkin' about? Y'aren't serious are ya?"

"I am serious. Sure as death."

"Basil, I thought we were in agreement about that trip. I already didn't want you goin' into that disgustin' city, but you and Clyde figured it would be worth it to get a couple nice meals and a treat. I thought that was the end of it."

"That's how it started, honest." Basil rapped his fingertips against the peeling fake leather of the couch. "But I been thinkin' on it. Figure it wouldn't hurt to try. They say I could be a damn good player."

"Yeah, sure," his dad scoffed. "So what then, you're just gonna abandon me out here? Force me to take care of the whole farm on my lonesome?"

"Not entirely. I'll be here to help in the summer. And I could come on breaks, help clean out the barn and some such."

"Basil, you know I can't do all this on my own." His dad threw up his hands in agitation. "Dammit, boy, I can't have ya leavin' too! First it was your brother gettin' involved with the Howards, getting to jump ship to their better land. 'Course your other brother started truckin', and he makes too much money to look back. Then your damned sister gettin' seduced by that city slickin' demon and moving halfway across the damn country, shit!"

"I ain't like my siblings, dad. I'm gonna try this basketball thang out, then I'll come back when I'm done. You have my word."

"Some shit that's worth." His dad took his greasy glasses off and flicked them angrily at the floor. "You're just like 'em. Your mom kicks the bucket, and now suddenly ya can't handle bein' at home with your old man. Guess that's how much I'm worth, huh?"

"C'mon dad, you don't gotta bring her up like that," Basil groaned. "I miss ma just as much as you. She'd probably want me to give it a try anyway."

"Don't you use her against me like that!" His father roared. "Same shit your siblings said. 'Ma woulda wanted me to!' It's insultin' to her memory."

"Fair enough." Basil shrugged. "Still, I wanna try it out. What's the harm in that?"

"You're wastin' your damn time, that's what. You'll go out there and embarrass yourself. And, and the family name too. You won't even last a year before they figure out you were just good because nobody in Reese County is good in comparison."

"So then I'll come back home sooner than expected. No harm, really. And what if I am as good as they stay?"

"They'll trick you and seduce you. Just like what happened to your sister, some smooth-talkin' city boy is gonna take advantage of you and say ya gotta move across the country to play some silly game every day, and you'll believe 'em. They'll use you to make money and give you table scraps!"

"I hear the pros make good money, pops."

"Sure they do," his dad muttered.

"Aw hell Earl, let the kid play his game," Basil's grandfather croaked from the other end of the room. "You're worse than your mother."

"Go back to sleep ya damn fossil," Earl spat. "Nobody asked you. And I don't see you volunteering to help me move shit around outside."

"You know that kid down the road's been beggin' to help out around the farm. Ya don't hafta pay him much. Jackie's kid comes over damn near every weekend, put 'im to work too."

"Those two knuckleheads combined wouldn't work half as good as Basil," Earl grumbled.

"They're probably more help than I was at that age," Basil stuck out his lip. "I hear the college players at Ducentu can make some money on the side, too. Doin' commercials and stuff. I could send that money back here."

"Like any city goon would want to put someone like us on a billboard," Earl chuckled darkly. "Fine then. You clearly made up your mind. I don't wanna hear you moanin' when it turns out I was right."

"An' I don't wanna hear you bitchin' when I got money," Basil retorted, trying to be lighthearted.

"Not like you'll be around here to hear me bitchin' anyhow."

"Whatever." Basil shrugged again, and left without another word. That went ... about as well as he expected. Now all he had to do was confirm it.

The next day at school, Basil went into Coach Jensen's office between classes. To be clear, it was also during a class period, but there was a class that came before and after. It was only Senior Literature, Basil didn't need any of that information. It was the one period of the day that Coach Jensen didn't have a gym class to teach, so he was in his office snoring.

"Ay coach, can I use your phone?" Basil said as he pushed the door open.

"Zz-ghuh?" Coach Jensen awoke with a start. "Eh - Basil? Whadyoosay?"

"Thanks," Basil replied with a smile, grabbing the phone from Coach Jensen's desk and punching in the number he'd written in marker on his left hand. It was the phone number that Ducentu State's coach, Anton Irving, had given him for contact way back on the original recruitment letter.

"Hello, this Coach Irvin'?" Basil asked loudly into the receiver as soon as it stopped ringing. "Yeah, I'll hold."

"What are ya doin' Basil?" Coach Jensen squinted, mouth open. "Are you actually-"

"Yeah, this is Basil. Yup." Basil ignored his high school coach, now that his college coach was on the line. "Uh huh. Yeah, I was thinkin' about it, and I believe I want to take you up on the offer. Yeah. Yeah, I'll sign whatever. Mhm. Yeah, I can be on the lookout. Actually, could you send another one a couple days later? Just in case somethin' happens to the first one. Yeah. Alright, for sure. Uh huh. Thanks, Coach. Yeah, see ya then. A'right, bye."

"You're actually gonna go to college?" Coach Jensen rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"I'm givin' it a shot. Wanna see how far I can go."


Two weeks later, Basil Thorne was officially a Ducentu State Eagle. Two months later, he was going to campus as a college student for the first time. Two years later, he was leading a charge the Eagles hadn't seen in nearly a decade.

He wasn't just good. He was great. He was exceptional. Some were saying he was the best. Basil wasn't sure about any of that. All he knew is that the more he played this game, the more he enjoyed it. The idea of playing it for a living seemed more agreeable every day.

[Valanora]

Eternal and Woodlands Cutoff

[Valanora]

Conference tournament quarterfinal day, a day that ensures all teams will have at least entered into their conference tournament at this point (two conference results currently pending notwithstanding). It is a time that is as exciting as it is nervous, knowing that a win here could all but clinch your spot in the Ultra 64, where a loss may either see you fall back into the bubble or see your seeding suffer if you are a fan of a school who should be making the tournament thanks to their regular season performance. A clash of different cultures with people from fourteen different nations converging on the ten different host cities for these tournaments, turning the tournament into something of a social convention as much as it is a sporting competition. These sort of occasions are truly great for the whole fanbase that is able to travel and why you will often see some of the fans from teams that lose in the first round or two stay after their teams have been eliminated from the competition just to be part of the occasion and everything that comes with the hosting of these events and the entertainment that surrounds them and caters to those traveling fans.

Sabinal State is looking to keep the momentum going after grabbing third during conference play in the Calania Conference, where they have a quarterfinal matchup with the University of the Caribbean At Port Town, The TJUN-ia school finished sixth in regular season play and took out San Jose Tech Academy in a high scoring affair in the first round to advance to play the Sabinal based school. They had a bit of trouble scoring during the regular season so to see an explosion of offense in the first round does suggest that they might be finding their rhythm at the right time. However Sabinal had a fairly good defense and an above average offense, which will be relishing their chances against a defense from Port Town that has been shown to be vulnerable on the fast break or with teams who play quickly. Elsewhere in Quebec, the Raiders of Mar Sara Tech start their journey against Shanzhou University, who just put up over ninety points in a twenty-two point blowout in the first round. While the Raiders might be wanting to have a ride to the championship game of the Salamantica and a hopeful third game against heated rivals Sadeg State, they can take nothing for granted. Yusra Fjellheim, Julia Teigland, and Sivert Heggedal are good guards and have kept the Raiders competitive, but they need to be sharp and not let the occasion get over them, let their experience with a full starting lineup of juniors keep the game and moment calm to earn that victory forward.

The Rockets had something of a walkthrough in their first round matchup in the Five Star conference, notching a win in an easy fashion that times seemed more like an exhibition than a competitive match. Senior guard Linus Venås lead the team with eighteen points, while Lucas Knutsen grabbed eleven rebounds to lead the team. Those rebounds limited the second chance scoring for Universitas Concordia Kasandora and kept the Lisander school from ever making a serious run at the Rockets. Universidad del Pacifico from TJUN-ia presents a sterner challenge and one that during the regular season the side might have let slip away from them, and hence why they finished third regular than getting a bye. With two senior starters and the other three juniors, you would expect them to buckle down here in the sternest moments and lead by example, much as the Raiders are expecting from their core players. If the Rockets get good play from those seniors, a dance into the semifinals should not be out of reach. South Caddonia University had a twenty point blowout in the Pink Fourteen and are perhaps fortunate as they are going against eleven seed University of Nathan after the Vyktoria school produced a first round upset. With as good as Caddonia was during the regular season, there should not be a second upset in the making for Nathan and the Caddo school will be one game away from a chance at redemption.

In the pair of Drawkland hosted conference tournaments, the Vanorian teams will be getting treated to venues that feel like they could be football grounds with a few adjustments with how big the arenas are and the capacities that they can hold. With the Big Seven Seven, the perennial best performing Vanorian school in Hondo comes off their first round bye with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, perhaps feeling a bit hard done by not to have captured the regular season crown. The Cardenao schools surprised many people with how strong they were in the regular season and nothing should be taken away from their performances across the board and the conferences they were able to win as well as compete in at a high level, though Hondo would have thought they had the inside track for the Big Seven Seven crown from the preseason announcement of the make up of the conference. Columbus College of Medicine stands as the first obstacle for the Owls to attempt to prove that they are in fact the best team in the conference and will likely see the best that Hondo has to offer, with senior center Matilde Thorshaug leading the charge for the Owls. Everlin's season was a bit up and down but to take second in the Flying Drawk was impressive in the end and they look to keep momentum going, that starts with Hangaza State University. In any other season, getting a Banija school as your first opponent might have seemed like bad luck but the Banija schools are down across the board and the Jungle Cats have enough about them to see off their struggling neighbors to the northeast.

[TJUN-ia]

Conference Tournament season has arrived! That time of year when everything can change if a run can be made by anyone who partakes in any of these brackets. Ten teams have booked their tickets to the Ultra 64 but with 54 spots still available, these next few days will be massive for everyone who plays this sport...so who will rise as the next 10 tickets are granted?

---

Al-Hilal (20-6/1st in Newlands)
1st place means ticket secured and a bye to boot, so we'll talk about them next time.

Pacifico (17-9/6th in Five Star)
Los Surfistas started the Five Star Tournament against Lake Wakiso State and as far as opening games are concerned, this one was smooth sailing. Andressa Alves was just too strong in this 88-59 win, with Raynor next up.

UW-Wollongmatta Bay (16-10/4th in Eternal)
For Wisdom on the Bay, the EC Tournament started against Southern Angler...another breeze for a TJUN-ian seed. Maalosi Fakailoga did very well here in this 83-61 win and that will certainly be needed again against Moravica.

CPortside (16-10/5th in Pink 14)
The Mariners would start things off against Richmond Racing School and this one was certainly an underrated banger. Hernando Jotara certainly had his work cut out here but in the end, Portside prevailed 73-68 to set up a date with Saguenay.

UCarib-Port Town (15-11/6th in Calania)
UCPT took on San Jose Tech Academy in the early game in the Calania and this was another underrated banger as SJTA certainly pushed them farther than anyone might've imagined before tip-off. But Kofi Kollon did enough for the 89-84 win, to set up a battle with Sabinal State

Carlandas (14-12/5th in Salamantica)
Over in the Salamantica, Los Leones took to Ankole State like a duck to water. Things were simply...simple if you know what I mean. 95-75, Rihana da Costa Oliveira cooked with gas and just like that, it's Richardson next.

Central State (13-13/6th in Flying Drawk)
In the Flying Drawk, the Grizzlies took on Svemira in another banger as Shamsiya Jumakhonzoda ended up doing a lot of work to ensure the win belonged to CSU. 69-63 the final score, with Saint Benedict's College up next.

Hongxai (13-13/6th in B77)
Finally, HPU wanted to cause some chaos in the B77 and that's exactly what they did, smashing St. Michael the Archangel by an incredible 119–66. It simply was that good, with Samuel Tosi playing his part brilliantly, and so all eyes turn to Farrer.

[Cardenao]

Listen In To Big Ronnie Ray Mac As He Breaks Down All 8 Cardenaoen College Teams!!!

https://audio.com/crb7/audio/nscaa15-audio-rp

[Cassadaigua]

Looks like I'll kick off the evening cutoff tonight!

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

The Mathletes - Scientific, Literary Venue of Sports Journalism

NSCAA-15: Coloratura State's husband-wife coach pair proud of their team's achievements, hopes to aim higher

Kim Yoon-Seong

RAYNOR CITY, VALANORA - Back in the rafters of Coloratura Coliseum, where the Coloratura State Cardinals have played for exactly seven decades, three national championship rafters ring high. Men's titles in 1984 and 2005, and women's title in 1994. Both titles, while putting them in a small but distinguishable rank of schools with titles in both men and women's basketball, till put them in search.

Both Oh Jae-Hyeong and Noemi Courcieres weren't around at the time of CSU's three titles, and if anything they had come from very different times. Knowing this the couple, both of whom had come from high school and then collegiate circuit, are calm and rather straightforward with the expectations at times. The national championship banners, after all, predate both of their existence on the world.

But what is nearer is their success, with both men and women's teams recording a strong Elite Eight finish in the nationals, on top of the men securing the SWUA conference tournament title. This would then be followed by a strong finish in the Eternal Conference of the NSCAA-15 competition with the Cardinals finishing with a second seed off a 22-4 record, before a 87-75 conference quarterfinals win over Columbus-Prairie would secure themselves a probable berth to the Ultra 64 berth to the tournament proper.

Of course, neither coach has much to say, mostly keeping themselves to complementing one another's halves' performance, as they would smile at the post-game conference.

'Nothing new, I know Noemi would get these players to play physically and not lose hold of the defence, while also really focus on the transition offence,' said Oh, who had been married to Courcieres for seven years. 'This is year three with both programs looking strong, so I have nothing to complain about that.'

This is a partnership that goes back a solid fifteen years, all the way to when they had first met at Farrer. In those days, Farrer University was best remembered for its national contender side that would win the 2049 and 2050 national championships under legendary forward, national team great Jin Chang-Sook. They had both been part of their respective programs, Oh mostly as a backup guard and Courcieres serving as a trainer and walk-on guard.

Both would eventually find their way in coaching, aided by Oh's time as assistant to legendary Giancarlo Avola at Queen's College, and Courcieres making her name known as an up-and-coming high school and junior-elite coach at Songak, where she grew up and would come to stay until the Coloratura State came calling with both men and women's teams holding vacancies. 'It was perfect for everybody, both the school and myself,' said Courcieres, as she recalled back on the True North Sports interview with her back in January.

It was a decision that both had no issue taking, even more as they have a young family of two boys, who were then four and seven. To start with a new job at a different conference, away from the traditionally competitive Big Ten (B1G) and to a more hierarchal SWUA, where Coloratura State have been among the powers but not the most dominant names, had made sense.

This naturally also meant that there's more room for the teams to be moulded with the coaches' shared vision, something that the Quebecois had become known over the years with their mixed-gender national teams that emphasised continuous rotations and substitutions to their powerhouse branding and the IBC threepeat.

While many QIS programs do see their men and women's teams practice together, this situation is interesting. Not often in Quebec, if almost very rare these days, we have schools where the husband-wife pair have seen two similar-styled teams perform well on national level as individual teams, and then together on international circuit with the NSCAA competition.

The players take it well for most part, knowing that this gives them options when facing off against more difficult opposition. 'It does give us a more to work around, especially in terms of facing off against teams with stronger posts, thus the paint presence, while for the men, it's on how to counter a smaller but faster side that can shoot,' said freshman forward Julianne Ottavino. 'Defensively it is also important because sometimes you'd have to guard a dominant player with multiple helping hands, or to pressure the opposition without three second rule (e.g. refers to how some NSS professional leagues would employ three-second rule on defence, like in the NBA -e.d.-).'

Has it worked out? Somewhat, even if had taken a bit of adjustment on the initial weeks of practice and then the regular season. Two months on, and after a challenging but ultimately successful regular season, the Coloratura State team has mostly shown up on here it mattered. Finishing second on conference, a distant three games behind the 25-1 Cemmendy Tech side that has been on top of their game like most Drawkian schools this NSCAA, they have had the fortune of coming perfect on the final six game stretch of the season where majority of the seedings have been decided, and received the bye.

Having had the fortune of watching their likely opposition in Columbus-Prairie, whose rise in the NSCF competition had drawn praise internationally in recent years, they would lose little to no touch with what they have prepared for in teamwork and dispatched their opponents to a comfortable, 16-point halftime lead before winning it with no less than ten point lead the rest of the way.

And now, everything else is on borrowed time. With their regular season performance, as well as the quarterfinal win, Cardinals are more than set to reach the Ultra 64 that should feature no shortage of Quebecois schools. But before all of that's to happen, Concord Heights awaits, with the schools from two allied nations dating back centuries set to face off in the aftermath of a solemn period in the Rushmori nation.

'We will take things one step at a time, that's for sure,' said Courcieres when asked about their outlook for the NSCAA tournament. 'For now, making the conference semifinals start the process. The question is how far can we get from this point, both in conference and the tournament? That's what we are trying to find out and make our aims for. Our goal, as always, is to reach the peak and together we'll make a charge for that.'

[Ranoria]

University of Rouyoutte vs Alexandria University

Laurent Dupont-Lefèvre had seen his father in the stands prior to the game - first time that had happened since middle school - and come to a resolution before they played Alexandria - he was going to show his father exactly why he was so optimistic about his future as a professional athlete, exactly why he was being called the best Ranorian prospect in this sport since Astor Francois. He was loose before the game, locked in and at ease simultaneously. During warm ups, the surgical precision of his jump shot something that even the old timer could respect.

But rather than convince his father of his talents, he actually instilled doubt in himself. Alexandria didn't beat them. They didn't blow them out. No, they violated them in ways that shouldn't have been legal on international television, disgraced the Lions program and shattered any hope they had of earning some hardware. Sure, there was still the Ultra 64 - 20 wins should be enough to earn them that berth. But whether you were inside or outside the program, who was going to be convinced after this showing that this team could walk a dog on the big stage, much less win a game?

Alexandria's 13-0 run to start the game began a beatdown that never saw another lead change. And when Laurent looked to the front row at the end of the game - he saw his father had already called it, having determined that he was correct in not attending any games over what was nearly a decade - they were a waste of his time.

Matthensville Polytechnic vs Mount Ester

Beating the School of Destiny in the first round was cool and all, but most of the Cryptokleptics didn't even realize that they were in a knockout tournament. And as such, they didn't celebrate - because who cares?

But when Mount Ester's squad took it at the wire, they did, in fact, erupt in celebration.

Two weeks off from basketball before they - presumably - made the Ultra 64. And more importantly, just as the buzzer went off, the guys on the bench who had been managing the starters' cryptocurrencies screamed out, "It's going to the moon! It's up fifty-x!"

The entire team embraced each other at their good fortune, celebrating their own victory while Mount Ester's ever-classy squad waited in confusion to shake hands following the game.

[Drawkland]

FINAL FOUR BID - MILLENNIUM ARENA
because apparently nobody else cares enough™

This is a certified somewhat-edited AI image moment

Location: Centivar County
Nation: Drawkland
Capacity: 100,000

It's that time again. Halfway between Drawkland's capital and its largest city lies one of the greatest sporting venues ever built. Or just one of the biggest. Depends on who you ask.

Grand Gate Park was originally constructed for World Cup 79's championship match, with the main feature of Seven Stars Stadium that holds 250,000 spectators. Located below Seven Stars, partially underground, lies Millennium Arena, the venue of 100,000 fans built for indoor sports featuring smaller courts, like basketball or hockey.

Millennium Arena has hosted the NSCAA Final Four before, and looks to do so again in a year where Drawkian teams are theoretically set to make deep runs. Even independent of the hope for home court advantage, Millennium Arena is a loud, cavernous environment that brings an air of grandeur to any match played on that court. The huge amount of seats means the supply is high, causing cheaper ticket prices and allowing a larger contingent of fans to travel and watch one of the biggest events of the international tournament cycle.

The two final four games will be hosted on back-to-back nights, with a day of rest before the championship itself. The break day will feature a festival hosted at the Centivar County Complex, where all universities that qualify for the Ultra 64 to attend and mingle for this unique tournament. The break night will also feature a "Battle of the Bands" between the two pep band contingents of the championship schools, hosted within Millennium Arena for free for any interested spectators.

The Centivar County Complex is ready to handle the large influx of fans that will come with such an event. Outside of Grand Gate Park, the structure that holds both the stadium and arena, there's also a large shopping center which includes hospitality accommodations, though this may be a little expensive for the average fan. Thankfully, there's a well-maintained train line that runs between Drawk City and Metropolon which specifically stops at the Centivar County Complex, and will be running at double capacity/frequency over the course of the Final Four festivities. Fans will easily be able to travel and stay in one of the big cities and commute to the stadium in about an hour.

As in cycles past, the Centivar County Complex promises an excellent experience for both the affluent and budget-smart fan, for both the diehard and the casual follower. Whether neutral or devoted to one of the lucky semifinalists, any visitor will be satisfied with their travels to Millennium Arena. Good luck to all that enter the madness of the Ultra 64 ... and we hope to see you here for the final three games of the season!

Anybody else is encouraged to submit a bid. If any other bids come up by the final conference championship cutoff, then the conference hosting team will vote on the Final Four venue in addition to their other post-conference housekeeping duties. If not, Millennium Arena will be the Final Four host by default. This is merely IC of course, Chromatika will be scorinating the entirety of the Ultra 64 as in past cycles.

[Valanora]

Cutoff for Eternal and Woodlands

[TJUN-ia]

---

Al-Hilal (20-6/1st in Newlands)
ERROR 404 - ENTRY NOT FOUND

Pacifico (17-9/6th in Five Star)
Los Surfistas vs Raynor was a big time matchup in the Five Star that many felt UNPA would be overrun in the end...but that was not the case at all. Instead, Vanessa Furman was a hornet - annoyingly fast and deadly - and that produced a staggering 80-68 win over the #3 seed. Küsbon College awaits in the semifinal.

UW-Wollongmatta Bay (16-10/4th in Eternal)
For Wisdom on the Bay, the EC Tournament continued against Moravica...and this one wasn't close at all. 26 points from Emmanuel Kenyi just about says it all as UWWB got the 87-59 win in convincing fashion...and set up a date with Cemmendy Tech in the semis.

CPortside (16-10/5th in Pink 14)
The Mariners pushed Saguenay HARD...they really did. Hernando Jotara fought his ass off to try and get the win...but it just wasn;t enough, 76-78. The Ms will have to await their fate.

UCarib-Port Town (15-11/6th in Calania)
Sabinal State proved too much for UCPT, that was for certain. 83-71. Liza Colón Cosme certainly tried at stages to mount some sort of fightback, but there was nothing she could've done.

Carlandas (14-12/5th in Salamantica)
Los Leones also fell, this time in the Salamantica. Richardson beat them badly, 88-72. Nothing else to say.

Central State (13-13/6th in Flying Drawk)
Saint Benedict's College 96–75 Central State. Ouch. What a terrible way for this season to essentially end.

Hongxai (13-13/6th in B77)
Finally, HPU pushed Farrer all the way. They really really did. Ma Rui scored 25...but that just wasn't enough this time.

[Valanora]

Final Four Bid - Lagnthanian Arena

Location: Raynor City
Nation: Valanora
Capacity: 22,000

The home of the Raynor University Rockets, the Lagnthanian Arena is located in the main campus of the university in the Empire's capital city. Currently it is the largest basketball arena that is located in the nation and it is one of the newer ones as well, with constant renovations thanks to large contributions from the many alumni from the University. The arena is named after the Lagnthanian family, who contributed over half of the silver coins needed to construct the facility and make their home in Raynor City as well, Lysinader Lagnthanian being a well regarded electrical engineer and graduate from the University. Most recently renovated three years ago, the arena boasts the most modern of comforts with plenty of comfort room in the rows and the seats themselves to allow ease of passage for fans who are looking to to head to the restroom or to purchase concessions from the more than twenty different concession locations located on the two different levels of the arena, ensuring that no matter where you are in the arena concessions are not a far walk from your seat, same with the over thirty bathroom locations.

This will be the first time that the Final Four will come to the Eternal Empire, though it will not be the first time that a part of the Ultra 64 has been in the Empire. On two occasions there have been Ultra 64 games that have been played in the Empire, with the Lagnthanian Arena being a venue for both of those occasions as well as the Stormvalen Arena in Stormguard, both of which also have been the hosts of the conference tournaments of the Eternal and Woodlands for a few editions now of the NSCAA. It is an ambitious attempt to bring the most prestigious set of games to Raynor City and would follow in a long history of some of the most important moments in sport happening in the city, with multiple Champions League/Champions Cups, World Cup Finals, Di Bradini Cups, as well as other competitions to have seen their championships brought to the Eternal City. While the Eternal City is expecting stiff competition, especially from a more prevalent name in the sport like Drawkland, Banija, and/or Cassadaigua, there is a real fire to try and bring the event to the Empire and welcome all of the fans to a spectacular time.

The bid is part of a growing push from the VSC to try and get basketball to be the second most popular sport in the Empire behind football, a spot that is currently occupied by (ice) hockey. It is an odd rivalry considering that many of the arenas that play host to the hockey teams also play host to the basketball teams both at the collegiate level as well as the professional level, as the Raynor City Raptors of the EHL and the Raynor City Monarchs of the EBA both also play in the Lagnthanian Arena as well as to being the home to the Rockets of Raynor University. Regardless, the bid is seen as a part of the attempt to further the profile both within the Empire and without, especially if it ends up being success. What that might mean for hosting first and second round matchups as has been something of a norm now, we are not sure, but it would be a nice problem to have and work with the Ultra 64 committee to figure out the appropriate solution to the unique situation.

[Cardenao]

The clock is winding down, one possession left in Conference Championship Quarterfinals…what does your team do?

Niccostrato Naval Academy

“And here we go folks, likely the final play of what has been a fascinating game of basketball between your Niccostrato Naval Academy Sailors and Brattleboro Technical Institute.

Who knows what the score is, but I do know that it all comes down to this.

Dwane Chen takes the inbound pass, Brattleboro deciding not to press full-court. Conservative play from Chen, he’s surveying the court, eyeing up options and makes the pass to Caleb Montgomery. Here comes Jarrell Williamson putting a screen on Chen’s defender, and he cuts to the rim!

Pass isn’t on though and Chen clears to the weak-side corner. Oh here we go! Williamson sets another screen for Caleb, and the shooting guard attacks the rim!

He’s in the paint, sets up his shot and……tosses it up right to the hands of Jarrell Williamson for a massive dunk after rolling to the rim!

What a way to end the game on a schoolyard play!! Who knows what the final score is but what a finish!

---

LeBois Santura University

‘Bobby Dials……this is for you man.’

Only a couple seconds left against the Ranorian bastards, sure they weren’t Big Hill or Richardson but for small forward Jake Massacano and every BSU fan, they might as well be. After three seasons of demolishing LeBois hopes, the Broncos now had a chance at revenge……albeit in a different sport.

Down to the wire, the final play, the scoreline was inconsequential, all that mattered was getting this final bucket. Angus Lon Jrey Vernon hustled the ball down the court, atta kid. Max Rowland flashed up to the high post, Angus passed him the ball, time for me to make a cut, try to get open. Jake hit a clean V-cut, walking in with his hands high and the defender started sagging off him, perfect.

Massacano exploded back out behind the line and got the ball from Pierre LeGoff for a wide open shot and…he…hesitated. Wide open for the decisive shot and Jake Massacano perplexingly passed on the opportunity and the moment was over as his defender shot back out to clamp him down. ’What the hell was that?? Am I pussy??’ the senior thought to himself. Only then did he become aware that the crowd was counting down the final seconds.

‘Fuck it we ball for Bobby.’

Jake Massacano started his dribble, a little crossover followed by a hesi to buy him some space but no dice, the defender didn’t bite. He glanced up…damn, nobody’s open, let’s run it.

A dribble charge into the arc, a quick behind the back, damn defense is playing tight, gotta chuck it, and so he retreated back behind the 3 point line.

A quick dribble to the right got a little breathing room but a bad spot to shoot.

“Massacano dribbles right…defense is still there. No real options…he twists…he spins…he’s gearing up to shoot the fadeaway 3 pointer!!”

As the fadeaway left his hands, Jake couldn’t help but yell out one thing.

“Bobbyyyyyyyy!”

---

Alexandria University

“Did you watch the game last night?”

“…”

“Yo!”

“…”

“Yo HENRY!”

“Wha…huh?”

“It’s our five minute study break man, we need to relax for a bit.”

“Oh right, damn we’ve been at this all day and I still don’t understand shit about how Ochren magic works.”

“Not much to it dude, some of them have the ability to make nature work for them, to manipulate it to a certain extent. Nothing too crazy most of the time, I mean there was that shit that happened during the whole Incident with Ko-oren, Bostopia, Mertagne, it was a whole party. Wait, we’re still talking about studying…uhh……did you see the game last night? I think we played…Ducentu I think it was?”

“No, I was studying.”

“Oh, I was too.”

“I think it’s been five minutes.”

“Indeed it has.”

---

Costa Alto Military Academy

“Come onnnn man, why doesn’t Blake pass the ball?? All he’s doing is crossovers and burning down the damn clock!”

“Dude, is this your first time watching him play? My boy is a little toooo cocky out there, I mean did he need to dribble the ball behind his back that many times?”

“Well it usually works out for him, oh shit he passed it! Alright let’s see what Funstrinston can cook up, man they need to get a shot up!”

“He’s gonna shoot the 3.”

“Nah man, look Jezaro is open down low!”

“I’m telling you he’s gonna shoot the three–see! Ah damn that ain’t going in…”

“Rebound bounced up high OHHH SHIT!!!! DAMN! Where the hell did Blake come from?? Holy shit what a dunk!!!!”

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

“Holy my dear lord what a dunk, what a way to end it! Did we win??”

“Fuck if I know, that was awesome!!!!

---

[Cassadaigua]

Evening cutoff time!

[TJUN-ia]

---

Al-Hilal (20-6/1st in Newlands)
ERROR 404 - ENTRY STILL NOT FOUND

Pacifico (17-9/6th in Five Star)
Los Surfistas tried to fight Küsbon College but in the end, it was a battle they could not win. 82-62

UW-Wollongmatta Bay (16-10/4th in Eternal)
For Wisdom on the Bay, it was the same against Cemmendy Tech. 78–65. Job done...unless the Newlands wakes up again.

CPortside (16-10/5th in Pink 14/Conference QF)

UCarib-Port Town (15-11/6th in Calania/Conference QF)

Carlandas (14-12/5th in Salamantica/Conference QF)

Central State (13-13/6th in Flying Drawk/Conference QF)

Hongxai (13-13/6th in B77/Conference QF)

[Drawkland]

Cyberpunks in Raynor City

The story of Cemmendy Tech can be difficult to describe to an outsider. In Drawkland, the Cyberpunks are an elite basketball school, deserving of their spot in the NSCAA slate most years. In this international tournament, though, their legacy is a lot more complex. Cemmendy Tech has often run the table, with five NSCAA conference titles hanging in the rafters of Fredo Picks Court. Despite this, they have a total of four wins in the Ultra 64. For a Drawkian team that has been around since NSCAA 7, this is embarrassing. Eight cycles, seven Ultra 64 appearances, five conference titles, four tournament wins. An Elite Eight exit is their best finish.

Forgive Drawkian fans for being a little skeptical of the Cyberpunks winning the Eternal Conference by a comfortable three-win margin. Forgive them for being unimpressed with Cemmendy Tech making the conference tournament final. For head coach Margot Foss Park and her Cyberpunks, this game is largely irrelevant. Tech's ticket to the dance has already been punched. The difference between winning the tournament and ending as runner-up isn't as big as you'd think. Tech will be a high seed in the Ultra 64 bracket. That much is certain.

Most teams that play in their conference championship game focus on the task at hand for the sake of it. If you have a chance to win the conference tournament title, you take it. For Cemmendy Tech, this game is just more practice for winning a win-or-go-home game. There may be a deep underlying issue in Tech's program, something keeping them from just winning the winnable games in the early tournament and putting up good performances against better teams later. Do they just play down to competition? Do they fall apart at the wrong time? It's been a little bit of both in the past. The Cyberpunks, led by senior sharpshooter Noah Jones, don't care about this game. They care about the game that will come next.

Corps in the Storm

Drawk Corps University has a similar story to Cemmendy Tech, in a way. A team that's always been a blue blood franchise to be feared within Drawkland's borders, turned into a borderline laughingstock overseas. Corps U boasts one of Drawkland's most storied athletic programs across the board domestically. In the NSCAA and NSCF, they're largely irrelevant. Corps U holds the record for domestic Elite Eight appearances, yet they've never once reached the Elite Eight in the NSCAA. Their football program was similarly bad in the NSCF, eventually getting shoved out for Sadeg State and even Cavsar later down the line.

At this point you have to wonder if Corps U has grown apathetic about their international performance. With their legacy and market within the nation, it seems foolish for DISC to replace them in the typical NSCAA entry. With that level of security, it almost feels like Tom Chalk and his squad has given this tournament an aloof, uncaring air to guard against the innate disappointment at being one of Drawkland's least notable programs in it.

So where does that leave them here? They've already won the Woodlands and ensured their entry to the Ultra 64 regardless of their performance against Nideyinàn College in the title game. To be fair, this is one of their better conference showings compared to previous NSCAA seasons. On the other hand, the Woodlands was not a very competitive conference. You can only win the games in front of you, and after losing the first two games of the season, Corps U turned around and rattled off 24 straight to win the conference. Are they destined to turn their fortunes? A win against the Cascade Tradesmen is a good mark of their performance against a good team in a knockout match, but can they keep it going here?

Red Knights Stealing the Stars

Raikennax stole the Five Star conference crown on the final day. Küsbon College experienced a catastrophic road loss to Universidad del Pacifico in the penultimate matchday, allowing Raikennax to draw level in the conference table once they secured their win. Raikennax won their last game by almost 40 points to drive the point home. The Red Knights stole the conference from the Miners at the very end, sealing their spot in the Ultra 64.

Now, it's time for the grudge match. This conference championship pits #1 vs #2, both teams now guaranteed to be in the Ultra 64 (though either one could easily top an At-Large list regardless). Neither Raikennax nor Küsbon look to be worldbeaters, but they should both be top half seeds in the bracket. Unlike many conference championships this cycle, this game is not about the seeding and bracketology implications. This one is for pride. Küsbon have a chance to avenge themselves, snatch back one of the two conference crowns. Raikennax have the opportunity to remind Küsbon who the real kings of the conference are. Tensions will be high in this game. Out of all the conference championship games, we think this one will be the most exciting. However, it's not the one we'd recommend you watch ...

Salamantica's Sadeg State Seeks History Rehash

If you want must-see TV, the Salamantica Conference finale fits the bill. Sadeg State finished the first third of the job, completing only the third undefeated conference regular season in NSCAA history. The Skyhawks looked like they'd be a little battered coming into their tournament, with a shallow bench and question marks regarding their roster construction. Instead, they went 26-0. They didn't stop there, either. In two conference tournament games, they've won in late blowout fashion, by 17 and 21 points. They face the conference #2 team, Grande Mountain University, in the championship game.

Grande Mountain, as the #2 team facing the #1 team in the final, has their spot in the Ultra 64 confirmed. In theory, there's nothing to play for but seeding points. One would be foolish to think they won't be playing their asses off in this championship game, though. You can't pass up the opportunity to slay the dragon, to take down the team that believes they're untouchable. On the same side of the coin, Sadeg State would realistically want to focus on keeping their starting line healthy for the upcoming Ultra 64 run. A loss here wouldn't be the end of the world - they'll be a single-digit seed regardless.

Neither team will be giving in, though. Sadeg State is a team looking to not just repeat a historical feat, but finish the job. NSCAA 7, Sadeg State ran the table, won the conference tournament, and made it to the Ultra 64 championship ... only to lose in humiliating fashion to University of Cenial. The 31-1 total record has haunted Skyhawk fans for generations. All the players on this current roster weren't even alive for that run, but they understand the significance. This could be the only opportunity for Sadeg State to right that historical wrong. This match is just another obstacle to that end. Sadeg State and Grande Mountain is the game to watch. It could very well be history in the making.

The Leftovers ...

Of course, this leaves 4 Drawkian teams not currently fighting for a conference tournament title. For Old Mountain and Elmanden District, this isn't their fault. Logistic issues have delayed their tournament runs. If we're being honest, though, neither of those teams seem to be worldbeaters this cycle. Old Mountain won the Newlands Conference, but it required multiple teams falling apart in the final days. At 19 wins, the Northerners were the worst conference champions (every other table-topper netted at least 20 wins). EDU were lucky to land at fourth in the conference, the only Drawkian team to not gain an autoberth by winning the conference regular season. Yeah they could make a run in the United tournament, but they probably won't. They should make the Ultra 64 comfortably, but they will undoubtedly be the worst Drawkian seed to do so.

Ultimately, both finalist teams from NSCAA 8 do not look primed to repeat that feat this cycle. You never know with the chaos of the bracket, but there are much better contenders from our nation this time.

Now a couple postmortems. Cavsar University managed to sneak through the four-team knot at the top of the Pink 14 Conference, clearing the fray by 1 game thanks to Costa Alto defeating South Caddo on the last game of the season. They cruised through the first game of the conference tournament, but fell to Saguenay on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater in the semifinals. The Gladiators will not have the opportunity to fight for the double conference title, but their passage to the tournament is secure. Thanks to the strength of the Pink 14 conference, they're sure to grab a high seed regardless. Whether or not they made the conference title game, the focus wouldn't be there. Cavsar made back-to-back Final Fours in NSCAA 12 and 13, losing the final in 12. The Gladiators are desperate to return to those heights. They should be a force to be feared in the Ultra 64 ... but you can never shake the feeling that you shouldn't Count On Cavsar.

Ducentu State University, the losing NSCAA 13 finalists, are perhaps the best team that won't be playing for a conference tournament title this week. Powered by the ascendant talent of Basil Thorne, the Eagles were one of three teams to only suffer one loss in the regular season. They're the only one of those that didn't make it to the title game, but they're guaranteed to be a high seed anyway. This tournament loss, a 10-point disappointment at the hands of Alexandria, is the first loss Ducentu State has suffered this cycle with Thorne in the starting line. Allegedly, the MD11 loss (also to Alexandria) was the first day of turkey season, and Basil was inexplicably missing that entire weekend. So this team is not infallible with Thorne chucking shots from all over the court, but maybe just Alexandria has them figured out, and other teams can't crack the code. Either way, the Thorne-led Eagles will be a force to be feared in the bracket. Theoretically.

This has the makings of an elite cycle for Drawkian teams, the likes of most even-numbered editions. When it comes to the bracket, though, Margaret has the final say. Which of these teams do you think will have the deepest run?

[Valanora]

Eternal and Woodlands cutoff for one last time.

[Valanora]

Championship day, on the eve of selection day, and a few Vanorian schools still are among those fighting for the right to earn an automatic spot into the Ultra 64 and a few now wait nervously patient to find out if their resumes and efforts on the hardwood will be deemed of enough worth to make it into the big dance. Unfortunately due to some scheduling conflicts, two of the schools have yet to start their tournament fight and are working with NSCAA officials and conference representatives on a quickfire solution to get them and the rest of the effected conference schools to ensure the tournaments are still carried out successfully in some form or fashion. As it currently stands, all eight schools have to believe that they are either already in the tournament or have done enough to earn that spot, though the selection committee may have a few other ideas in mind, particularly for Turbani Tech and Rinaldi Naval Academy and their dreadful play in the United and Newlands conferences. Drawkland based sites project a fourteen or fifteen win measure for the bubble and if that holds true, the Empire likely will be among a group of nations who will see a full compliment of schools making it to the championship tournament.

Raynor will be a bit anxious in their spot after a surprise exit in the quarterfinals of the Five Star tournament, as the team unfortunately just did not have a good night and were defeated. It was the type of game that cost them during the regular season from being able to contend for the regular season title despite the talent on the roster and is part of the inconsistency that has plagued the Rockets for years. The team is full of talent up and down the roster and the players coming off the bench but they can never put it together for more than a game or two at a time. If they make the Ultra 64, the competition is going to get much more stern and the side will need to find a way to bottle their talent and put it out on a consistent basis or they could easily be looking at a first weekend exit, second weekend if they get lucky. Yet if they can play up to the potential that everyone in the Empire believes that they have on the roster, they could have chance to impress and not need luck to make the second weekend but get their on their own merit and could be a potential darkhorse at a deep run, provided they can avoid Drawkland or perhaps even Cardenao schools.

Speaking of Cardenao schools, South Caddonia will be rueing a chance to make amends on what they might feel like was their conference to have but yet for another defeat to Costa Alto Military Academy, who defeated the side to end the regular season and now has bounced the team out of the tournament at the penultimate step. While South Caddonia's spot in the Ultra 64 is assured, they would have liked a conference tournament win to ensure a good seeding, as we have seen in the past how failing to win the tournament has cost Vanorian schools several lines in the seeding for the Ultra 64. That Cavsar University was also defeated in the other semifinal though shows the depth of the quality in the Pink 14 and could play in the Caddo based school's fortunes and allay their worries of being lower seeded than they might feel they should be. Mar Sara Tech's quest for revenge against the Skyhawks of Sadeg State were cut short as the side was perhaps caught looking ahead a game and not focusing on the task at hand, Grande Mountain University taking advantage of that an just about edging out the Raiders in a huge shootout between the two schools and the Raiders now sit and wait for their seeding like South Caddonia. Hondo is a third side to have fallen victim at the semifinal stage but it was no bad shooting evening or looking ahead that got them, simply they ran into a buzzsaw of a team in Farrer University and came up short on the occasion.

It might come as a big surprise to quite a few back in the Empire that the two schools who are fighting in the respective championship games are Sabinal State and Everlin University, though the latter is perhaps a lesser surprise than the former having won a conference before. Yet for Sabinal State, located in Sabinal as the regional capital of the Sabine region off the east coast of mainland Arrosia, where the Vanorian main land is located. Like South Caddonia, they are not on the main continent with the main land and have a more sparse population and a less lucrative economy on which to invest in sport, particularly if not subsidized by the VSC. Yet here they are fighting for a conference tournament and the argument could be made that they ought to be the slight favorites in their matchup as they go against Alexandria University. The Cardenao school will be coming off a huge emotional high having bested Ducentu State University, who had looked near impervious for much of the regular season but Sabinal was the third seed and Alexandria the fifth. Cardenao schools have been quite the surprise and that they are competing for several championships is a testament to how good their athletes have been, but Sabinal has bested all the odds to get to this position and would be quite loathe with themselves if they could not find a way through in the contest. Everlin will feel quite confident after a over twenty point blowout of a Quebecois school but the Dagan giants of Brattleboro Technical Institute are no slouches, as they got the upset victory in the previous round to get this opportunity, both of whom would consider themselves the favorite for in such an evenly matched contest.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Tonight's cutoffs start here!