I live in Minnesota and first started seeing SVB around 2004-2005. The IPT was kicking off and all the good players were busting out their 8 ball game. SVB came to MN to play some big table 8 ball with Jimmy Wetch. We all thought Jimmy would have the best of it as 8 ball is one of his better games, but SVB continued to get the job done.
Then in October 2005, just before the US Open, Lee Heuwagen played him a few sets. Lee won two, lost one, then quit up a set. He said his eyes were bothering him. SVB went on to take 25th that year.
My impression was the level SVB was playing at in the 04-05 range was strong, but it wasn't dominant. I didn't get the feel that he ran around playing at that level for years and stealing from everyone. I got the feel that he got to be a very strong up and comer, spent a year or two showing serious promise, then something clicked in his mind and suddenly the game was completely solved. Almost like that year or two on the road not only made him a better player, it allowed him to SEE he was the better player than the competition. One night in SD he must have stared at the ceiling and realized that he could beat everyone, and had a vision of how it could look. Then in 2006 he executed the plan.
To this day the match with Corey is one of the most legendary moments in pool. The moment a king took his reign. I still get shudders watching that match. Right around then he won the world 10 ball, then the US Opens started falling. At first it was just "he's running good" or "he has a great break", and maybe at first that might have some truth to it. His post break game wasn't at the level of Alex's or some of the other top players. But he DID break at another level, right during a time when 10 ball was the main game. And he did have confidence and determination. And then right around the time everyone was waiting for his reign to end, he elevated the rest of his game and his kicking, defense, and game management shot to the top. Popping off one pocket tournaments even. And by the time he'd won the fourth or fifth open pretty much everyone in the world got it (except for a few people that think he's not in the conversation because he lost a finals match in the world championship).
Well, the rest is history and you guys know all of this, I just think it's such a story I got a little carried away retelling it!
