Top Ten US 9/10 ball players
- Thread starter #Cruncher
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Thinking someone is the fav doesn't mean it's a good idea to stake them. Being the favorite is different than being the 2:1ish favorite.
http://www.azbilliards.com/tours_an...440-us-open-9-ball-championship-2010/results/
When has Brandon Shuff ever had a finish like that in a field like that? Ever? I looked at Shuff and I cannot see a single finish of real note. He tortures local tours, gets mid range finishes in some minor pro level events, and has never threatened to win a world class event.
Granted Deuel has not done huge things of late other than winning 20k in the smoking aces 9-ball event. He is a huge underachiever given his natural talent. But he does not deserve to be ranked lower then a guy who has never even really stepped out and proven he is in the upper tier, and I just don't see where Shuff has ever done that.
Let be honest about things, what has Archer really done to amaze in the last few years or belong on the list? He is still on my list of the US top ten players, but it is mostly because you have some pretty marginal options to replace the old worn out semi retired champs, and Shuff does not get it done.
Shuff vs Deuel in a race to 80 or in a race to 13 US Open 9-ball match? Yeah I am taking Deuel even in that all day. If Shuff wins that match it IS an upset.
I would guess your list is based on recent tournament history but IMO I'm not sure these are the top 10 rotation players in the US more so the top 10 that are out there grinding it out.
If the motivation were right and these guys were out on a real tour, I think some of these 'honorable mention' players would end up in your top ten for sure. I'm sure there are more, just off the top of my head:
Corey
Hennesse
Earl
Bartram
Keith Bennet
Donny Mills
Hatch
Stevie Moore
Larry Nevel
Robb Saez
Tony Watson
Shawn Putnam
Mike Davis
I read through the whole thread, and I think your list is by far the best for 2015.
Not too knowledgeable here.
Hatch was the best player in the Northeast from 2009-11, absolutely dominating the Joss Northeast Tour. He was also Mosconi Cup MVP in 2009, the last winning year for Team USA. Still, that was a long time ago and who played well five years ago is of no real import as far as assessing who plays well today.
Within the last year, however, in the last Steinway 10-ball Classic on real tables (not bar-boxes), Dennis Hatch finished second to Warren Kiamco in a field that included Evgeny Stalev, Shane Van Boening, Jeremy Sossei, Mike Davis, John Morra, Jayson Shaw, Mike Dechaine, Mika Immonen, Justin Bergman and Earl Strickland. It was one of the toughest fields of the year in 2014 on American soil.
Hatch doesn't compete that much anymore, but that's what he's done of late on the big tables against elite competition.
Hatch, I believe, would crush Deuel in a long race on a big table.
stand corrected
After further review, I would agree to substitute Earl out and Jeremy in on my initial list. I did say 2015, and while Earl did show some flashes of brilliance in the last several years, I made this a "what have you done for me lately" list and the 5 us opens don't carry as much weight as I wished they did. Now how about a Corey Hatch match for the 10 spot. Sweet, right?
After further review, I would agree to substitute Earl out and Jeremy in on my initial list. I did say 2015, and while Earl did show some flashes of brilliance in the last several years, I made this a "what have you done for me lately" list and the 5 us opens don't carry as much weight as I wished they did. Now how about a Corey Hatch match for the 10 spot. Sweet, right?
Take a bow for a good thread with solid input from many.
Among Americans (using the USA-only definition), Corey finished in the following positions (including ties):
2013 Turning Stone XX -- 5th
2013 SBE Players Championship -- 2nd
2013 US Open 9-Ball -- 6th
2014 DCC 9-Ball -- 5th
2014 CSI Invitational 10-Ball -- 1st (only 3 USA players entered)
2014 US Open 9-Ball -- 5th
2013 Turning Stone XX -- 5th
2013 SBE Players Championship -- 2nd
2013 US Open 9-Ball -- 6th
2014 DCC 9-Ball -- 5th
2014 CSI Invitational 10-Ball -- 1st (only 3 USA players entered)
2014 US Open 9-Ball -- 5th
Corey didn't win the 10 ball invitational last year
"Among Americans ..."
Sorry- I need to read more closely
In the CSI 10-ball, in which the Ko brothers both reached the final, Deuel played just three matches, winning two. He didn't get out of the elimination stage of the sixteen man event.
Let face it, to be one of the five or six highest finishing American finishers in an event is a trivial accomplishment. Corey isn't really one of the US players to watch anymore except in one pocket.
I respect your opinion but very much disagree on this. He may not take the game as serious as he once did but he's 3 months of practice from top 5 US player status again.
People lose focus and can only grind these tournaments out so much before they either stop going or don't prepare the way they used to. It's not lack of talent keeping Corey from winning big table events these days.
I agree and this year I believe he has more prize money than svb
Albeit most in bar tables but still tough field
The question was nine ball and depending on the rack situation Corey may well be a favorite
Who is capable of becoming one of the ten best American rotation pool players (on real tables, not bar tables) is a very different question than the one posed in this thread.
What you say may well be true. Perhaps if he rededicates himself, Corey can be a top five American rotation games player, but he isn't among the best right now and, given that quite a bit of his attentions are paid to both snooker and one pocket, there's no reason to think that this will ever happen.
I'm not sure we disagree on anything here, Cleary. We both appreciate what kind of rotation games player Corey could be if he wanted it badly enough.
I think they were saying specifically if it's rack your own on his home table, he is tough to beat. SVB is tough to beat anywhere. Not that Donnie is a bad player but in that situation he is better than his average game. I don't know personally exactly how he plays since I've only seen a few matches with him, but form comments that the commentators were making that is what I got out of it.