Mark Wilson says Mike Dechaine is "perhaps the finest player in the US"
- Thread starter BRussell
- Start date
Heck yeah! Time to redeem yourself Fireball!
Edited because I can't read. Note: captain's pick is not picked as captain.
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He is saying... never mind.
Captain's pick = The two players who didn't make it on the team by points but are instead freely chosen by captain Wilson. I'm not talking about Mike becoming the captain lol.
Yes I did get that wrong, I read them as reverse as in picked as captain.
Well... grammatically speaking...
1. Tonight in the Lindenwood Billiards Arena we have perhaps the finest player in the U.S. training and playing with the Lions, Mike DeChaine.
2. Tonight in the Lindenwood Billiards Arena we have perhaps the finest player in the U.S., training and playing with the Lions, Mike DeChaine.
These two sentences mean two different things. Not that I have a clue what Mark Wilson meant to say.
Is Mike D going to need a captains pick to get in, or is he in the running via points? I am a bit unclear on whos where in the points race.
Tonight,in the Lindenwood Billiards Arena, Mike DeChaine,perhaps the finest player in the U.S.,is training and playing with the Lions.
Just my humble opinion.:grin-square:
On the home page of AZB there is a BCA ranking, which I think is how they are once again picking the Mosconi spots.
IMO this means Mike D is on the team. Johnnyt
After 5 of the 9 points events, here are the top 16 players:
1. Shane Van Boening -- 53 points
T2. Justin Bergman -- 30
T2. Scott Frost -- 30
4. Jeremy Sossei -- 29
5. Sky Woodward -- 25
6. Corey Deuel -- 24
7. Oscar Dominguez -- 19
8. Brian Deska -- 15
T9. Steve Knoll -- 14
T9. Danny Olson -- 14
T11. Mike Dechaine -- 13
T11. Joshua Roberts -- 13
T11 Alex Olinger -- 13
14. Brandon Shuff -- 12
15. Rodney Morris -- 10
16. Johnny Archer -- 9
The remaining 4 points events are: US Open 10-Ball, US Open 8-Ball, Turning Stone, and US Open 9-Ball.
2strong4u
Banned
9 of those guys have no business being in front of Dechaine. There's not enough money in pool for Mike to travel much out of the Northeast.
You'd pick just as good a team by putting 20 names in a hat and having a monkey pick 5 names. The next Mosconi will make the last team look like allstars.
Mike is not America's best, but instead second to Shane. It's really not that close, either.
Along with SVB, Mike is the only American that frequently takes down the giants of European pool, which is, of course, the most important qualification for a member of Team USA. In the US Open, Dechaine beat Hohmann Drago, and World 9-ball runner-up Albin Ouschan. In the just completed SBE 10-ball, he beat Immonen and Hohmann and eliminated both. Against the top Americans, he has won his last three matches with SVB (2013 DCC 9-ball, 2014 DCC 9-ball, 2014 Turning Stone), he beat Bergman at both the US Open and the Steinway Classic 10-ball. Finally, he beat Justin Hall at the US Open.
His progress and pedigree as an all-around player is obvious to anyone who pays attention to the major events of American pool.
1st in the 2014 Ginky Memorial, beating Immonen in the final
5th in the 2014 Dragon Straight Pool event, narrowly losing to eventual champion Appleton
1st in the 2014 Ocean States, over a field that included Shaw, Strickland, and Sossei.
Top 10 in the last three US Open 9-ball events, 4th place in 2014
Top 10 in three of the last four Derby City 9-ball events, including two 3rd place finishes
1st in the Derby City American Rotation event
2nd in the 2015 Derby City 1-pocket event
4th at 2015 Super Billiards Expo 10-ball event
A comparison of any American player not named Shane on a 9-footer is silly, although Justin Hall is certainly in the conversation.
The countless Dechaine haters, so many of whom reside right here on AZB, will surely not concur, but if we don't send Mike to the Mosconi, we're not sending our best.
Along with SVB, Mike is the only American that frequently takes down the giants of European pool, which is, of course, the most important qualification for a member of Team USA. In the US Open, Dechaine beat Hohmann Drago, and World 9-ball runner-up Albin Ouschan. In the just completed SBE 10-ball, he beat Immonen and Hohmann and eliminated both. Against the top Americans, he has won his last three matches with SVB (2013 DCC 9-ball, 2014 DCC 9-ball, 2014 Turning Stone), he beat Bergman at both the US Open and the Steinway Classic 10-ball. Finally, he beat Justin Hall at the US Open.
His progress and pedigree as an all-around player is obvious to anyone who pays attention to the major events of American pool.
1st in the 2014 Ginky Memorial, beating Immonen in the final
5th in the 2014 Dragon Straight Pool event, narrowly losing to eventual champion Appleton
1st in the 2014 Ocean States, over a field that included Shaw, Strickland, and Sossei.
Top 10 in the last three US Open 9-ball events, 4th place in 2014
Top 10 in three of the last four Derby City 9-ball events, including two 3rd place finishes
1st in the Derby City American Rotation event
2nd in the 2015 Derby City 1-pocket event
4th at 2015 Super Billiards Expo 10-ball event
A comparison of any American player not named Shane on a 9-footer is silly, although Justin Hall is certainly in the conversation.
The countless Dechaine haters, so many of whom reside right here on AZB, will surely not concur, but if we don't send Mike to the Mosconi, we're not sending our best.
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Truer words were never spoken.
Mike has really cleaned up his act. Before, he used to come off as snobbish and unapproachable, and I was sort of intimidated whenever I saw him at Steinway.
A couple months ago I approached him and asked why he didn't attend the USBTC or World 10 Ball in the Phillipines, and he responded politely and I respected his decision and reasoning. Class act and complete 180 from everything I've heard about him from others.