Oops, I posted this in the wrong thread:
The omission of Shane Van Boening is very disheartening but understandable, not shocking given his decision to opt out of the intended boot camp training.
Similarly, the omission of Mike Dechaine, one of America's three best along with Justin Bergman and Shane Van Boening, is understandable in view of the fact that Mike is semi-retired from competition. Yes, on the occasions that Mike competes he still shows very strong form, but that shouldn't be enough. Finally, Mike has a job now, and he would be highly unlikely to commit to attending the boot camp.
I'd call the inclusion of Hatch on the list as a surprise, given his disgraceful and unprofessional behavior in the last Mosconi Cup when he refused to shake Filler's hand after their match, even after Johann came inside the playing area to try to fix it. Hatch's inclusion on the list forces me to laugh at Johann's statement "We know what we are looking for in a player that represents the United States in the Mosconi Cup; professionalism, maximum commitment and focus, and a good team-spirited mentality." None of this means Hatch, a very fine and skillful player, won't be selected, but it appears that the stated criteria for selection are nonsense of the highest order.
I am delighted to see Josh Roberts' name on the list. Josh is sometimes under the radar, but he's a very good player in the clutch. Donny Mills is probably one of the five best on this list.
I am further pleased to see young dynamos like Tyler Styer and Chris Robinson on the list of those being considered, but find it unlikely that either will show the kind of form in 2018 that will merit serious consideration.
The omission of Jeremy Sossei, owner of two different bronze medals in the Derby City 9-ball event (which typically has a field of 400), and who beat and eliminated Klenti Kaci in the Ocean States Championhship, is disappointing.
If Johann repeats the 2017 mistake of not picking Justin Bergman, Team USA will go to bat without all three of its top players, and Matchroom will certainly not have an event that pits the best of America against the best of Europe. Strangely enough, even then, Matchroom will find a way to make it a great event, because they always do!
