This is the second one

Big Ronnie Ray Mack is discussing the upcoming Ultra 64 Round One of Collegiate Basketball. He analyzes the teams, starting with the Nico Strato Naval Academy vs. University of Wisdom Walangamata Bay Wallabies. He highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each team and predicts a victory for Nico Strato. He then discusses the Alexandria University vs. College of Portside Mariners matchup, emphasizing the playmaking abilities of D'Angelo Fox and the defensive skills of Tom Parliaments. He predicts a victory for Alexandria University. Next, he talks about the Costa Alto Military Academy Jets vs. Renorian College Ricksonburg State University game, focusing on the skills of Carl Wentz and Blake DiAgostino, and predicts a victory for Costa Alto. Finally, he discusses the LeBlanc Santora University BSU Broncos as the number two seeded team and discusses their missed opportunity to be number one. Good evening, my beautiful listeners, my wonderful followers, people of all nations coming in once more to listen to big Ronnie Ray Mack coming to you live to discuss the upcoming Ultra 64 Round One of Collegiate Basketball. That's right. It is that time for the big dance, the big tournament, the biggest of dances, some would say. It's the stages where stars are made, dreams come true, and somebody wins and somebody go home. There are seven Cardinalen teams participating as the eighth team, the Sargara Technical Institute Penetrators, yes, the STI Penetrators, went out in a blazing flame of glory, not even close to making it to the tournament. So sucks for them. Hopefully their fans are able to choose another Cardinalen team to support. But for this show, we're going to go ahead and look at every game coming up and just kind of touch on some hot points and examine, you know, who we think will emerge as the victors. So let's get right into it. First off, we have the 17th seeded Nico Strato Naval Academy going up against the 48th seeded University of Wisdom Walangamata Bay Wallabies of Tijunia. Tijunia? Tijunia? Who knows? They're a good team, but the better team, the Nico Strato Naval Academy, flying draw conference champions, 358 point differential. This is a good team. I mean, what else do you have to say when you win a championship? That's when you know that you're good. Surprisingly, they did lose out in the championship tournament. So that could kind of pose some questions about their ability to deal with the tournament style of play, which will obviously be important heading into this. But let's look at the regular season, where over the course of 26 games, they won 22 while scoring 2,076 points and conceding 1,718. So they're a good team who knows how to create opportunities, work their way to the hoop, and score the ball. Point guard Dwayne Chen really needs to be at his best here. He's very agile, very shifty, a great jibbler, but he really needs to be a scorer as well as a facilitator in this game going up against the Wallabies. I love what he does when he twists and euro steps and does all that, but these games are a must win, so he needs to be putting up the ball on a consistent basis, trying to find a shot, trying to get some buckets. That will be key for victory. But overall, for the Naval Academy, I think what they really need to do is clean the glass, make sure you're getting rebounds, create those second chance opportunity points, protect the ball when you have it, don't be giving it up cheaply, don't be making bad throwaways, and then create and convert those close two point chances. You really don't want to make it too difficult for yourself. Why do that? You know, get close, get high percentage shots, make it easy. Looking at the Wallabies, their mascot, Wally, the waltzing Matilda, I mean, who the hell are these guys? Like, Wally, the waltzing Matilda? What? Well, they're good enough to be in the tournament, but when you look at their point differential over the regular season, only a plus 43 point differential. That's really bad. Not sure how else to say that. It shows that they are barely really squeaking through, or they're getting beaten by a lot when they do lose. Either way, not ideal if you're one of their supporters, but the plus side, they have this freshman point guard, Samuel Doriga, he's nice, okay? This is a player who does a great job, very explosive, very powerful athlete, knows how to get his head up, keep his head up when he's dribbling, can scan the floor, really does well at scanning and identifying the lane to get into the hoop, you know? He knows how to size up the situation, where he needs, how he needs to dribble, where he needs to run to, how he can move to make his way to the basket. So that'll be a good matchup to watch, but overall, I really feel comfortable saying that this should be an Nicos Stratto victory. It really comes down to their ability to execute their game plan, for Dwayne Chen to be moving the ball efficiently and smartly, and to be putting up good shots, and for the team to continue their strategy of just playing smart basketball. It's all you have to do, don't have to make it too complicated. So I give the advantage to Nicos Stratto. Looking at our next team, we have the 24-seeded Alexandria University. The Calaunea Conference Tournament runners-up, going up against the 41st-seeded College of Portside Mariners, again, of Tijuna. Alexandria, eight losses over the course of the tournament, excuse me, over the course of the regular season, not that great, but the plus 203-point differential, it's a little bit better. You've got the sophomore point guard, D'Angelo Fox, he is legit. There's a lot of talk about him entertaining going to the draft, and I totally see why. He's incredibly explosive, he's a reliable shooter, but first and foremost, he's a really pure playmaking point guard. Always has his head up, always looking to play the pass. He really views getting his points and pursuing basket buckets to be kind of secondary. That's a great attitude, you'd really love to have that from your point guard, somebody who understands the value of just playing the role. You're there to be the facilitator, so do it. Speaking of being a facilitator, albeit in a different way, we have senior center Tom Parliaments. He's going to be the key to strong defense, and you know what they say, defense wins championships, so when you've got a guy like Tom holding it down in the center, that gives you a much better opportunity to do that. He's really an anchor, he's a defensive general, if you want to call him that, he's like another coach out there. He calls out matchups, he directs his teammates where to go, and he's tall as shit and has really long arms, so he does a great job at blocking, at deterring shots, at all of that sort of intangible stuff. So that's something that will be key for Alexandria as they move forward in this competition. Well, let's look at the manners. 2,030 points scored, that's really not too bad. They're a good scoring team. They know how to work their way to the hoop, they know how to hit three-point shots. We've seen it on several instances where they run a super clean pick-and-roll game, but when you look at defense, 1,921 points conceded, that means that there's opportunity for Alexandria University, for the swordsmen, to really get in there, slice and dice the defense, and put up some serious points. Senior small forward, Hernando Jotarda, he's a good player. I have a lot of respect for him. He knows how to score across all three levels. He can also pass really nicely, and he's not super selfish, so he's a really great player that I think could give us a lot of problems. But ultimately, I think when you compare the stats, compare the players, you know, I really have to give it to Alexandria University here, and I'm doing my research into the College of Portside Mariners, and it looks like Off to the Sea is their theme song. Well, Alexandria University can certainly help with that. We can send you off to the sea. Here's hoping. Next up on the list, we got number 20, 20th ranked, 20th seated, the Costa Alto Military Academy Jets versus the 45th ranked Renorian College, the Ricksonburg State University, who are a well-coached team with heavy steaming to get their shooters open. They did win 18 games over the course of the season, put up 2,094 points, and conceded 1,859. That's extremely respectable. They've got this 7-foot senior center, Carl Wentz. He's just a tremendous player. Extremely reliable down low, great touch, powerful, broad shoulders, really knows how to buck him down. He's got a big ass caboose that he uses to, you know, seal out his defender and give himself great opportunities. Really, honestly, one of the best centers, probably in the entirety of college basketball. So, look for him to be an issue. Look for Costa Alto to really snap down on him. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cesaro Francife, that caveman-style athlete, to see him play really strict defense, that denial defense. But even that, you know, when you're going up against someone like Carl Wentz, that could be an issue. The Pheasants, they've got a good team, 18 wins. So, you know, they know how to do it. But when you look at Costa Alto, they got 20 wins over the course of the season, put up 2,106 points, 1,840 conceded. That's good enough for 31 more points positive in their point differential, meaning that Costa Alto's point differential was 266 and the Rixenberg Pheasants was 235. So, narrow margins, but in the Alta 64, that's what the name of the game is. It's narrow margins. And we got a guy like sophomore point guard Blake DiAgostino, you know, just an incredibly talented, hyperexplosive athlete, can really just jump out of the entire gym, only six foot tall, but has a crazy vertical, very strong, got great dribbling, lethal from outside. That could be a difference maker in and of itself, just having somebody who is of that caliber as a player, is of that caliber as an athlete, and has that kind of confidence to always bet on themselves to get after it. We're going to see some crazy plays. We're going to see some overconfidence. We're going to see some highlight reel stuff. It's going to go straight down to the wire. These teams are very similar in a lot of aspects, but when you weigh it all, I would have to give it to Costa Alto to pull off the victory. So that, uh, hopefully that goes well. Now, why don't we take a look at the big name? The big one? Yes. LeBlanc, Santora University, the BSU Broncos riding high as the number two seeded team in all of college basketball. If only they hadn't absolutely choked, like all is good and holy and lost that one game. Um, you know, maybe, uh, maybe things would be a little bit better. Maybe they could be the number one seed. That's not the way that it rolls. Still though, they are the big seven conference champions, the second best team in college basketball. And they did that by scoring 2,150 points and only conceding 1,618 for a staggering plus 532 point differential. So this is a team who knows how to score the ball. Obviously, clearly very, very score that at a high level, but they also have an excellent defense. And that's something that gets lost in the weeds. I think not a lot of people talk about how good they are as a defensive team when all the highlights goes to scoring, but, um, it's easy to see why when you have senior small fort Jake Masakano, perhaps the best cardinal in basketball, Carl college basketball player, at least, excuse me. Um, is there anything he can do on both sides of the ball? Great defender, great offensive player, pass, shoot, score, assist, rebound, easy blocks, steals, tight defense. Yeah, you can do it all. So he alone should, I'm, you know, expectations are high. He's made them high. He's pretty cocky, a little too confident. Some people might argue, but I think that's just the way that he plays and that if he doesn't have that confidence and he's going to suffer for it. So keep doing your thing, boy. You've got the freshman point guard and just long gray Vernon. I mean, man, when you put the two of them together, well, we've already seen what happens. We have already seen what happens when you pair two real high level scoring players, you get high tempo passing, lots of scoring. Um, it's just great. We're playing the Cora Guna Colegio Swordfishes, sword, swordfish eye. I don't really know what the plural form of that is, but this is a team that is not good on paper. At least I haven't watched a hit or film. I'd be surprised if you had either, but a plus eight point differential, yikes, 1,900 club points scored, 1,904 conceded. This should be a smash and grab by LeBlois. Uh, sure. Power forward Cristobal Notario is a force to be reckoned. Real strong, smooth, silky athlete, uh, great around the hoop. He's got an incredible sort of finger roll lay-in that he goes to with a very consistent degree of finishing, even in tough shooting situations. But overall, looking at the rest of the team, this should be a really straightforward game for the BSC Broncos, but history has shown us those can be the hardest. So, uh, should be a LeBlois win, but who is to say. Coming up next, we have everybody's favorite, the Cascade Shaveman College, the 42nd seeded team in the competition going up against the 23 seeded Cold Hill University. Cold Hill. Fucking Cold Hill. I am, as a Cardinal, and you see, we have had our fair share of run-ins with Cold Hill University during our time in the, uh, NSCF competition, most notably with Bobby Dials and the BSC Broncos, um, has not gone very well, uh, to put it lightly. Uh, still love you Bobby, but that's, that's the truth. So not super excited at the prospect of facing off against them here in the Ultra 64 tournament. Uh, they have a lot of height. I mean, this is a tall fucking team. Where do they, where do they find all these guys? But I guess it is Renoria. Uh, you know, they're all tall over there, but I mean, they've got a 6'1 point guard, 6'5 shooting guard, 6'6 small forward, 6'8 power forward, and a 7'1 center. I mean, that's just, that's crazy. They're taller than any Cardinal in the team by far. Uh, senior power forward, Craig Paulson, he's a beast. There's no other way to put it. Like, he really knows how, as a power forward, his ability to dribble the ball to, uh, to put it down and maneuver his way to the hoop. He's got a great spin, really powerful explosive dunks. He's an incredible player, and there's no shame in admitting that. It could be difficult, um, for the tradesmen to really grapple with the player of that quality. Uh, maybe Xavi da Costa, maybe he steps in as the center to help out with that. Um, maybe Skyle Rosenthal, uh, the power forward, senior power forward, maybe he helps as well. Maybe they double up. Um, but overall, you know, it's going to be a difficult game. Uh, head coach, Lennart Mayenberg, Lennart, who knows, Mayenberg, uh, he's got a good squad, but you could argue that with 2,099 points scored, 1,829 points conceded, only winning 18 games to go to a fifth place finish in the Flying Jock Conference, which was run by Nico Strato, might I point out, uh, you could argue that they underperformed. Then to lose out to Browderboro Technical Institute in the championship tournament, not really great showing for them over the course of the season. So maybe that's a positive for the tradesmen. Um, but also maybe, you know, they're coming with a point to prove, but either way, the tradesmen get to play against Renorian fans, so that'll be exciting. We know that the Renorians are, um, you know, pretty fascinated with the tradesmen for some weird reason, hopefully good reason, you know, hopefully nothing, uh, uh, questionable in nature. Hopefully good, good reasoning, but hey, you know, I like the tradesmen too, so who's really to say. They've got that point guard, John Franklin Bonaventura, um, great player, knows how to run the ball, knows how to pass it, knows how to set up shots and support himself. Then of course you have the senior center, Xavi da Costa, um, great guy, both sides of the floor. He's an offensive anchor, he's a defensive anchor, everything kind of runs through him in one way or another. They're a real grit and grind team, um, they suck to play against, but man, um, they're not a great team either, really. They play physically tough basketball, they pound the rock to the basket and leave their bruises on defense. We know this, but are they going to be able to deal with the skill, um, and the higher level of play that comes with the Ultra 64 tournament? I do not know, but, um, ah, this is tough for me because I love my Cardinal and teams, I love the tradesmen so much. I fucking love the tradesmen, but Coldhill is a good team, so I think the tradesmen could win under a particular set of circumstances with some things going their way, but realistically I think I've got to give the edge to the Cold, Cold, Hill, Hill, University, University, Buffaloes. Yep, I got to say it, I think the maroon golds, they're going to run away with the win here. So sorry tradesmen, you've had a great season, you've made us all proud, but on to the next one. The 51st seeded New Cardonia State Thunderhawks going up against the 14th seeded Southern Victoriaville University Purple and Whites. Um, they're a fucking tall team again, um, they have a center in particular, he is seven, excuse me, she, Alexia? She is 7'3", urban planning major, great basketball player, 7'3", Jesus. Um, you got to pay special attention too to the 6'5", freshman point guard Morgan Gardner who really took off over, uh, their win over Brad Peck in the final four to get to the title game. Really a solid player, one to watch, um, but really the obvious strength of this team with their height is their close-up shots down close in the paint, um, and they are amazing at cleaning the board, they get a lot of offensive rebounds, so second shot opportunities, and they clean the glass on defensive boards, so this could be difficult for the lowest seeded Cardinalen team, um, in the tournament. Uh, the New Cardonia State Thunderhawks are going to have their work cut out for them this game. They could benefit from a more structured approach maybe, I mean I know that they do the whole live by the three, die by the three thing, but they've got the freshman freak shooting guard Deacon St. John, the football team extraordinaire, so maybe switch things up a little bit, maybe play a more conventional offense and have Deacon be slashing, running to the hoop, using his freak athleticism as a real weapon, um, but I'm not the coach, so what do I know? Southern Victoriaville is a really good team, um, overall I think I'm going to have to give them the edge against New Cardonia State. The Thunderhawks, they play with a lot of heart, they play with a desire to win, but they're just not that great, and that's what it really comes down to, um, and when the margins are this narrow, when the stage is this big, it's the Ultra 64 Tournament, you have to bring it all. I just don't see it happening, but I would love to be surprised. I would love to be surprised. Finally, here we go! The 11th seeded Coosburn College Minors going up against the 54th seeded University of Starksville. Uh, Coosburn, they choked in the five-star league, but they got the revenge against Ray Canucks in the conference championship to win that, so, you know, up yours. Um, love to see that. Congratulations, Coosburn. Senior point guard Castro Calhoun going absolutely nuclear as a three-level scorer. Seemed like he couldn't miss. Step back threes, easy pull-up, even, dare I say it, even beautiful, crisp fadeaways, hitting them all, and he slunk to the hoop. Nice little layups, a couple sweet dunks, can really do it all, and they need him to continue that going up against Starksville. Uh, Coosburn, 2,102 points scored, 1,832 points conceded. Shows their strength as a defensive team, that is their focus. Um, so they're going to really need to play defensively at a high level. No room for error, so freshman Zach McDaniels at center, you gotta just play the best ball of your life. Um, no other way to put it, same with you, excuse me, Drew Christopherson. They're usually more of a face-up scorer, now we need you to be a lockdown defender at the power forward position, so, uh, would really appreciate that. When you look at the University of Starksville, the red and golds, they have three starting seniors, they're small, excuse me, they're shooting guard, small forward, and they're center, so this is a team with a lot of experience, a lot of veteran leadership, very calm, level handed mentality, so, um, could be a difficult game for Coosburn, in all honesty. This is a team with a ton of height, um, they have a tall starting five, they have a tall last inch, um, you can't coach height, so that is something that could pose a bit of a problem to a smaller Cardinalen team. Um, Starksville, the red and golds, 2,120 points scored, means they have a really good offense, and less than 1,900 points conceded means they have a really good defense too. Um, so I'm surprised to see that this team lost eight games, but that's just the nature of college basketball, you know, you can play hard, you can run all your plays exactly how you run, you can have your shots fall, and you can still end up losing the game. That's just the way that it goes. So, I do give the advantage to the Coosburn college minors from Cardinal in this game against Starksville, but, uh, you know, it's college basketball, baby, who's to say what could happen? So, that's how I feel about all the Cardinalen teams going up against this tournament, um, pretty positive for the most part. I think there were two or three, um, that I gave to the competition. I think they might have a better team, but I do think on any given night, um, any Cardinalen team could beat any other college basketball team. Um, they just have great folks, great characters, real scrappy, real junkyard dogs who, uh, you know, get out there and just live to defeat the opposition. So, I'm wishing them all the best of luck. I hope to see seven victories in seven games, but we'll find out. But this is big Ronnie Raynac signing off one more time. Love you. Sleep tight. Let's get the victory.