NSCAA 16 - Roleplays

by **Cardenao** » Wed Apr 23, 2025 5:03 pm

Big Ronnie Ray Mac Returns For The Big Dance!!! Audio Preview For All-8 Cardenaoan Schools In The Ultra 64!

Click here to listen to Big Ronnie Ray Mac breakdown all eight Cardenaon teams in the Ultra 64 college basketball tournament!

by **Ranoria** » Wed Apr 23, 2025 5:30 pm

Brad Manlio has been a wealthy, if unflashy, man for much of his life. Heading the nation's flagship football program for any amount of time tends to make that happen.

But the amount of money the Governors were paying him right now? He didn't even feel good about it. The AD had promised to double his pay for the duration of the tournament. But Manlio hadn't been able to sleep the other night while game planning. Tossing, turning. Pacing in his mercifully private backyard. Even took a little drive around the block, and when he stopped for gas, had a brief staring contest with a wide-eyed buck.

And he came back.

And when his wife saw him, hunched over the table with his hands steepled together, she didn't ask what was wrong. Just got him his hit of caffeine - coffee, none of that caffeinated battery acid the players liked.

"Couldn't sleep," he mumbled through that first sip.

No dreams of his return to football last night. No respite from the reality of being a coach for this obscene sport. No, a realization had hit him like a truck.

"You know how I said we could get knocked out in the first round and I could go back to coaching the real ball?"

"Mhm," she followed along, not too interested.

"I've been thinking," Manlio grumbled, pulling a ballcap with that crimson R down low over his head, "I think these little shits have wormed their way in. You know, I really hate basketball, and its players. They're selfish ignorant loud obnoxious pricks with basically no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I mean really, look at all they've achieved. A wussified sport, poor culture, pretending they're injured, and making coaches and administration powerless while pretending they're tough. They're just a never ending parade of annoyances and screw ups. They are, without question, a complete write off of a subsect of athletes...and how dare they make me care about them!"

He brought the mug back to his lips, and made some of the angriest sipping noises he'd ever heard.

Long sip. Met his wife's amused gaze. Put the coffee cup back down.

"And dammit, I want to do this university proud. They saw what was going on in Sadeg and they pounced, they knew what was there, knew what I can do, and have believed in me unquestioningly. Completely uprooted their offensive system and team strategy around my directive. I know I'm a football coach first, but I want to take this team deep into tournament, dammit."

He looked down into the sad remains of the coffee that hadn't been able to cover up his fatigue quite yet, and his wife finally offered her two cents.

"And the double pay for a couple more months doesn't hurt, right?"

"That too."

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Wed Apr 23, 2025 8:47 pm

Yi Yeong-Rim was more than delighted to be in the position she was. Yi, the fifth year head coach of Saguenay women, had not only managed to come back to a NSCAA conference championship game, but won it once more when the final whistle rang at the Cliffside Court in Sadeg.

The achievement itself, for lack of a better word, was a success in its own. For thos familiar with Saguenay basketball, Yi wasn't exactly who the Fighting Irish had expected to replace the outgoing Mario Koo-Kweon. The outgoing legend, who had made the QIS nationals sixteen out of eighteen years, made seven Final Fours and won thrice, was a shoe many had considered too big to fill.

Most of the names considered, for lack of better word, were better profiled than her, whether it be longtime assistant Clarisse Rees-Matakevich, eventual Grim Reapers' coach Florence-Anne Raabe or even UC-Jolbonopolis's Hannah Ray-Yeom, who's won a QIS title and was a program legend to boot. Heck, even Katherine Signatovich of the QBL's Anju Aces, saw her names coming up, that what most had anticipated to be a post-NSCAA search had ended up a yearlong one by Saguenay's athletic director, Therese Nalen.

So there was certainly a surprise when Yi Yeong-Rim, a former St-Gabriel-Richard Wolverines' women's coach, was hired on a four-year contract. Yi, a former program star but nowhere near the profile of a Lira Monsalvin or Kelsey Lautner or Odette Boulouque, had a five-year QWBL career before quietly transitioning into a coaching career. She had quietly started out as the Bicentennial College's men's basketball team coach. This being Quebec and Shingoryeo, the JuCo rank rarely leads into basketball talent outside of occasional transfers for the QIS programs, but she cut her teeth very early and carefully, winning two JuCo national titles in five years she had worked in Greater Nakan, Mahan province.

Eventually this had brought her to a place least expected, as Université de Saint-Gabriel-Richard of Owashtanong in neighbouring Erielhonian Free State came to call her for an assistant vacancy in the men's program. The call, then under current Yoseo-Montevicio coach Jeremy Chun, was a surprise considering great partisanship that would often come with institutional rivalries - the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines are one of several interconference rivals in sporting level. It would be awkward for a Fighting Irish star, no matter how great the program was, to accept a position for the Blue.

Fortunately for her, a quick reminder by Chun that the two programs didn't really possess great rivalry in basketball did bring Yi to her senses as she accepted after a week of deliberation. The Wolverines had the LNU and the Huronia Tech to worry, the Irish had the Queen's College and Farrer and Nideyinan to worry over. Eventually she headed out southwest, where she would remain for nine years as men's assistant before Chun's departure also gave her to move to women's team as head coach.

The results have turned out fine. Being tasked to take over for the Wolverines' program that was put under considerably less limelight than the men, Yi had brought together strong recruiting classes that had focused around talent-rich Mahan and the homeground of Erielhonian. Her recruiting philosophy then, 'Protect the House', would take a while to materialise, but eventually it would work out for her as the Wolverines would make three QIS nationals in five seasons, including a Final Four run and the SWUA conference title that was enough to bring her to the Saguenay job.

Now, exactly five years had passed since she had taken up the job. Yi Yeong-Rim was fortunate that it had turned out fine. The Fighting Irish's cupboard, for lack of a better word, was full thanks to the upperclassmen Koo-Kweon had left. You normally don't get a frontcourt combination like Kelsey Lautner and Lira Monsalvin, and she had managed to convert that into her first title run their senior year, completing three-in-four run that's perhaps the last Fighting Irish dynasty in a while.

But as with everything else, there comes an adjustment period needed. In the last three years, the Fighting Irish have made the Championship tournament, winning a B1G title and a Final Four along the way. But they had looked surprisingly inexperienced or better said, unprepared on the biggest stages. Rumours flare on collegiate message boards and threddit.que for reasons you'd expect, even though there's relatively little reason for doubt, and the latest QIS tournament's quarterfinal loss to everybody's enemy #1, and eventual national champions Nideyinan in a 9-point game that they trailed by as much as 21 at one point didn't help. Houston, we've got a problem.

All that there was to suggest that the Fighting Irish's Flying Drawk championship was exactly what's in order. Having spent the previous month in Ranoria, where their narrow lead would come up short with a three-way tie against Rinaldi Naval Academy and Northern Moravica - yes, arguably their biggest enemy abroad - there had to be some statement made for the Fighting Irish women. It was a team that, for lack of a better word, driven around the shooting of Kang Yi-Yeong, and the sophomore star had made it clear that she's 'not going to let go of the handle'.

And she did not. 35, 43 and 41 points were those that Kang scored as they ran through a gauntlet of Costa Alto, Northern Moravica and Cold Hill in a breeze of time. All three wins, which had come with 79-74, 90-89 and 94-83 scoreline, were close until the end, but it also came up with some highlights too. Whether it be Centre Kang Moon-Yeong's game-sealing block with 12 seconds left against Costa Alto, or Kang's game-winning three pointer from the corner...they were there. The Irish managed to make it work in Sadeg.

Now, all that's left for the Fighting Irish was to let the fortuna decide. Being one of two higher-seeds by a QIS school had meant some degrees of anticipation, but the Fighting Irish's all-time low performance in the first round of last NSCAA tournament, one that had partly affected the hiring cycle for Koo-Kweon's successor to be picked, did leave many to lower their expectations.

Yi, who was out on a fishing trip for most of the NSCAA tournament proper, knew she had to be careful not to talk into that trap again. But she also knew that there's only so much she could do as head coach of young women, and that anything comes and goes when you're out on the field. What's up to her now was to at least prepare them in the best way possible, and to see if the luck will follow.

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Wed Apr 23, 2025 9:00 pm

NSCAA 16 - Ultra 64

This is your round 1 cutoff. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Results

by **Drawkland** » Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:05 pm

P O P E D I E S, S K Y H A W K S D E A D

Special Edition of the Sadeg Gazette's NSCAA Coverage - By Norman Hargrave, Sports

SADEG, Metro - Uptown Sadeg was buzzing with anticipation yesterday. Tens of thousand of Sadeg State fans, accompanied by a few thousand neutral and opposing fans, filed into Cliffside Court ahead of the first-round Ultra 64 matchup between hometown Sadeg State University and the little-known Braunburg City University. Home of the Sadeg Wasps DBO franchise, Cliffside Court is located on the other side of downtown from Sadeg State's main campus. This did little to mitigate the flood of Skyhawk fans from permeating through downtown and uptown. Those that couldn't get tickets to the first round matchup filled bars and restaurants throughout the greater Sadeg area.

Sadeg State's basketball program put up yet another impressive season in NSCAA play. Their 30-3 regular season record earned them the regular season title in the North Coast Conference based in Ranoria. Though they fell short in the conference tournament title game to Lake Alexandre State University from Banija, Sadeg State's regular season excellence was enough to earn them the #3 overall seed in the Ultra 64 postseason tournament. This meant the Skyhawks were the #1 seed in their region of the bracket and the top-seeded Drawkian team in the entire tournament. After Sadeg State fell just short of an undefeated season for the second time last NSCAA, expectations were once again sky high.

DISC, the Drawkian International Sporting Council, was delighted to find that the NSCAA selected Sadeg State's region of the bracket to be hosted in Drawkland. Naturally, DISC chose to host six first- and second-round matches in Sadeg. Up to two of those games were set to include hometown Sadeg State. Raikennax was chosen to host the other half of the first-round matchups, as that section of the bracket contained #6 overall seed Raikennax. Some fans viewed this as a breach of impartiality by NSCAA, while others pointed out that two schools from each region were bound to have a slight home court advantage as each region contained two schools from each hosting nation.

The first-round opponent for Sadeg State was Braunburg City University, the lone school from Katzeburg to qualify for the Ultra 64 tournament. With a dismal 14-19 record, Braunburg only qualified due to the low standards to entry caused by low signup numbers in this particular edition of NSCAA play. Braunburg City finished 7th in the Shango Conference and lost in the conference quarterfinals, garnering them the #62 seed and #16 in their bracket region. As is custom with 1 vs 16 matchups in college basketball tournaments, Sadeg State was the massive favorite. Most pundits expected the Skyhawks to easily win by double digits. The fans flowing into Cliffside Court in Sadeg certainly expected a blowout in Skyhawk favor.

Perhaps Sadeg State's head coach Aldus Pope was caught "looking forward" in the bracket. With an opponent that should've been swept up easily on paper, one could hardly blame the longtime Skyhawk coach for making minimal preparations for the first-round matchup against unsung Braunburg City and focusing on a much more difficult matchup in Turbani Tech or Matthensville Polytechnic in the second round. Perhaps this iteration of the Skyhawk basketball team was unprepared for the larger capacity and more chaotic atmosphere of Cliffside Court. Whatever the case may be, Sadeg State's team looked overmatched on the floor from the opening tipoff.

Sadeg State won the tipoff and missed a layup from under the basket, with the rebound picked up by Braunburg's City center. Braunburg City's roster was not available for inspection at press time. After a quick and well-rehearsed sequence, a Braunburg City guard found space in the corner and drained a three-pointer to take a quick 3-0 lead to begin the game. The next 5 minutes proceeded similarly: Sadeg State would miss a close short or turn the ball over, Braunburg City would answer with points, usually from three. The crowd at Cliffside became noticeably nervous. Sadeg State was a great team, and had come down from some deficits before. They'd gone on long point-scoring streaks several times this season, but when the Skyhawks were facing a 22-7 deficit at the end of the first quarter, the mood was bleak.

The Skyhawks looked more competent offensively in the second quarter, but Braunburg continued to have answers to Sadeg State's defense. Coach Pope began running a heavier rotation from the bench, hoping that the change of pace would get some players working offensively or stymie Braunburg defensively. Even as State began to mount a comeback (seven consecutive point-scoring possessions), they couldn't hold Braunburg's incredible three-point shooting long enough to cut into the margin. Braunburg City held a 49-39 lead with a minute left before halftime, and while they were still consistently scoring, it felt like momentum might be finally moving onto Sadeg's side. A two-pointer from Melissa Osborne cut the deficit to single digits for the first time since Sadeg State scored their first basket of the game.

When Braunburg brought the ball down the other way, an errant pass was tipped away by junior multi-sport player Brooklyn Beck. This was the first turnover committed by Braunburg, and it came with less than 50 seconds left in the first half. Beck passed the ball immediately, starting a fast break to try and cut the deficit even further. Gordon Chaplain received the pass and sprinted down the court with a Katzeburgian player a half step ahead. Chaplain slowed down to try a dunk over the shorter Braunburg player, but while he changed his stride, the Braunburg player came to a stop and planted their feet in the paint. Chaplain didn't have enough time to move around, careening into the defender, and missing the basket. To make matters worse, officials blew the white and called a charging foul on Chaplain.

Aldus Pope was livid at the call, as was the nearly-fifty-thousand-strong crowd at Cliffside. Pope was quick to voice his concerns to the official, stepping on the court and screaming loud enough to be caught on broadcast audio. This is when disaster struck for the Skyhawks. Partway through his rant, Pope stopped midsentence, as if out of breath. A moment later, he collapsed directly onto the court. Play was already stopped due to the foul, but the action came to a standstill as officials, players, and arena staff immediately converged to check on the Skyhawk coach. The previously enraged crowd fell to a hush in moments. Pope did not get up from the ground, and after a minute, medical staff arrived with a stretcher to bring him to the locker room.

With less than a minute left before halftime, game officials decided to continue as normal and reevaluate the situation at halftime. Braunburg's offense ended up scoring 5 points before the buzzer ended the second quarter. The Sadeg State team that already looked uninspired in the first half now looked entirely deflated. The 54-41 halftime scoreline, already horrific for Sadeg fans, was no longer the primary concern. What happened to Aldus Pope?

The normally allotted halftime break was extended by game officials as they conferred on how to proceed. Cliffside Court was eerily quiet, the normally-scheduled halftime entertainment running as usual yet with minimal energy. After a long conversation with NSCAA administrators, game officials were instructed to continue the game as scheduled. This came on the heels of an announcement that Aldus Pope was in stable condition, but being immediately transported to the nearest hospital for additional medical care. The teams were summoned out of the locker rooms, and the Skyhawks were led by assistant coach Jordan Albani. The Sadeg State team seemed shaken up, but with a look of determination upon them. Senior guard Roger Jansing was quoted after the game saying "[we] wanted to do it for Coach Pope. Show that we had the mental fortitude to fight against the adversity."

Whatever the reason, it didn't seem to be the right move. Even though the Skyhawks were showing much more energy on the court, they still seemed out of sync. Similar to the first quarter, their possessions were rife with turnovers, missed shots, and allowing Braunburg City to grab too many rebounds. Braunburg City seemed mostly unaffected, only seeing a slight reduction in shooting accuracy while continuing their ridiculous three-pointer pace. To the increasing discontent of the crowd, Sadeg State fell further and further behind. By the fourth quarter, Braunburg City was holding onto a 25-point lead. The comeback was out of reach. Sadeg State limped to the finish line, eventually losing 71-105 by the final buzzer.

Once the game had ended, reports came back from the HawkHealth Uptown hospital location. Aldus Pope had suffered a heart attack on the court but survived thanks to the quick medical response. Later in the evening, it was revealed that Pope's heart had actually stopped and required resuscitation in the locker room. This all occurred while the second quarter was still playing, so the Skyhawk team was not aware of the situation's gravity. Reportedly, the players were only told that Pope was stable but needed to be transported to the hospital for testing. Partially misled about Pope's condition, and pressured to return to the court by game officials, Sadeg State felt they had no choice but to play.

NSCAA officials were criticized for their handling of the situation. A large group of fans, both Sadeg State and neutral, believed that the NSCAA should've suspended play for the game and resume it at a later date. An association spokesperson stated "due to financial and scheduling concerns, moving any fixtures is not viable during the Ultra 64. Once word was received about Pope's stable condition, the association decided to resume play at the approval of the players."

It can't be said if the NSCAA officials made the right or wrong decision. Speculation continues on how much information was known or considered when making the judgement call. Regardless of the morality, it doesn't change the hard truth that Sadeg State is now eliminated from Ultra 64 competition. The 34-point first-round upset loss isn't unique in NSCAA history, even among Drawkian teams. Elmanden District College famously lost to Instituto Universitario Politecnico de Carabobo 65-101 in the first round of NSCAA 7, the first cycle Drawkland participated in. Ironically, EDC (now EDU) went on to rebound and win the championship one cycle later in NSCAA 8. Skyhawk fans will be praying for a similar jolt in NSCAA 17, and more importantly, for the health of Aldus Pope.

COMMENTS (1.5K)

perrylocalmowingco
Terrible decision by the league! Forcing those kids to go back out after seeing their coach go down like that? Not knowing what's happening to him or how he'll be? Outrageous! If I were a Sadeg State fan I'd be boycotting the NSCAA indefinitely!
REPLIES (26) +

Jerry_Bumgarner
Everybody knows that NSCAA runs on a razor-thin profit margin as it is. They've even skipped cycles due to low funding. Sadeg State's home court was booked all week for a conference, and a week-long concert series is happening at Cliffside pretty much immediately once the second round games are done there. There was no substitute venue, and the NSCAA would be forced to refund a bunch of their ticket/hospitality packages in Sadeg due to contractual obligations if they relocated games. And that's not to mention the cascading effect delayed games can have on their venue bookings for later rounds. They were never going to delay that game unless Pope actually died or something. Never get in the way of the money, I guess.
REPLIES (65) +

FlameRetriever
whiny skyhawk fans are so hilarious. they already get every advantage in the world, better seeding for no reason, getting to play games across town, constant media coverage. what, you want the league to bend over and let you click pause on a game you're losing just because your coach had an owie? most pathetic thing I've ever seen. should've tried not playing like shit in the first place and your coach might've survived lol
REPLIES (158) +

username167167
I remember hearing that Pope smoked a lot of cigarettes in his youth. He's been on nic gum for years. Having a heart attack before age 100 is always weird in Drawkland but it's possible the habitual use caught up to him a bit early. Praying for a swift recovery and clean tests for anything serious!
REPLIES (9) +

REVODARIDER
PLEASE change the headline for this article! You just scared the shit out of every Juven reading this site!!!
REPLIES (17) +

SomebodyHadToSayIt
I'm not joking this time, I think Brooklyn Beck might be the grim reaper at this point. Revoke her scholarship NOW!
REPLIES (106) +

by **Banija** » Fri Apr 25, 2025 8:18 am

Banijan Minister of Culture & Trade, Zahira Magassa, on Selection Sunday, shortly after the brackets came out

"Let's go!" Magassa sat in her house, clapping. The Minister for Culture & Trade was a University of Bunyoro superfan- she was a 3rd generation graduate of the public University. Maybe not super impressive- Bunyoro is a good, but by no means an academically elite higher education institution. But that meant Triceratops blood ran deep in her veins. It was less than ideal that she married a Bunyoro A&M grad, but hey- college hoops this season for fans of U of B has been absolutely fantastic. Bunyoro A&M, one of their two rivals, were high-flying domestically- but everybody knew that flying high domestically, when the top 8 schools of the last two years were in NSCAA competition, didn't really matter much. Instead, the University of Bunyoro were high-flying. Leading the entire NSCAA in scoring throughout the regular season, finishing with an astonishing 34-2 record, including winning a double conference championship- both regular season and tournament.

The expectations were high, as they were placed as the #1 seed in Ranoria, and the #2 overall seed. Even among Banija's high ranking politicians, the college sports fandom ran deep- you watched games with opposite party colleagues who went to your school, and you smack talked your same party colleagues. It was then she called her husband.

"Baby, UB's got games Thursday and Saturday! Thursday we tip at 3:40 PM- and if- well, don't get it twisted, we're a one seed- when we blow that random physics school out of the water, we've got a huge game against Richardson in Ranoria. It's gonna be a virtual home game for the Governors- our boys are going to need every last fan we can get. Let's get those second round tickets. You in?"

"Uhhh." Her husband went to A&M, of course, but he wasn't a huge sports fan- a rarity among Banijans, especially men. So he always dutifully went with her to Bunyoro games, This would be their fifth game of the season- they went to three home games on campus, including senior night, as well as the final regular season game in Quebec. "Yeah, sure, why not. We'll take the kids with us too."

"And we're getting some floor seats." She said. He didn't say anything, so she just continued. "It's the Ultra 64! We've got to go all out. Like I said, RU fans, assuming they win round 1, are going to be flooding that arena. We need to make sure Triceratopses fans are seen, are heard, and are on the telly." He simply grunted agreement. And when the phone call was done, she handled all the logistics. Booked the flights. Bought the tickets. They spent a couple of thousand NSDs, when it was all said and done. It would be tough, she didn't want her kids to miss school- but fortunately, a potential second round matchup would be at 7 PM. She had a trip to Chromatika from Wednesday to Friday, so her plan was simple. Go into the bubble scorewise, grind all day on Thursday, watch the replay of the first round game at the embassy, come back to Busukuma Friday, put in another hard day's work, and then Saturday morning they're flying.

And on Sunday night, she met a few of the backbenchers at a local pub, as the Bunyoro legislators from her party, the People's Protection Movement, did every Sunday. They were all smack talking each other. "Hey look, the final four's in Herzegovina City." She was telling them. "Isn't it gonna be epic when UBunyoro goes to Herzegovina City and wins the whole damn thing?"

"Bunyoro ain't winning shit." Cracked one of the freshman legislators. "Loyola all the way."

"Nah, it's NMU." Said another one. Her and that third one got into it a little bit, as she roasted NMU.

"Alright- wanna bet?" She told him. "Bunyoro gets further than NMU, you cover a bar tab for one of these Sunday sessions. If NMU goes further, I cover the bar tab. Deal?" He looked at her, and they shook hands. She was smiling- it was like taking candy from a baby.

Banijan Minister of Culture & Trade, Zahira Magassa, on Friday morning, arriving at the Lukiiko

Nightmares.

Being a sports fan was so fun, community building, joy giving, etc... But these losses, being on the wrong side of an upset- some of the most brutal experiences. Trauma bonding. Here was her day yesterday. She finished work at about 7:30 PM in Chromatika. She then went back to the embassy, and had to have a call with the Katikkiro to keep him, and the cabinet office, about the Lubabalo Fund. If the fund needed more money, how Banijan investment was going, how to encourage more Banijan investment into Chromatika, etc... The whole 9 yards. That call went a lot longer than expected, and then she also had to call the Kabaka. That was a surprise to her- but on a separate call, inform His Majesty what was going on.

By the time she was done with her phone calls, and then other important work she had to do for her preparation to update the Lukiiko as a whole tomorrow, it was 11 PM. Her flight in the morning was at 6:30 AM. What does a normal person in that situation do? Considering it's 11 PM and their flight leaves in 7.5 hours, a normal person would try to maximize their sleep, knowing that they're only getting 4 or 5 hours.

What does Zahira Magassa do? That's right- she'd been in the bubble all day. Turn on the damn ballgame. VAMOS BUNYORO. She figured eh, she'd watch the game, and once they were up by 15 at half, like they'd been doing all season long in the Hyoelhae conference, she might turn it off. But the opposite happened. Suddenly, the Physics school started shooting the daylights out of the basketball. Bombing away from 3, particularly, and the University of Bunyoro could not match them. There was multiple points where she was yelling at the TV, and even an aide came to check on her once. UB was down 9 at half, 37-28, and on the verge of an upset loss.

It took all of her willpower to avoid checking her phone. She was staying up, sacrificing all semblance of a reasonable sleep schedule... For this??

In the second half, Bunyoro battled back. You weren't going to bridge this in 15 seconds- they had to chip away at it. Slowly. Playing better on defense. Ensuring the offense had much more movement. They were able to bridge it back, and work their way to finally getting a lead with under 30 seconds to play. The final possession of the game, Bunyoro led, 67-66. Zahira Magassa, meanwhile, had been pacing for the past 10 minutes, not being able to deal with the stress of the game. Not much joy from beating a 16 seed- but nightmarish fears if you don't.

The Physics school took a jumper with about 8 seconds on the clock, and hit back room. Their center got the offensive rebound, however, dribbled it once, and then took a hook shot, a dying art- hitting it with 4.7 seconds left. Magassa's F bomb might have had a better chance of registering on the Richter scale than an actual earthquake.

Still, 4.7 seconds left, down 1, a chance to get a winner, even if you have to go full court, yes? In bound to the point guard, who's flyign down the court. He passed it to the shooting guard, who tried to hit a fadeaway- but the shot was rejected by a lengthy PF on the opposite team as time expired. Stunning. A 1 seed falling. And not just any one seed- your own damn school.

She felt like she had seen a ghost. And as she was an avid smack talker, when she got back to Busukuma. Her colleagues let her have it. Smack talk everywhere. She wanted to put her head down and bury it in the sand- but she knew she had no choice but to hold her head high.

When she went to address the Lukiiko, at Noon, one colleague told her that the Triceratops were an 'endangered species' in college basketball. Another told her that she should drop UB and for Loyola. And as a fan, well- it couldn't get worse than this.

The Waterbuck's Watering Hole
A Bunyoro A&M Fan Community

Hello everyone! For those who haven't been here before, welcome to the Waterbuck's Watering Hole! We're a fan community around Bunyoro A&M's sports teams. And man, this time, we don't even have a real article for you. But let's get into it.

First of all- :lol:

Second of all- :lol2:

All we want to say, is this. There are three schools from Bunyoro who have participated in NSCAA competition. One is us, Bunyoro A&M. Two is Sankt Adelheid U- the Teus Catholic school, our rivals, and just general bastards. The third is the University of Bunyoro- arrogant bastards who have fans who act like their school is Loyola-Istria, when really they have the athletic achievements of Loyola-JInja. Bunyoro A&M has two rivals- one is Sankt Adelheid U, and the other is the University of Bunyoro. All three of us have qualified for the Ultra 64.

You guys know what happened when we were there. NSCAA 12, we were a 12 seed in our region, and went all the way to the Final Four.

NSCAA 12, SAU was in the tournament, and were a 13 seed in their region- immediately getting smoked by 20 in the first round of the Ultra 64. The bastards.

NSCAA 15, the University of Bunyoro went .500, barely made the big dance as a 14 seed, and got properly smoked in the first round.

NSCAA 16, they went back. Instead of going .500. They went 34-2. Smacked everybody, killer offense, blah blah blah. Championship contenders- media pushing these lazy narratives. And then, as a 1 seed, they STILL couldn't win their first round game. Embarrassing. At least Sadeg State's coach literally died mid-game(rest in peace btw). What excuse does U of B have? Pathetic.

I have a couple of rule change suggestions to the BCSG to ensure that A&M's rivals stop embarrassing this country.

#1 If a Bunyoro school qualifies for the NSCAA, just give their spot to A&M.
#2 Sanity check any athlete that's willing to play for either U of B or SAU. What, do they not want to succeed in this sport or something? Lmao.

Anyways, that's all we got. Let's see your rapid reactions!

Comments

ByakadoBoy8728, 12:17 PM
My father-in-law went to the University of Bunyoro, and BOY, tomorrow's family dinner is gonna be LIT. Does anyone know where to buy a Stampere University of Physics jersey??

WaterBuckLadyFan8181, 1:47 PM
Man, they spent all season talking smack about how they were going to win a NSCAA title, and yet they got eliminated by a team that went 16-19. C'mon now

BeatSAU8382, 2:03 PM
When Kizza I College loses, everyone laughs at them, and then University of Bunyoro says 'hold my beer'. Peak!

AandMForLyfe8939, 2:14 PM
Who's worse- Bunyoro in an Ultra 64 game, or Sebowa Jawara against any team that's not destined to be 3-10? Bunyoro might be the biggest chokers in Banijan sporting history...

by **Cardenao** » Fri Apr 25, 2025 5:21 pm

Join BIIIIGGGGGG Ronnie Ray Mac As He Covers Final Three Cardenaoan Teams in Ultra 64!!!

Click here to listen to the one, the only, theeeee Big Ronnie Ray Mac preview the final three remaining Cardenaoan schools in the Ultra 64 college basketball tournament!

by **Valanora** » Fri Apr 25, 2025 8:54 pm

Sometimes a little bit of luck is all that you that you need in these championship tournmanet, for things to tunr your way and for it to all go wrong for your opponents. While only one of the schools representing the Empire was felled in the first game of the Ultra 64, there were many shocks across the land including both Drawkland schools that were based in Drawkland falling by the wayside. That will definitely come with some mixed emotions for those in Mar Sara who were hoping that the stars would align for them to be playing their dreaded rival in the Elite 8 of the competition with a berth to the Final Four in Banija on the line. However while some might have wanted that matchup with a lot of pressure on the game, there are going to be swells of supporters of Tech who will revel in the fact that their rival was part of a historic upset and that the Raiders are making it further into the tournament than the Skyhawks are, allowing an open path for the Raiders to try and find themselves into the Final Four, that is if thy are able to live up to the new pressure of being one of the favored schools to get out of the Drawkland region.

As expected, the Midshipmen of the Rinaldi Naval Academy had quite the easy matchup against Prince Pieter's College, although the coaching staff will have some words with the bench after allowing the Rotterdam opposition to bring it within single digits during garbage time in the second half. The team was able to work an inside game and showcase their ability against a team that seemed overmatched from the tip off. The lack of discipline from the bench will give the team a bit of pause as competition ramps up and they will need to use the bench to rest players or if they run into any foul trouble. Nideyinan College of Quebec is up next in a classic four versus five matchup and though they are the lower seed, there is something about this Rinaldi team that I like and I would back them to win, if only by a small margin. It should be a close game and if the Academy can control the glass, that is how they will be able to ensure they have a slight edge over their Arrosian competition, despite their opponents likely to see a swell of support from the home crowd, playing in their nation. They will be the only Vanorian school continuing in Quebec with Raynor having an awful shooting night and their defense failed to contain the interior against a taller side from Cardenao, as their inside game proved the difference in a night where the Rockets were having trouble buying a basket.

The two teams playing in the Empire had better fortune thankfully, as the Owls shot fifty-eight percent from the field to keep up with the hot shooting from Lennoxville Marymount University, the expected trackmeet up and down the court with the Quebecois school coming to pass. Yet the three point ball, the effiicent passing game, and some clutch free throws down the stretch helped close the game out for Hondo as they look to continue their status in their mind as the flagship school of the Empire in the NSCAA. That will be put to the test in the next match as a dominating Islamic University of Busoga coming off a thirty-one point victory is on the docket. While Stormvalen is going to throw their full weight of supprot behind the Owls, it will take some good execution of their game like what they just had and perhaps a bit of luck to come out on top in this fixture. While technically from Busoga, it makes no big difference as the Banija area schools are lethal in these tournament and it is a stout foe and perhaps the biggest fixture in the Round of Thirty-Two, a game which many eyes will be watching to see if the Owls can use the home nation advantage to full effect.

In the capital, Everlin will not be taking on the two seed of Kizza I College, as they were part of the madness that swept a lot of the first round favorites with University of Columbus-Prairie pulling the shocker. While Everlin manage to squeak out a win against Keewatinook University, with a buzzing beating three point shot from the corner, they will be massive favorites to take the second game and advance to the second weekend, as it seemed unlikely UCP can pull off back to back upsets. Likewise in Drawkland Turbani Tech benefits from Sadeg State's capitulation and will be a massive favorite against Braunburg City University, much to everyone's surprise. The Sabine and Caddonia schools perhaps have the most difficult challenge in the second round as Sabinal State's reward for a comfortable win over Niccostrato Naval Academy is a tough ask against the vaunted Drawk Corps University and South Caddonia gets two seed Aksum State University as the Ranoria regional had a fairly chalky first round unlike some others. The Raiders glee at the demise of Sadeg might not last long as they face their co-favorites of winning the Drawkland regional now with Lake Alexandre State University of Banija. Like any game against a Banija or Drawkland school, your best effort is needed, but knowing that a path to the Final Four is now there, Tech should have plenty of motivation to give everything and then some to their Banijan opponents and as the first round proved, even Drawkish and Banijan schools can bleed.

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Fri Apr 25, 2025 9:00 pm

NSCAA 16 - Ultra 64

This is your round 2 cutoff. Will you make the Sweet Sixteen?

Results

by **Drawkland** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 6:14 pm

MASCOT BATTLE
The classic option for the person that doesn't know much about basketball wanting to make a fun bracket. If you rated teams on the ferociousness and power of their mascot in battle, whose team would survive the longest? Here we've imagined head-to-head clashes between each Sweet 16 team and progressed the bracket from there. For the purposes of these battles, we're assuming a 1-v-1.

(01) University of Loyola-Istria (BNJ) Blue Thunder vs
(05) Rinaldi Naval Academy (VAL) Midshipmen
It's hard to rate battles between forces of nature or concepts. Like, can any living creature actually "harm" a sound, especially if that sound has a color? This may be a copout, but we think the Midshipmen survive this easily. Though they're not yet full naval officers, midshipmen could certain run a ship at sea without much issue. Thunder wouldn't be an issue to them. If anything, it'll warn them that lightning may be in the area, and thus should take necessary precautions. There's no way thunder (even of the blue variety) could conceivably harm the Midshipmen, so we'll let them advance.

(02) Ducentu State University (DRK) Eagles vs
(03) Northern Moravica University (BNJ) Cougars
The Animorphs fan in me is tempted to take the Eagles in this matchup. Birds of prey, especially eagles, can hit their targets at high speed with razor-sharp claws. Unfortunately, something like a Cougar is too big to take down in one shot. Unless the Eagle got super lucky on an ambush and blinded the Cougar first try, it's toast. It would have to make too many passes, and eventually the Cougar would get a lucky paw up to intercept the Eagle's flight and crush it. The Cougar wins.

(09) Vricksinburg State University (RAN) Pheasants vs
(05) University of Hondo (VAL) Owls
We're gonna be honest, having a Pheasant as your mascot way to ensure you never win any mascot battles like this. Unless your rival school mascots are all various seeds, berries, nuts, and small lizards, you're pretty much screwed. You're extra screwed when your opponent is a fierce bird of prey like the Owl. Pheasants can be a little large for a typical owl prey, but it's easy to assume the same rules apply. They can fly in short bursts, but spend most of their time on the ground. If an Owl wanted one, its claws and drop speed would be enough to get one. If it came to an aerial fight or chase, the Owl would clear easily. The Pheasants simply don't have the weapons to compete.

(07) Everlin University (VAL) Cougars vs
(03) Cavsar University (DRK) Gladiators
This would definitely be a closer matchup than the last few. It's also a matchup that's probably happened some time in the past. Some of those that fought in gladiatorial games, whether by force or by choice, had to face ferocious beasts. Lions and tigers were common fare, and Gladiators often won their matchups. Cougars are also fierce big cats, but they don't have the firepower like a lion or tiger. An experienced Gladiator (sometimes called a Venator when fighting animals) could easily take out a Cougar, perhaps not unscathed, but definitely victorious.

(08) Richardson University (RAN) Governors vs
(05) Sabinal State University (VAL) Panthers
Another battle with a big cat! This one is a little better for the kitty. Panther often refers to a bunch of different subspecies of big cat, but they're all deadly hunters. Meanwhile, your average governor is likely not nature savvy. Unless your governor was also the Terminator, we doubt they're very skilled in combat either. In an ambush situation, a Panther could easily stalk a governor and take him out. Even in a fair 1v1, the lack of natural default weaponry means the Governor is still at a disadvantage. Even with a small carry handgun, a Panther could probably strike a fatal blow to the Governor in time. We take the Panther.

(02) Aksum State University (BNJ) Stars vs
(06) Alexandria University (CAD) Swordsmen/Eagles
Alright, another abstract one here. Yeah, I guess if you wanted to fight a literal Star, there's no way a mortal creature could win. But simulating all our mascots being already dead in the vacuum of space before being incinerated is dumb for a game like this. Also odd is Alexandria University's athletic department, who've stated in separate places that their mascot is either Swordsmen or Eagles. That's a bit of a tough combo given gap in combat skills and fighting styles. This whole matchup is just weird. Anyway. We're gonna say the Eagle/Swordman wins because stars can help them see at night, or something. That's more of a good thing than a bad thing.

(08) Turbani Tech (VAL) Slayers
(05) University of Moravica (BNJ) Golden Bears
The thing with "Slayers" is that it's not super descriptive. It can mean anything from a political assassin to a berserker type of fighter. We're thinking as far as the average human being is concerned, a Slayer is someone who's noticeably good at killing a specific thing. The problem for them is, we're not sure what kind of Slayer they are, and grizzly bears (of which the Golden Bear often refers to) are notoriously some of the hardest animals to kill. We have to regress to the mean for Slayers, but even an average Golden Bear is still an enormous tank-like creature with claws half a foot long. The Slayer may be able to inflict the damage, but we expect the Bear to start mauling before it could succumb to injury.

(07) Ranoria State University (RAN) Wolfhounds
(06) Mar Sara Tech (VAL) Raiders
When we think Raiders, we usually picture some sort of viking-type invader. However, the Mar Sara Tech logo specifically shows a masked man riding a horse, evoking more of a western flair. West of what? I don't know, but it appears this kind of Raider is one equipped with firearms, likely a rifle or pistol. Wolfhounds have some natural weapons at their disposal: good speed and endurance with sharp teeth and claws. Wolfhounds were bred to hunt and fight wolves. It's more likely that a Raider would like to have a Wolfhound friend on his side, but unfortunately this format requires battle. Even if you remove the Raider's mount from the equation, his proficiency with ranged firearms means he could shoot the poor hound dead to win the battle.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
Debates about conference strength are a staple of collegiate athletics. Even at the international level, where tournament conferences are rarely consistent and change a lot between editions, there's a lot to argue about. What's more important, having title contenders or playoff contenders? How reliable are head-to-head matchups? Do the bottom-barrel teams make a difference for conference strength? More often than not, it comes down to what conference the championship-winning school hails from.

With just 16 nations remaining, let's take stock of how many remain from each conference. Surely, with a bit over 10 schools left and 10 conferences coming in, there should be at least 1 school from each conference left, right?

Flying Drawk - 2
Northern Moravica University (BNJ)
Rinaldi Naval Academy (VAL)

The Flying Drawk was considered one of the better conferences. A competitive top three with 1 game separating them by season's end, plus a middle end that featured three teams at 20 wins. A challenging conference to say the least, and it was expected that several teams from the Flying Drawk would have deep runs. Despite needing an at-large berth to get into the dance, Northern Moravica netted the best seed and proven their position with a +53 point differential through the first two games of the bracket. Rinaldi Naval also handled their early round games without much trouble, but now they have to face torrid #1 Loyola in the Sweet 16. The Flying Drawk also had 4 teams in the second round, a decent mark, but Saguenay and Cold Hill both got blown out (the latter by 40 to Cavsar, which has to be humiliating).

Calania - 2
Aksum State University (BNJ)
Cavsar University (DRK)

Sometimes, your top two teams really are legit. Aksum State and Cavsar were running back-and-forth all season, until Cavsar fell away late. Even so, Cavsar was considered one of the stronger #2 teams in the competition, and proved it with two surprisingly dominant wins to begin their Ultra 64 run. Aksum State, even as a single-digit seed, survived the massacre of huge upsets in the first round. The problem with the Calania is that they weren't going to have more than a couple teams making it to the Sweet 16 regardless. South Caddo and Dietrich had a rematch in the first round, and the winner of that (South Caddo) had to face Aksum State in the second round. Aksum State reiterated their status as the conference front-runner by surviving against South Caddo. Columbus-Prairie also shocked everyone with their first-round upset of Kizza I, especially when they also scared the shit out of Everlin fans by almost winning in the second round. Ultimately, this is kind of the best-case scenario for the Calania based on how the bracket ended up being drawn.

Shango - 2
Everlin University (VAL)
Vricksinburg State University (RAN)

Now this is a duo nobody saw coming. It's hard enough for conferences to get two of its schools into the Sweet 16. Usually it requires a really dominant top seed doing what they're supposed to do, and another competitor staying focused. It's rare when the #4 and #5 teams in the conference are the only ones left. The chaos of the first two rounds has been both a boon and a detriment to the Shango teams. Everlin got helped by a first-round upset, only having to play Columbus-Prairie instead of Kizza I. Now, it took them overtime to actually win, but they took advantage of their situation nonetheless. Vricksinburg State, on the other hand, has engineered two upsets (one against top-seeded Elmanden District). Unfortunately the other was against conference foe Sargaara Tech. Meanwhile, Braunburg City University was one of the surprise inclusions in the second round thanks to their defeat of Sadeg State, but they fell short in that second round just like Nideyinan College. Everlin and Vrick State are both longshots to win the title, so Shango fans will hope for a cinderella run.

Woodlands - 1
Alexandria University (CAD)

The Woodlands got most of its attention from the regular season title race between Old Mountain and Islamic U. They tied at 29 wins, Old Mountain only getting the title thanks to a point differential +6 points over Islamic U. That's the tightest conference-winning margin we've seen in a long time, but what the race showed was how neither team was really elite enough to seal the deal. Thus, can you be that surprised when both teams lost in the second round of the Ultra 64? Old Mountain's second-round loss is a little more interesting - their opponent was another Woodlands member, third-placed Alexandria University. Even being low-seeded, Alexandria reminded everyone that they're the defending champions, winning a tight one over their conference champions. That leaves only Alexandria remaining from the Woodlands, but that streaky confidence in the postseason might make them the best shot.

North Coast - 1
Mar Sara Tech (VAL)

The North Coast was a pretty solid mid-tier conference. They'd need a good effort from their front-runner, but a middling team stood a chance of making something happen. Sadeg State, garnering the #3 overall seed, managed to collapse horribly in the first round, leaving the rest of the conference out to dry. To make matters worse, the #2 and #3 teams in the conference had to face off in the second round. Lake Alexandre State and Mar Sara Tech got a grudge rematch, and the Raiders pulled it out. It was a little bit of a surprise that Stampere University of Physics was the only other team to make the second round, but their magic wasn't enough to get two in a row. Thus, Mar Sara Tech stands alone as the North Coast's last hope. At least, having beaten LASU directly, they're undoubtedly the conference's best shot.

Crownlands - 1
Turbani Tech (VAL)

Another example of not having a whole lot outside the top two in the conference, yet those top two couldn't perform and the third-best team in the conference stays alive. It's not an entirely unlikely thing, but it's weird that it's happened three times this edition. The upsets have really been flowing, and Turbani Tech has been one of the benefits of that. They embarrassed MattPoly in a supposedly "even" first round matchup. Then, instead of Sadeg State, they were facing Braunburg City in the second round. Braunburg definitely gave them more excitement than they wanted, but they took care of business to advance. Ironically, the Crownlands had the best top two of any conference by seeding, with #4 Elmanden and #5 Kizza I at the top of many brackets. Kizza I fell victim to one of the huge first-round upsets, Elmanden District looked vulnerable despite a first-round win and finally crashed against Vrick State in the second round. Many would've guessed that only 1 Crownlands team would survive to the Sweet 16, but few would think that to be Turbani Tech.

Five Star - 1
University of Moravica (BNJ)

Moravica fans felt slighted with the bracket reveal. Even 32 wins in the regular season wasn't considered enough for a single-digit seed according to the NSCAA. The early conference tournament exit, combined with a conference itself that was quite weak outside Moravica, led to Moravica's record being called into question. Ultimately, the Five Star was rated pretty low. It seems the first two rounds of the Ultra 64 bracket merely confirmed that fact. Cemmendy Tech got spanked in the fist round, and none of the lower-ranked teams managed any excitement. Moravica surviving the first two rounds (perhaps with some chip on their shoulder) and the rest of the conference bowing out ... it's about what people expected.

by **Cardenao** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 6:52 pm

SWEEEEET SIXTEEEEEEEN OH YES YES!!

CLICK HERE AMIGO TO HEAR BIGGGGG RONNIE RAY MAC PREVIEW THE SWEET SIXTEEN AND YOUR ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY SWORDSMEN!!!

by **Valanora** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 8:42 pm

Two rounds into the Ultra 64 and there has been madness galore, with even more of the favorites of the competition falling by the wayside in the second game of the first weekend of the championship tournament. While the regular season and conference tournaments might have more or less belonged to the schools from Banija and Drawkland, it is clear that the championship tournament belongs to no one nation's schools but to the forces of chaos looking to give everyone a bit of something to talk about at the conclusion of the round. Fortunately for the team's from the Empire, both of the first two rounds of the tournament have only seen a single team eliminated from Valanora in each round, with Raynor's shocking loss on a fairly horrid shooting and defensive night in the first round and then the Rancheros coming up just short in a fairly hotly contested but defensive affair with the two seed of their region in Banija's Aksum State University. There were a few other close calls, particularly in a pair of games where the Vanorian school walked in as huge favorites but had to work for it, yet despite those scares six schools from the Empire still survive with at least one team in each of the regions.

The home nation support was not enough for Nideyinan College of Quebec against the Rinaldi Naval Academy, the Midshipmen having one of their best offensive games of the season in the thirteen point victory over the Quebecois school. It was an offensive outburst that was needed from the Midshipmen as they were unusually charitable on the defensive end, allowing Nideyinan to grab forty points in both halves but it was not enough thanks in large part to the efforts of senior power forward Jonas Engebretsen who was a beast on the boards. With eight defensive rebounds and five offensive boards, the forward was keeping plays alive for Rinaldi and denying many second chance opportunities for Nideyinan. Add in three assists and twelve points, six of which came in the last five minutes of the game, and it is easy to see why he was the team's most valuable player in the offensive tilt. The Midshipmen are going to have to play out of their skins and beyond their physical limitations as the University of Loyola-Istria waits for them, the Blue Thunder being the last remaining one seed alive but they are a beast of a team with no obvious weaknesses. While the team was able to overcome a bit of a sloppy defensive effort against Nideyinan, that can not fly against Loyola-Istria, where their best effort and then some has to be on display. The desire and smart technique used to box out and get rebounds is the sort of thing that could prove a critical difference in this game where they go in as a underdog.

Moving on to the Empire and it was a raucous crowd in Stormguard as the Owls handled their business against the Islamic University of Busoga, as Hondo pulled off the upset in another thirteen point victory. This one was a thing of beauty for the purists, as the Owls pressing game completely disrupted the flow of the Busoga school and allowed Hondo to force them into eighteen turnovers which turned into a dozen fast break points, nearly the difference in the game. Eiril Rørvik lead all scorers with fourteen points and continues to show why he is looked to as a leader for this Owls team as they march further into the tournament. Seeding wise Vricksinburg State University from Ranoria looks to be a huge underdog as the regional moves completely to Raynor City and the Owls are expecting some fierce support from the locals. If the best players continue to play as their best players and help keep the team in their rhythm, it is a game that they should be winning but this tournament has shown that if you do not respect your opponent and play for the full forty minutes, then you are inviting trouble. Eiril Rørvik and the other two senior starters have yet another turn to show their caliber and lead this team on to an Elite 8 berth.

Hoping to meet them there will be Everlin University, as the team won but gave everywhere in the capital a great bit of anxiety after they were taken to overtime by what was supposed to be a gift of a game against the fifteen seed University of Columbus-Prairie. While the Cougars would emerge victorious, thanks to a block and eight of ten points in overtime from forward Henrik Bratvold, it was a warning shot for the team. A warning shot that will be desperately needed as the competition now goes from surprise package to a powerhouse, as the third seed and notorious Cavsar University of Drawkland is the opponent. We all know the story now when it comes to playing against Drawkish opposition, you have to move the ball and always find the open pass as their sheer size will make even open looks be contested and the team gives up a lot of size and power against them. However Cavsar is notorious for failing to deliver in the moment and it was against Cavsar in Drawkland where Hondo managed to win Valanora's only NSCAA title, so here in the Empire why could that not happen once more as Cavsar come up short?

If there is someone for Everlin to look for inspiration from in more recent history it will be Sabinal State University, as the Panthers went toe to toe Drawk Corps University in Ranoria and came away as ten point victors in an unlikely win but a welcomed one. The Panthers ball movement was sensational as on nearly every offensive possession every member of the offense would touch the ball as they kept swinging it around for the open look, resulting in the team shooting a staggering seventy-two percent from the field as well as hitting eight of nine free throws in the ten point win. It was a complete team game as no player had double digits and that sort of game is one for the ages. If the team can bottle that sort of production NSCF powerhouses Richardson University could be the next to fall, though the game is in Ranoria, though that has hardly mattered in the past when Vanorian teams have traveled there to take on the best that the nation has to offer.

Finally in Drawkland, if Turbani Tech plays like they did in that last game where they nearly capitulated to sixteen seed Braunburg City University, then they will have absolutely no shot against five seed University of Moravica, one of the four remaining Banija remaining teams. Everything from the Slayers has to be better except maybe their shooting percentage as they shot fairly well but the defense was sloppy and the transition game failed to capitalize on their speed advantage. If the Slayers want to have a chance at an all Vanorian Elite Eight showdown, then they need to show a bit more heart and grit like what the Raiders showed when Tech smothered Lake Alexandre State University to advance as well. Poor Ranoria will feel a bit bad, with only three schools left and all are against a Vanorian school, as the Raiders get to play against Ranoria State University for that elite eight berth. Ranoria State is a team that likes to get out and run the ball but can they do it against the Raiders defense that has been lights out through the first two rounds, taking advantage of the fact they present the tallest and most powerful squad representing the Empire. Center Ole Johansen at six foot nine inches is a defensive powerhouse and security blanket, averaging nearly eight blocks a game since the start of the conference tournaments as the Raiders have hit another level and all that energy they had looking forward to a potential game against Sadeg State in the Elite Eight now has become a hunger to try and become one of the few teams to have both an NSCAA and NSCF title and to win both in the same year after the Raiders surprised all with their NSCF title in the fall.

by **Banija** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 8:48 pm

Four teams remaining: Half of Banija's squads remain as NSCAA 16 reaches the Sweet 16

ISTRIA, MORAVICA- And now, we're entering the second weekend. Unsurprisingly, the field has been whittled down from 64 to 16 teams left. Perhaps a little bit surprisingly, half of Banija's teams have gone out. Two of them suffered big time first round upsets(U of Bunyoro and Kizza I College), while a pair of them had tough second round losses. Lake Alexandre State was fairly evenly matched with Mar Sara Tech, and the Vipers lost by 8 in the second round, while the University of Hondo, who are former champions of this very competition in NSCAA 12, handled the Islamic University of Busoga by 10, by a score of 72-62. That means there are just four Banijan teams left- all in the northwestern portion of Banija. The Moravica trio, of course- Loyola-Istria, Northern Moravica, and the University of Moravica, joined by the Aksum State Stars.

We'll talk about all four of them- their path to Herzegovina City, and their odds to get there.

Northern Moravica Cougars
Seed: #3 in the Quebec Regional
Sweet 16 Matchup: (02) Ducentu State University (DRK)
Potential Elite 8 Matchup: Winner of (01) University of Loyola-Istria (BNJ) vs. (05) Rinaldi Naval Academy (VAL)

With the party in Quebec moving to Joongyeong, it's going to be a hell of a time for the boys in red. With a bloodbath facing so many Banijan teams, fans knew that nothing was promised about this tournament, especially this year- and this year, everything has been earned. They had some dominant performances on the tournament's opening weekend. They got over a slow start quickly in the first round, against Pacifico, and ended up winning by 23, while in the second round, they played LeBois Santura and blew them out of the water, with the 30 point win being quite possibly the most impressive by any Banijan team in this tournament so far. Even Ronnie Ray Mac said it was 'embarassing'.

"The team is playing well at the right time." The head coach told reporters. "We've got to continue the momentum- the teams only get tougher from here, and Ducentu State is going to be an extremely tough one." A tough matchup, indeed. But these are the types of matchups that NMU want. Beating a couple of double digit regional seeds by a lot is impressive, but this is another competition entirely. You've got to create chaos, and get turnovers, and race down the floor. When you give up size to a Drawkland school, you make up for it by running- they can't use their height advantage on D if they don't set. With a potential hometown Final Four in play, the incentives will be high- but the journey will be anything but straightforward.

Loyola-Istria Blue Thunder
Seed: #1 in the Quebec Regional
Sweet 16 Matchup: (05) Rinaldi Naval Academy (VAL)
Potential Elite 8 Matchup: Winner of (02) Ducentu State University (DRK) vs. (03) Northern Moravica University (BNJ)

Each region has a one seed. And in a year high on chaos, the first round has been a blood bath for them- two of the tournament's four one seeds lost in the first round. The University of Bunyoro, of course, plus Sadeg State University losing by 34- although, of course, they have a reason with their coach literally dying mid-game. And the third one seed, Elmanden District University, lost in the second round, with good ol' Vricksinburg State eliminating them. So Loyola-Istria, who have looked maybe, but not necessarily great, so far in this tournament, are flying ahead of all of those- as the last 1 seed standing, and the only one in the Sweet 16. A 15 point win in round 1, and a 14 point win in Round 2. Looking good, of course- but not necessarily blowing the brakes off of anybody.

They, of course, have had an incredible season so far. This is a team that went 35-1, winning a double conference championship, and they are still standing today. They seem to be positioning themselves as the team to beat- but as they have a target on their back, the NSCAA 13 champs will get everybody's best shot. "We're not really focused on what everybody else is doing, or thinking." The Blue Thunder HC told the media. "We think that, legitimately, we've got as good of a shot as anybody to win a title, but that comes a game at a time. Each game is more difficult than the last in this tournament- and the journey to Herzegovina City is full of landmines everywhere."

That, is true. Rinaldi Naval won their regular season conference title, finishing atop the Flying Drawk Conference. The talent and consistency is there- that's a team perfectly built for an upset over the Blue Thunder here in the Sweet 16. The line is 7.5 in favor of the Banijan school- it might make sense for people to bet on Rinaldi Naval to cover there. Expect creativity on offense, as head coach Yaya Senou has shown himself adept at navigating all of these situations. They've got veteran experience, with three upperclassmen starters. They've shown themselves capable of punching back, and they theroetically should be capable of reaching the Elite 8.

And furthermore- in Joongyeong, with decent sized alumni populations of both NMU and Loyola-Istria in the city, expect to have some crazy atmospheres on the street if these two play in the Elite 8.

University of Moravica Golden Bears
Seed: #5 in the Drawkland Regional
Sweet 16 Matchup: (08) Turbani Tech (VAL)
Potential Elite 8 Matchup: Winner of (07) Ranoria State University (RAN) vs. (06) Mar Sara Tech (VAL)

Golden Bears nation, everywhere, has been unified that the team was drastically underseeded. From the coaches and players, in all directions- from staffers, to fans, to regents, to biased analysts everywhere- but coming from a weak conference really dented their 32-1 regular season record, and 33-2 overall record- especially when they couldn't even reach the final of their conference tournament. However, this was a team that went on a 30 game winning streak throughout the season- so many of them felt it was harsh. But, of course, if you feel it was unfair, this was their chance to prove it on the court, yes?

And well... So far, so good. The Golden Bears aren't whining- they are turning that injustice into motivation, and are flying as a result. Top seeds are falling everywhere- we've already mentioned how only one of the 1 seeds has made the Sweet 16. And hell, as the 5 seed, the 1-4 seeds in this region have all already fallen. "It's that devastating consistency- I've told the people, we have it. We've shown it all year, and to judge us based off of a rough conference tournament, when we've got a 35 game body of work... Well, no sense crying over spilt milk. But we've got a team capable of great things- and damnit, we're showing it on the court."

Lampda must have taken it personally. In the first round, in a 5v12 matchup that's chalk ful of upsets, they destroyed the 12 seed- defeating New Cardonia State by 34 points. It was a hell of a game, leading by as many as 42 in the second half. Just a dominant performance from beginning to end- emptying the bench early in the second half, and just running them off the floor. Second round, playing against the higher seeded Université du Saguenay. Now, both schools really hate Northern Moravica- so in the pre-game, both sets of fans particiated in anti-NMU chants, particularly the 'we don't give a damn about Northern Moravica' song. But on the court, the two were anything but friendly- with the Golden Bears delivering a 21 point loss.

They've been balling- but Drawkland has been chaos. With the top 4 seeds all losing on the opening weekend(Moravica being the source of one of those losses), the Golden Bears suddenly find themselves as the highest remaining seed in the Regional. "Drawkland's been all sorts of chaos- nothing's been won yet." Lampda told reporters. "But look... We expected to get here. And we didn't come this far, to get this far- but the competition to get further, will be brutal." Ain't that true. Next up is Turbani Tech, who just beat a Braunburg City side that beat Sadeg State by 34, in Sadeg. All things are possible, eh?

Aksum State Stars
Seed: #2 in the Ranoria Regional
Sweet 16 Matchup: (06) Alexandria University (CAD)
Potential Elite 8 Matchup: Winner of (08) Richardson University (RAN) vs. (05) Sabinal State University (VAL)

You could hear the chant echo at the stadium in Highport, as the final buzzer sounded, from Stars fans. "We want the champs."

They asked for the chants, and damnit- they will get the chants. The path to get here was not clear- the first round game was an easy win, flying ahead by 32. But the second round game was a war- South Caddonia is much better than the average 7 seed, and the two teams went toe to toe. In a 63-63 ballgame, a three pointer by Finn Bature with 17 seconds left gave the Stars a late, late lead. South Caddonia, naturally, flew up the court and tried to hit a game-tying three of their own- but missed. They got the offensive rebound, tried to put it back, and misssed that. Then chucked it out to the three point line, and tried to heave a prayer- but that got tipped by the defender. PF Galabba Danjuma grabbed it out of the air with 2.7 seconds left, and was fouled. He missed the front end of a one & one, but South Caddonia's halfcourt prayer wasn't anywhere close, as the Stars survived.

"In a tournament like this- it's survive and advance." The head coach, Nashe Kyagumbo, told reporters. "The easy game has been had. We are the everyman's school from Banija, and we've made it to Apollotown. There's a special thing that's being built here. I'm always hearing about Northern Moravica this, and Loyola-Istria that, and University of Moravica whenever it's not about those two. No- the balance of power in Banijan college sports may rest in Moravica today(editor's note: it has pretty much the entire existence of the country), but tomorrow we're going to wrestle it away. We're building something long-term here in the true north, and every tournament win is one step closer to what we want to build."

With Apollotown, the site of the second weekend in Ranoria, already being a town known for having a lot of Banijans, Aksum State fans are pouring into the city in record numbers. "It makes sense." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "They've never been in a spot like this before, and the defending champions are their opponents. It's going to be a huge game, there's going to be excitement, and with the familiarity of a place like Apollotown.. It's a perfect storm." The closest direct route was previously Herzegovina City- demand has been so high that, for this week only, Orange Sky Airlines had added direct roundtrip flights from Aksum's two international airports, Mynda and Askatasuna, directly into Apollotown.

"What a game this will be." Said the Busogan center, Habib Faizu, who's a senior. "The chance to eliminate the champs... I mean, it's a difficult task, but we consider ourselves capable. But we want to build ourselves in this sport. Sometimes, a singular game can really encapsulate everything we've done this season. And a win on this day? That will do exactly that. There would be no better marker than beating the champs, and we intend to get that done."

Bold words. But remember, the road to Herzegovina City goes through them- why can't Aksum State send them packing?

by **Ranoria** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 8:52 pm

In Savior Coliseum, the Governors were absolutely balling. Brad Manlio’s…unique offense had worked wonders. With their players running what looked alarmingly similar to wide receiver route concepts to get open and taking shots off of them, it was working.

There was hook & ladder - a comeback route straight to a pass that ended in a mid range jumper. Many of them would run a corner route to get to an open three from, well, the corner. Taking a post route to the post after the catch was pretty effective believe it or not - but the trademark of the Manlio offense was the screen.

“Aldus Pope,” Brad Manlio said after the game, clearly a bit rattled despite the dominant win, “didn’t pick up the phone when I called him yesterday. We were at Sadeg together for so long, and when this job got put on me, he answered every time I called. Almost daily - and I didn’t know what happened until a few minutes ago, forgive me. Praying for an old friend. But he told me - keep guys in motion, and lean on the screen, so that’s what we did.”

Except - we’re not sure Manlio knows what a basketball screen is.

More often than not, whoever takes the ball back just ends up pushing up hard against one boundary then kick the ball out to the other good ball handler, who happens to have the other three blokes running in front of them. It’s not like they’re allowed to block, Manlio’s not that ignorant - but it’s worked? Again? Shockingly effectively. Whether it’s open threes or just waltzing down into the paint, they run the play constantly.

“I’m an offensive mind,” Manlio shrugged when asked about his unique take on the screen, “it’s what I do. But I don’t think it’s too unorthodox, whatever the sport - a screen is a screen is a screen.”

We’ll see whether that logic works against the Vanorian squad they’ve got next - but on home soil, Richardson joins three Sweet Sixteen teams from Ranoria - with only Vricksinburg State making a sole appearance in NSCAA 14, it’s certainly made them part of the greatest Ranorian season of college basketball ever.

That said, it’s probably ending this magical run when they face off against Valanora’s entrants - all three squads are, as a matter of fact.

It’s been a good run.

But like Manlio said “With Sadeg out, Pope’s spirit is with us - and I care about these kids and this university. We’re going to take this as far as we can.”

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Sun Apr 27, 2025 9:00 pm

NSCAA 16 - Ultra 64
SWEET SIXTEEN

Will your teams be good enough to reach the Elite Eight? Cutoff!

Results

by **Valanora** » Tue Apr 29, 2025 1:51 pm

Round three saw the biggest amount of turmoil for schools from the Empire, as the number of Vanorian teams remaining in the competition got cut in half going from six to three, though those three still lead in the number of schools remaining in the competition. That being said, there is a very real chance that all three or none of the three will be making it into the final weekend and traveling to Banija for the Final Four and that chance to play for a championship. Odds are that at least one of the teams will find a way through the gauntlet and win the game here in the Elite Eight portion of the tournament, as madness has been striking all over the place during the tournament and in all three of the games that remain for Vanorian schools they will enter as at least a slight underdog. While normally that would be a bit of a detriment, this tournament is all about the chaos and there is a bit of drive from the Vanorian teams not just for trying to win a championship but also as a sort of statement that they will underseeded harshly during the tournament selection process. Given that Turbani Tech, the worst seeded of the Vanorian teams, was in the Sweet Sixteen, then that seems to be true regardless of how well or poor things go on from here as they look to cause a little bit more chaos before the tournament comes to an end.

There is a common theme for Vanorian teams when they have gone out this tournament, every team has had one of if not their worst shooting night of the season in the losses. First it was Raynor not being able to handle the size difference and then it was South Caddonia giving a good go but missing two too many chances to come up with the upset despite having played amazing defense themselves. That theme continued on in two of the three losses during the last round, as Everlin's prolific offense was absolutely torn to shreds and made to look pedestrian against Cavsar, although even if they were on their best game it might not have mattered as Cavsar was sinking buckets like it was going out of style, while Mar Sara Tech was held to under forty percent shooting in Drawkland as Ranoria State University was able to use the chaos of the tournament to emerge as the three point winner with both teams finishing with less than seventy points on the night. Ole Johansen had eight blocks in the game but he seemingly needed ten for the Raiders to overcome the feisty home nation team, while earlier in the night Turbani Tech gave University of Moravica a heck of a game but was still seven points shy of their effort, leaving no Vanorian representative in Drawkland to have the outside chance of all four spots in Banija being held by Vanorian teams.

However perhaps one of the best shocks of the round came in Quebec, as the Midshipmen continue to play with the sort of discipline that you expect from a military academy and took down the last remaining first seed in University of Loyola-Istria from Banija in a hotly contested affair is Joongyeong. Jonas Engebretsen lead the way for the team, as the senior power forward played bigger than his size with twelve rebounds, twelve points, and four blocks despite only being six foot two inches tall. He was all over the court and even got an assist in a fast break opportunity with just under eight minutes to go as he hit Zainab Kvammen for an early layup to put the team up six. It was a lead that would not shrink throughout the rest of the game and Kvammen made four of his five free throws during the final stretch of the game as the Blue Thunder tried claw their way back. Up next is another difficult game though as Ducentu State University looks to hold the banner for the teams from Drawkland, especially after rolling roughshot over Northern Moravica University, with a nineteen point victory as they edge closer to a final four berth. Can the Drawkish size and tenacity overcome the Midshipmen's impressive resolve and discipline or will Rinaldi surprise everyone and be making a trip to Banija.

In the Empire capital, the Owls made short work of Vricksinburg State University as they were expected to once the matchup was set. Eiril Rørvik once again lead all scorers with seventeen points, with three assists, two rebounds, and four steals in a complete effort as the Owls overran the team from Ranoria in nearly all phases of the game and simply looked like the better team from the opening tip. That leadership and excellence is exactly what you expect from a senior and who was recruited off the heels of the Owls triumph in the NSCAA. However next up for the Owls is a Cavsar side that just completely ran over an Everlin team that thought they had a solid opportunity to win and this might just be a Cavsar team looking to finally erase their identity as perennial chokers. Yet it was the same Cavsar that Hondo managed to beat in their championship game those four editions ago and it will be a matchup of size against technical skill. The Owls passing and shooting game is perhaps the best in all of the Empire and though Everlin was good, Hondo is on a completely different level, which they will need to be if the Owls hope to succeed where the Cougars failed to, the crowd expected to be decked out in the royal blue of Hondo.

In Ranoria, both of the games on the evening were blowouts, as first Sabinal State used a fifty-six percent from the field night to rout Richardson in front of the home nation fans in a ninety-one to seventy victory that comes as a bit of a shock. Sabinal State expected to win but to do so in such a dominating fashion with a team from Ranoria against Ranoria was not expected, perhaps they were truly channeling the energy from the Rockets and Raiders in the NSCF and thriving here in Ranoria. That energy will need to be on steroids as the other game saw Aksum State University from Banija simply run over the defending champions Alexandria from Cardenao. We have spoken at length about how Drawkland and Banija schools have this entire competition as their playground and that sort of result as well as the result of Cavsar against Everlin shows you why and if Sabinal or either of the other two Vanorian teams have a chance in their games they have to be as excellent as excellent can be as they are the nations schools whom they face. Small ball and teamwork is how our undersized and less talented players have a chance against teams who bigger, stronger, and better individually. If chaos is reigning, then our teams need harness that energy and carve out a tournament to remember for all of the Empire and those who might doubt them still.

by **Drawkland** » Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:51 pm

There was an air of trepidation on the trip to l'Arc-en-Ciel. The familiarity of the situation was tough for everyone, especially Basil Thorne. If it weren't for the fact that they were in Joongyeong, Quebec instead of Drawk City, the sense of deja vu would almost be overwhelming.

The last NSCAA cycle, back during Basil's freshman year, the Ducentu State Eagles were driving through the Ultra 64 bracket in a very similar fashion. Beat a Dhemixian specialist school that somehow made the tournament in the first round. Take care of an outside contender in the second round. Lay belt to ass of your opponent in the Sweet 16, advancing to the regional final in the process. Stand against an underdog with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

The vibe was so similar, and that's what made Basil uneasy. The Eagles were on top of the world (literally, as #1 seeds) with momentum on their side. They were killed by a last-second miracle from Alexandria University ... the only school that had managed to beat them earlier in the season. Thankfully Alexandria was on the other side of the bracket this season and also eliminated in the Sweet 16, but that didn't mean that Rinaldi Naval Academy wasn't a threat.

That same Rinaldi Naval Academy was the school of which Ducentu State beat the brakes off in NSCAA 15's Sweet 16 - an 86-51 demolition. To be fair, Rinaldi Naval was a regional 13 seed that year, hardly the conference champion and title contender they are this cycle. All this did was increase the feelings of similarity to NSCAA 15's failed run. The Midshipmen returning from that cycle are surely filled with the desire for revenge as much as the Eagles from last edition desire redemption. It's hard to say that any Elite 8 matchup should be skipped, but followers of NSCAA storylines throughout the season will definitely have their eyes glued to this game.

"Worried about the draft?" Mark Weaver, the other starting forward, asked Basil on the bus ride back to the hotel following the victory over Northern Moravica. He'd never seen Basil so pensive. Staring blankly into space, sure, plenty of times. Usually that was more of a neutral or relaxed expression, but here Basil had a more downcast look.

"Huh?" Basil replied automatically, before turning and parsing Mark's question. "Oh, the draft. Naw. Thinkin' about the next game."

"Oh, gotcha." Mark nodded. He didn't get many minutes on the floor, but he was also there for the Elite 8 game against Alexandria. "I'm stressed about it too."

"Yeah." Basil nodded, eyes not moving from the point on the ground that he was giving a thousand yard stare. "Jus' stinks man. I did all I could at the end, and it d'int even matter."

"We all get that feeling sometimes." Mark offered. "It's just a natural part of playing the game, you know."

"Yurrite." Basil shrugged. "But i'ssa little different fer me. I wasn't really payin' attention back then, y'know. I made that big shot at the end, but what if I'd been workin' better at practice? Coulda had some chances earlier in the game that I wouldn'ta missed. Then we'd've won."

"We're prepared this time, Bas." Mark patted Basil on the shoulder, smiling genuinely. "Locked in. If it comes down to the end again we'll know what to do."

"Sure." Basil bounced his fist against his leg a few times in response. "I dunno 'bout me though. I jus' hope I've caught up enough. Ev'ry'un's always gettin' the better of me, and I'm tired of it. If I'm gonna be this big basketball star then I cain't be lookin' like a fool in front of everyone."

"Even the best look dumb sometimes. It's what makes us people."

"I guess."

"Listen, Basil." Mark looked over at Basil, finally drawing eye contact. "You don't have to think about that stuff. You've always been best at shutting down the outside stuff and just balling out there. Not to add to the pressure, but now is not the time to be developing the yips."

"But what if I forget?" Basil sighed. "What if I don't remember the best way to go?"

"The best training is the kind you don't have to think about." Mark answered. "If you've trained hard enough, your body and mind will know what to do without thinking. That's already what you do when you shoot, right? It's the same for all the other stuff. And Coach knows you well enough now to know what to tell you. Just listen to what he says, and let your body do the rest. Get me?"

"Gotchu." Basil nodded slowly, absentmindedly puffing his cheeks in thought. He expelled the excess air at once with a short raspberry. "Guess I'll jus' try my best."

"Aren't we all?" Mark chuckled, with just a tinge of nervousness. This was a very bad time for the star of his team to be gaining sentience.

Those tensions held firm over the next couple days, until finally the day of the Elite 8 matchup between Ducentu State and Rinaldi Naval had arrived. The feeling of uncertainty wasn't just felt by the Ducentu State fanbase that had traveled to Quebec, but by everyone watching these games. The Eagles were favored over the Midshipmen, but only just so. Ducentu State was just one of two chalk teams left in the tournament, the other being Aksum State. The favored teams were doing terribly this edition, including the much-ballyhooed #1 overall Loyola that this same Rinaldi Naval team had just beaten. If there was any time that being the better team on paper was especially worthless, it was now.

This matchup in particular was going to be a real clash of identities. The Ducentu State squad had become increasingly fast-and-loose as Basil came into his own. It was all about creating opportunities for Basil, moving as needed, making changes on the fly to better suit the circumstances. The Rinaldi Naval team was the polar opposite. Military trained, their regimented approach to the game was all about discipline and eliminating mistakes. Could the chaos of Eagles basketball and Basil himself be enough to break through the tightly trained guard of the Midshipmen, or would the Midshipmen cover all their weaknesses and remain steadfast in the eye of a raging storm?

Perhaps that's a little metaphorical, but the importance of this game could not be overstated. This wasn't just potentially Basil's last game in a Ducentu uniform, it was his first opportunity for redemption from a past failure. Would he rise to the challenge, or would his preoccupation be his undoing? DBO Scouts in particular were skipping appointments and ignoring loved ones to ensure they'd be able to watch this game in its entirety. The result of this game would tell a lot about how Basil could navigate pressure situations in the future. If he falls at the first sign of outside pressure, could he really be trusted to lead a team to the championship year after year?

by **Ranoria** » Tue Apr 29, 2025 9:00 pm

It was already indisputably the greatest international basketball season in Ranorian history.

No, the pros going 1-1 ever in the playoffs doesn’t qualify. Vricksinburg State in NSCAA 14 was the only team that could even be in the conversation - and head coach Randal Harrington was sure they’d beaten them out, too. With star center Felix Carrington, power forward Ronnie Caruther, and point guard Mike Landry leading the charge, they’d ripped off a nice 26-7 record to break whatever tie they’d had with the Pheasants as the second Ranorian team to ever make the NSCAA’s Elite 8.

But they wanted more.

Randal watched as his team warmed up. Offered encouragement to some, brought minor coaching points to others. Not that there was much left to discuss. The time was now. He’d secured his job - battled off any threats of firing without making waves. But as he told the young men under his wing in the locker room- the Wolfhound standard is championships.

Except for in the NSCF, of course, the football team would never live their Pioneer Bowl appearance down there.

But here?

They were coming for blood. And Carrington, being outside of Ranoria, had no legal reason not to bet the entire month’s paycheck on his boys to win it by 20 or more.

Game on. Love alternate spreads fellas.

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Tue Apr 29, 2025 9:07 pm

NSCAA 16 - Ultra 64
ELITE EIGHT

Are you Final Four bound? Cutoff!

Results

by **Banija** » Thu May 01, 2025 11:37 am

The Golden Bear Report
The Student Newspaper for the University of Moravica

The Greatest ever second weekend in the history of College Basketball- an unbiased breakdown

A view of the most bad-ass basketball court in the NSCAA

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- You guys know, I HAVE to type this.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BABY! WOW!

What a tournament. The Ultra 64 is one of the most beautiful creations of man. Don't need any of that old money bullshit that NMU and Loyola-Istria serve up each time, where they buy their spots in the biggest competitions. Hey- when was the last time either of them won a NSCF championship, anyways? They're both getting punked by a Busogan school on college gridiron- (editor's note: we cut out the rest of the three paragraph rant about how neither ULI nor NMU can beat a Busogan team in college football).

... Nope- in this competition(in Banija, at least), you've got to earn your way in. And then, you've got to duke it out against the best of the best. And more often than not, the University of Moravica gets further than any Banijan school. But what a weekend it was, wasn't it? The Sweet 16 and Elite 8. All three big-time Moravican schools in it- ULI, NMU, and U of M. Only one school survived- and it was the lowest seeded of them all. Hilarious. Now, it wouldn't be the Golden Bear Report if we didn't gloat in the televised failures of our biggest rivals, now would it be? Absolutely not! We're going to do a day by day breakdown about a weekend that simply does not get any better than this.

Thursday Night, 7:45 PM: Loyola-Istria v. Rinaldi Naval Academy

To hear those dudes from the Blue Thunder talk, you would think that we should've just skipped the Ultra 64 and handed them the trophy right then and there. "Thirty-five and 1." "Our only loss is to Richardson." "Only one seed left." All of those mouthbreather comments. 35-1 doesn't matter in the tournament- anyone can beat anybody out here. Your only loss is to Richardson- are their fans bragging about losing, at home, to their archrivals who fired their coach, and hired a football coach to run the basketball team? The fact that they lost to the football team's OC should've counted as at least 4 losses- and it's ridiculous that the committee didn't take that into account when giving out their seeds. No matter- their HC is one of their greatest ever QBs, who is the son of one of their greatest ever QBs, and he's about to get his ass fired because he keeps getting clapped by a Busogan school.

Anyways. Off to the actual game. Rinaldi Naval Academy. The opposite, in many ways, of Loyola-Istria- a scrappy, disciplined bunch, like you'd expect of a military academy. It's interesting, because the military academies here in Banija pretty much suck at sports. But hey, in Valanora, they're balling, and not only in Valanora- they're kicking ass on the world stage. A goodass team, and they downed the #1 overall seed. The Blue Thunder had no answers for Jonas Engebretsen on the low block, who's 12 point, 12 rebound, and four block game made him the star of the show. Maybe a play that really summarized the game was, with 1:20 to go, and the Vanorians holding a 76-70 lead, star guard Diango Telly had blown by his man and was heading to the basket for what he thought was an easy 2 to cut the lead to 4. But Engebretsen peeled off his man, and got the huge swat. Rinaldi Naval was flying the court, and a few seconds later, Runar Nervik was throwing one down via an alley-oop. That was pretty much a wrap- as the upset was eventually secured, and NMU fans, who were in the arena since their game was next, starting singing "hey hey hey goodbye" to Loyola fans.

Thursday Night, 10:05 PM: Ducentu State v. Northern Moravica

All these commentators, saying a NMU v. Loyola Elite 8 game would be the 'game of the century' or some shit. But Loyola-Istria lost. And now, Northern Moravica there. They were looking for a hometown Final Four. But of course, they'd have to go against Basil Thorne and the rest of Ducentu State. And unfortunately for them(and FORTUNATELY for the rest of Moravica), Ducentu State stuffed them into a locker. Ducentu State, technically, played more games in Banija than NMU did this year, due to them being members, and double champions of, the Triceratops Conference. Doesn't really mean anything at all, that's true for all members of both the Triceratops and Shango Conference, but it's something that I thought was funny.

We hope that the keyboard warrior NMU fans got their smack talk in against Loyola-Istria. Because that Sweet 16 game was a belt to ass type of game. Basil Thorne had 27 points, on 12/17 shooting- not a single 3 point attempt. He just repeatedly attacked the basket, and NMU had no answers. Honestly, the 83-64 final score might have been generous to Northern, as Ducentu State led by as many as 26 points in the second half, while going on to "only" win by 19. So in this case, I, like the rest of U of M fans, are laughing our asses off. Both NMU and Loyola going down, on the same night, in the same arena? They can't even smack talk each other! And I was told there's no beauty in sport.

Friday night, 7:20 PM: Turbani Tech v. University of Moravica

Our Sweet 16 game was on Friday. Our fans spent basically the entire Friday smack talking fans of other Moravica schools. Whether online, or at work, or wherever you were- it was a DUTY. But of course, that gave us a little bit of nerves- what if we lost in the same round, just one day later? Well... it would be a rough one. But George Lampda's squad was ready for the challenge that Turbani Tech would throw at them. It's been a good season for Turbani Tech, and both teams fancied their own chances to not only win this game, but play whoever won the nightcap of this doubleheader and earn a spot in Herzegovina City.

This would be a tight contest, back and forth, for the entire game. Punch and counterpunch. Every time somebody went on a small run, the other team would respond with a similar run of their own. And so when the game was tied, 71-71, with 2 minutes left, it was anybody's ballgame. Who would be able to step up in the biggest moments? And the answer to that question, was the school that had winning in this tournament in their veins. The school with four previous Elite 8 appearances, trying to make it their fifth in 7 cycles. A three pointer by the point guard, Fumnanya Obasee, to give the Golden Bears a three point lead. And then, the Golden Bears were able to hold on defense, forcing a bad miss by Turbani Tech, and getting the rebound. On the ensuing possession, our center, Ekene Chike, would miss a hook shot- but our star freshman, Dike Uchea, would come flying in for a putback dunk. 76-71, with around a minute to go.

Another strong defensive possesion forced a miss, and when we got the board and came down the court, we ran down the clock. What do we do from there? Why not trust the star freshman again? Dike Uchea stood up, and balled out- posting up the smaller Emil Meyer, and hitting a fadeaway as the shot clock expired. 78-71 to the Golden Bears, a clinic of clutch play, as we eventually won 81-74. "With George Lampda as such an experienced coach, he's the one who keeps the ship calm amongst the chaos." Said a Banijan TV analyst. "His calmness spreads to his team- it makes a difference in games like these, and that's why the team will have a chance to play for a spot in the Final Four."

Sunday afternoon, 2:25 PM: Ranoria State v. University of Moravica

This was one of those games that really encapsulated the madness of this time of year. There's bene upsets galore- but it's the crazy endings, the highlight reel buzzer beaters, that define this time of year. And the University of Moravica has added one to its books- you will never forget where you were for this one. Why not just drop the quote from the announcers for the last play?

Can I say, however- shoutout to Ranoria State fans? What a fun time it was in Drawkland. They hate Cold Hill and RU, we hate ULI and NMU. Saturday, naturally, was a beach day. Ran into a bunch of RSU fans there- fantastic time. Throwing the U of Moravica on the back of my speedboat, too, was pretty badass.

Sunday was also great. In particular, there was a group of fraternities from all four schools, on the west side of the island, that had a dart throwing competition. What were the logos for the dart boards? You already know. Alpha Alpha Mu, from RSU, won throwing at the Cold Hill logo, but hey, a fun time.

Anyways- basketball.

Banijan TV Commentator wrote:There's fourteen seconds left in this game, and the Golden Bears trail by 1, 89-88, and have the ball. It's been a high-scoring game- and this being the first Sunday game, they are competing for the third spot in the Final Four. A Pair of Valanora teams have already punched their tickets, and either RSU will be the first Ranorian team to ever reach a final four, or the University of Moravica will reach their Banijan record fourth NSCAA Final Four appearance. Lampda has taken his last timeout, and you've got to look for the Golden Bears to attack the rim here. They break huddle- the starting fives for both teams enter the court.

The Golden Bears inbound directly to Dike Uchea, the star freshman. He dribbles at the top of the key, and then fakes left, and goes hard right- he's trying to blow by his man and go straight to the rim. He's hustling, as his man is going step for step. He stops and pump fakes, but Reimold stays disciplined, keeping his feet on the ground. Now he's in trouble! Ronnie Caruther comes from behind, pokes the ball out, and it ends up in the hands of RSU C Felix Carrington, as he's fouled from behind! Oh no, what a defensive play- trap the freshman, Caruther comes and gets the poke, and the ball goes straight to Carrington! And with 5.6 seconds left, Carrington is gonna go to the line for a one and one! (He pauses for a second, as Moravica fans look devastated, while RSU fans are nervously excited- they have the Final Four in their grasp).

Lampda's out of timeouts- can't stop the clock now. Carrington's got the front end of the one & one. Free throws, especially for bigs, are certainly NOT guaranteed in college. Carrington goes through his routine.. And misses on the front end of the one & one! Dike Uchea grabs the rebound, and all 10 players on the court are scrambling to the other end! Uchea pauses for a split second at the three point line, and then puts his head down and battles towards the rim. Three Wolfhound defenders collapse on him, but look at him pass to a wide open Ndulu Nwoye in the corner. He launches one at the buzzer.. YEEEEEEESSSSSSS! YES! YES! YES! NWOYE HITS THE BUZZER BEATING THREE TO SEND THE GOLDEN BEARS TO THE FINAL FOUR!

(The scenes on the floor are chaotic. Moravica players mob Nwoye in the corner, who had taken the shot right in front of his own team's bench. RSU players are devasted- Carrington is sitting on the court, in tears, blaming himself for missing the free throw. George Lampda, who's all smiles, is shaking the hands of various RSU players, consoling them after the devastating loss. RSU fans all seem to look like if they'd been hit by a bus- while U of M fans in the arena are shouting and screaming and making all sorts of noise that fills out The Ring).

They're gonna be cutting down the nets tonight, and flying them back to campus! Wow- this month really is madness! What a play, and what a shot, as the University of Moravica are champions of the Drawkland regional, and reach the Final Four. Can they win it all?

PSA from the School Administration
- Now, the school said I needed to put this in here. Everybody knows that NMU's campus is only a few miles from Kavuma Field, the site of the Final Four. Now, a few frats at our school may or may not be planning a "Golden Bears" rally on the center of NMU's campus. You guys should NOT go to this rally. I certainly would never endorse it. It's supposedly in front of their BioChemistry building. It will NOT be tons of fun. And imagine celebrating our fourth final four appearance in front of students who have never seen their school in the final four? Couldn't be us

by **Banija** » Thu May 01, 2025 6:41 pm

Aksum State Tailgate in Herzegovina City, early afternoon during the Final Four

Uchie Chyke was enjoying Herzegovina City tremendously. The freshman had actually never been to Banija's oldest city before. He was from the far, rural northeast, and his family was pretty poor- they generally didn't travel to Banija's west coast. He had decided to go to Aksum State, and while he was able to go there via train, he never really bothered to go down to Herzegovina City. It was easy enough to get there- Lazkiban was not a common train stop, of course, so there weren't exactly a TON of options, but there were options. But he and his friends had never really had interest into going into the big city to the south, and so, they did not do so.

That was, of course, before Aksum State had qualified for the Final Four. Now they had- and suddenly, they had all wanted to go down to Herzegovina City. He had a friend who was from Herzegovina City- so although they'd need to rent a car, they'd have a place to stay. Despite the car rental price increases for a couple of college kids going to Herzegovina City, it was still worth it since they were getting student section tickets, and lodging was included.

Walking Herzegovina City was surreal. So many historic sites. Visiting the museums. The tombs. The first Mormon church. The site of the Golden Plates. And while he didn't expect it... The popularity. U of M fans were taking over the city- obviously, a lot of U of M alumni lived in the regional capitol of Moravica. But it was still a NMU city through and through. Mostly NMU fans- who were rooting hard for Aksum State. As one fan put it. "Look, we want a Banijan school, and we want Aksum State, specifically- there would be few things worse than Moravica winning a NSCAA championship in our city." And many other comments along those lines.

So the next day, mostly tailgating. And he got his own hands on the chantbook.

A sample from the Aksum State Chant book

Fight Song- We always sing for Aksum State
Tune

We always sing for Aksum State,
Dear old Aksum State U.
Where the Stars are the brightest,
and North is the truest,
And we all wear silver and blue!
We always sing for Aksum State,
Where we're all true blue.
We'll all sing together,
we'll sing for forever,
For our old Aksum State U!

Off We go
Tune

Off we go into Herzegovina
Taking over Kavuma Field!
Here we come, Stars from Aksum we thunder
Get 'em boys, throw down the dunk (Throw down the dunk! Now!)
Down we go into Herzegovina,
The Final Four, is where we soar!
We shoot, we score, we yell, we roar
Hey! Nothing can stop the Aksum State Stars

To win at the Final Four
Tune

It's a damn tough life full of toil and strife
When the Stars are across the Court
We shoot and we score and we'll block you down low
Till the clock hits double zeroes

You yell mercy now and we don't give ground
Moravica will learn today
And we'll drive and we'll score and we'll make rain more
To win here at the Final Four

To win here at the Final Four, my boys
To win here at the Final Four
We're trophy bound from Lazkiban Town
And we'll beat Moravica more

No one likes us
Tune

No one likes us, no one likes us
No one likes us, we don't care!

We're from Aksum, the Stars from Aksum
We're from Aksum, we don't care [X2]

Shine, Aksum, Shine
The Bears will see your victory

Shine, Aksum, State
The Stars are gonna hit a 3 (1-2-3!)

Slam a Dunk
Block the Shot
And watch our A-S-U Stars Shine

Shine, Aksum, Shine
The Stars will bring your victory

A-K-S-U-M GO STARS!

It was Aksum State's time. He knew it. Screw Moravica, and their past successes. They were the past- Aksum State was the future. He felt it deep in his bones- his school could make the NSCAA championship game.

by **Valanora** » Thu May 01, 2025 8:27 pm

This postseason has been anything but by the script as what was supposed to be easy pickings for the elite teams from Banija and Drawkland has been anything but from the first game on the first weekend and all the way through the Elite Eight as we now head on to Banija for the Final Four. All three teams from the Empire entered into the last round as underdogs, knowing that their best was going to be needed in order to have a chance to secure passage into the championship venue, just across the water from the Empire to the northeast. This was especially true for both the Rinaldi Naval Academy and from Hondo, as both were up against Drawkish opposition, though Hondo had the benefit of playing in front of a very pro Owls crowd playing in Raynor City against Cavsar. Yet the task for all three teams was large and it was going to need extraordinary effort and perhaps just a bit of fortune to go their way if any one or if multiple of the teams was going to find a path to victory. A tournament full of upsets though seemed to suggest though that luck might be in their favor, if they could harness it at the right time and the right way to make it count.

In Quebec, the Midshipmen had their hands full with Ducentu State from Drawkland, as the naval academy was facing a serious height disadvantage, nearly two feet on average between those wearing maroon and those from Drawkland. Grit, determination, and a tenacious defense that harassed the Drawkish in a surprise full court press that seemed to disrupt the flow of the team from Drawkland. With over twenty turnovers during the game, it is fair to say that the press got into the heads of Decentu and it played to the well drilled strength of the Midshipmen and their endurance training allowing them to keep it up all game. However the energy they were expending to frustrate their opponents was having a clear effect on their offensive game, plus the difficult shots that the length of the Drawkish defenders were forcing and the two teams were neck and neck for the entire game. Eighteen lead changes, twenty-two ties, and with seven seconds left it was all knotted up at sixty-five a piece. An inbound pass found Mathilde Tufte who swung it into the corner for Zainab Kvammen, who faked a three to create space as they went past the flailing Decentu defender, went up for a lay up only to last second hand it off to Runar Nervik to avoid the potential block and the center went up and slammed it home with authority with 1.4 seconds left. A desperation heave from Decentu would fall short and one of the least likely teams to make the championship weekend was booking their trip to Banija.

In the nation's capital, around nineteen thousand of the twenty-two thousand capacity were wearing the royal blue that is the primary color of the University of Hondo, a show of solidarity and support among the Vanorian people for what some would say is the best basketball school in the nation. Waiting for them was a Cavsar school that just came off perhaps their best performance of their entire season where they smothered Everlin in the previous round and were good on the offensive side as well. Eiril Rørvik, the sensational shooting guard for the Owls, literally is looking up to the defenders who are supposed to be covering and the team knew that their great guard would not be able to beat Cavsar alone. However as the team put up twenty-one assists in a display of offensive efficiency as they looked for the open shot on nearly every possession, the Owls shocked the world as they thumped the Gladiators out of the Empire. While not able to dominate as he might have done in another matchup, Eiril Rørvik still made his mark with eleven points, four assists, and two steals as the Owls won eighty-one to sixty-five, using a half court press to discombobulate the Gladiators on the offensive end.

Sabinal State would put up a valiant effort in in Ranoria, but the small school from Sabine and Caddonia could not outlast Aksum State of Banija. Aksum State will enter into Banija as the highest seeded team left, being a two seed and will be going up against another Banija school in Herzegovina City, as the University of Moravica held on in a battle of low seeds against Ranoria State in the final of the Elite Eight matchups. With three five seeds and a single two seed, it is clear that the chaos has been the biggest champion in this edition of the Ultra 64 and the fans in Banija should strap in and expect the unexpected in these last few games as the four remaining teams fight for the right to be crowned champion. The first of the two Final Four meetings have the Midshipmen taking on the Owls as Hondo looks to get to another championship bout and firmly assert their spot as the most talented basketball school in the Empire. Regardless one of these two proud schools will be making it to the title bout where they will be looking to affirm the Empire's spot as the perceived third best NSCAA nation, despite some disappointments in years past. For now, the determined and disciplined defense of Rinaldi will try to find a way to slow down the highly efficient and well balanced offensive play from Hondo.

by **NSCAA Basketball** » Thu May 01, 2025 8:41 pm

NSCAA 16 - Ultra 64
FINAL FOUR

Which two teams will make it to the Championship? Cutoff!

Results

by **Banija** » Sat May 03, 2025 8:51 am

Aksum State head coach, Nashe Kyagumbo, shortly after their Final Four victory over the University of Moravica

Kyagumbo's point guard, Kamil Umar, was dribbling out the clock for the final seconds of this matchup. The Stars had come to Herzegovina City on a mission, and first matchup in, they had pulled off the unexpected, despite the seedings- a victory, over the University of Moravica, to make the NSCAA championship game. Most people, quite reasonably, thought that U of M would reach that game for the fourth time in the last seven seasons- but Aksum State, who have had a grind to reach this point, did exactly that instead. And Kyagumbo, the hottest young coaching prospect in Banija at the moment, was a key part of bringing Aksum State from an afterthought in terms of college hoops, to the precipice of college basketball immortality. Double conference champions, national championship game contenders, taking down blue bloods and former champions like nobody's business.

And a lot of this, of course, goes to Kyagumbo. As the buzzer sounded, he thought about the decision he had made, before the season, to stay at Aksum State rather than chasing after the immediate riches of Northern Moravica. Who knows where he would be if he had left? But he had bet on himself- told himself that the program would do what it took, and had bet on his players, and the culture he was building. There was no doubt that was paying off right now. with the Stars being 40 minutes away from an accomplishment only a handful of other schools has done- calling themselves NSCAA champions.

Hugs all around. Congratulating Coach Lampda, telling the Moravica head man how he was a living legend. He went and hugged his Dad- his father was a U of M graduate, and the two embraced. His father was, of course, rooting for him, although he certainly would not have minded a Moravica victory. After talking to family and what not, he walked back to the locker room.

As he walked into the locker room, he started getting sprayed with water bottles. The players were singing- celebrating what was a landmark win for the school, and the program, on a sized stage that they had never played on before.

"Hey boys!" Kyagumbo yelled, asking for silence. Then, his players started chanting.

"One more game. One more game. One more game."

"GUYS!" He yelled, finally getting them to be quiet. His joy, of course, was on his face. "What a win we had today. And today, was a validation of our season. We've been strong, consistent all season long- no matter the stakes, no matter the stage, no matter the opponent- we have come out and balled, and that is why we have one more game ahead of us. Take the next 30 minutes to an hour- really take it in, enjoy it. These are the types of moments that come so rare in life- you may never get this opportunity again. This brotherhood, playing for the Stars, what an opportunity. Take it in- no matter how Monday goes, these are the sorts of memories you will have for a lifetime." He paused, and breathed in the moment himself.

"But then- go to bed. Tomorrow, we wake up, we go to church, and then we go to work- on Monday, we're playign for the NSCAA FREAKING CHAMPIONSHIP!" Everybody cheered at that. "And tomorrow- we're putting it in the work. But we've got to be well-rested. One more game boys!"

Aksum State plays for the NSCAA Championship- How they got here

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- It's Monday in Herzegovina City, and the Ultra 64 Championship Game is here. All eyes are on Banija's oldest city, as Aksum State will take on the Rinaldi Naval Academy for a chance to be inducted into NSCAA glory. A lot at stake for both schools, and both nations. Neither school has won one of these before, of course- so a victory here would be huge in that sense. And for both nations, as well. Banija is trying to be the second nation to have three different schools win championships in this competition, with Aksum State joining Loyola-Istria and the University of Moravica, who they just vanquished, as Banijan schools who have won college basketball's ultimate prize. Valanora, meanwhile, is trying to join the list of countries have have multiple schools with championships- a three member club that they want to turn into a four member club.

But today isn't about Banija as a whole- although the country is pretty unified in its support behind Aksum State(with University of Aksum fans divided). It's about Aksum State University, their turn in the spotlight, and their run to play for a NSCAA championship. Let's start the journey, shall we?

Inflection Point 1, before the season- the HC decides to stay at Aksum State instead of leaving for the big money at Northern Moravica

The draw to a NMU, or a Loyola-Istria, in any sport, frankly, for a Banijan college sports coach is hard to deny. It's very, very rare that one of those two schools does not get its coaching target- but that's exactly what happened this past offseason. Aksum State made a bold hire, trying to resurrect its basketball program, and honestly with a more long-term outlook to qualify for NSCAA 17. "Kyagumbo is one of the youngest coaches in college hoops, of course." Said the school's Athletic Director, Yejede Mutoke. "When I made the decision to hire him, I was thinking, hey- this guy can get us on solid footing, be a good recruiter, bring up our reputation, and then get us to a semifinal 3-4 years down the line to qualify for NSCAA 17. But to do things this quickly... Even I was surprised. But he's not only high-flying- he's built the foundations to keep us up here."

It was that kind of early success, taking a team that didn't even make the postseason all the way to the national semifinals, that ensured he would get a call from Northern Moravica. Naturally, like anybody would, he leveraged the offer to get a raise from Aksum State. But besides the raise, the long-term money from NMU was more than Aksum State could match. And even beyond that- general program resources, size of fanbase, big city life v. college town life, NIL resources, alumni base, etc... NMU's just generally a very hard place to say no to. And yet, Kyagumbo did it. "You know, I felt as if we were building something that could be elite far more quickly than anybody else thought." He told reporters. "Aksum State's got a lot of potential- we've just got to untap it. And this year, you can see that we're doing a pretty good job of unlocking the talent in this country."

Contender status confirmed: Aksum State rattles off 14 wins in a row to start the season

Blowing the effort at an undefeated season against Cavsar University, is one way to look at things. Really hard to say effort at an undefeated season if they didn't get halfway there- but they were the second last time to suffer their first loss of the season. The last, of course, being Loyola-Istria(where are they now?). But the expectations weren't super high. Make the Ultra 64, be competitive in conference, naturally- but to be as good as they were, was pretty surprising. They won their first 14 games of the season by an average of over 21 points per game, just showcasing repeated shows of dominance. And yet, somehow, they did so quietly. Bunyoro was getting more public credit for slaughtering teams, Loyola-Istria was a bigger brand and still undefeated. Aksum State, meanwhile, was just putting their heads down and playing elite basketball.

Slogging through the conference tournament: Dramatic wins showcase late-game skills

The rest of the regular season went rather smoothly. They only suffered one more regular season loss- an 81-73 loss, in Quebec, to a very talented South Caddonia team. They won the regular season conference title outright, with a 31-2 record being simply too strong for others to keep pace with. The regular season conference championship, as many will tell you, is the harder one to win. It takes consistency over the course of a long season- the ups and downs, the tiredness, the ability to navigate long periods of time away from home, especially with the 5+ weeks they spent in Quebec. Conference tournaments can get all sorts of wonky- but the regular season, with a triple round robin, might be the truest conference champion.

But winning the conference tournament takes a special set of skills- a better imitation of the Ultra 64. Maybe even a more pressure packed one, of sorts- playing 3 or 4 games in a four day timespan. No time to scout, not much time to adjust opponent to opponent- you've just got to go out there, play your version of ball, dust off the notes from the regular season, and then mostly adjust on the fly. So for ASU to slog their way through this, was great tournament experience. A buzzer beating three as time expires, to win the conference tournament semifinal against Dietrich. The very next day, not even 24 hours later, another physically and mentally exhausting game, against Cavsar. 40 minutes wasn't enough to separate. Not even 45 minutes was enough to separate. But yes- a double OT victory gave them the Stars a double conference championship.

"The conference tournament was critical for us." Said the senior power forward and critical 6th man, Odongo Obura. "It showed us how different tournament basketball can be. The intensity of one and done hoops. We lived on the edge- no luck involved, but we made the plays in the critical moments. It gave us both the confidence to do that, and the proper approach on how to execute and succeed in those critical moments."

Ultra 64- What a run

Ranoria Regional
First Round: (02) Aksum State University (BNJ) 89–57 (15) Uniwersytet Nowa Kalanianska (UNC)
Second Round: (02) Aksum State University (BNJ) 66–63 (07) South Caddonia University (VAL)
Sweet 16: (02) Aksum State University (BNJ) 82–56 (06) Alexandria University (CAD)
Elite 8: (05) Sabinal State University (VAL) 70–76 (02) Aksum State University (BNJ)

Final Four: (02) Aksum State University (BNJ) 78–69 (05) University of Moravica (BNJ)

The first round win was a big win- but not much worth writing about. A blowout win for a 2 seed in the tournament, in the first round, is generally pretty expected stuff. But think about how treacherous the path was from there.

South Caddonia was in the same conference as Aksum State. South Caddonia was actually not only one of the two teams to beat Aksum State on the season, alongside Cavsar- but the Vanorian school actually won the last time these two teams met. So this matchup was pegged as a pretty big one for the second round, and it was a game that absolutely delivered. A low scoring, defensive battle, a game where neither team shot over 25% from 3. A physical battle- a game straight out of yesteryear. We hit a 3 late, and then defended like our lives depended on it to survive and advance.

Second weekend, we get the defending champions, Alexandria U. Not an easy matchup, at all- but the Stars flew through it, flying out of the gates with crazy defense to reach a 26 point victory. That was when people really started to take them seriously as contenders. "I mean, I expected them to win- but like that? To take out the champions like that? It was a hell of an impressive win- and it really showed the world that Aksum State was really part of the best 8- and they were not #8." And in a tournament where all four one seeds just completley and utterly collapsed, it was another Vanorian school in their way, ahead of another Final Four appearance. And they earned a tight win over Sabinal State to get here.

And then, the win over the University of Moravica. Name of the game, was getting easy buckets. The defense was elite- Moravica honestly made it closer than it looked. They hit what seemed to be an extraordinary number of high degree difficulty shots- but the Aksum State offensive system was just dicing apart the Golden Bears defense. They scored 78 total points- and 56 of them were in the paint. Getting themselves layups, and dunks, were paramount. Alley-oops, fastbreaks, etc... This was a team that was locked in, and eager to prove that they were the best team in the country. And now that is proven beyond the shadow of the doubt- can they next prove that they are the best college basketball team in the competition?

The path here has been tough. Two former champions, including the defending champion. A conference rival, who had beaten them the last time they played. And Sabinal State- a consistent elite program in their own right. Their third Vanorian opponent- we all know what happened the last two times a college championship game happened on Banijan soil, and a Banijan and Vanorian team competed against each other. And the time before that, as well.

Rinaldi Naval Academy, on the other hand, may have had an even tougher path. They were a 5 seed, despite winning their conference. And look at who they've beaten in the tournament. A 4 seed, the #1 overall seed, maybe the next tournament favorites in Ducentu State, and then another former champion, the University of Hondo, from their own country, in the semifinal. "Rinaldi Naval are clearly among the best of the best- the list of elite programs whose season they have ended is staggering." Said a Banijan college hoops TV analyst. "The Midshipmen have no flash at all. They play consistent defense, are crazy disciplined, and mentally tougher than maybe any other team in the competition. And these aren't future pros, either- future soldiers. It's a spectacular championship matchup."

And Herzegovina City will be a fantastic host. Aksum State fans, of course, will be the lion's share of the fans in the building- Aksum is a bordering region to Moravica, and so it's not that hard to get to Banija's oldest city. Aksum State has cancelled classes on Monday night, and all day Tuesday, and are hosting a watch party on campus for those who aren't going to the game. Aksum State fans are going in droves- all sorts of Aksum businesses are closing on Monday and Tuesday, with employees leaving for Herzegovina City. But it's fairly close to Valanora, as well- so expect fans of the Midshipmen to come out to the game. With the Naval Academy being a military school, expect some sort of military honor as well.

Interestingly enough, Banija's Ambassador to Valanora is an graduate of Aksum State University- a random stroke of luck. Ergo, there's an Aksum State watch party happening at the Banijan Embassy in Raynor City, as well.

Can Aksum State win it all? Or will Rinaldi Naval Academy find glory on Banijan soil, just like both Mar Sara Tech and Raynor U gridiron have done in years past? All we know, is this- it will be a fascinating championship game. Nothing less than sporting immortality, and the ultimate grand prize of this competition, is at stake. The competition, shall be fantastic.

by **Valanora** » Sat May 03, 2025 8:27 pm

The Naval Academy at Rinaldi has always been something of just an afterthought for most Vanorians when they have followed the NSCAA, always a difficult out for whoever they are playing against during the conference portion and then in the Ultra 64 when they made it. However there is no glitz, there is no glamor, there is nothing remarkably appealing about the way that the Midshipmen play the game to garner much attention outside of the locals and their own coaching staff. They are a collection of undersized players who play keen attention to detail, they are marshaled to play tight defense, and they simply do not know when to say die even when they ought to. It is that indomitable energy and military drilled precision that is exactly the how and why they have been able to defy all the odds and have turned over schools who have far more talent and attention on them and yet each and every game has seen the team from the Naval Academy come out as the victor, each victory being more incredible and unbelievable than the last and yet still they stand.

Perhaps the biggest shock would come here in Banija as they were taking on fellow Vanorian school in the University of Hondo, the Owls being the sole former champion from the Empire and seemingly believing that if they played their game that they were going to have a chance to double theirs and the nation's tally. From top to bottom, the Owls have the better players and actually are able to play ten players deep where the Midshipmen basically only play eight men deep, not relying much on either of the sophmore guards. While almost all Vanorian schools are usually undersized compared to their opposition, in this game it was a rare instance where the Owls actually were more physically imposing than the team from Rinaldi. With a six foot ten center playing as the defensive stalwart to make up for any defensive frailties the rest of the team might have, the Owls were daring the Midshipmen, as well as all of their previous opponents, to try and beat them from the outside where they thought their press defense would be enough to get them over the edge along with their own sharpshooters.

Yet when the might of the Midshipman's unothodox half court press was brought on to them, Hondo's sharpshooting guards were finding it difficult to get an open look or even get clean pass through. Rinaldi's precision defense was making every possession a struggle for the Owls and they were failing to live up to the test in the first half of the game while the Naval Academy was shooting over fifty-six percent from the field, going eightteen from thirty-two and opening up a ten point advantage at the half, thirty-eight to twenty-eight. Runar Nervik was working the post and employing plenty of hooks and fall back jumpers to lead all scorers with ten as well as six rebounds, using better athleticism to get the best of Daniel Fjeldstad despite being three inches shorter. The Owls had an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers with seven in the first half, with Eiril Rørvik going four from six from the field to lead Hondo with eight points and why they were still within touching distance at the break. The senior guard was fighting with all she had to keep the team still within striking range as long as they could solve the riddle of Rinaldi's defense in the second half.

She would light up the court in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the second half not just for Hondo but for the entire game as the Owls closed the gap to just two points. Yet one magnificent player is not enough to overcome the fierce tenacity of Rinaldi's defense and as they adjust their coverage to double team the guard, the rest of the Owls offense could not keep up the same pace and Rinaldi started to hit their shots once more, opening the gap back up to eight points. It was taking a lot of effort to try and keep Hondo underwraps but eventually the Owls best started to get rolling but yet the Midshipmen's own offense took flight and the two sides started exchanging buckets. It was not to be for the Owls as the time started to tick down on their season and they could not bring the gap closer than six and as they resorted to giving up free throws in the last minute, Mathilde Tufte would hit five of six and Rinaldi would even as nine point winners over their Vanorian brothers and sisters to advance to the championship game.

They are perhaps the least likely of the eight Vanorian teams to make it this far but it is hard to argue against them not having earned their place in getting to the championship game here in Banija, a nation which has seen many different underdog and unassuming Vanorian teams arrive and escape with championships they did not expect to win from outset. The Midshipmen will look to add their name to that list of contingent but it is one last impossible task that is lining up on the opposite side that stands before them, the Banija school Aksum State University. Both teams sported nine point wins over the more favored school from their home nation in the semifinals and both teams will be looking to etch their name as champions for the first time. For Rinaldi, it would make it the second time a Vanorian school would have lifted the trophy, while a victory for Aksum would be a fourth different school from the host nation to win the tournament. After defeating number one seed and Ultra 64 favorite Loyola-Istria in the Sweet Sixteen and then Ducentu State in the Elite Eight, before defeating Hondo in the semifinals, Rinaldi has run the gauntlet. They are battle tested and well disciplined, ready to take up the challenge though the home fans will be making it difficult and giving a boost to Aksum. Can the Midshipmen show for one last time that it is defense that wins championships or will the more talented Banija side find a way to earn a victory in front of a cheering crowd?

NSCAA 16 - Roleplays

(preemptive apology to any Catholics)

Mascot Bracket / Conference Breakdown

Thorne XXI

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