Mosconi Team Predictions for 2014

jhanso18

jhanso18

Broken Lock
Silver Member
I'm just curious what your thoughts are. I've been hearing a lot of chirping about team selection. Here's my prediction for team USA.

Shane VanBoening
Adam Behnke
Chris Bartrum
Skyler Woodward
Landon Shuffet


Based on what I've been hearing, and some of the stuff I've read. The team will look something like this. It WILL NOT have a bunch of guys, just showing up for a free roll. It will be young, HUNGRY, and ready to take on the world's best.

I like this team above, enough age to be seasoned, enough youth to be hungry, and MORE THAN ENOUGH TALENT TO GET THE JOB DONE!!!

I'm still not a big buyer on the MC, but with a team like this I would be compelled to watch.

Thoughts welcome,
 
Though it is still quite early and anything can happen later this year, my prediction for two would be Landon and Shane for sure. The rest are up in the air. :smile:
 
After watching Jesse Engel in the bonus ball I would vote on him getting a spot as well.
 
Justin Bergman just won a tournament in California, which was a pretty tough field. It was the 6th Annual Chuck Markulis Memorial Tournament at Hard Times Billiards of Sacramento. Filipino champion Carlo Biado took second.

Not bad, America! USA, all the way! :D
 
I was trying to think of Bergman's last name, but I'd toss him in there.

I throw in Behnke because he plays a lot like Shane, and is a stone cold killa! That kid has ice in his veins, and use to travel with Shane quite a bit.

O yeah, almost forgot... HE BREAKS LIKE A MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Behnke has one of the best breaks I've ever seen. Right up there with SVB's when working good.)

The one thing we need to make sure every guy can do is BREAK!!!! They can all run out, the break will make a HUGE difference.
 
I think you need to see a little more "seasoning" from some of the people on that list.

I think Bergman is creating a spot. Let's see how more of the year pans out.
 
prediction

Shane Van Boening
Mike Dechaine
Justin Bergman

pick any 2 from:

Oscar Dominguez
Hunter Lombardo
Jesse Engel
 
JAM said:
Though it is still quite early and anything can happen later this year, my prediction for two would be Landon and Shane for sure. The rest are up in the air. :smile:
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I have only seen Landon play professionally ONE time! A slot based on ONE performance??? I hope not! I watch a ton of pool and he beat Earl and then lost if memory serves me correct? It would be like saying Shuff should get a slot because he beat Orcollo a year or so ago on his way to 2nd place in the Bigfoot 10 ball. Right now Shuff ain't playing well after changing cues.

Landon just getting a slot based out of thin air would undermine the spirit and new direction they are heading into.

KD
 
Kid Dynomite said:
I have only seen Landon play professionally ONE time! A slot based on ONE performance??? I hope not! I watch a ton of pool and he beat Earl and then lost if memory serves me correct? It would be like saying Shuff should get a slot because he beat Orcollo a year or so ago on his way to 2nd place in the Bigfoot 10 ball. Right now Shuff ain't playing well after changing cues.

Landon just getting a slot based out of thin air would undermine the spirit and new direction they are heading into.

KD
Click to expand...

I had thought he was under Mark Wilson's tutelage at Lindenwood, which is kind of why I figured him to be a shoe-in. :)
 
JAM said:
I had thought he was under Mark Wilson's tutelage at Lindenwood, which is kind of why I figured him to be a shoe-in. :)
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From what I know of the man, I believe Mark's selection criteria will be far more sophisticated than one based on limited results or his current collegiate team's roster.
 
Mark intends to come up with a list of players and then have them play together to see who is good for the team dynamics and who is not...

The only guy who he said was likely a lock was Shane...

Landon, Bergman, Skyler are all up for consideration as is Oscar....

Also mentioned were Joey Gray, Beau Runningen (sp?), Justin Hall

Shuff should have a 2nd chance imho... I like DeChaine as part of it as well but I know I am in the minority...

They want 8 solid options and will take 5 based on how they work together...

Should be an interesting year...

Do I think we WIN?? Absolutely not... Do I think we COMPETE? Not really...

But I do think we can compete in 2-3 years taking this approach...

Much has to be done and seeded to have a harvest that yields Euro caliber professional players.. The biggest hurdle Mark will face is turning some of them into professionals.. They are already players....

Chris
 
Wilson needs guys who can handle big pressure moments. Many of the guys named in this and the other thread in the main forum currently are of guys that are great players no doubt, but do they have any history of success under great duress? I know the idea is to go younger but honestly if the guy has never won big events, never successfully played a big$$ ahead set on a live stream or has otherwise not gone under the crucible of matching up regularly with guys that play the speed of the euro team then its gonna be big problems under the brights lights in london. You cant just fabricate that level of pressure that will be there in London from 6 months of diligent practice by players leading up to this event.

Under that basis, I think you need players who have been
1) Actively playing fulltime and testing themselves under pressure at every opportunity. If they have school, if they have another job, if they have something they would rather be doing and are usually out doing instead of pool, then I question their candidacy.
2) prior history of achieving under great duress. I dont think Mark can tap someone to be on the team who has zero history of winning a major event. To expect someone who has never succeeded in the rarified air of a Major event to do well in the hostile environment as the away team in the MC is likely to end badly.
3) The team needs to be unified and not have decisive egos that will distract the team.

Under those three criteria I think you have
SVB
Oscar
Bergman

and the rest of the team Im not sure about. Corey I think is well deserving of consideration. I think that the team should consider adding one player on the roster that is a veteran for leadership. Archer would be my choice.
 
I think it will be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Domingeuez, Jeremy Sossei, Joey Gray and Landon Shuffet.


I think it should be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Dominguez, Mike Dechaine, Justin Hall and coinflip between Chris Bartram/Justin Bergman.
 
cleary said:
I think it will be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Domingeuez, Jeremy Sossei, Joey Gray and Landon Shuffet.


I think it should be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Dominguez, Mike Dechaine, Justin Hall and coinflip between Chris Bartram/Justin Bergman.
Click to expand...



EIther of these would be strong teams, but I'm guessin Oscar and Mike get passed over. Mike D. is Mike D., and because he doesn't usually play nice with others, will get passed over. Oscar, I'm not sure why, but I just don't think he'll get on the final team, even though he should.

I would like to see this team go:

SVB
Behnke
Bartrum
Skyler
Oscar or Bergman

I seriously think we need big breakers. We need guys that can match SVB's break.(or at least get close.) We can't out shoot the Euro's, maybe match them tit for tat. I do think we have a chance to out break them. Not all these guys have a huge break, but with a little help from Marc, Shane, and Adam, I think we could tune up the break for ALL of these guys. Bring these guy in smashing racks, and we got a shot.
 
BasementDweller said:
Not sure about going all young.

How about:

SVB
Dechaine
Bergman

And a couple of classy veterans:
Robles
Eberle
Click to expand...


BJTyler said:
Shane Van Boening
Mike Dechaine
Justin Bergman

pick any 2 from:

Oscar Dominguez
Hunter Lombardo
Jesse Engel
Click to expand...

You guys are on the right track. There are three guys that are head and shoulders above al other American players right now, and they are Shane, Mike D, and Justin B.

After that, it's not so easy.

cleary said:
I think it will be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Domingeuez, Jeremy Sossei, Joey Gray and Landon Shuffet.

I think it should be:

Shane Van Boening, Oscar Dominguez, Mike Dechaine, Justin Hall and coinflip between Chris Bartram/Justin Bergman.
Click to expand...

Another guy who gets it. It should be the guys who have, at times, been able to take down the superstars of the game in the rotation pool disciplines.

Obviously Shane. Mike D has beaten Shane in each of the last two DCC 9-ball events and has top tens in each of the 2013 DCC 9-ball, 2013 Players Championship, 2013 Ultimate 10-ball, 2013 US Open 10-ball, 2013 US Open 9-ball, and 2014 DCC 9-ball. Justin Bergman just snapped off the event at Hard Times Sacramento including beating world beater Carlo Biado in the finals. Oscar and Justin looked solid at the Derby, and Bartrum is of proven pedigree.

Yup, that's who it should be if we want guys who have demonstrated the ability to beat the giants f the game.
 
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