NSCAA 16 - Roleplays

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Tue Mar 11, 2025 7:14 pm

NAVIGATION
Roleplay Thread | Roster Thread | Results Thread
Signup Thread | Discussion Thread

This thread is meant for ROLEPLAYS for the NSCAA 16 competition. Rosters should be posted on the roster-specific thread, linked above. Results will be posted on their own thread, linked above. OOC discussion should happen on the Discussion Thread, also linked above. This thread is for the roleplays, which should make a majority of the activity.

Listed below are all 10 conferences of 12 schools each, as well as who is hosting them. All of your schools should be in different conferences, so please check to make sure they're all listed correctly. If you're having a hard time locating your schools, trying using your browser's Find feature (Ctrl-F) and searching the trigramme you identified in your signup post.

The first cutoff is Sunday, March 16th. See the Results Thread for the full cutoff schedule. Good luck!

by **Banija** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 7:19 am

Orange Sky Classic

Format explanation: This tournament is a regular staple on the NSCAA calendar- Banija's preseason tournament. All 8 Banijan schools participate, plus 2 invitations from South Newlandia. Tournament organizers came under harsh criticism for those foreign invitations, as the two South Newlandian teams, per rules of the tourney, are not allowed to advance to the semifinals- but it is what it is. It is seen as a chance for Banija's domestic rivalries among the NSCAA schools to be played in competitive fashion.

The tournament's organizers(the Orange Sky Airline) offer NIL incentives to all players who participate. First place team splits a total of $1 million NSDs, second place $500,000 NSDs, third place $250,000 NSDs, and fourth place $100,000 NSDs. Any player on a team who doesn't finish in first-fourth place will receive $1,000 NSDs each.

Venues: For the first time, the tournament will leave the nation's capitol- and will be played entirely in Istria, Banija's largest city. Caribou Arena, the city's professional arena, seating 19,700, will host the semifinals, and all 5 placement matches. The first set of games will be held on Loyola-Istria's campus, and the second set of games will be split- top 3 games at Istria City College, and the bottom 2 games will be held Kabonero III University, which is located in the nearby suburb of Iziarad(located 15 minutes drive east of city limits, accessible by public transit).

Rivalry Round

Matchday 1
Loyola-Istria (BNJ) 75–68 Northern Moravica (BNJ)
University of Moravica (BNJ) 93–83 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)
Kizza I College (BNJ) 83–59 Elephant Valley (SNL)
Lake Alexandre State (BNJ) 84–61 Ratzupalfu University of Nature (SNL)
Aksum State (BNJ) 80–67 University of Bunyoro (BNJ)

Matchday 2
Northern Moravica (BNJ) 62–79 University of Moravica (BNJ)
Loyola-Istria (BNJ) 80–77 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)
Aksum State (BNJ) 87–67 Elephant Valley (SNL)
Kizza I College (BNJ) 92–76 Lake Alexandre State (BNJ)
Ratzupalfu University of Nature (SNL) 94–81 University of Bunyoro (BNJ)

Orange Sky Classic                         Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Kizza I College (BNJ)                    2    2   0   175  135  +40
 2 Aksum State (BNJ)                        2    2   0   167  134  +33
 3 University of Moravica (BNJ)             2    2   0   172  145  +27
 4 Loyola-Istria (BNJ)                      2    2   0   155  145  +10
 5 Lake Alexandre State (BNJ)               2    1   1   160  153   +7
 6 Ratzupalfu University of Nature (SNL)    2    1   1   155  165  −10
 7 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)       2    0   2   160  173  −13
 8 Northern Moravica (BNJ)                  2    0   2   130  154  −24
 9 University of Bunyoro (BNJ)              2    0   2   148  174  −26
10 Elephant Valley (SNL)                    2    0   2   126  170  −44

Rivalry Round Highlights:
- Loyola v. NMU was characteristically intense, as is any edition of this rivalry, no matter the sport. Loyola were major favorites, and yet, won a very close game- NMU only scored one point across the final 4:30, whereas Loyola scored 12 in that very same timespan.
- U of M cruised against Northern, as the Golden Bears, Banija's premier program, made a blue blood claim
- U of M v. The Islamic University of Busoga was perhaps the most highly anticipated early stage game, as it was the prior 2 national champions competing against one another. A pro-Moravica crowd backed their boys to victory over the Caracals
- Loyola hit a buzzer beater against the Islamic University, with Amidou Perou hitting a game-winning corner 3 as time expired.
- Despite being heavy, 17.5 point underdogs, the Egrets of the Ratzupalfu University of Nature beat a Banijan team, putting up points like crazy in a 94-81 win over U of B. Their point guard led all scorers with 35, having what his coach called 'the game of his life'.

Semifinals

Kizza I College (BNJ) 52–53 Loyola-Istria (BNJ)
Aksum State (BNJ) 81–85 University of Moravica (BNJ)

As the tournament moved to the nation's capitol, it gave us a couple of very interesting matchups.

First, Kizza I College against Loyola-Istria. Kizza I College is a program that truly believes they should be the biggest non-NSCF sporting program in Banija- but U of M's success on the hardwood has largely seen them take that role from the Cubs. Yet, the Cubs saw themselves a great opportunity here to make a statement against the Blue Thunder, on the global stage. Now this game- it was physical, and low-scoring. The defense was excellent- the Cubs had 7 blocks, and Cubs center Jelaney Ifeatu had 5 of them on his own. A lot of 'return to sender' happening- and the home crowd egging the Cubs on. But Loyola, a team already living on the edge with a buzzer beater in their last game, had more late game heroics.

But this time, maybe fittingly, on the defensive end. Lampda Jr. drew up a play where Zikoranaudodimma Jideofor was going to the rim, and he looked as if he had a path to the rim. But, the man guarding him, Amidou Perou., made a great play- poking the ball out as soon as Jideofor started to go up with it. A perfectly timed swipe, and then heaving the ball down the court was enough to see the rest of the seconds run off. Blue Thunder victory- off to the Final.

The other semifinal? Aksum State, and University of Moravica. Two northern teams- one we expected, and one we certainly did not. Aksum State knew that this was a chance to make a statement- most people abroad hadn't heard of them, and beating U of Moravica in the Orange Sky Classic was a great way to ensure people heard of you. But they couldn't quite get there- Moravica's always got an ability to hang around, and they eventually just buried the Stars. Off to a mouthwatering Final- Golden Bears v. Blue Thunder.

Placement Games

Ellie Classic
Elephant Valley (SNL) 80–66 Ratzupalfu University of Nature (SNL)

Lake Alexandre State (BNJ) 76–91 University of Bunyoro (BNJ)

Northern Moravica (BNJ) 57–82 Islamic University of Busoga (BUS)

3rd Place
Kizza I College (BNJ) 72–84 Aksum State (BNJ)

Championship Game
Loyola-Istria (BNJ) 69–72 University of Moravica (BNJ)

And now, the placement games. The games beyond 3rd place were scrambled- with EVU and RUoN guaranteed to play each other, matchups had to be scrambled a little bit. Organizers were happy, because the Islamic U got to play Northern Moravica- which means NMU played Loyola, U of M, and the Islamic University- their three main rivals. Unfortunately for the Cougars, it really was baptism by fire, as they got smoked by the Caracals, to end a tough 0-3 performance. Great practice for the regular season, yes, but it really was a tough showing for them out here.

EVU rolled in the Ellie classic over their national rivals, RUoN, while Bunyoro won comfortably over the Vipers of Lake Alexandre State.

And finally, the title game- U of M v. ULI. This was a spectacular game. Back and forth. Fast forward all the way to about 8 seconds left, in a 69-69 game. George Lampda, always so good at scheming shit up in these situations. He had Dike Uchea, the star freshman prospect who's from Busukuma, going straight to the him- hitting an and-1 with 4 seconds left, to give his team a 72-69 lead. Loyola had a chance to tie, and they flew down the court, and made an extra pass- got the shot they wanted! The corner three, however, rimmed out brutal- spun around the rim twice, before falling out after the buzzer sounded. A terrible way to lose, but celebrations galore for the Golden Bears.

"We have always been, and will always be, this country's premier hoops program." George Lampda told reporters after the fact. "#1 is Moravica, and then there's a gulf the size of the Shango-Fogoa Basin, and then #2-#72 is everybody else. We've proven it time and time again- and this game shows it. We make the plays- they don't. We're more than ready for NSCAA 16."

This year, for the first time, the Orange Sky Classic is hosting a high school showcase. Not tournament style, they are selecting 4 Banijan schools, and 4 foreign high schools, to each play in two games, in Banija, in order to 'grow the bonds of friendship and knowledge through sport'. The first set of games will be on the campus of the Banijan HS, while the second set of games will all take place at EvEv.tmb Arena in Sisonke, Kitara. There are no standings or championships awarded. Orange Sky Airlines pays the costs of all schools to participate, plus travel costs of family members of the visiting teams and family members- and furthermore, gives each school a participation fee for participating. No NIL money to players is paid out directly.

Participating schools.

Foreign
Berlin Northern Catholic High School(RAN)
Barbera Canyon High School(QUE)
Küsbon Preparatory Academy(CAD)
Lakiska Renaissance(BUS)

Banijan
Cass Tech High School(BNJ) - in Busukuma, National Capitol Region. Public magnet high school.
St. Sava Prep Academy(BNJ) - in Vdici, Moravica (wealthy suburb of Herzegovina City). Private high school.
Nvubu High School(BNJ) - in Nvubu, Bunyoro (wealthy suburb of Aissa, Hangaza). Public high school.
Kinyomo Christian Prep Academy(BNJ)- in Kinyomo, Ankole (wealthy suburb of Hoima, Ankole). Private Mormon high school.

Matchday 1
Cass Tech (BNJ) 95–62 Barbera Canyon High School (QUE)
Kinyomo Christian Prep (BNJ) 83–67 Berlin Northern Catholic (RAN)
Nvubu High School (BNJ) 78–90 Küsbon Preparatory Academy (CAD)
St. Sava Prep (BNJ) 88–64 Lakiska Renaissance (BUS)

Matchday 2
Cass Tech (BNJ) 66–77 Küsbon Preparatory Academy (CAD)
Kinyomo Christian Prep (BNJ) 91–70 Lakiska Renaissance (BUS)
St. Sava Prep (BNJ) 88–89 Barbera Canyon High School (QUE)
Nvubu High School (BNJ) 87–86 Berlin Northern Catholic (RAN)

by **Valanora** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 8:28 am

Valanora Times
The Path To Madness

One year later and here we are getting ready for another exciting season of NSCAA basketball, with conference play set to start off tomorrow across the basketball landscape. A hundred and twenty schools enter into the fray this edition of the tournament, divided into ten groups of twelve teams each who will be battling to be crowned first the regular season champion and then the conference tournament champion, with both sets of champions earning an automatic place in the Ultra 64. For those who are new to the competition, the Ultra 64 is the championship tournament where upon the twenty automatic qualified teams as well as forty-four teams voted in by the committee will partake in a single game elimination bracket until a champion is crowned. On one occasion has a Vanorian institution stood alone at the top after the grueling conference season, tournament play, and then the big dance of the championship tournament and that is the University of Hondo, the Owls having been the best Vanorian team in the competition since as well much to the chagrin of the bigger schools like Raynor and Mar Sara Tech.

For all the money that is poured into the two biggest schools in the Empire as well as usually having the pick of the bunch when it has come to the recruiting tour neither the Rockets nor the Raiders have been able to find the same level of success on the hardwood as their teams have found on the gridiron. This is probably because basketball as a sport is less niche inside the Empire as gridiron is, being the third most played sport in the nation according to a recent survey, coming behind football and ice hockey. There is a wealth of talent for the various schools who partake in the NSCAA to choose from and give scholarships to, not just the big name recruits that attract the eye of Mar Sara Tech and Raynor. This is not to say the potential is not there for the two flagship universities of the Empire to rise to the occasion and become established blue blood talent on the hardwood as they have done so in the last few seasons in the NSCF, it is that they have yet to do so. Though part of that also have to do with the hyper competitive nature of the tournament as well as the looming shadow of the two biggest of the blue bloods in the NSCAA, Drawkland and Banija.

Unlike their respective universities in NSCF play, Drawkland and Banija's schools never fail to disappoint here in the NSCAA as they routinely are the winners of the conference in which they are in and if not then they are winning the conference tournaments. All too often it is also a school from Banija or Drawkland that will end the runs of the Vanorian universities in the Ultra 64, seemingly being the gatekeepers to anyone else having a modicum of success in the competition. The one time that Vanorian triumph was at hand it came at the expense of a Drawkland school, of course though there has to be an asterisk there as it is the notoriously cursed and unreliable Drawkland school of Casvar. Winning a championship against the Gladiators does not have the same roar of success as saying defeating Loyola-Istria in Banija to win a title, Casvar is a school that is simply not allowed to have trophies and it was inevitable when they made the final and were up against the Owls that Hondo would be coming out with a trophy. That the Empire has failed to get one of their schools to a title game since only speaks to the how large of a challenge all but Casvar present if they come from Banija or Drawkland.

If you want to believe that a school can make the Final Four and break the drought for Vanorian teams once more, then your best bet is likely to be the University of Hondo once more, though their track to that level of success is going to have a few road blocks along the way. Getting Loyola-Istria of Banija, Richardson of Ranorian, and LeBois Santura of Cardenao in their conference makes an automatic qualifier look a bit more difficult than they would have liked. As we have mentioned, Banija schools are simply a barrier of entry to any sort of success and getting perhaps the biggest and best school out of our neighbors is not a great look, then to get the best school out of Ranoria makes that even more difficult. Yet it is perhaps LeBois that should send shivers down your spine the most, as the school lead a Cardenao surge last NSCAA and they are as like as any within the Big Seven Seven to pull out a great conference record and run through the conference tournament with little regard to their opponents. Look for six ten center Daniel Fjeldstad to have a lot of work to do if the Owls are going to be able to outlast their elite opposition and take the conference crown.

This could be the time that the Rockets of Raynor finally do emerge as a favorite for their conference, as they get one of the weaker teams from Banija in Bunyoro, although Drawk Corps from Drawkland is anything but an easy draw. Yet a two way race between the Rockets and the Corps is something that the team from the capital might prefer compared to the last two times they have entered into the competition and struggled mightily to even get a real foothold. With four starting seniors, the other starter being a junior, this is a team that is oozing with experience and has gone through the ups and downs of the last two entries and has hopefully come out the stronger. They know that they can not get off to a slow start as they have done so before, then having to use the latter stages of conference play and the tournament to justify an invitation to the championship tournament. Point guard Emilie Storøy has to be careful with the ball and not give away turnovers to allow opponents to stay within touch of the team, especially if they hit a cold spell. She is a senior and she will be expected to be a leader for the team as they look to finally justify the hype around the squad.

As for the rest of the teams, they all have a bit of a chance to show out and bring the level of respect given to the Vanorian schools to another level but you would be hard pressed to find any conference where starting out that the schools from the Empire are going to be the out and out favorites. Despite the likes of Everlin and even South Caddonia having won autoamtic qualifiers to the big dance before, there is still a bit of skepticism when it comes to the Vanorian schools and making any real sort of splash. That is probably a result of the lack of sustained success in the championship tourmament and the seeming inability to get past Banija or Drawkland opposition when push comes to shove, such as Tech losing both games to Sadeg State the last two editions despite being the better team on paper. With over half the teams making the championship tournament, it is fair to say that getting all eight teams into the dance seems likely but they have a lot to prove between now and then that they are going to be capable of being anything more than set dressing for other team's run to the title. They have the potential to do it but now they need to actual start to realize it.

by **Drawkland** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:01 am

In all honesty, Brooklyn Beck didn’t want to go back to the NSCAA. A quirk in the organizational scheduling meant this cycle was coming a mere two seasons after the last one for Brooklyn, meaning she was finishing up her junior year at Sadeg State when NSCAA 16 was slated to begin. This was no guarantee that she’d participate. The fact that she even played in NSCAA 15 was a surprise, after all.

Though Brooklyn was recruited to play football, baseball, AND basketball at Sadeg State, she only picked two. Being a one-sport athlete in college is difficult enough. Two was a really tough task, especially when one had a yearly international tournament to play for. Three was out of the question. Thus, Brooklyn tossed basketball to the wayside, sticking with football and baseball for her collegiate career. Obviously, Sadeg State’s head basketball coach Aldus Pope didn’t appreciate that decision.

NSCAA 15 came at the tail end of Brooklyn’s freshman year. She wanted to play in the tournament, like her mom Elie did during her own Sadeg State career. It was also for somewhat selfish reasons, wanting to expand her sporting resume and perhaps experience the glory of a title. The Skyhawks were always considered NSCAA contenders, it was a fair gamble. Brooklyn even went so far as to personally request Aldus Pope if she could join the team under special circumstances. Pope was understandably annoyed and immediately rejected that idea.

A litany of injuries and personnel issues with the Skyhawk basketball team turned out to be an insane stroke of luck for Brooklyn. Left with 9 players to fill a 10-player roster, Coach Pope was running out of options. Sadeg State’s expectations were too high to half-ass the tournament. It was too late to find a reasonable replacement from somewhere else. Brooklyn was the only somewhat sane option, so she got the call.

Even as a mere bench option that didn’t get reasonable playing time until the tournament stages due to fatigue in the main lineup, Brooklyn still gelled with the team in their run of over 30 games. She did tangibly contribute to the 34-0 run into the championship game; her three-pointer in the final minute of the Elite Eight helped salt the game away against Sabinal State. Her impact in the championship game was minimal, only getting a few minutes in a game that simply fell away in the second half.

It was the second time in team history that the Skyhawks had gone undefeated into the NSCAA title game and lost at the final hurdle. The entire experience was exhausting for Brooklyn, more emotionally than physically. It also caused her to miss most of baseball season and have a much shorter turnaround to the NSCF season. As a freshman she wasn’t receiving regular starts in either sport, so it wasn’t a huge loss to her development as an athlete.

This time was different. Now she was a junior, a major starter in both her sports. Practices were tougher, she was playing nearly every game, and now the expectations of both teams rode on her performance. Participating in the NSCAA tournament would pull her away from those things, not to mention the fact that last tournament ended on such a sour note that she didn’t really want to be back. She’d followed in her mother’s footsteps, if only for a couple months, and even had an iconic moment to look back on. There was no way NSCAA 16 would be an improvement, and there was too much off the hardcourt for her to worry about.

Aldus Pope was in his office when the call came. He wasn’t expecting one, and when he saw the caller ID on the office phone screen, his heart skipped a beat. It was coming from the offices of DISC, the Drawkian International Sporting Council, which was rarely a good thing. It also meant you had to answer, or else the phone would just keep ringing until you did. With a reluctant sigh, Pope accepted and placed the call on speakerphone.

“Pope speaking,” Aldus said flatly.

“Aldus! Glad we got a hold of you. Harvey here, and I’ve got Clarissa on conference call as well.” It was Harvey Flantar, the Head Director at DISC, speaking. Clarissa Lester was the Director of Basketball, rather new in the position as well.

“What can I do for you?” Aldus asked. It was going to be about the NSCAA tournament, he knew that for certain. He prayed it would be a relatively painless encounter.

“First of all, we’d like to congratulate you on winning the national championship last month.” Harvey’s sickening smirk could be heard through his voice. “It’s been too long!”

“Yes, thank you.” Aldus grumbled. It had been a little too long since the last time Sadeg State won the DOCA basketball championship, but it didn’t need to be said.

“Secondly, Clarissa and I were wondering about your plans for the Skyhawk roster regarding NSCAA 16.” Harvey paused intently. “Any … surprises lined up?”

“I’ve no idea what you mean.” Aldus took a cursory glance at his whiteboard, where he had his roster and tactical breakdowns currently assembled. “Besides the fact that my sophomore guard is injured and I’ve only got three novatim to back up the starters, it’s relatively normal.”

“Well, we have some good news for you!” Clarissa spoke up for the first time in the call. “DISC has spoken with the athletic directors of our NSCAA member universities and come to an agreement. Starting this season, you can now carry a 13-player roster for the tournament.”

“Ah, wonderful.” Aldus said automatically. It didn’t make much of a difference to him; Sadeg State had reached 3 NSCAA championship games with the previous 10-man roster limit. After a beat, he suddenly realized the implication. He hoped he was wrong.

“I suppose having a lack of experienced and uninjured guards may put you in a bad position,” Harvey tried to say innocently. “Even with the expansion to 13, do you have somebody to fill that hole?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Aldus groaned. “Tell me you’re not seriously suggesting this.”

“Suggesting what?” Clarissa replied sweetly. “We’re merely giving you the information about the expanded roster sizes before we tell the media, that way you have time to prepare.”

“Don’t act like I don’t know what you’re doing!” Aldus exclaimed. “Are you both stuck in that ridiculous Beck hype train too?”

“Beck?” Harvey echoed dumbly. “Oh, you mean Brooklyn, I presume? Well, the thought of her returning to the NSCAA hadn’t crossed our minds, but-”

“Horseshit!” Aldus roared. “I don’t care what stupid market research you say you’ve done, I don’t care if you’re bending the roster limits to make this happen. I’m not letting her waltz onto my court again after doing nothing for my actual team for four years. I have 15 at my disposal from DOCA play, I don’t need her.”

“Do you really have 15, though?” Clarissa asked. “Baker and Francisco both injured, plus I believe Vincent was just suspended by DOCA for failing a drug test. That makes 12, doesn’t it?”

“So what? I made do with 10 players for 9 tournaments, I can survive with 12.” Aldus slapped his palm on the table. “I don’t need a girl with less than a full game’s worth of college minutes to waste away on my bench. I don’t care what your social media team says. You don’t have any authority over how I run my program.”

“Of course, of course, you’re the boss.” Clarissa replied after a moment. It almost sounded like she was holding back a chuckle. “Although … I can’t imagine how it would look to intentionally go into the tournament with an empty roster spot. And you said it yourself, only novatim guards to back up your starters. I bet a player with real NSCAA experience would be a big help.”

“And, I hate to mention this, but we’ve been considering some … restructuring of the prize money payout from DISC’s end.” Harvey added hastily. “I haven’t spoken to the ADs about it yet, but at DISC we’re all about fan engagement, and teams with less hype simply aren’t as lucrative for us. I would hate to tell Donnie about a potential loss of revenue …”

“Enough!” Aldus spat. “You’re scum, all of you. I’ll construct my roster as I damn well please. I’ve won championships. You’ve won nothing. This conversation is over.” He smacked the hang-up button on his phone with revulsion.

One thing was certain. Aldus Pope was not done having uncomfortable conversations in the near future.

by **Valanora** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 10:07 am

Five Star and Woodlands Matchday 1-5 Cutoff

by **Juvencus** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 12:26 pm

Il Scudelliano is under new management, one that presents the news about la squadra as it should instead of being a third party newspaper that supports the team only when it wants, and will remain that way until further notice

INDEPENDENTS CUP EXHILARATION IS FOLLOWED BY EXCITEMENT FOR NSCAA MADNESS

With the triumph of Juvencus over Crpostran in the final of the Independents Cup 23, the nation has been in a form of constant euphoria over one of the biggest sports accomplishments any Juven team has ever done in this multiverse. Following that, we are entering into college basketball season, where students from some of the most prestigious universities across the country are duking it out to see which one could deliver the best college basketball in the entire multiverse in a fast-paced season.

While international college basketball has not taken much traction in Juvencus, the sport has had significant following both with the performances of the national team as well as the performances of colleges from nations close by and especially the Revoda Sea neighbor in Drawkland. The performances of the teams this season are bound to show whether or not Juvencus will keep sending teams for internationall college basketball or try to avoid international embarassment.

However, seeing and tracking the records of the preparation of the teams, it seems like we are heading towards a good track to having a good showing against the world's elite. This could also serve as extra revenue which could be funded towards the investment and the improvement of the sport in this country and to keep some of the focus away from football during domestics season and in non-world cup period. A necessary investment indeed, so as the nation stops overrelying towards one sport for its thrill-seeking multiversally.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Mar 16, 2025 7:29 pm

And let's kick off tonight's slate of scorinations!

Cutoff for everybody else.

by **Ranoria** » Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:29 pm

Have you ever looked at a raindrop?

What?

No like seriously looked at one?

What in the name of God are you talking about?

Just answer the question!

YES, I've seen a damn raindrop

...

...

But have you really?

Have you ever tasted a knuckle sammich?

You're not listening to me!

You're about to be begging for me to stop!

I didn't ask if you'd seen a raindrop, I asked if you'd really looked at o- OW! What the hell man?

Quit talking nonsense. This is stupid.

I'm just saying, I think you should appreciate the little things in life more, if you don't, it could all go to waste.

...

...

How high are you?

Uh, just burned through half a cart today.

No, how high are you?

What? What do you mean? Wait no STOP NOOOOOOoooo!

To be continued...

by **Drawkland** » Mon Mar 17, 2025 7:54 pm

Brooklyn Beck and Grace Robbins were standing about 6 feet apart on the right field foul line. The afternoon’s baseball practice at Sadeg State was just getting started, and the former high school teammates often took long toss next to each other so they could talk a little as they warmed up.

“What’s going on, B?” Grace asked as she threw the ball out to her partner, a hundred feet away in the outfield. “You look down.”

“You noticed?” Brooklyn sighed as she received the ball from her own partner. She collected her thoughts as she lightly flung the ball back. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place again. I’m about to have, like, three annoying conversations real soon. I’m not stoked about it.”

“What for?” Grace frowned, motioning for her partner to move back a few feet before her next throw. “Seems like things have been going pretty well for you lately. With how DOCA went and everyth-”

“It’s not about football.” Brooklyn shook her head. “You remember how freshman year I got that random email telling me to show up for a physical in the middle of baseball season?”

“Oooh,” Grace recalled after a moment. “Wasn’t that for the NSCAA?”

“Yup.” Brooklyn grimaced. “I just got a similar one today. Have to report tomorrow. I haven’t heard anything from anyone about doing basketball this year.”

“That’s great, though!” Grace said brightly. “Weren’t you hoping to run it back after last time ended … well, you know.”

“Not particularly.” Brooklyn grunted as she put a little extra power on her throw. “Freshman year was fun and all, but the way it ended put a bad taste in my mouth. I already got what I wanted anyway. I made my mom happy, I got to taste college-level play, I had a fun moment, I made some friends on the team. There’s no way this season could even come close to what happened last time. I didn’t even ask to be on the team like I did last time. I assumed there’d be no need for me, even if I wanted to.”

“That makes sense.” Grace shrugged as her partner took a few more steps back. “Still, isn’t it nice to have the opportunity again?”

“What’s nice about it? Missing out on half of baseball season to sit on a basketball bench? Be resented by half my baseball AND basketball teammates? Annoy two different coaches at once? It’s not like freshman year where I was starting twice a week at best out here. I’m starting at least every other game in the outfield, so if I’m stuck playing basketball then I’m going to be missing a ton of developmental time. Not to mention that now we’re upperclassmen, so scouts are paying way more attention. This could impact my draft stock!”

“B, your draft stock will be fine. I don’t think missing a few weeks of your junior year season is gonna be a problem. It’s not like people don’t know who you are.”

“Fine, but the rest of my point stands. Why should I bother bench riding for a sport nobody really wants to see me play when I could be doing something actually productive?”

“If you don’t wanna do it, then don’t do it. Why don’t you talk to Coach Pope about it? I’m sure he doesn’t really want you on the team either. Based on what you’ve said, at least.”

“That’s one of the annoying conversations I’m talking about.” Brooklyn sighed. “I’m hoping he’s still in his office after practice today.”

Fate was partially on Brooklyn’s side that evening. Sweaty and a little sore as she walked back from baseball practice, Brooklyn saw from the outside of the athletic department building that the lights in Aldus Pope’s office were still on. She took a deep breath and changed direction to head to the doors of the department.

A few minutes later, Brooklyn walked into the basketball coaches office. The secretary wasn’t there, likely already home for the evening. Besides the light emanating from Coach Pope’s ajar door, the offices themselves were dark. Brooklyn didn’t hear any voices, so she tentatively knocked on the doorframe as she poked her head through the opening.

Coach Pope was engrossed in whatever was on his computer screen. The light from the screen reflected off his glasses and made it hard to read his initial expression, but his shoulders seemed a little slumped. He looked, in some manner, tired. He tapped on his keyboard to pause the film he was watching after a few moments, clearly waiting until the end of a clip before turning to see Brooklyn.

“Hey, Coach. Sorry to pop in late, I just wanted to talk for a minute.” Brooklyn started quickly, as Pope didn’t seem enticed to begin the conversation.

“That’s fine. Have a seat,” Pope recommended, before turning back to his computer screen to move a couple things around. Once Brooklyn was seated, Pope returned his attention to her. “I assume you received the summons for a physical tomorrow?”

“Yes, Coach.” Brooklyn nodded. “That’s what prompted this visit, really. I’m assuming this means the same thing it did last season? I’m expected to be part of the team for the NSCAA tournament?”

“That is correct.” Pope’s lips were pressed into a fine line. “It was determined that you should be included on the team roster.”

“Right.” Brooklyn hesitated, mentally registering the odd wording of that statement. “I know you weren’t really a fan of my inclusion last time. I know you probably agonized over this decision. And while I genuinely appreciate wanting to include me this time around, I just don’t think it’s a good decision for me or you. Things have changed in the last two years. I have other priorities now. I just don’t think I have the time for it this time around.”

“Quite right you are, Brooklyn.” Pope nodded, his eyes still piercingly neutral. “Especially with DISC allowing us expanded roster sizes for the tournament this year, there truly is no reason for you to be part of the team. No hard feelings, as I’m sure you understand. And yet.”

“And yet what?” Brooklyn said after a moment, confused by the sudden stop.

“And yet, here you are, in my office. Here I am, with your name on my roster. Here we are, both forced into doing something neither of us are inclined to do.”

“Oh?” Brooklyn raised her eyebrows. Her mind immediately raced. “Who’s doing the forcing?” she said as she considered all the possibilities. Her mom? No, she would never pull a Dustin-level move to force her to participate. She was already insistent that Brooklyn didn’t have to do NSCAA the first time for her sake. The AD? Probably not, Donnie Hollis was already not very fond of her after he got pressured into allowing her to play football. He wouldn’t do her any favors. The players on the basketball team? Probably not. Even though she’d gotten friendly with some of the now-upperclassmen when she played with them a couple years ago, Brooklyn seriously doubted that they’d care enough or even have the leverage to make Coach Pope include her. Nothing made sense. Who could have both the authority and the motivation?

“The unfortunate consequence of living in a bureaucracy is that you are never truly in charge,” Pope lamented. “You can be the best of the best. You can be fresh off a championship. You can be the ultimate authority in your field. You can have everything you’ve wanted from your career: fame, success, and money. And yet, somehow, in this ridiculous world, there exists a glut of pencilpushers and airheaded managerial buffoons who still hold power over you.”

“What, here?” Brooklyn looked around the room, as if searching for whoever Pope was talking about. “Surely you’ve got enough clout by now-”

“Not here,” Pope growled before Brooklyn could finish. “Out there,” he continued, pointing vaguely towards his window, perhaps in the direction of Metropolon. “Those parasites up in their literal ivory tower, believing that just because they do the paperwork, their word means law. Just because they happen to do basic organization, they deserve to micromanage what their constituents are doing.”

“Wha …” Brooklyn tried to keep up with the analogy. “You mean like the government?”

“Not the government. Technically.” Pope rolled his eyes. “I mean DISC.”

“Oh, duh.” Brooklyn backtracked what Pope said, connecting the dots as needed. “Wait, the Pinnapex is made out of ivory?”

“It’s a figure of speech, Brooklyn.”

“You’re the one that said ‘literal.’”

“The literal part was referring to the tower itself.” Pope rubbed his forehead while grimacing. “That’s not the point, anyway! The point is that the moronic management at DISC essentially forced me to include you on the roster. Because apparently you’re a big enough sensation on social media to draw noticeably larger engagement and viewership.”

“Seriously?” Brooklyn’s jaw dropped. “But I don’t even do anything! I got like 30 total minutes last time, and I assume there’s no reason for that to change this time around.”

“That’s incredibly perceptive of you, Brooklyn. Unfortunately, that makes you far too competent to be a Director at DISC. You may even have some ridiculous ideas like allowing multi-time champion, future hall of fame coaches to make their own personnel decisions without any outside input.”

“So why not just tell them to, uh, piss off?” Brooklyn stopped herself from saying something worse. She lowered her voice after a moment. “They don’t have dirt on you, do they?”

“No, of course not.” Pope shook his head earnestly. “But everything’s all about money nowadays. It’s a plague. They simply threatened to reduce our prize payout percentage, which they are technically permitted to do, based on my understanding of the contracts. They assumed that would get Hollis on my case if I refused to include you. And if Hollis was willing to bat for me, they implied they would ‘heavily consider’ removing Sadeg State from any future NSCAA entries.”

“They wouldn’t!” Brooklyn exclaimed in shock.

“They would.” Pope replied grimly. “Unfortunately, we don’t use hard-set entry rules like some other nations do. Instead of a strict calculation based on average ranking, or postseason finishes, or any logical metric, DISC simply decides unilaterally who will continue to participate.”

“But we’re the biggest basketball school that regularly participates!” Brooklyn insisted. “If they’re so worried about viewership and engagement, wouldn’t cutting SSU tank their ratings?”

“Ah, you’re thinking with your brain, Brooklyn.” Pope presented an exaggerated smile. “That won’t do. You’re right, of course, losing a majority of the Skyhawk fanbase would likely put a dent in Drawkian NSCAA viewership. That would be mostly, if not entirely made up by the fanbase of whatever new school they enter in our stead. There would still be plenty of Skyhawk fans who would continue to watch other games out of habit. There’d be a fair amount of neutrals who’d tune in to see something fresh. There would be a short-term negative impact, but it would balance out. Probably. DISC doesn’t care about that, though. They want what they think is best.”

“But if they’re not worried about a small dip in viewers, then why would they threaten you to maybe get a small bump in viewers because of me?”

“Again, Brooklyn, you must eschew logic. The word of DISC Head Director Harvey Flantar is law. And somehow, there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Flantar sounds like a real dumbass,” Brooklyn mumbled.

“You’ve no idea.” Pope sighed. “Ask anybody who’s interacted with him.”

“So … is that it?” Brooklyn asked after a moment of tepid silence. “I’m stuck with you, and you’re stuck with me? Does Coach Denton know about it?”

“Of course he does.” Pope looked around on his desk, finding a sheet of paper. When he located it, he speared it with his hand and pushed it to Brooklyn. “I understand you play a much larger role on the Skyhawk baseball team. James and I collaborated on a practice and game schedule that should allow you a few baseball starts per week, while still having your dress for a majority of NSCAA gamedays. Note that there will be a few weeks we spend in Ranoria prior to the conference tournament, a round of neutral site conference games. Besides that, you’ll only be expected to play any time the Skyhawks are at home. We’ll simply travel without you to away games, so you’ll be able to play with the baseball team as normal.”

“That’s not a terrible arrangement.” Brooklyn frowned. “Besides the fact that I’ll be missing the DOCA baseball tournament. I suppose that can’t really be avoided, though.”

“Unavoidable indeed,” Pope nodded sullenly.

“So … physical tomorrow, then report to practice?”

“Yes. I’ve heard from Mac and Gordon that your mechanics are still decent, last they saw, so I won’t have you do a skills assessment like last time.”

“Oh, they told you about our pickup games?” Brooklyn chuckled awkwardly. “I promise I wasn’t secretly preparing for the tournament or anything. I just wanted to play some pickup against some people who are a little more my speed. I still like basketball, you know.”

“It’s not a problem. If anything it makes my job slightly easier.” Pope flicked his hand weakly at Brooklyn. “You’re dismissed. We can lament this situation some other time.”

“Yes, Coach.” Brooklyn stood up to leave, not feeling better but at least more prepared for what the next few months were going to be like.

“And Brooklyn?”

“Yeah?”

“Not a word of this to anybody else. Not even your daddy.” Pope gave a meaningful look. “Especially your daddy.”

“Yes, Coach.” At least Brooklyn wouldn’t have to have that conversation with her mom about not being in the tournament, which she figured would’ve been a disappointment. Instead, she’d have to throw on a smile and act like she was really excited for this tournament. Could she really keep that up for 2 months?

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 9:57 am

Members of the Loyola-Istria Student Government, attending a Richardson Student Government meeting

"Those fuckers think that they can beat us in hoops? We're 5-0." Said Oscar Tobongo. He was a senior, and the student body President at the University of Loyola-Istria. The NSCAA season was in full swing, and the Blue Thunder were in the same conference as Richardson once again- which meant three editions of the greatest rivalry in college gridiron, now being competed for on the hardwood. It was a huge game, as it didn't take much at all to get these rivals to extend their rivalry to any other possible competition. Hell, even at an Association of Commonwealth Universities Quiz Bowl competition, one of the ULI guys wore a '30 to 3' shirt over his suit- which was the score of the most recent Rebel's Cannon Bowl.

"Didn't they beat us in NSCAA 15? In the Orange Sky Classic?" His Vice President, Seydou Marega, asked.

"Eh- but we beat them twice in NSCAA 14, and that's what matters." Tobongo said. "They've never beaten us on either campus- although they beat us in Busukuma. Don't worry- we're gonna wreck them tonight." Despite the intensity of the rivalry(or because of it), this was a rivalry that was usually played at alternating neutral sites, in their home countries. So a side effect, was that alumni of either school had rarely seen the other's campus. And since in NSCAA 15 they didn't play in the same conference, basically nobody at Loyola had been to RU's campus. Until, of course, today. The RU and Loyola-Istria student governments had been corresponding- and they felt that, surrounding the game, was as good of an opportunity as any to build connections between the student governments.

"Traveling abroad for SG? What a time." Said the third person there, Student Senator Keshia Kebe. She was the third person, and only woman on this trip. Of course, it was rare to fly abroad for something like student government. But it was rare to match schools like Loyola-Istria for what exactly alumni donors were willing to spend money on- one of the most deeply engaged alumni bases of any university in the multiverse. Most obvious in sport, of course, but even beyond- Tobongo was able to convince a former SG President, who was now, 15 years on from college, a corporate CFO, to fund this entire trip for these three. And he had given them the works- flights, hotels, even tickets to the game while they were here.

"Hey, remember- each of us, work 30 to 3 into your mini speech." Seydou Marega told all of them. They all grinned- much better to travel here when the Rebel's Cannon was in Istria, as opposed to Ranoria.

The three walked into the meeting- some big room in the student center on campus. They walked in, and before the meeting, were introducing themselves to all sorts of RU student government members- Senators, club reps, org reps, etc... And then, the most beautiful woman that Oscar had ever seen, walked into the room. The slick talking student politician- silenced. She had long, wavy blond hair, and a smile that reflected off of the light snowfall around campus.

"Hey! You must be Oscar." She said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Caroline White- the Richardson student body President."

Oscar and Seydou, in particular, had been friends for quite a long time- so when Oscar started stammering, he looked over, in surprise. But then, grinned- was his friend in love? "Huh- what? I'm.. Uh..."

Seydou went to rescue his friend. "Yeah, this is our President, Oscar! And I'm Seydou, and this is Keshia. We're so grateful you invited us here!"

"RU welcomes you here!" She said. And then Oscar walked away with her, as she took him to his seat- next to her, at the head of the meeting. Seydou went to find Keshia.

"You know- he's crushing on her."

"NO WAY." Keshia said, a little too loudly. "I'm dead. Is that why he's so quiet? He's the biggest yapper I've ever seen- but she's got him weak at the knees."

"Here, let's go help him out. We've got four tickets to the game, since Ingrid couldn't come, right? Why don't we bring her? Think she's gonna be in the RU student section?"

A few moments later...

.... "Thank you, Oscar, for your speech! And now, time for your Vice President to speak- Seydou!"

Seydou stood, as The members there clapped. Oscar clearly had been smitten- he'd been giving RU's President those wide saucer eyes for the last 10 minutes, and he completely forgot to say his Rebel's Cannon Bowl joke in his speech. "Thank you all, for welcoming me to campus. There's 30 of you guys in the room, and 3 of us. Get it?" A few people chuckled, and the two Blue Thunder people laughed out loud. "I know, I know- I told my Mom I should be a comedian, and she said go to college first. But hey- I would like to say this, before I get into it. We've got an extra ticket tonight to the game- we're inviting your President to sit with us!"

She awkwardly smiled, as she stood up. "Well, I appreciate you guys- but I've got to sit in the student section. Go Governors!" Most of the room cheered- a flash of sadness passed through Oscar's face.

After the meeting, Oscar spoke to Caroline. "Hey, sorry I can't sit with you guys." She told him. But then, she scribbled something down on a sheet of paper- her phone number. "But hey- if you guys want to come to an afterparty, hit me up! Would be fun to see you- and gloat about RU's win over the Blue Thunder." She winked, and then walked away- she had to get to class.

"Not a bad day." Oscar told the other two, once they had gotten back to their hotel. "Hope our boys win this though- imagine going to an afterparty and there's like 30 RU kids clowning us? Not a place I'd want to be, that's for sure."

by **Valanora** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 11:54 am

Five Star and Woodlands Matchday 6-10 Cutoff

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 12:22 pm

Introduction to Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports
Basketball

Collegiate sports are generally well-liked, appreciated and no doubt followed in Quebec and Shingoryeo. Now, while there remains a major debate as to whether college football or basketball is considered to be more popular in the country that is multipolar in sporting interests, there is little doubt that basketball is probably the only sport that could challenge football in terms of revenue and spectatorship.

This has become more evident in the recent years, not so much because of basketball's own growth in the Arrosian nation - the number of basketballers signing up in youth or school clubs have not dramatically increased in Quebec over past twenty years - but because of other unenforced factors, with baseball having climate-induced limitations in much of the country, (ice) hockey undergoing a minor but evident decline in attendance and media interest. It also bears the benefit of possessing little to no conflict with two other major indoor sports in volleyball and handball, thanks to the general tendency for basketball and volleyball viewers to watch both in Quebec, while the latter is considered a summer sport rather than winter.

Still, it is hard to ignore the continued popularity of college basketball in Quebec as itself, especially as a continuation of the gridiron football season that mostly dot late Summer and Autumn. It is a sport that is enjoyed by both urban and rural collegiate settings, one that is complimented nicely by the relatively lower number of teams in both QBL and QWBL with sixteen each, and sees relative parity across the Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports's five conferences. Combined with consistent churn of narratives brought by the league, whether it be the Riley Jeon-Keane vs. Allison Dubois rivalry of Queen's-Farrer teams in early-mid 2020s for women's tournament, or the more longstanding Mount Ester-Yoseo rivalry famous for its coast-to-coast nature, the state of college basketball is even and stable across the nation, and one that barring a major burst of bubble across sports broadcasters, should stand fine in years to come.

The QIS basketball structure is simple and easy to understand. There are five conferences of twelve to fourteen teams that are geographically based, though linguistic differences do exist between RSECQ and B1G, both conferences located in the nation's central region). Most of the regular season is played within the conference with a double round-robin fixture amounting from 22 to 26 games, though the remainder of the schedule incorporates a non-conference slate of matches usually played around winter break that stretches over Christmas and New Year tournaments. The number of regular-season matches are usually combined to be no more than 30 games a season for each team per QIS regulations, with preseason and holiday tournaments' play-off rounds not included.

Top eight teams on each conference progress into the Conference championship tournament afterwards, with the teams set to play for conference title and the automatic qualification ticket into the twelve-team QIS national championships. The conference champions, as well as multiple additional qualifiers and annual host-team, advance into the 12-team playoffs, with top four seeds securing their place into the quarterfinals. Both men and women's championships, however, do not protect eligibility for host teams unless they record over .500 in overall record.

See below for rough distribution of men and women's tournament tickets:

QIS Men's Championship -- 12 TEAMS
Salamantic-12 - SAL-12: 2
Southwestern University Athletics - SWUA: 2
Big Ten - B1G: 2
Reseau du sport etudiant centrale du Quebec - RSECQ: 1
Maritime University Sport - MUS: 2
Additional Qualifiers: 2
Host Side: 1 (conditional upon overall record)

QIS Women's Championship -- 12 TEAMS
Salamantic-12 - SAL-12: 1
Southwestern University Athletics - SWUA: 2
Big Ten - B1G: 3
Reseau du sport etudiant centrale du Quebec - RSECQ: 1
Maritime University Sport - MUS: 1
Additional Qualifiers: 3
Host Side: 1 (conditional upon overall record)

Quebecois basketball is professionally known to be a bit of mixed bag in terms of style, with the men known to be driven more by physicality and individual play, while the women rely a lot more on defensive schemes and motion offences. This is partly true in the QIS level, where greater talent discrepancy exists between teams, and dynasties relatively easier to establish on conference level. With talent pool mostly even across the country, and nationwide recruiting somewhat common, there is a greater flexibility for the coaches in more established to choose in terms of their preferred style of coaching, and thus you would see great variance between triangle-led Queen's College, run-and-gun Saint-Benedict's and Farrer team that employs 2-3 defence. This allows for QIS basketball to be remain competitive, and at times ahead of its gridiron or hockey equivalents, in terms of strategic diversity and thus public interest.

Historically basketball has been an odd sport in terms of gender segregation, in part due to height-based differences but also the largely-inversed nature of popularity in the sport where women's basketball had taken hold of popularity earlier due to its competitive success at the Quebecois Commonwealth level and then in the Olympics, while the men, while always having talent, had taken a longer route to find international relevance. With modern-era Team Quebec possessing a mixed-gender team that is allowed by its ability to field larger team entries, at least in the preliminary rounds of IBC (this does not apply in AOBC, Arrosiabasket or the CommonwealthBasket), so has the Quebecois sides in the NSCAA with several schools, who have national championship sides past Elite Eight level in both men and women, fielding a mixed-gender side. For the course of NSCAA 16, they will be represented by Coloratura State, Keewatinook, Nideyinan, and Queen's College who have met said internal requirement made by the QIS dating back decades.

2070 Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports Men's Basketball Championships
-
Host venue: Palais de Sports (Capacity: 7,000), Agawa, Abitibi-Agawa
Host institution: Université d'Agawa

First Round
#5 Nideyinan College (B1G - AT-LARGE) 103–72 Meghanville State University (SAL-12 - AT-LARGE) #12
#6 Coloratura State University (SWUA) 69–63 Université d'Agawa (SWUA - HOST) #11
#7 Hanbat State University (B1G) 78–66 University of Banbh (RSECQ) #10
#8 Keewatinook University (SAL-12) 72–74 Trinity College Inteachan (MUS) #9

Quarterfinals
#1 Yoseo University at Montevicio (SAL-12) 77–70 Trinity College Inteachan (MUS) #9
#2 Queen's College at Cornwall (B1G) 76–70 Hanbat State University (B1G) #7
#3 Université de Saint-Gabriel-Richard (SWUA) 72–86 Coloratura State University (SWUA) #6
#4 Mount Ester University (MUS) 50–76 Nideyinan College (B1G - AT-LARGE) #5

Semifinals
#1 Yoseo University at Montevicio (SAL-12) 73–73 Nideyinan College (B1G - AT-LARGE) #5 (84–78 OT)
#2 Queen's College at Cornwall (B1G) 88–65 Coloratura State University (SWUA) #6

2070 QIS men's championship game
#1 Yoseo University at Montevicio (SAL-12) 59–59 Queen's College at Cornwall (B1G) #2 (71–65 OT)

QIS Tournament MVP: SF Armando Guadanini - Yoseo University at Montevicio Kodiaks

QIS Men's First-Team All-Star Team

PG Florent Mills-Ryder - Trinity College Inteachan Titans
SG Etash Pandhi - Nideyinan College Crows
SF Armando Guadanini - Yoseo University at Montevicio Kodiaks
PF Kadeen Trabelsi - Hanbat State University Colts
C Normand Hwang - Coloratura State University Cardinals

QIS Men's Second-Team All-Star Team

PG Yi Yong-Whan - Yoseo University at Montevicio Kodiaks
SG Ildar Mammadli - Huronia Tech University Harriers
SF Oh Gook-Jin - Mount Ester University Lancers
PF Corentin Binaisa - Université de Saint-Gabriel-Richard Wolverines
C Baek Jeong-Seop - Queen's College at Cornwall Golden Gaels

Tournament All-Stars:

PG Yi Yong-Whan - Yoseo University at Montevicio Kodiaks
SG Stepan Shirin - Coloratura State University Cardinals
SF Armando Guadanini - Yoseo University at Montevicio Kodiaks
PF Hwang Deok-Goo - Nideyinan College Crows
C Baek Jeong-Seop - Queen's College at Cornwall Golden Gaels

by **Ranoria** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 4:45 pm

Richardson University
Founder's Circle

The statue of Viktor Dietrich loomed large behind him, and a gray sky beyond that. Try as they had, the school had never been able to get the faint outline of a Blue Thunderbolt out of the statue. Some argued it wasn't there, they were just seeing things. Maybe it was generational trauma, passed from one class at Richardson University to the next, an image that haunted them.

The first Governor Ranoria, the one to declare independence for the cluster of smaller regions that it would later encompass, marred forever.

It was Björn Hennessy, senior, who had called this players only meeting. And it just so happened to be cold as balls outside. Fortunately certified football guy Brian-Willie Richardson was handing out hot chocolate - why the South Newlandian was taking the time to warm up native Ranorians no one was sure, but they weren't complaining.

"Alright guys, listen, that there," he pointed at the chest of the statue, where he, at least, could swear he detected the faintest traces of blue in the pattern of a lightning bolt, "Can never happen again. We have seen this university crushed, this program torn asunder, in the past because of the series that's starting tomorrow night. This isn't the U of Dietrich or Berlin, we play those guys a few times every year. These Blue Thunder, they're a different menace. And for once, our football team dropped the ball, we can't let them sweep us."

"Yeah!" Cheered Frankie James, "We get to get a one up on the football team! Let's go!"

"No!" Björn shut the freshman up on the spot, "I know we've had our differences with our brothers on the gridiron, but this is bigger than girls using our parties as a pregame before they head to the football house. This is about the integrity of this university! Look at that!" He pointed at the statue again, "These low-lifes, these bastards out of Banija-"

"Excuse me?"

Björn turned and his face dropped. Janet Banka, national champion, first team All-Ranorian. Probably the last one you wanted to piss off on campus. Oh, and her brother, who started a few games last season. The rest of the team immedietely took great interest in the overcast sky, snowy ground, or took up semi-professional whistling. Anything to avoid getting caught up in whatever was about to happen.

Björn waved his hands in front of him, trying to explain, "Sorry, that isn't what it sounded li-"

Janet was about to let him have it, fortunately, whoever it was that was with her was a bit quicker, responding with a chuckle. "I think he just means Loyola, Janet. No one's coming from other countries to play basketball in Ranoria, it's a knee jerk reaction."

"Uh, right, sorry," Björn looked like he wanted to shrink into a ball in embarrassment.

He shrugged to the basketball captain, "Nah I get it bro, you're cool."

"Wh-why are you not wearing a coat?" One of the inconsequential freshman asked him.

Dex flashed him a grin that had already gotten him more NIL money than even his considerable talent warranted, "Trying to get used to this frigid weather we've got here. Gotta run though! Looking forward to tomorrow fellas!"

The two said their farewells, and Björn buried his face in his hands. Everyone had pretty much lost interest in his hype speech at this point, it definitely wasn't going according to plan.

"Alright, look," he gestured weakly at the statue, "Point is, what happened that day was disgraceful. Loyola-Istria is a classless, bottom feeder university, and we can't give them the kind of power they have over us. We can't ever forgive them for the way they disgraced such a landmark of cultural history. And I'm told they smell bad, so uh," he lifted his fist in the air, took a sharp intake of chilly air, and steeled himself.

"Fuck Loyola on three!"

1-2-3"

"Fuck Loyola!"

"You know, no one would come to play volleyball in Ranoria either, if her dumbass brother wasn't convinced it would guarantee him a World Bowl."

He brought up a hand and was just about to go through his usual routine, but she was a bit quicker, counting the names on her fingers and mimicking his voice, "John Garrett, Ice Chineze, Astrid Verona, Isaiah Hunter, you start multiple seasons here, you're basically a lock to win the big one!" She waved her arms in the air, abandoning her facade of his voice. "Or maybe the Krauts and Serpent Eagles are just better than everyone else!" She brushed the accumulated snow off her coat and was wracked with one last shiver as the heated building finally started to make itself known, "Idiot!"

"Uh-huh, did you do the homework for this one?"

"Idiot."

by **Cardenao** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 5:45 pm

Student Media: Sargaara Technical Institute Penetrators vs Coraguna Colegio (KRO)
By Donnie Bean

Wow, what a game that was! Nobody ever said Sargaara Technical Institute played pretty basketball but damn if we don’t know how to put on a thriller! If you weren’t out there at the game tonight supporting the team, man I feel bad for you because your STI Penetrators just won a back and forth game on the final possession. The game against Coraguna Colegio had it all, streaky shooting, bullyball in the pain, wild attacking plays, and more lead changes than I could count BUT it was OUR kind of game.

Right from the tip, our offense was this beautiful, chaotic mess of ‘hey if that might work in this moment, do it!’ One play we’re slashing to the hoop, the next we’re 4 out, 1 in shooting threes, the next we’re punishing the paint, it was glorious. My fellow junior Noah Coré was a problem for Coraguna’s defense as the 6’5 livewire guard threw himself at the rim, either impressively finishing through contact or drawing a foul and getting to the line. He put up 22 points on the night, showing why many consider the slashing specialist to be the true heart of this offense. Meanwhile, Kevin Mercer did what we’ve come to expect and love from our power forward–dragging defenders out of the paint as he stretched the floor from the four position, drifting from mid-range to the three point line. He made a couple of big jumpers early on the first quarter which forced the Coraguna defense to adjust accordingly…which opened up the real mismatch: Big Frazer Campbell down low for the bully ball. He’s not the tallest center at ‘only’ 6’10 but he’s built like a dang triceratops out there, just pure bulk and power and the big man had his way to the tune of 18 points and 11 boards. Over the first five games of NSCAA 16, it has become clear this is a go-to tactic for the Penetratos and tonight showed why that was the case. Sure, this is a fairly predictable move to the point that myself, a sophomore sports journalism major, can easily point it out but hey, if it ain’t broke, why bother!?

Look, we wanted to do business up close and personal most of this game, but there were times when the play actually developed and David Fratteli, party boy extraordinaire (or so they say), could do what he does best and that’s splash deep…three…after…deep…three…bay…bee! It was ridiculous, every time Coraguna looked like taking control of the game, there was Fratty to bang down another one, finishing the night with 5 threes and 19 points. All of that scoring being said, all of that focus on offense we did right there, Coraguna Colegio was hanging in the fight with us punch for punch.

Nothing comes easy in NSCAA ball, we STI Penetrator fans should know that all too well after the disappointment of having Dragan Stoikchev, one of the greatest to grace Cardenaoan college ball, and failing to reach the Ultra 64. But to see our boys out there standing strong in the face of a courageous Coraguna team that was going down swinging, well that gave this STI fan a feeling of hope as we found ourselves down 91-90 with just under 10 seconds left on the clock. Run a final play? Nah fam, we’re going VINTAGE STI chaos.

Well we did actually try running a play but that got broken up pretty quickly, which led to the ball popping loose and a scramble to get ahold of it, before it somehow found itself in Riccardo Concellion’s hands. The freshman point guard had had a fairly quiet night, much like the start to his college career, but he showed himself to be cool as ice as he faked a pass one way and dribbled the other before getting a quick jumper off, BANG! 92-91 and we were in the lead with only a few seconds left. One last defensive stand to go and one last defensive stand that sealed the win. Coraguna tried to get a clean look through their point guard but Riccardo, amped up by his potentially game winning shot, played lockdown defense to force their last-ditch shot far wide to seal the win.

And there you had it, 92-91 final-score as the Penetrators climb to 4th in the division with a 3-2 record. A lot of ball left, a lot of time for things to get better and get worse, but there was one thing you can count on; when the Penetrators offense clicks, STI is a nightmare to guard against.

Niccostrato Naval Academy Destroyers

“Let’s fucking gooo!!!” Manny Trufellow yelled out as the game clock hit zero, the buzzer blared, the crowd cheered, and the Niccostrato Naval Academy Destroyers were now 4-1 after smacking Natkrian University of Skyhold around a bit. 92-66, the game was never in doubt as the Cardenaoan school for those who love boats that go boom coasted to another victory. The team prided themselves for the simplicity of their gameplan: if you have the ball, they can’t score, so protect the ball and escort it to the basket with all the precision of a submarine launching a missile or some other sort of naval warfare metaphor. While they were the sum of their parts, it’s hard to deny the star of the show was anyone other than Manny Trufellow.

The senior center was an absolute presence on and off the court at 7’ flat and a powerful 280lbs build. He was a mountain, a mountain that could move deceptively quickly and could jump higher than someone that size has any right doing. Then, there was the hair. An explosion of curly blond hair that almost looked like a crown, albeit a very dorky crown on a goofy face that didn’t quite match the Alpha-bro body he was both blessed with and worked hard to maintain. Manny was a jokester, he loved to smile, laugh, and have a good time, doubly so if there was cheap beer involved or ladies to laugh at his non-stop jokes. On the court, that attitude both carried over yet completely changed, here was Manny the competitor. Iron faced, yelling instructions to his teammates, taunting his opponents, telling the ref to fix his glasses, all while using his body to bully his way to the basket; Trufellow was the tip of the spear and yet once the whistle blew the play dead, he was back to smiling and laughing with his teammates. Over the first five games, he was averaging 19.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while also adding 2.7 blocks and 1.2 steals, Manny was a complete player thanks to his athleticism and a stylistic scheme that allowed him and the team to do what they do best.

Junior point guard Miguel Valero was the man who opened the show, on paper he was an all-around scorer who can hit threes, drive to the bucket, and do everything in between, but in reality the 6’2 guard with long arms was first and foremost a facilitator of the offensive gameplan. Protect the ball was first and foremost, so Miguel took his time setting things up to execute plays designed to generate close range, high percentage shots. That’s not to say he wouldn’t pull the trigger on a quick three if the right option presented itself, rather he knows the value that the certainty of Manny brings to the equation and that’s generally the way to go. Similarly senior shooting guard Carmichael Jones was the team’s three-point expert but he was a pass first player who bought into Coach Jenkins’ gameplan. Carmichael was on the thin side at 187lbs at 6’7, but he’s got long arms and quick feet, perfect for rotating between positions on defense as need be. Honestly, the unsung hero lost in the presence of Trufellow was junior small forward Ted Kulusevski, who was the jack-of-all-trades that made the whole operation tick. Ted is a basketball genius, for as crisp and neat as his passes and shots are, it’s his ability to see the big picture that makes him so valuable to this team. He knows when to pause on the ball, or when to take an extra pass, when to tell a teammate to hit the three or when to tell him to hold his shit and pass it along, Kulu was like having a coach right there on the court with you. Finally, there was Arnold Samson and boy, this kid ate dirt for the rest of the team, always doing the unglamorous stuff. Someone has to bang low for a rebound, someone has to dive out full-stretch to save the ball, someone has to set screens and get run into…Big Arn was happy to be that man. And that’s how you do it, that’s how you build a basketball team. And that’s what leads to the current scene.

Manny Trufellow yelling out, slapping his teammates backs as all cameras were pointed towards him. But real ones knew, just like you know do, that his visible success was only thanks to a team, a system of play where everyone was playing their best……at least over the first five games.

There was a lot of ball left to be played.

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 18, 2025 6:02 pm

First cutoff of the night is mine

by **Drawkland** » Wed Mar 19, 2025 2:12 pm

When Basil Thorne was first recruited to play college basketball, his raw talent was touted as being nearly league-ready the moment he'd step onto a college court. The scout that discovered him believed that Basil would be the "savior" of Drawkian basketball after so many years of mediocrity on the professional international stage. Once Basil got some playtime at Ducentu State and teams got more film on him, that assertion of greatness was disputed. The reports about Basil's yokel attitude and apparent apathy towards basketball as a whole only compounded the number of doubters.

Then came NSCAA 15. Basil continued to take basketball as seriously as he was used to (not at all), and was honestly a little confused as to why they were still playing games after the DOCA tournament ended. He never slacked on the court, but he wasn't exactly taking an active role on offense or defense. If he was open when he got the ball, he'd shoot and make it. If he wasn't open, he'd find somebody else to give the ball to. Head coach Anton Irving had the task of finding a way to get Basil the ball without Basil needing to use his brain, and he did a decent job with it. NSCAA 15 was amazing for Ducentu State. Even with two losses, they nabbed the #1 seed in the Ultra 64. Those two losses came against the same school, Alexandria University, once in the regular season and once in the conference tournament. Despite that, Ducentu State's Eagles felt like they were on top of the world ... until the Elite Eight, where they ran into Alexandria again. And lost, again. Just like that, the championship hopes were dashed.

In the late stages of the NSCAA season, thought, things started to click for Basil. He could truly feel the passion in the crowd and on his own team. Unlike the domestic season, where "there's always next year," the NSCAA tournament only comes around once, maybe twice in a player's career. There's also the exclusivity of the event to consider. This meant that everybody on the Eagles roster, especially the upperclassmen, were doubly determined to make something happen that year. Basil hadn't seen this level of determination and dedication in ... anybody, really. He obviously hadn't met many motivated people in his rural public school career, and his family never took anything too seriously. Basil saw this elevated drive, almost desperation, in his teammates. It started to rub off on him. So much so, that when the heartbreaking buzzer-beater sent Ducentu State home from the Elite Eight, he could feel how far his spirits fell.

Basil was a changed man since then. Getting invited to play as a backup on the Net Corps only compounded this change. Through two IBCs and an Olympic Games, Basil was exposed to some of the best basketball talent Drawkland had to offer. Vince Donaldson wasn't the best coach for him, but the new coach Domingo Abbott did much better at helping Basil acclimate to the team system. He took those lessons he learned and brought them back to Ducentu State. Suddenly, things were clicking.

Head coach Anton Irving took full advantage of this. He could feel Basil start to open up, and even ask questions about strategy on the court. He was no longer handicapped by trying to put Basil into a position to succeed with little help from Basil himself. Now the goal was to simply arrange the rest of the offensive scheme to match what Basil was most comfortable doing himself, and hopefully shore up Basil's defense a little more. Irving had done quite a bang-up job, and the Eagles turned back into a juggernaut like they were the season before NSCAA 13.

It was now Basil's senior year at Ducentu State. The last two years had been real treats for Eagles fans, as Basil led Ducentu State to back-to-back DOCA championship game appearances. His junior year they won the championship, but this senior year they had just come away with second place to Sadeg State's Skyhawks. Now, with his final season of domestic college basketball completed and his Wildlife Management degree a few weeks away from being finished, there was really only one order of business left for Basil's college career. Win the NSCAA.

Of course, Basil didn't know how incredibly unlikely that was, or how lucky they'd been last cycle just to reach the quarterfinals of the Ultra 64. He'd had a taste of upper level competition. He recognized the pressure of those big games. It reminded him of that thrilling moment when he'd spotted a buck with a beautiful rack and prepared to take his shot. The anticipation, the determination, the slight worry of missing and never getting another shot. It was like that, but drawn out over a week or more. For some reason, he seemed relish in that feeling.

After getting off to a tentative start on the road in Woodsmere to begin the tournament, Basil and Ducentu State went on a tear. Basil's calling card since he was first discovered was his deadly shot accuracy. Now that he had a more active role in the offense, he was even more productive. His teammates had a better understanding of his tendencies by now, knowing when he was likely to pass and when he was likely to shoot. They knew where he was best at getting the ball, they played into his defensive strengths and covered his weaknesses. Basketball is a team sport after all, and even though it's the one most prone to a single player carrying a team, having a good supporting cast made Basil the best version of himself at that point.

Since that acceptable but unimpressive win on day one, Ducentu State rattled off 6 straight wins where their smallest point total was 93. They eclipsed the 100 point mark twice and held all their opponents besides Ranoria State to less than 80 points. That game against Ranoria State was the first true challenge of the cycle, and even though the Eagles won (especially thanks to consecutive threes by Basil in the final minute), it was a harbinger of things coming back down to ground level. The road match against Küsbon College was still great offensively, but the Miners kept things close all game and mostly lost due to their shooters going dead cold in the final five minutes.

Still, 8-0 is an incredible start, and by then the number of undefeated teams left in the tournament could already be counted on one hand. Unfortunately for the Eagles, that group of schools would lose another number that evening at Two River Court. Facing their third consecutive top four school in the conference, Ducentu State blinked. Sabinal State was more than ready for the challenge. Any Vanorian will tell you that they consider Banijan and Drawkian schools to be the absolute class of the tournament every cycle, so you better believe every Vanorian school has dates with those schools circled on their calendar. With no Banijan school in the Triceratops Conference, Ducentu State was naturally #1 on Sabinal State's hit list for this conference season.

Their preparation was clearly top-notch. Ducentu State's strength through the first 8 games was their offense, so if Sabinal State could slow that down, they'd have more than a chance. The gameplan worked to perfection. The team averaging 94 points per game at that time was held to only 64. Basil was mobbed all game, barely able to find clean looks at the hoop, and his teammates were struggling to compensate. Sabinal State led 40-26 at halftime, and it seemed like Ducentu State was about to suffer a blowout at home to put a stain on their early season. Coach Irving made good adjustments at halftime, however. Not only did the Eagles shore up defensively, but the other playmakers on the offense made better plays and were more efficient with their shot selection. Ducentu State crawled back, making a bid for a second-half comeback. It wasn't meant to be, though. Basil bricked a couple shots in the final minutes, Sabinal State made their free throws late, and the undefeated bid was over pretty early in the season.

It's just one game, though. Ducentu State was the class of the NSCAA last cycle despite taking a couple losses to a conference contender. The important thing was to rebound (both figuratively and literally), and the Eagles did just that. On the road in Port Town, Ducentu State dropped another 100-point performance on UCPT. Basil's shooting rhythm was as good as ever, and the team defense was the best it'd looked in nearly 2 weeks. They still had sole control of the top spot in the Triceratops Conference right before the 1/3 mark of the regular season, Basil felt good, and things in general were looking back up.

Now the question for many viewers is if Ducentu State can possibly keep this torrid pace going over the course of the tournament. Could they really run in back, but better? But a more important question involved what was to come after this tournament, and not many people knew that it was a question to ask at all. When NSCAA 16 is done, and Ducentu State's seniors graduate ... what will Basil Thorne be doing?

by **Valanora** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 6:09 am

Through the first month of the NSCAA season, it is much the same as it ever was in the competition, our schools are doing arguably well but are struggling to give a real challenge to schools from Banija and Drawkland. The schools from our neighbors in particular are having an outstanding start of their conference play, holding several of the best records currently in the entirety of the NSCAA as they are first in five conferences. With their only being ten conferences in total and only eight that have a representative from Banija in them, that is highly impressive that over half of their teams are currently sitting at the top of their conferences and for the three who are not two of those are in second and Northern Moravica is the lone "struggler" in fourth with a seven win and three loss record, still mightily impressive to start out the season. We knew going into the start of this competition that our schools were going to have to contend with the bluebloods of the competition if they were going to be able to find success once more and so far the teams from those blueblood nations are living up to their billing.

Looking at our schools, once more the unassuming squad from Everlin is out to a great start, winning eight of their first ten and looking like they are already ready to be taking on the best in the competition in the Ultra 64, much like they have done so in the last few editions of the competition. Everlin is one of the smaller schools that represent the Empire in the competition when it comes to its student population and being a university that is primarily focused on environmental studies getting top line athletes is seen as a bit of a struggle. Yet they have defied the odds and have managed to cobble together a strong squad for several editions in a row now and have earned the reputation as a bit of a dark horse in whatever conference they end up in. Sitting only a single game behind Drawkian school Raikennax, the team seems to be fairly strong in their position in second place, with only a six point defeat to the school from Drawkland separating the two teams. If Everlin can return the favor when they head to Drawkland and continue to handle their business against teams that are seemingly worse than them, this could be a race that heads down to the last week of the season.

Speaking of small schools, Sabinal State sits third and could be in first right now with an unblemished record if not for an awful shooting night a week and a half ago against Nacional University, where it was made doubly worse by a poor defensive showing and rebounding game, and last night's heatbreaking one point loss at home to Ranoria State. Both losses come at home and the latter allowed the Ranoria school to slip past Sabinal on tiebreaker and put Ducentu State at the top. This is shaping up to be a three team race but two losses at home is not a great sign if Sabinal wants to be able to truly contend with a school like Ducentu State down the stretch, they have to be ensuring that they protect home court. Losing the game on the glass is also not acceptable, as it lets teams get second chance points and in the case against Nacional allowed them to run away with the game and put up an embarrassing scoreline against the team which has traditionally prided itself on an extremely stingy defense and stellar home record. We need to see better from them if they don't want to be accused of being a flat track bully.

I suppose we have to talk about Turbani Tech even though they are one of the least like schools in all of the Empire but they did just win all five of their games in the last week and a half and some of them in highly impressive fashion. After starting off with a three win and two loss record, it looked like this might be the year where Tech was finally exposed as a lower rung team but they have bounced back with a vengeance and in different fashions, though a pretty stingy defense has been a huge key in all of their wins so far. Whether or not it will be enough to slow down the juggernauts of Kizza I College or Elmanden District is another story as Tech has a tendency to wither when put up against truly elite competition. However they did edge the Drawkian school in Drawkland in over time only to then be blown out of the water at home by the Banija school the very next game, while also starting off the season with an inexplicable loss at home to Hundsend State. While they may not be popular in the Empire, they do have their own highly devoted fanbase in Turbani and do look like if they can sharpen up that defense a touch more could be a real contender, though that remains to be seen.

Then of course there is everyone's favorite team but who have a huge hex in the form of Sadeg State when it comes to this competition, the Raiders of Mar Sara Tech. Much like their NSCF counterparts, the Raiders can not seem to get past the Skyhawks and the team once more lost when they traveled to Drawkland a week ago and it never really looked close. For two schools that are supposed to be major rivals, it just does not happen for Tech on the hardwood despite all the talent they accumulate to try and be competitive with Sadeg. Then there was whatever happened in Quebec when the team was utterly devastated by Queen's College at Cornwall, scoring only fifty-eight points while giving up nearly a hundred and thirty. That is simply unacceptable and the team have to be ashamed of themselves to have been so thoroughly put to the sword by a team that they did not even think was on their same level going into conference play. You can excuse a loss but to not even really show up at all is simply not good enough for a team that has perhaps the second best record in the Empire and had aspirations of winning the conference. If they do not bounce back and in a big way in the next few weeks, their could be a change at head coach.

South Caddonia has been a surprise package since their inclusion into being a representative of the Empire in the NSCAA, proving that the fight in the player is much more important than the name of the team. This team is two points away from being undefeated losing by one in Banija against Aksum State, the closest they have come to losing through the first ten games of the season, and then losing by one away to Missrida State which is more of a surprise. The team has handled their business at home and you sort of expect that from them but they do seem to lose just a touch of their scoring prowess when going on the road and if they really want to reel Aksum back in, the road game has to be just as impressive as their home game. Drive to the bucket a bit more and put teams in foul trouble while getting high percentage looks is probably the key there, not settling for threes or mid range jumpers. For now though, they look to be on track towards once more competing for a conference title, though if Aksum refuses to lose as it looks like they are set out to do it might not be enough even if it is superb.

After a stunning home loss to Karke University, the Rockets of Raynor were sitting at three and three with their head coach under a ton of pressure and another loss likely to see him out the door. This team is supposed to be the flagship team of the Empire with its plethora of riches when it comes to talent and yet they had just lost by nearly twenty to a nobody that anyone had ever heard from at home. However rattling off four straight wins has eased some of the pressure off the coach for now, but it was close after needing overtime to put away Natkrian University of Skyhold in the very next game. The defense has been suspect as the offense has been clicking at about their normal pace of eighty-five points a game but their defense has been unable to get the stops they have needed in the big moments. If the team has any aspirations of not finishing fourth in a highly competitive conference, once again featuring an unblemished Banija squad, then the defense has to tighten up their play. You can not have that sort of stellar offensive output and still be losing games towards also rans of the conference, not when Drawk Corps, Bunyoro, and Berlin are throwing their weight around.

It was all looking rosy for the Owls until the last week of play in the Big Seven Seven, suffering first a narrow defeat in Ranoria against Richardson, which was a bit of stunner in of itself given Ranoria is known more for their contributions to gridiron rather than the hardwood, before being unable to resist Loyola-Istria at home. The latter though a worse defeat on the scoreboard is not as bad a loss as the former as Loyola-Istria has simply run riot throughout the conference, being yet another team from Banija that has yet to taste the bitterness of defeat. The loss in Ranoria has to be the thing that brings focus back to Hondo, as they are the most successful team from the Empire and they were expected to give the Banija school a run for their money. With three losses already though, the team needs to find its focus and to have a short memory, to shake off these back to back defeats and push forward. While their Banija counterparts might have the inside track towards winning the regular season roughly a third of the way in, the Owls can not simply concede the conference race just yet, there are too many games left to be played and this team is too talented to say die no matter the circumstances.

Last but not least is the Rinaldi Naval Academy, sitting in a share of first and wondering how the heck they are not undefeated right now with a pair of losses against teams that were not supposed to be able to challenge them, or so was the thought before conference play began. Instead Catholic University of Serone made the Midshipman's defense look pedestrian in Juvencus and have somehow stolen away the conference lead thanks to the tiebreaker of having bested the team from Rinaldi. In a conference where the team from Banija is not simply running away with things, a loss Northwest Visayas has to be quite disappointing as it came at home and once more the elite defense that has been the Naval Academy's bread and butter for the last few editions failed to show up and the offense went completely cold. This conference is there to be won but it requires the team to have the utmost discipline and to not break away from their style of play, this is not a team that is built to run up and down the court in a shootout. The team is methodical on offense and suffocating on defense and if it can get back to basics, there is no reason why it can not win the conference, especially if Moravica keeps picking up unexpected losses.

by **Banija** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 10:37 am

Bunyoro star Power Forward, Akanii Kayode, sitting in the locker room ahead of Bunyoro's MD8 game against Drawk Corps U

Kayode was sitting there, looking at clips of Loyola-Istria's campus. Not just clips of the campus- but clips of their campus, specifically, after their basketball team's 86-67 blowout road win against Richardson, on campus, In Ranoria. Students had poured out of their dorms like they were celebrating a championship- 'Thunder Square', as they called it, started filling with students from about the 5 minute mark left in the game, and there were all sorts of clips circulating via social media of the party scene that it was there. Loyola students and fans doing chants, pounding their chests, climbing poles, and just drinking and what not in the middle of campus- beautiful scenes.

"We need that kind of shit to happen here, in Kigagana." Kayode said to nobody in particular.

"Hey- today's the day." Responded the team's point guard, Akiki Olebode. "It's us v. DCU. We're both unbeaten, it's for first place in the conference- a pair of 7-0 teams, duking it out for the top spot in the conference, and the Dinosaur Den is the host? This place is going to be fucking rocking. You can already hear the energy, can't you?" And even from their locker room, they could hear some of the chants going on. Just like Bunyoro A&M, the passion for hoops ran deep at this school- even if they didn't quite have the pedigree of their rivals. But, hey- they were here, in the NSCAA, and were playing for sole possesion of first place in the conference. Even at this early stage, this was certainly a big game, wasn't it?

"It might be a court stormin' kind of game." Kayode responded with. "Time for us to ball out."

Fast forward to the end of the game, with the Triceratops leading, 81-80, with 30 seconds left in the game and the clock ticking- this time from the perspective of the TV announcers

Play-by-Play Commentator: "It feels like this place is ready to burst, isn't it? It's been a spectacular game, exactly what we expect to see between a pair of 7-0 teams. Punches and counterpunches- moves and countermoves. Every time somebody on one team makes a clutch shot, or play, somebody on the other team responds. We could play this game forever, one of the best games of the season. However, with less than 30 seconds left in the game, and 20 on the shot clock, U of B has the ball. A made shot could be a dagger here. What will they look for?"

Color Commentator: "Kayode is having a hell of a game at the 4- gotta look towards the star freshman, right? Akanii Kayode has certainly met the moment- he leads all scorers with 26 points, shooting 9/13 from the field, including making both of his three point attempts. Look for some screen & roll action, with him and Olebode playing a bit of the two man game.

Play-by-Play Commentator: "No timeouts left for the visitors, either- so they've got to get things moving if, and when, they get the ball back. They're doing exactly as my colleague said- Olebode is asking for a screen from Kayode, and he gets it right. Olebode takes the screen, as the defenders switch- and he goes hard toward the basket. He looks to the corner, and sees an open Kaikara Olugbenga. Olugbenga gets the ball, and swings it toward a WIDE open Kayode, who bombs from three.. AND HITS! AND HITS! EIGHTY FOUR TO EIGHTY, UNDER TWELVE SECONDS LEFT- WHAT SHOT!"

Color Commentator: "THEY CALL HIM KLUTCH KAYODE- THE TRUE FRESHMAN HAS HIT MAYBE THE SHOT OF THE SEASON- BLOWN THE ROOF OFF OF THIS PLACE!"

Play-by-Play Commentator: "DCU has in-bounded quickly and they are flying down the court. Robert Sylvester is going straight to the basket-"

Color Commentator: (says this as he's clearly interrupting his colleague) "smart move, as they are in the bonus, getting a two and risking it with a one & one opportunity for the home team is the smart move."

Play-by-Play Commentator: Sylvester flying down the length of the court, and the shot is contested at the rim by Ochieng Goyega.. AND IT RIMS OUT! KAYODE GETS THE BOARD, AND HE'S FOULED- AND WITH THREE AND A HALF SECONDS LEFT, THE TRICERATOPS ARE GOING TO WIN THIS ONE!" (The camera pans out to show the entire crowd- the place is literally shaking, as the sea of green & white are celebrating wildly. A couple of Bunyoro players have been high-fiving members of the student section- Bunyoro's PG climbed the scorers table before being pulled down by his coach.)

Akanii Kayode, right after the end of the contest

"LET'S GOOOOOO!" Kayode bellowed, after hitting his final two free throws. A DCU heaved a half-court prayer, but nobody paid it any attention- the party was set to begin, and Triceratops fans were storming the court. It was a huge game, and an upset win- Bunyoro is not a traditional Banijan blueblood- but this win was validating in so many ways. It wasn't simply the big Moravican schools that were going to dominate this sport, or the glitzy and glamourous Kizza I College. Why not a rural school like the University of Bunyoro?

Kayode was suddenly thrown onto the shoulders of some of his classmates, as they chanted his name. "A-KA-KNEE! A-KA-KNEE!" They chanted, as the celebrations were just beginning. They would celebrate long into the night. Kayode drank it all up, and took it all in. It was for scenes like these that he chose to come here- plus, he knew the NMU hoops program was in shambles, regardless. There was a long season left, of course- but right here, right now, this was the University of Bunyoro's moment. And he was DAMN well sure he was going to enjoy it.

by **Valanora** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 10:40 am

Five Star and Woodlands Matchday 11-15 Cutoff

by **Cardenao** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 11:59 am

You sit at the center of a poorly lit classroom, the faint hum of conversations elsewhere in the library slid under the shut door, mingling with the buzz of electricity from the two burned out lights above. Three years meeting in this room, three years crafting your anger into action, three years of asking them to fix these fucking lights and yet…nothing. Nothing from New Cardonia State, but that’s what you and the rest of the students in the room had come to expect. The room hadn’t always been this crowded, back when you first started gathering here it had just been you and Henry but over the years, as you learned how to give your rage a voice, the numbers had grown until now, nearly 30 students packed into this room, with plenty more who couldn’t make to tonight’s meeting.

‘That’s okay though,’ you think to yourself. ‘As long as they’re there in two days.’

You’re brought back to the moment by a collective groan in the room as everyone watches the grainy images the long outdated projector cast onto the wall. Images of New Cardonia State Thunderhawk sports teams of days gone by. Pictures of the team that beat LeBois in football, the Cardenao College Classic winning team, Deacon St. John, the highest rated recruit in Cardenaoan history, all clad in the black and electric yellow that all of Cardenao had once feared. It seemed like a lifetime ago when it had only been four years since New Cardonia State mattered. When you mattered. When your school was a powerhouse of sport, of education and research, not an afterthought that had been cast away by Mihaly.

Mihaly…just thinking his name was enough to get your blood boiling. Your parents had gone to New Cardonia, your grandfather had been a dean, you had been cheering on the Black and Yellows since you were a little girl, it was your destiny, your life to come here…with that history, with the Thunderhawks woven into your DNA, it made sense why you started becoming more and more vocal with your criticisms of Mihaly, heavy handed dictator who could do whatever he wanted, for better or worse, unchecked by the rest of government, unchecked by the people, free to use Cardenao for his political experiments.

The glory days for New Cardonia were in the past ever since The Move four years ago. Before then, championship dreams were forged on the court, the next generation of Cardenaoan leaders were in the classrooms, ground breaking research that was vital to the continued emergency and development of Cardenao as a nation of note, business leaders, teachers; pillars of society used to grow here at NCSU. Now though, the once-packed stadiums, the formerly cutting edge classrooms, were more empty than not, ghostly reminders of Mihaly’s single handed decree—all athletics, professors, and persons of note must relocate to Alexandria University. Overnight, almost all the athletes, the best professors, and persons of note including researchers and students, both undergraduate and grad, were packed up into military transports and shipped halfway across the country.

You exhale and rub your face with one hand. Nobody gave a shit back then, nobody gave a fuck now.

‘The apathy and lethargy of comfort’ you mulled to yourself as you looked across the room. You’ve spoken at these meetings countless times before but tonight, something feels different. The air is supercharged with collective anger, desperation to act, and there was a subtle undercurrent something dangerously close to hope—when you’re this close to the action you’ve planned for years, people could be expected to have powerful feelings.

You clear your throat and stand up, the room falling silent as you do so.

“We need to make them hear us,” you begin with a steady voice, “They need to understand. They don’t know what really happened with The Move, dictatorial power that killed Cardenao’s most prestigious institution and stranded US without a future.”

Your eyes scan the faces around you—fellow students, classmates…friends. Some are nodding, some have hands trembling in anger, some chew gum but meet your eyes with steely gazes of their own, everyone is hanging on your every word.

“No more speeches to ourselves, no more quiet petitions to departments that no longer exist, no more being ignored.”

You look down at the details of a plan, less a plan and more a guide to freedom that is peaceful in nature but is prepared to do what it takes to restore New Cardonia State and to bring power to the people. It starts simply enough, in two days, New Cardonia State’s basketball team, the only sport left funded at the school, will take to the court in another meaningless NSCAA game, they are expected to lose and they expect to be forgotten. But this time, this time they wouldn’t be the story.

You will.

“We want to raise awareness, we want to throw our reality into the face of Cardenao and the multiverse beyond,” you say as murmurs of agreement ripple through the group.

“We storm the court right before halftime when everyone is watching. When I say we, I mean all of us out there. We’re holding banners, some of you will be chained to chairs that we’ll drill into the court, Henry…” you pause to point to your partner in crime even though everyone here knows him, “Has something special planned, he’ll tap you if he needs you, but the strategy is simple my friends. We don’t move. We don’t break. We make them drag us out of there as we educate our fellow countrymen, as we pull the veil from their eyes so they can see the truth.”

You stop talking, taking a beat to read the room. Everyone is on the edge of their seat as uncertainty mixed with excitement.

“This isn’t about New Cardonia, this is about all of Cardenao and how we have a fucked up psychopath ruling us with an iron fist. Everything is state planned, Mihaly planned, and that needs to end now.”

People were getting excited now, heads nodding became yells and whoops of agreement, of support, of dedication to the cause. One student, Elias, the pain in the ass philosophy major who always argued for Mihaly in debates, stood up.

“They’ll shut us down, muzzle us like they’ve done to others.”

“Haven’t they already?” You snap back, sharper than intended to someone fighting the same cause as you. “They didn’t just take our teams, they took our students, our professors, our research, shit they probably took the lightbulbs from this fucking room!

A much needed laugh erupted in the room, cutting the tension in two as you pressed on, “They’re killing our future, they’ve destroyed our school. If we don’t stand up now and let the country know, then what next? Where does Mihaly stop when everything and everyone has consented to being HIS pawn?”

Silence. Silence in the room as everyone processed before, “I’m in.”

It was Dani, your freshman roommate who had endured a year of your impassioned speeches against Mihaly until the dying hours of the night, now she was stepping up to the cause.

And then another voice, and another, and another. It was a chorus singing their agreement, their readiness to do something.

You swallow, your heart pounding in your ears. For nearly 30 years, nobody had stood up to Mihaly, nobody had dared bite the hand that fed them modernization, but the country was on a slippery slope and someone had to warn the people.

Might as well be you.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 4:41 pm

Last February, still two months away from the NSCAA tournament that happens every six years or so, both QIS men's and women's national championships were held to determine the final victors of the February Fever that is commonly associated with college basketball in the nation. As with usual years, the QIS sees no shortage of schools who do feature nationally-competitive men and women's programs with five institutions - Coloratura State, Keewatinook, Mount Ester, Nideyinan and Queen's College - achieving a golden standard many often strive to achieve once every while. With four of them qualifying for this summer's NSCAA competition, a sole exception going to Mount Ester whose early-stage collapses have been every bit shocking, it's safe to say that sex-to-sex balance does end up benefitting individual schools in many different ways, both domestically and internationally.

On the women's championship in Nideyinan College, momentum was the term that dominated the discourse as the top-seeded LMU Jodhpurs, who were led by superstar guard Cassidy Donatello, would find themselves stumbling early against MUS champions Dongnae University in quarterfinals where their 21-point third quarter lead was almost erased in a span of eight minutes. The signs of wear-and-tear, especially on a squad with high veteran use, would eventually show against a highly-defensive Nideyinan as the hosts would walk off the winner on a B1G MVP Elodie Byeon-Graham layup. The Crows, in a highly-anticipated Conavacio Family Classic in Dongnae last Christmas, would go onto win the competition after convincing wins altogether, beating three NSCAA-bound programs in Saguenay, LMU and then Keewatinook to seal their first national title in four seasons.

As for the men's side, the competition was lot more straightforward. Heading into the national championships there were two QIS MVP favourites with TC Inteachan point guard Florent Mills-Ryder and Yoseo-Montevicio small forward Armando Guadadnini coming down to three votes, and they too would face off against each other after the Titans squeaked off a win against SAL-12 finalists Keewatinook to make for a rematch. Their quarterfinals match fortunately was worth the hype, with 11 lead changes going on between deep Kodiaks squad and Mills-Ryder's one-man show. Outcome? A split, one might say as the QIS MVP would end up scoring 32 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals on what would be a 70-77 loss. Guadanini, feeling slight pressure, would have a relatively quiet night at 16 points, 7 assists and 3 blocks, but he too would step up big in the next two games. In both semifinals and finals he would step up mightily, scoring 28 and assisting 8 in the 84-78 double overtime win over Nideyinan side he's lost two QIS quarterfinals earlier, and then recording a game-sealing three-pointer and block to defeat the Golden Gaels. Happily ever after for both, or so to say.

2070 Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports Men's Basketball Championships
-
Host venue: Crows' Nest (Capacity: 7,000), Hanbat, Terre-Aux-Oiseaux
Host institution: Nideyinan College, Big Ten Conference

First Round
#5 Nideyinan College (B1G - HOST) 82–69 Mount Ester University (MUS - AT-LARGE) #12
#6 Queen's College at Cornwall (B1G) 70–69 Saguenay A&M University (RSECQ) #11
#7 Huronia Tech University (SWUA) 72–74 Université St. Croix (RSECQ - AT-LARGE) #10
#8 Dongnae University (MUS) 84–83 Zarubino State University (SAL-12 - AT-LARGE) #9

Quarterfinals
#1 Lennoxville Marymount University (B1G) 73–66 Dongnae University (MUS) #8
#2 Keewatinook University (SAL-12) 108–64 Université St. Croix (RSECQ - AT-LARGE) #10
#3 Coloratura State University (SWUA) 81–75 Queen's College at Cornwall (B1G) #6
#4 Université du Saguenay (B1G) 67–78 Nideyinan College (B1G - HOST) #5

Semifinals
#1 Lennoxville Marymount University (B1G) 85–87 Nideyinan College (B1G - HOST) #5
#2 Keewatinook University (SAL-12) 84–82 Coloratura State University (SWUA) #3

2070 QIS men's championship game
#5 Nideyinan College (B1G - HOST) 93–86 Keewatinook University (SAL-12) #2

QIS Tournament MVP: C Elodie Byeon-Graham, Nideyinan College Crows

Tournament All-Stars:

PG Michelle Hainsey-Seo, Keewatinook University Huskies
SG Leonie Cha, Nideyinan College Crows
SF Melanie Oh, Keewatinook University Huskies
PF Kim Ye-Rin, Coloratura State University Cardinals
C Elodie Byeon-Graham, Nideyinan College Crows

QIS Men's First-Team

PG Cassidy Donatello, Lennoxville Marymount University Jodhpurs
SG Kang Yi-Yeong, Université du Saguenay Fighting Irish
SF Melanie Oh, Keewatinook University Huskies
PF Beatrice Allende Canizares, University College Jolbonopolis Condors
C Elodie Byeon-Graham, Nideyinan College Crows

QIS Women's Second-Team

PG Michelle Hainsey-Seo, Keewatinook University Huskies
SG Emmeline Boudreau, Huronia Tech University
SF Jang Min-Heui, Queen's College Golden Gaels
PF Kim Ye-Rin, Coloratura State University Cardinals
C Edith McNairn, Dongnae University Tigers

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:29 pm

First cutoff of tonight's scorinations has arrived.

by **New Rotterdam City** » Sat Mar 22, 2025 12:39 am

— Prince Pieter’s College • Since 1621 —

MID-TERM EXAMINATION | ECZAMINESCHEN MIDTERMEN
GOV 331: Survey of Contemporary Dutch New World Governance
Dr. Van der Ploeg

STUDENT NAME [PRINT]: Jan-Pieter Smeek
EXAMINATION TIME: 2 hr 30 min
NOTES: Originally supposed to take this on Wed but Dr. Van der Ploeg allowed me an extension because of our away game @ Alexandria U…thx Dr. V
——

Respond to each prompt with a proposal to “fix” each problem. Show all work.

(1.) Trade negotiations with the French have broken down. They are unhappy with New Rotterdam trappers undercutting their own pelt-collectors. (3 points)

While France offers a tantalizing potential trade partner, the fur industry powers the New Rotterdam export market. I would have us abandon the French, support our trappers with troops, and attempt to strengthen trade ties with France’s enemies, for instance Spain.

This would almost certainly start a war. “Seeking alternative trade partners” is a good suggestion. 1/3

(2.) Unrest in the northern frontier, as rural colonists who recieve few public services complain about their tax burden. (2 points)

The farmers bring up a good point. Reduce their taxes and simultaneously reduce spending on roads to the north to mitigate the revenue shortfall.

We do not capitulate to restless peasants. 0/2

(3.) There are rumors that militiamen along the border with British territory have been fratrenizing with the enemy. (4 points)

Even if this rumor is untrue, it will harm morale. To send a message, replace the border militia with soldiers from the Dutch army and conduct public floggings of the mutineers.

You are right that even if untrue this rumor is dangerous for morale, but public floggings of mostly-loyal militiamen will certainly harm said morale much further. Could trigger actual defections. Could trigger overthrow of the government. Could trigger popular revolt. Who knows. 0/4

(4.) The periodic witch trials in the south have blown into a mass panic. (4 points)

Witch trials are a relic of a backward and antiquated time. Likewise, we cannot have religious zealots exerting societal control over swathes of the colony. Pardon all accused “witches”, disperse the trials, and jail the fundamentalist troublemakers.

As disgusting and wretched as they may seem to us, the commoners do have to be heeded, especially regarding matters of religion, which seems to be something important to them. It is better to slowly wind down the witch nonsense. Sentencing a widow or two every several years should be enough to placate the populace. 0/4

(5.) The restless northern colonists have turned from complaining to full-scale revolt. They are arming themselves and have blockaded the main roads. (5 points)

We must avoid a drawn-out and bloody war against our own people. The revolting colonists know their terrain better than the army and are motivated by a desire to protect their families and livelihoods, while the army is underpaid and poorly-fed. Conduct one or two skirmishes and offer amnesty for the peasants as well as tax relief in exchange for ending the revolt and taking the ringleaders into custody. Sentence the revolt leaders as a show of force, but behave mercifully toward the other colonists.

Every word that you put is wrong. We do not behave mercifully to rebels. Torch their villages, burn their farms, and eliminate the resisters. 0/5

Total score: 1/18. See me.

by **Banija** » Sat Mar 22, 2025 9:50 am

Northern Moravica Head Coach Baba Barre, at his monthly meeting with the University Regent, Iguru Kabuye

The NSCAA was a grueling competition. The competition level was through the roof- and playing each team three times, traveling from country to country, etc... was exhausting. And the state of basketball at Northern Moravica University- well, for a first year coach, it was in tatters. They had been struggling- NSCAA 15 the school went a pathetic 9-17, after watching both of their rivals win NSCAA titles each of the prior two NSCAA seasons. And with the team struggling domestically, as well, Horace Browning had to take yet another swing at fixing the program. Firing another failed HC, after not even making the domestic playoffs, and having to hire Baba Barre. They were the only one of the Banijan NSCAA teams who did not 'earn' their way into the NSCAA- they had to be voted in- a stain on the program.

But despite the terrible spot he had found it in, Barre had actually done a tremendous job fixing it up. Digging into the portal, grabbing players from there, a key freshman contributor, and overall, a top to bottom cultural reset of the program. They were in dark days, and Barre had been hired to dig them out of those- and by all means, he was doing so successfully. The team was right in the thick of the Flying Drawk conference title race, sitting right at 11-4, just two games behind gridiron rivals Saguenay for the top spot in the conference. The season hadn't gotten off to the greatest start- with losses to their archrivals, Loyola-Istria, as well as the University of Moravica in the Orange Sky Classic, but this was a great season they were having. The ship was being turned around quickly.

And now, he was ready for his meeting with Iguru Kabuye. Familiar last name? You guessed it- this Regent was Lance Kabuye's nephew- a 44 year old member of the Northern Moravica University Board of Regents. Kabuyes were littered everywhere across this University, and the Board of Regents was no exception. The cousin of NMU QB Coach Sebastian Kabuye, which made him the cousin-in-law of NMU Head coach Hannah McKendry, he was an influential voice in athletics at the university. This Kabuye had actually spent most of the early part of his career in public service, serving as a diplomat for a decade. His highest posting was as the Banijan Ambassador to Valanora, a post he spent two years in. He then came back to Herzegovina City and tried to kickstart a political career, but that largely stalled- an independent run for Mayor of Herzegovina City, despite having plenty of startup funds due to their family money, went nowhere after a scandal came out about him illegally hunting a triceratops. While he was able to avoid prison time, he had to end his campaign. He then decided to stay out of the public limelight for a few years, and focus on the family business.

And then, of course, this Regent position opened up. Kabuye was a proud graduate of Northern Moravica University- and so when the position was offered, he gladly accepted. And while he was interested in all of the functions of the University, he was a massive sports fan. So he quickly chaired the Athletics subcommittee of the Board, and he scheduled meetings with all of NMU's coaches at least once a year- and a few select sports once a month. It created quite a full schedule for him- well over 30 varsity teams. Most coaches at most schools rarely ever saw Regents, let alone met with them one on one. But when your sport was struggling, NMU was known as a very hands-on kind of place- and so something like this was totally within the realm of possibility.

He was like his uncle in so many ways- a little hot-headed, and a burning hatred of all things Loyola-Istria.

"Thanks for meeting me today." Barre told Iguru, as the two men shook hands. They exchanged pleasantries, and then Iguru cut right to the chase.

"So- how you think the season's going? How's the program looking?" Kabuye asked.

"This is a pretty good start to the year for us." Barre replied. "Look, it's a long season- we aren't even at the halfway point of the regular season! But we are 11-4 in one of, if not the, deepest conferences in college basketball this year. Rinaldi Naval, Saguenay, Cold Hill, even Costa Alta... This is the kind of start we want. We are on a beeline to the Ultra 64, which of course was the minimum standard after NSCAA 15's failure. But I'm not looking too far ahead- but we are competitive in the conference, and we've got a legitimate chance to win this. I think, for year 1, we might even be slightly ahead of where we want to be." Barre finished speaking, and looked at the Regent. Kabuye was frowning.

"Pretty good?" Kabuye said. "That's what you have to say?"

"Uhhh, yeah?" Barre replied. Now he was worried- what was Kabuye pissed about? "Like I said, 11-4 is a good start. Considering how we've been the last couple of years, the fact that we're in position now-"

"I expect better." Kabuye said. Barre just stared, mouth agape. What was this dude on about? "Let's look at the records of our rivals."

#  Big Seven Seven                          Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 University of Loyola-Istria (BNJ)         15   15   0  1383  967 +416

Ps Five Star Conference                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 University of Moravica                      15   14   1  1328 1005 +323

Ps Woodlands Conference                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 2 Islamic University of Busoga                15   12   3  1216 1029 +187

"All three of our primary domestic rivals have better recors than us. Loyola-Istria is literally the only undefeated team in basketball. The University of Moravica are balling out- again. And even the Islamic fucking University is showing us up, they've got one more win than us AND they're in second while we're in fourth. Care to explain yourself?"

Barre wasn't quite ready for this. He knew the intensity of how NMU felt about their rivalries- but something like this he hadn't expected, not in this meeting. "Like I said, we're starting out from different points. They've been elite for years, we haven't. It's all part of the proce-"

"FORGET THE DAMN PROCESS!" Kabuye started screaming. "You know what I hear on the radio when I drive home from work every damn day? Some fucking Blue Thunder mouthbreather calling in, talking about how 'OH LOYOLA'S GOING UNDEFEATED DURR' or 'LOYOLA HOOPS IS GODS GIFT TO MANKIND' or some bullshit."

"Uhh-" And Barre was quickly interrupted.

"And don't even get me STARTED with those fucking U of Moravica fans. Golden Bear fucking bastards. We should take a golden sh-"

"Uhh, Sir, what does-"

"FUCKING GEORGE LAMPDA AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT DAMN SCHOOL!" Boomed Kabuye. "Did you know both of my wives are University of Moravica grads?"

"Uhh... No I didn't." Barre stammered.

"You know what they both ask me, every week? 'Honey, I thought NMU was the big bad wolf- why is Moravica better at hoops'? And you know what the worst part is?" He was seething. He didn't even wait for Barre to answer. "They're fucking legitimate questions, and I don't have an answer. They aren't making fun of me- they are genuinely wondering, and I don't have a g-d damn clue why!" He then slammed his hand on the table.

Barre stared at Kabuye, as the Regent continued speaking. "Know this. We'll give you every resource you need. But if at the end of the season, I have to read about how Loyola, or Moravica, or fucking Islamic University, of all places, basketball is better than NMU's? I'm not gonna hear the end of this shit- and you aren't either."

Barre was quite shocked, and he simply nodded. "Now- get the hell out of my office." Barre left. He couldn't control the record of Banija's rivals, but he could control perception- and it was a NSCAA regular season conference title that would calm down his less than sane boss.

by **Valanora** » Sat Mar 22, 2025 10:58 am

Five Star and Woodlands Matchday 16-20 Cutoff

NSCAA 16 - Roleplays

NSCAA 16 - Roleplays

(BBS) Running it Back? 1/2

(BBS) Running it Back? 2/2

Thorne XVIII

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