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christinaengela · 4 years

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I’ve been writing stories basically since I could hold a wax crayon, and as any writer might tell you, any book they’ve created holds a special place of its own in their heart! It’s no less true for me in the case of “Blachart” in that respect because of how that book is a milestone for me! Why? Well, because it was my first completed and published novel, and also because it’s the first of my books to be released as an audiobook!

You may wonder how I wrote “Blachart”, how it got to be what it is now, what the journey was like – and how long it took! To do that, I’ll have to take you back to the beginning!

It all started in 1986 – 34 years ago! I was 12 years old and in my first year of high school – a budding writer who occasionally caught the spotlight in English class for essay and composition writing! That was when I started working on the foundations of what would become “Blachart”.

Back then, however, the story was called “The Red Star” and it featured the some of the same characters (under different names) and the story plot was somewhat different – and if you’ve read “Blachart” and were handed a copy of “The Red Star” circa 1986, you would find it… well, unrecognizable!

In 1987 I’d rewritten the same story into another notebook under the title “Galaxy 1”, sowing the seeds of what was to later become the first title in the Galaxii Series. By 1988, the basic plot had evolved into the more familiar story of a starship Captain (then Mykl Nikolls, not the more familiar Mykl d’Angelo) being rescued from his broken down ship – and the introduction of the formidable Corsairs… and a character then called Black Heart. By 1989 I already had a good idea of the broader story the series would take – beginning with a back-story called “Galaxy” which would set the scene for the later books. “Galaxy” became “Galaxii” in 1990, and “Blachart would follow on to “Galaxii” in the series… except that the newer prequel presented me with considerable difficulties at the time.

“Galaxii” – the story that would set the foundation for the rest of the series, and be the book from which the series took its name – was a problem child. It went through numerous redrafts and complete rewrites before eventually being published – only in 2020! When published, it was under the title “Best Served Cold” – and as a standalone novel, not part of the actual series!

“Blachart” meanwhile, in 1990 was far closer to completion in draft form, and continued to receive the bulk of my writing attention. By the time I finished high school in 1991, I had a rough idea where I wanted the story to lead. But life was hectic, and tended to get in the way – in January 1992 I was conscripted into the SA Army and had a hell of a lot on my plate with gender dysphoria. My life generally took me into places I did not wish to go. My writing at the time was rather spotty, confined mostly to completing short stories and working up to mastering longer writing pieces. During this time, I delivered short stories like “The Devils In The Sky” (1993) and “A Really Bad Day In The Life Of Lance Corporal Thomas O’Blivion” (1995).

Eventually, in February 1998 I finished the last handwritten draft of “Blachart”! …And then it lay fallow for some time longer, while a lot of other things unfolded in my personal life, in terms of gender identity, self-discovery, and career. In 1999 I embarked on my transition – and entered a world both terrifying and amazing all at once!

Then when things had settled down somewhat, in 2003, I finally typed and edited that draft on a PC, and launched into the modern way of writing novels! I found it far easier and faster to type and edit on a PC than doing rewrites of my books by hand as I’d always done previously! This change set me off on revising all my other pieces as I copy-typed them into Word on PC’s at work! Later I finally obtained a useable PC at home, and that accounts for my rapid progress and increase in production of reading material – which I’ve been told is somewhat prolific!

Anyway, back in 2005, after years of struggling to find a publisher to take on any of my writing, I chanced upon that wonder (and bane) of our time – the internet – and tripped over the concept of self-publishing! In the same year, I self-published the eBook in its original most basic form on Lulu.com. Over the next few years, I ran several updates in content improvements and covers. In the meantime, I’d also published several of its sequels (“Demonspawn”, “Black Sunrise”, “The Time Saving Agency” and “Space Sux!” which were then all part of the Galaxii series).

Very probably the first cover, 2005.

Another cover for Blachart, 2005.

New series cover, 2007.

In July 2014 I was picked up by a ‘traditional publisher’, a small press. “Blachart” was the first of my books they re-released with a new cover created by one of their staff. The content went through a two-stage editing process, and by the time it was released in late 2014, “Blachart” was around 49,600 words long!

In 2015, “Demonspawn” (book 2 in the series) was re-released by the publisher. With another 5 or 6 books still waiting to be re-released, the publisher dragged their feet to the point where it appeared they were going to release just one book a year! In the meantime I’d had to take the self-published versions all down from all the places they’d been available on the internet, and I wasn’t making any money off them at all!

Fortunately that state of affairs didn’t last very long – due to an identity crisis at the publisher which came to a head in mid 2016 when they booted out all writers of what they called “not pure horror” – I found myself without a publisher again! Instead of feeling distraught, I was overjoyed, and leapt back into indie publishing again – with gusto!

For the remainder of 2016, I worked on putting all my completed books back up on indie platforms again, and then also on completing some unfinished projects. It took a while for me to find my indie feet again, and “Blachart” and its siblings went through several cover redesigns in the process, including a change from print size of pocket book to 6×9.

Both my parents were also writers – unpublished for the most part – and during 2018 I finished editing and publishing of most of my parent’s works. Then I took a look at the channels through which my books have been distributed – and decided that I should also place my titles at Smashwords to gain access to their distribution network also. I later also added EBooks2go to that distribution chain. Every bit of knowledge and trick of the trade I learned, I also applied retroactively to all my books – including “Blachart”.

During 2018 – while I was at it (the most dangerous words known to humanity) as the old saying goes, I spotted a couple of editing errors left over from my “traditional” publishing days, and set off to check the whole manuscript for more!

This sparked off another complete edit – and then I added a little bit here, and a little bit there… and before I realized it, a drastic complete rewrite was underway! (Insert pained groan here).

I evaluated each sentence. I added a stack of more material… back-stories and extras that would enrich and enhance the overall experience of what I had envisioned as the Galaxii Series! Two weeks later, at over 84000 words, the Fifth Edition of “Blachart” was born!

To complete the metamorphosis, I designed a fantastic new cover which would also form the basis of a template for the entire Galaxii Series, and which I also modified for my other series, Quantum and Panic!

It was somewhere around July 2019, that I became friends with Brandon Mullins of Moon Books Publishing – I’d just submitted a short story I wrote regarding the topical “Storm Area 51” event in Nevada for September, which MBP was going to release in good time for the event. A little later, it became evident that we were going to be collaborating more in future! In light of this, I was the Editor for a sci-fi short story anthology “Christina Engela’s Strangely Compelling SciFi” (Dec 2019) and still have a few upcoming jobs to do for MBP.

Brandon wanted to help me distribute my books further, and so around October 2019 I took down all the print versions of my books on Lulu and handed them to MBP for distribution through Amazon. I subsequently decided to leave Lulu and to do the same for the eBook versions as well, although I’ll still be handling eBooks on other platforms.

One of the many ways Brandon has been of immense help to me is in making my books available as audiobooks! Although a number of my short stories had been included in anthologies I’d contributed to when they were turned into audiobooks, this was the very first time a whole novel of mine had been released as an audiobook – and it was amazing to hear it!

In this respect, “Blachart” is the first – and the journey really got interesting at that point! It started with finding a narrator – and Brandon had to put up with my perfectionism and pickiness! Poor guy! *wink* At any rate, after reviewing a few audition clips in February 2020, Brandon sent me one that grabbed my attention – by the throat!

The audition in question came from one Nigel Peever – a BBC and London stage actor who also has a formidable reputation in narrating eBooks! To be blunt, I was definitely blown away – Nigel gave us not just one, but two options – with or without sound effects and dramatization!

Mr. Peever is an extraordinary narrator – not only reading the text with emotional expression, but he also included sound effects in the final mix – so the story sounds rather a lot like an old-style radio play, but all read by one person doing different voices and accents! I think it sounds absolutely amazing! Nigel was also kind enough to design the cover for the audiobook as you see it below – and so he’s also a graphic designer as well!

After much consultation and backing-and-forthing and wondering how we could afford this, Brandon came through for me and did me a real solid! Nigel would record “Blachart” with full dramatization and sound effects!

Due to Nigel having previous commitments to complete, recording of “Blachart” was due to start in April 2020, and the finished production was sent to ACX/Audible at the start of June.

On July 09, 2020 – due to delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, “Blachart” was finally released as an audiobook! When I first heard it, the result was fantastic! As a writer, I’d often imagined the sort of voice I’d like to have my stories heard in – that is, inside the reader’s heads… and what a voice! What talent – what characterization! What interpretation! That said, I can’t quite put into words just how marvelous it is to hear my work, words that I wrote, being not just read aloud in front of a microphone – but interpreted… lived… with depth of emotion and wonderfully appropriate feeling and thought!

People do a lot of things for payment, it’s true – and between us, we all stand to profit from our involvement with “Blachart” – but as the creator of the story I feel a swell of gratitude and appreciation towards both Brandon and Nigel for making the audiobook what it is – and for giving my words a voice.

Nigel meanwhile, is busy recording book 2 in the series – “Demonspawn“, and I can’t wait to hear it!

The final release of “Blachart” is 10 hours 26 minutes long, and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I have!

Until next time, keep reading!

Cheers! 🙂

If you would like to know more about Christina Engela and her writing, please feel free to browse her website.

If you’d like to send Christina Engela a question about her life as a writer or transactivist, please send an email to [email protected] or use the Contact form.

Show your appreciation for Christina’s work!

“Blachart” – A Writing Journey I've been writing stories basically since I could hold a wax crayon, and as any writer might tell you, any book they've created holds a special place of its own in their heart!

#audiobooks #blachart #ebook #print #The Galaxii Series

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carridine-blog · 5 years

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The Perfect Stereoscope

This post features a collection of images that I’ve labelled “stereoscopes” over the years. Some are conventionally, some are unconventionally stereoscopes. Before jumping in I wanted to offer the chance to appreciate the perfect stereoscope. This stereoscopic image was constructed of no less than ten individual photographs. They were combined in photo-editing software and together compose an image both visually pleasing and analogically philosophical.

Stereoscopes: How to Make a Finger Hotdog

A stereoscope allows the perception of three-dimensions from two dimensional images. How it works: two images show the same thing from slightly different points of view mimicking binocular vision. One image for each eye. The two images unite in the mind and create the perception of depth. Many people people have difficulty seeing the desired effect. This most often turns out to be because they have difficulty allowing their eyes to see independently one from the other. If you have trouble see the depth here is a brief how-to do that.

1. 2. 3.

Starting simple:

This shape is excerpted from this larger one. I like the image because the high contrast makes it almost calligraphic which makes the sudden appearance of three dimensions all the more dramatic. Calligmagic!

You can make stereoscopic images simply starting with a video clip. A panning shot traveling roughly 10 centimeters (the space between the eyes) will provide the two images needed. Take screen captures until you find the ones that work. Here’s one I did of a bust of Dante I saw in a little cabinet in a big antiques place.

The following caption is a bit repetitive but repetition is good for learning, no? The difference in the screen grabs in the next one though

Here is the possibility of seeing William Blake’s life mask in three dimensions without being in its actual presence. I constructed this stereo-image by screen-grabbing two images from a video featuring the mask. The video camera was moving just enough during the shot to provide these two aspects. The two slightly different aspects simulate views from two different eyes. The video is for Patti Smith’s cover of “Smells like Teen Spirit.”

Here is a stereoscope or comic strip I made with Blake’s Lifemask and two of Messerschmidt’s sculptures.

This is from a post originally named “to stay near the well spring.”

Commenting on an old my post of mine, Nick Mullins said, “Looking through artists’ websites, I sometimes see a thumbnail that looks really interesting, but when I click on it to get the full-sized image, I find that the real image is nothing like what I thought I was seeing in the thumbnail. Sometimes I have gone back and tried to do a sketch from what I thought I saw in the thumbnail. Your discussion of the fish that became a man in a tarp reminded me of that. Sometimes an accident of vision is more interesting than the reality.”

(Here’s an elaboration of what I replied to him:) Yes my efforts have always included either accident or collaboration — you get to new places faster. Plus, employing accidents it’s easier to appreciate what others might see in my work. It’s only in recent years that I’ve realized that what I simply straight-forwardly produce is a new place to a person seeing it for the first time. It was the most obvious thing but it hit me like a thunderbolt.

Generally I like to think that the accident or other kind of unexpected input points us to a reality we wouldn’t have conceived without it. I don’t mean that in any mystical way. I mean in just the same way a new sound of music will direct our attention to or express a mood we’ve never heard expressed before. Novelty and re-cognition are wrapped up together. Our ability to invent ways to express our experience, to share our experience, always lags behind experience itself. When someone finds a way to say something new about something true, its like a gift we already possess.

I totally get the thumbnail experience. Very often I screen capture a thumbnail at the resolution I like it and then blow it up in photoshop. The resolution might be fuzzy but most times it retains the thing I saw in it.

It’s true of my own work. I like to work really small: I tend to make less marks and their interrelations are clearer. Then when I blow it up — used to be on xerox machines or cameras, now it’s scanners mostly — I work to catch the rhythms evident in the little one. Yeah, without projectors, cameras, etc., most of my work would be postage stamp sized.

Speaking of stamp-sized:

The first image in this post, which I’ve renamed “At the Waterfall” is based on this one here. This one is reproduced at it’s original size. I got the larger image from this small source by a kind of divination. I used to use this process all the time. It combines the two things we just talked about: seeing things in small things and seeing things accidentally. The larger image is a painting mind you: I started with a penciled-in grid and painted all those little dots myself. So there. The smaller image is from a photo from a black and white newspaper which I hand-colored and amended with pen. It is hard to tell now but the original photo was of a boy staring at the camera from behind a fence. The fragment I used shows (or used to show) his fingers poking through chain links in the fence.

Stereoscope: Artaud et le Momo.

William Blake and Robert Crumb: Neither Two Nor One

Blake illustrates a passage in Dante’s Inferno, Canto 25 describing a six legged snake attacking a thief, which Dante modeled after a passage in Ovid’s Metamorphosis.

Inferno XXV 58-69.

“Ivy was never so rooted to a tree as the horrid beast entwined it’s own limbs round the others; then, as if they had been of hot wax, they stuck together and mixed their colors, and neither the one nor the other now seemed what it was at first: even as in advance of the flame a dark color moves across the paper, which is not yet black and the white dies away. The other two were looking on, and each cried, “oh me, Agnello, how you change! Lo, you are already neither two nor one!“.”

Charles S. Singleton translation

“So never did the barbed ivy bind/ A tree up, as the reptile hideous/ Upon another’s limbs its own entwined;/ They clave together, — hot wax cleaveth thus, — / And interfused their colors in such wise/ That neither now appeared the same to us: / Just as in burning paper doth uprise / Along before the flame a color brown / Which is not black as yet, and the white dies. / The other two each shouted, looking on, / “O me, Agnello, how thou alterest! / Lo, thou’rt already neither two nor one!”

Melville Best Anderson translation

Style: visual identity & equivalence

I made this post card to send to James Kochalka when his daily comic AMERICAN ELF reached the ten year mark. My image is based on a photo of Kochalka and his kids and on a somewhat famous painting by someone else.

Here’re the same elements presented as a comparison, bits of multiply reproduced (degraded) GUERNICA and grid paper atop pages from Kochalka’s THE HORRIBLE TRUTH ABOUT COMICS. This is from a series of photographs I took: videotaped collages I made while I was designing a previous version of this web site (no longer extant.)

And here again a comparison involving the GUERNICA baby: this time posed against Minnie, Vinny, and some Mayan Glyphs. I appreciate glyphs, especially with regard to their foreignness. I am always looking to achieve in my drawing and writing the formal quality I appreciate most readily in markings that are illegible to me.

And finally, GUERNICA baby and some grafitti I copied from a barrier on the side of southbound Route 17, around Allendale, NJ. (Graffiti no longer extant, except in the series of photos I took. I believe this tag says or originally said, “Messiah.”)

Another Stereoscope: Bill and Lynda B.

Stereoscope juxtaposing Plate XI from William Blake’s ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOOK OF JOB (1826) and Panel 2, page 74 from Lynda Barry’s THE FREDDIE STORIES (1999). Separated by 173 years, sharing a similar vision. I’m sure Lynda Barry has seen this image of Blake’s. Does that make her’s a copy of his? Not necessarily. Blake himself found the poses and compositions for his divine visions in reproductions of Renaissance Masterworks.

I find this likeness wonderful and marvelous. I have notes for an essay I’d like to put up as a permanent page here. For now, though, I will suggest the direction the essay would take with a quote from Paul Piehler’s THE VISIONARY LANDSCAPE (pps 19-20):

“The major poets of medieval visionary allegory regard themselves as part of a cumulative tradition, in which each allegorist recapitulates, refines and develops the thought and imagery of his [sic] predecessors, exploring new dimensions of traditional topics, and, most important, attempting to integrate earlier thought and imagery pertaining to the topic into a coherent whole …”

Is 173 years a long time? A bit too long, I guess, for any one of us to endure. Whatever the number of years, Blake seems irrevocably long ago, from the age of revolution, the mythical time of our era’s origin. His words, images and ideas shine through history like a dead star. He has, it seems, joined history — that flat offensive significance of human life which the living are barred from entering.

Meanwhile, Lynda Barry has such a knack for the voices of adolescence and childhood she seems to resurrect a reader’s own past. The memories she stirs live again.

That makes THE FREDDIE STORIES all the more a marvel: in it Freddie undergoes a “journey to the underworld” which employs imagery familiar from Dante’s journey, even Virgil’s journey. But she builds Freddie’s journey of ” psychic redemption” out of such recognizable, contemporary stuff that she invites us to our own inside of a visionary landscape that has floated along with people for thousands of years.

Style Coloring Page.

“The deeper the influence of the formal, decorative element upon the method of representation, the more probable it becomes that formal elements attain an emotional value. An association between these two forms of art is established which leads, on the one hand to the conventionalization of representative design, on the other to the imputation of significance into formal elements. It is quite arbitrary to assume a one-sided development from the representative to the formal or vice versa, or even to speak of a gradual transformation of a representative form into a conventional one, because the artistic presentation itself can proceed only on the basis of the technically developed forms…”

— Franz Boas, “Representative Art,” pps. 82-83 Primitive Art (1927)

Stereoscope: Blake of the Shtetl.

Here is a stereoscope I’ve had in my possession for over 10 years. On the right is an illustration by Maurice Sendak (1928-2012). It is one of Sendak’s illustrations for Herman Melville’s PIERRE. Under the image is a caption that reads, “an unbidden, most miserable presentiment.” On the left is a doodle from a private letter by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) an artist to whom William Blake admitted a debt. In the Tate Gallery’s catalog of Fuseli’s work this drawing is titled “Caricature of the Artist Leaving Italy.” The naming of Sendak as the “Shtetl Blake” I take from Margalit Fox in her obituary of Sendak in today’s New York Times. (May 8th, 2012)

Blake: Stereoscope as Comic Strip.

These are plates 9 & 10 from William Blake’s little book FOR THE SEXES: The Gates of Paradise. I grabbed them off of the wonderful site The Blake Archive. One way to read them is as adjacent comic book panels: ‘this happens and then this happens.’ Another is to read them as slightly different views on the same thing, as in a stereoscope. Another possibility is that they are completely unrelated.

One day in the maze …

the rat met the minotaur.

Seriously though

Style and Stereoscope.

Human creators do not have access to the atomic level (artists anyway) and must discover their own smallest building block. Each must innovate an idiosyncratic [mark] to which a life’s work can be devoted. Rilke speaks of it in terms of Cezanne, Rodin, and his own poetry: “Somehow I too must discover the smallest constituent element, the cell of my art, the tangible immaterial means of expressing everything…” After this discovery the artist is free to become a laborer and to spend every minute of life working at “expressing everything.”

I figured I might as well post one of my favorite all time comparison lessons on that style discovery. Above are two well known paintings by Van Gogh. One is painted by the artist we know Van Gogh becomes and one is painted before Van Gogh fully realized that transformation. I think the chief difference between these two paintings is how each painting relates to itself. The difference between these two painting styles is in the relation between what the painting conveys and how it is rendered. In the first, the smoking skull image, an idea of something is conveyed, however vaguely, without regard to how it is rendered. The idea is communicated then we notice how it is communicated, the calligraphy in which it is written. In the second one, the sunflower, what the painting conveys is conveyed through how it is rendered. It contains no abstract-able message by which we can paraphrase it and do without the painting. The painting is all. I like to think that both paintings have the same thing to say. They are both Van Gogh expressing something, but only in the second painting is the artist mature enough to say what he means. In that maturity he became capable of “expressing everything.”

When Worlds Collage.

This is a collage in white grease pencil (china marker) of drawings I copied from Lynda Barry and Robert Fludd. I chose Fludd’s drawing, which I saw for the first time on the front of a book catalog, because it uses the phrase “mundus imaginabilis.” I mistook his drawing as a diagram of Sufi mystic experience which I had just been reading about in books by Henry Corbin. It turns out that Fludd’s ideas were a bit different but by the time I found that out, the drawing had been made. I combined the drawing of the mundus imaginabilis (which now that I think of it may be the mundus imaginalis in Corbin) with drawings from Lynda Barry because it suited my abiding interest in the difference in accounts of visionary experience in different periods of history.

The Lynda Barry drawings I took from her 100 DEMONS, one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. These panels come from the introduction where she describes the writing exercise which gave rise to the book (and the title of the book): intending nothing, leaving her brush free to record her every stray thought, she captures the demons that enter her mind. If you haven’t read 100 Demons, I’m not sure what you’ve been doing. You must read this book.

I did this drawing initially as a card for my friend Avy’s 30th birthday. I liked it so much that I made three prints of it, giving one to Avy, one to my friend Kat, and one to someone else (OF).

I post this drawing today because I spoke to Kat on the phone and because today, after years of waiting, I received my copy of Lynda Barry’s latest, THE NEAR SIGHTED MONKEY BOOK. Years ago, I put my name on a list so that I could have it as soon as it was available but its publication was repeatedly delayed. I kept getting little e-mails from Amazon saying, “Sorry, not yet” and “oop wait a second.” So the book finally arrives — with $7.50 due COD — and Kat tells me Kyle bought the book for her a week ago from the bookstore!

Kat and I spent the rest of our conversation talking about writer’s block, ways of breaking it and how Lynda Barry is the coolest. Always good to talk to you, Kat.

Two without captions.

And finally here’s a stereoscope of me

A life mask taken when I was 30 years old. Twenty three years ago.

A Variety Of Stereoscopes The Perfect Stereoscope This post features a collection of images that I've labelled "stereoscopes" over the years.

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zombierunfiction · 7 years

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Season 2 Side Mission 7: War Is the Answer

Three days after the mission to the Aurora Charlotte was informed by Janine that today she would be going on the mission Evan had spoke of. She felt her stomach tighten and dread began to fill her. She had been dreading this mission because of what she knew was coming. She hated to hurt Evan if he did indeed have feelings for her but she wasn't going to leave Sam. He was far too important to her to leave.

Sam stepped into their shared room seeing Charlotte stareing at the floorboards. "Penny for your thoughts." He said softly leaning against the door frame.

Charlotte looked up suddenly then smiled softly. "Appreciate it but you already know what's wrong."

"Evan's a big boy. He can take rejection." Sam said softly as he walks over and sits next to her. "I'm sorry you've been put into this situation Char." He whispered wrapping his arm around her waist. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you're imagining."

Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. "I really hope you are right."

"Come on love." Sam said kissing her temple walking them out of the comms shack. Once Charlotte had been suited up she met up with Evan. He nods to her as they took off out of Abel. She followed Evan as they headed away from Abel. "Okay, then. Yep, looking good there, Runner Seven, Runner Five. Steady pace, good stride. Nice even breathing. Yeah, I have no idea where you're going today. This is Runner Seven's show, right?"

"Right. You see that factory smokestack up ahead, Charlotte? We'll be curving around to the left of it." Evan explained pointing towards the factory.

"Factories aren't exactly a safe place for me historically." Charlotte said.

"Don't worry you will be fine." Evan stated.

"So to the left of it is-?" Sam questioned.

"Our destination." Evan stated.

"Yes, of course. Really? That's it? Not even a little clue? Not the tiniest hint about where you're taking Runner Five on this 'oh-so-mysterious' mission of yours? No anagrams? No 'my first is in apple, and also in swine'?" Sam questioned.

"E." Evan answered.

"What?" Sam questioned.

"You see that railway tunnel, Charlotte? That's where we're going." Evan said as they ran around a hill heading towards the tunnel.

"What do you mean, 'E'?" Sam asked.

"It's in apple and also in swine." Charlotte explains.

"Oh, right. Oh, oh, and is that also a clue in some way?" Sam asked.

"There's no need for you to concern yourself, Sam. I'll be guiding Runner five myself. We're heading underground, so you'll be losing your audio and headcam inputs fairly soon." Evan said as Charlotte felt her stomach drop.

"Underground? It's only a railway tunnel.... Oh there's another tunnel in the side of it? I never knew that was there." Sam said trying to not sound worried but excited.

"Thanks for your help, Sam! I'll take it from here." Evan said as he led Charlotte down the tunnel.

"But where are you going-" Sam started to ask before his voice disappeared with static as Evan continued walking down the tunnel.

"So now we're alone. Probably one of the few times since the outbreak." Evan said off handedly.

"Yes. We are. Why did you choose me to go with you?" Charlotte asked.

"It's rather beautiful down here, isn't it, Charlotte. I know caves aren't everyone's cup of tea. But on the dank side. But look at those remarkable stalagmites." Evan said changing the subject. Charlotte looked around seeing that the cave looked very old and wet. "I always think they look like a field of daffodils. I used to come this way quite a lot. Less since the zombie plague, of course. It's dangerous on your own." He explained as they came to what looked like a a small puddle. "Mind that puddle ahead. Shouldn't be deeper than our knees." He said as he walked into the puddle with Charlotte following behind.

"Your knees are higher than mine but it seems to be up to your thighs." Charlotte said as they continued to walk.

"The flooding's worse than I expected. Still, it should keep the zoms at bay. We do get them down here, I'm afraid." Evan said.

"If you didn't I'd be concerned." Charlotte said walking with him. "You're not going to answer my question until your good and ready are you?"

Evan gives her a look over his shoulder before continuing. "Bunch of cavers were trapped behind a rockfall when one of them turned. Nasty business. But I expect you don't want to be thinking about that while we're hundreds of feet underground, rock on all sides, and only one route out."

"Not particularly fuzzy thoughts." Charlotte said.

"Sorry to drag you though all this, Charlotte, after all the cloak-and-dagger. The truth is, there aren't many people I trust to have my back on this one. But you've proved your competence to me. And you're not a babbler. I value that. So I'm willing to show you this. I haven't brought anyone from Abel here ever before." Evan said as he got onto dry land while Charlotte followed.

"Military trainning. Janine would be a good person to bring here too." Charlotte said.

"I know which is why I told her that I wanted to take you on a mission that she would have no idea about. She didn't like it but I told her the reason and she reluctantly agreed." Evan continued to walk before coming to a large metal door. "This metal security door... It's my door, in fact." He reaches over punching in a code into the door pannel. She watched his hand as he punched in AM38N23. Suddenly the doors open as Evan turned grinning at her. "Come into my lair, Charlotte." He said trying to sound like an old cartoon villian.

She did not find that funny in the least.

Charlotte looked around seeing it was a hallway made of steel and concrete. "This doesn't look like a lair right now."

"Just wait." Evan said as they walked down the hall the door behind them shutting. "I should have told the people at Abel about this. But the thing is, it's mine, and one likes, somehow, in times like these, to have something that's just one's own. all this collective living - I know we have to pull for the common good, but that's never really been my way."

"You never struck me as a team player." Charlotte said as Evan chuckled.

"No I'm not. I lived a very private life. Bonnie was always my constant companian. She is the longest relationship I've ever had." Evan said softly. "I bought this place from the RAF quite a few years ago, now. It was intended to be their local HQ in the event of a nuclear strike. Then the Berlin Wall fell, the economy took a downturn. In straitened times, they needed to make a quick buck, and I needed a center for my operations. Got it for a song. Relatively speaking."

"Did the RAF building these? And Why did you need a base? What for?" Charlotte asked.

"Left here, Charlotte. Best we avoid the, um - well this is the optimal route." Evan said turning a corner to get to another door. He inputs the same code as the first door opening it showing a large room stock piled with all sorts of weapons.

Charlotte's eyes widen as she stepped inside looking around. Unlike the armory that had 1 or 2 of several different kinds of guns this place had dozens of the similar rifles, pistals, grenades, grenade lauchers and even several rocket lauchers. "This is... somewhat disturbing."

"To answer your question the original tunnels weren't built by the RAF. They'd been here hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Legends say some of the Boudica's people hid out here after the Roman's kicked her ass at the battle of Watling Street. Always had a bit of a soft spot for old Boudica." Evan said as he walks over to the boxes that were still closed. "Here we are. The reason I brought you here. Guns, grenade launchers. There are some surface-to-air missiles, too, but those are probably a little de trop for our requirements. Grenade launchers are what we're after. Grab a couple and follow me. Those zombie cavers will have heard us come in. We need to get out before they congredate." He said as Charlotte and Evan's packs were filled with the grenades before the launchers were strapped onto the packs themselves.

"Well this explains why your able to bring in lots of weapons. Dipping into this stock on runs." Charlotte said as they walked out of the stockpile.

"I suppose you're also wondering just why I have an underground base full of weapons, and why I haven't come here sooner. I suppose I've been saving these up for a rainy day. Always thought, well... I've always thought I'd be able to fight my own way out of Britain at some point. Just a few more weeks to see Abel settled. Just a few more weeks to gather supplies. You know how it goes?" Evan said as they started back down the hall. "All I needed was a chopper. I could probably have negotiated to swap arms for the one that brought you in if there hadn't been that rocket launcher attack. That meant Mullins weren't sending any more choppers. But Janine says there's a storm coming, and it seems time for me to do my bit."

"You're going to be leaving?" Charlotte asked.

"Contemplating it." Evan said. "Left here Charlotte." He inputted the number again as Charlotte went in ahead of him already heading back towards the exit. "Of course. You remember the way. I forget what a good sense of direction you have. That will be useful if you ever need to come back here without me. I've got an arsenal down here. Enough for an army, literally."

"Let's hope I don't." Charlotte said.

"Listen, don't tell anyone else this. People react oddly to it, even now. I was an arms dealer, before the apocalypse. Well, more of a gunrunner, to be previse. Mommy and Daddy were awfull proud." He said sarcastly as Charlotte looked at him in surprise.

"Gunrunner... as in you brought guns into other countries?" Charlotte questioned.

"Yes. My view was, why shouldn't Cuba have the right to defend itself, or Iran? Who are we to deny them the right? Arms embargoes, the hypocrisy of it." Evan said almost bitterly. "We tell other people they can't be trusted with the same toys we used to bomb Iraq into the stone age. Everyone's glad that someone was selling guns now." He said as he stopped before the puddle. "Anyway, nearly there. And - oh." He stopped as a groaning echo is heard.

"Sounds like the zombies beat us to it. Luckily these walls echo or we would have walked right into them." Charlotte said.

"We could use the grenade launchers, but they might bring the roof down. The other option's risky too, but... no I don't think we have any choice. Follow me, Charlotte, up this service ladder. We'll try to pass above them." Evan said as he opened a side door showing a ladder.

Charlotte stepped over climbing up into what amounted to an air shaft. It was barely tall enough for Charlotte to crawl on her elbows through the shalft. "This isn't very comfortable..." She said.

"Bit of a tight fit. But then, these shafts were only ever intended for ventilation. This should take us clear over the zoms heads, though." Evan said as the sound of zombie groans under them making her stop for a moment. "There they are, right below us. I'd rather hoped we'd pass unnoticed, but they must have heard us. Still the floor of this shaft is pretty thick. I don't think they can claw their way through it."

Under them it sounded like scratching noises. "Sounds like they're going to give it a good try though." Charlotte said as she started to move again.

"Don't worry, Charlotte. This isn't the first tight spot I've been in. When you're engaged in extra-legal activities, you learn how to improvise. You're thinking, 'If Runner Seven is such a fast improvisor, armed with a vast array of weapons and experience at getting past literal armies, how did he get himself stick in Abel Township for the apocalypse'?" Evan said as they continued to crawl.

"I assume you're going to tell me." Charlotte said.

"Truth is, I had a plane ready. always kept a plane ready. I'd heard rumors about some virus the government were working on, so when the first word came in about zoms, I set off. Plan was for the pilot to fly us out to my own private island in the Caribbean. Entirely zombie-free, of course. I was actually on the airfield, and then Bonnie slipped her leash. Of course, I should have left her. Amazing how clear that is after the fact. But I'd had Bonnie since she was a puppy! She trusted me, loved me unconditionally. There's not a single person I could say that about." Evan said softly.

"So you went after her." Charlotte suggested.

"Yeah and the pilot took off without me. Can't say I can blame her. I daresay she's having a lovely time, now, sunning herself beside my infinite pool and drinking my cellar dry. And here I am crawling through a ventilation shaft, pursued by zombies. Not quite the future I envinsioned for myself. But I suppose that's true for all of us." Evan explained as they continued to crawl.

Charlotte continued to crawl before stopping. "I'm hearing a lot of water suddenly."

"Sounds like the flood got worse. That should give the zoms pause. And if we're lucky..." Evan said as Charlotte came to a metal door. "Open that up over there." She opened it looking around seeing no water coming under the door. "Any water?"

"No looks like we are on the dry end." Charlotte said climbing out opening the door seeing the zombies struggling in the extra water. "Come on that water won't hold them back for long!" Charlotte said as Evan followed her fast down the tunnel.

Soon the sound of zombies disappeared as they slowed down heading for the mouth of the cave. "Daylight ahead, and no zoms blocking the way. We've made it. Sam should get his audiovisual feed back soon. I hope you understand that everything I told you is strictly entre nous. It's not that I'm ashamed. Why would I be? My weapons have saved hundreds of lives in the last few months. And that's just in this country. Worldwide, and armed populace is a safe populace. But people are so small minded, and I prefer not to be judged." He said before stopping and turning to her. "As to your question earlier when we first got here... why I choose you. I told you that it was because I trusted you..."

"That's not it entirely is it?" Charlotte said softly.

Evan sucked at his lip slightly nodding. "You're correct. I have seen your bravery and confidence and I find those traits admirable. Attractive even."

Charlotte closes her eyes rubbing her face. "Evan. I respect you. You're a great runner and obviously resourceful. But I am with Sam and he is whom I wish to be with."

"No offence to Sam but he couldn't protect an ant farm." Evan countered.

"No but I don't need protecting. I can take care of myself and him. I've been with a man like you Evan. I nearly married him. But I don't want a man who is an alpha." Charlotte explained.

Evan takes a deep breath. "You want to be the alpha."

"In so many words yes. Sam supports me and I support him. No matter what happens we are both there for each other equally." Charlotte takes a slow breath. "He even offered to talk to you about this. I figured you were interested in me for a while... I hoped I was wrong."

Evan scoffs. "Sam wouldn't stand up to me."

"For good reason he would. He's not as cowardly as you think. Could you do his job? Watch out for the runners? See danger before it sees us? And worse case have to hear your runner be killed or turn gray then there's not a thing you can do." Charlotte said. "Could you do that Evan?"

Evan thinks for a moment. "Probably but as we both know I'm not a team player."

"Don't cast aspersions on those you have not walked a mile in their shoes." Charlotte said softly. "I love Sam Yao. He loves me. Nothing will change that."

Evan nodded. "If the time comes... we might have to revisit this conversation but if you change your mind you know how to find me." He said before turning and walking down the tunnel towards the exit.

Static appeared on the line as Sam's voice is heard. "Runner Five, Runner Five?" He questioned sounding paniced.

"There's him now." Evan said.

"Runner Seven? Runner Five?" Sam asked again.

"We hear you Sam." Charlotte said softly.

"Ah, you're safe! Good! Now, not that I was worried. I mean, you know what you're doing, don't you Runner Seven? Of course you do. So, uh... anything to report?" Sam asked.

"Mission accomplished, Sam. Just a simple find and fetch." Evan said looking back at Charlotte. "Nothing interesting to report. Charlotte looked away as she continued to run with Evan.

Once back at Abel, Charlotte stepped into the Comms shack where Sam stood up quickly. "Hey how did-" Suddenly she pulled up close kissing him deeply. For a moment Sam was stunned before relaxing pulling her close returning the kiss. He hummed softly as she broke the kiss. He blinks slowly looking at her. "Uh... as nice as that was... what happened?"

Charlotte pushes some of her hair behind her ear. "I confronted him and I made it very clear that I love you. He's like Amir. Too much like Amir. I want my nerdy little Sammy." She said with a smile gently lacing her fingers into his hair.

Sam blushes slightly smiling. "Glad to hear that. I was afraid I would lose you to Evan."

Charlotte shook her head. "Nope. You're stuck with me."

Sam smiles brightly kissing her deeply pulling her closer. She hums happily holding him tighter returning the kiss happily.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

< 50 >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

#zombie #zombies run #zombie run #ZombieRun #zombiesrun #run #runner 5 #runner five #runner5 #runnerfive #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

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torentialtribute · 6 years

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Cheltenham Festival 2019 Day 1: Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips – Best bets for Tuesday, March 12

Sportsmail racing expert Robin Goodfellow is preparing his tips for day one of the Cheltenham Festival with the Champion Hurdle

The decision to remove the hood from Dancer and earplugs to use for the biggest race of his season looks strange, but Sam Twiston-Davies can keep his mount under control, I have looked at a huge player with a lot of experience, a great shape in big fields and a good jumper.

The last 10 winners walked four or five times over obstacles, so experience is an essential asset and the French-bred FAKIR D & # 39; OUDAIRIES does not fail on that score, as he previously had fences and obstacles in France jumped joining Joseph O & # 39; Brien.

[BESTVANARKLETROPHYCHASE

There seems to be a possibility of a strong canter in this case with a number of confirmed pioneers in the opposition – and that could be HARDLINE that is likely to be the object are a trademark ride from a Davy Russell patient.

Experience has been a valuable asset in recent times, with just three of the past 17 winners arriving in Cheltenham with fewer than three runs over fences. Hardline, trained by Gordon Elliott, started his pursuit in October last year with a 15-minute win at Fairyhouse.

A first victory victory at Limerick on Boxing Day ensures that he meets another strong trend of previous winners, with 14 of the last 17 winning a Class 1 or Class 2 race over fences before an Arkle was captured .

BESTBET: HARDLINE 6-1 NEAREST BEST : ORNUA 12-1

The stylish Apple & # 39; s Jade will certainly make a bold bid at the front in the Champion Hurdle

Light-toothed hunters have built up a fine reputation in this race in recent seasons. With just eight previous starts on fences, MISTER WHITAKER can be the answer to a difficult puzzle.

Only one of the last 10 winners had challenged this disability without Festival experience, so the selection is eligible thanks to his hard-won victory in the twelve months ago handicap for beginners.

The return success at Carlisle (2m4f) saw him finish and two trips with hot handicaps have shown that Mick Channon's gelding can be ready to go to three miles. Winner of last year Coo Star Sivola has enjoyed a campaign that revolves around a repeat offer, while Give Me A Copper is considered good and is attractively handicapped.

BEST USE: MISTER WHITAKER 8-1

A fascinating innovation with a selection of stylish seas that want to deny BUVEUR D & # 39; AIR in a historic third victory in the race.

Last year's winner produced a rather more workman-like view to win the title, but trainer Nicky Henderson felt that he was having a bug that day and Melon's defeat was not to be taken literally. His two wins this period have been achieved with the minimal hassle and the defeat on Boxing Day in the hands of Verdana Blue was a bit due to his rider and tried to make him the easiest race possible.

The stylish Jade from Apple will certainly make a daring attempt from the front, while the rain will help Laurina and her powerful pass. But Buveur D & # 39; Air hardly gets the vote.

BEST USE: BUVEUR D & # 39; AIR 9-4

NEXT BEST: APPLE & # 39; S JADE 2-1

4.10: GRADE ONE – 2 MILES AND 4 EMBRACES

Ruby Walsh has stated that BENIE DES DIEUX is his best ride of the week and, with trainer Willie Mullins who won nine of the last 10 runnings of this race, it is easy to give her a great performance, especially since she Apple & # 39; s Jade had overdue in her win 12 months ago.

Like some of the stable winners in this race, she arrives in Cheltenham on the back of a long absence, but that fails in her confidence in her chances of victory.

Stablemates Limini and Stormy Ireland are respected, but the British seas Lady Buttons and Roksana are pretty on their own right and the latter was entitled to her comeback in Sandown behind Buveur D & # 39; Air. A horse that could run well for a huge price is Cap Soleil, who took second place in Laurina

BEST BET: BENIE DES DIEUX 10-11 [19459008CLOSEBROTHERSCHASE

Irish novices dominate the market with Riders Onthe Storm, A Plus Tard and Tower Bridge with profiles that make them extremely interestingly immerse in a handicap of this nature.

The trio seems to have enjoyed a campaign around qualifying for this race and it would be no surprise if one of them turned out to be too strong for the contingent home, with A Plus Tard perhaps the most interesting with two big field victories in his cv

However, HIGHWAY ONE THE ONE already has valuable training experience thanks to a second second for Kildisart on Trials Day and the horse, trained by Chris Gordon, had by no means fallen into disgrace in the Grade One Henry VIII Chase, won by Dynamiet Dollars.

NEXT BEST BEST USE: HIGHWAY ONE O ONE 12-1: A PLUS TARD 6-1

5.30: GRAPHIC TWO – 4 MILES

Ok Corral and Ballyward represent two powerhouses of spring and have been impressed by smooth victories at a good level.

OK Corral, trained by Nicky Henderson, rode sharply to Warwick but saw the journey well and will probably be around when he settles. Ballyward, trained by Willie Mullins, looks straight for the proof of his powerful Naas victory. However, the pursuit of experience has been an important feature in recent seasons, with five of the last nine winners having their 10th start or more on fences, so ATLANTA ABLAZE appeals to them.

Mrs. Parfois was the number two in this race twelve months ago, but the selection was impressed by a strong stay at Wincanton last time, so that could be a surprise.

BEST BET: ATLANTA ABLAZE 16-1 NEXT BEST: BALLYWARD 5- 2

APPLE & # 39; S JADE has had a fantastic season and Laurina has the potential to be much better than anything we have seen of her, but the bet for me in the Champion Hurdle, BUVEUR must be D & # 39; AIR

For the first time since the start of this race, for the second time a year ago, I have lost favor of my politics – and that is not justified.

Buveur D & # 39; Air is defeated this season but his overall record is good and he has eaten in the race from a similar preparation until 12 months ago. His trainer Nicky Henderson also believed that he was not 100% and incubated a bug when he won last year.

Laurina was very impressive when she won the hurdle of the mare-novices at last year's meeting, but her two races this season did not tell us much. Her prize is based on more than just reputation. BENIE DES DIEUX defends her title in the OLBG Mares & # 39; Hurdle and looks like one of the most confident winners.

BIG RIVER, trained by my partner Lucinda Russell, has developed well and is capable of performing

Southampton and England have punished trainer Mick Channon Festival with the Hitchcock of the West

Mister Whitaker has a good course after winning the Handicap chase of the Close Brothers Novices on this day 12 months ago

]

It has been talked about temporarily letting the Russians step up to the three thousands of the current race, but this is the first time he has tried the journey. His pedigree suggests that the longer distance should be the best and he seems to be screaming for this stiffer endurance test. Another positive point is the booking of top jockey Brian Hughes.

Henrietta Knight, the trainer who led the marvelous Best Mate to his three Gold Cups, has been involved in the jumping lessons of Channons Arkle Trophy Novices & Chase hope Glen Forsa.

Glen Forsa's jump was smooth and fast when he defeated Kalashnikov in Sandown.

TORENBRUG is a first winner with a ranking and has gradually learned things about fences. With headgear and a string strap mounted for the first time, he is a very interesting contender for trainer Joseph O & # 39; Brien in the competitive Handyacht for the Handicap of the Close Brothers Novices.

FORMCAST (NIGEL TAYLOR

APPLE & # 39; S JADE is undefeated after four very successful victories this season and she was an impressive last month winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle, in which form the mare looks good to defeat the reigning champion Hurdler Buveur D & # 39; Air.

SELECTIONS OF CAPTAIN HEATH

1.30 FELIX DESJY (EW) 20-1

2.10 KALASHNIKOV (EW) 10-1

2.50 NOBLE ENDEAVOR 16-1

4.50 TREK BRIDGE 8-1

] 3.30 BUVEUR D & # 39; AIR 9-4

4.10 ROKSANA (EW) 10-1

JERRYSBACK 12-1

1.30 FAKIR D & # 39; OUDAIRIES 6-1

2.10 GLEN FORSA 4-1

4.10 BENIE DES DIEUX 10-11

4.50 GOOD MAN PAT 14

2.50 CRUCIAL ROLE 16-1

3.30 APPLE & # 39; S JADE 15-8

-1

5.30 OK CORRAL 5-2

Our football experts like to go against the stream with their tips. Here are their choices to surprise the proponents of today … JAMIE REDKNAPP: 5.20 BALLYWARD

CHRIS SUTTON:

CHARLIE AUSTIN: 3.30 LAURINA

Southampton striker and founding member of successful race syndicate

It is a very competitive first day of the festival but the banker must be Benie Des Dieux in the obstacle of the mare. Both Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh have said that they are their best chance of the week and the gamblers have taken hold of it.

The Champion Hurdle is extremely competitive and we expect all three to be prominent in the market. With the grant of 7 pounds of seas, we give Apple & # 39; s Jade the advantage. She has an exceptional season behind her and Buveur D & # 39; Air can stop completing the hat-trick.

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eddiejpoplar · 6 years

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Best Cars of the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

The 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta that won the Best of Show prize at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is certainly an amazing machine, but there’s far more to the Concours than naming a single best car. We polled our editors and contributors for some of their favorites spotted Sunday on the 18th fairway.

Tucker 48s Take Over Pebble

It’s exceedingly rare to see a singular Tucker 48 outside of the walls of a climate-controlled automotive museum, so running into 12 Tuckers lined up like a dealership sales lot was surreal. Even in the company of Marmon Sixteens and Hispano-Suizas, the pack of earth-toned Tuckers was an unbelievably special sight. —Conner Golden

1948 Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport Figoni Fastback Coupe

This gorgeous Figoni-bodied Talbot Lago features classic teardrop styling, elegant chrome accent trim, and even a clear pop-up sunroof, a rarity for its day. Post-war cars struggle to win Best of Show at Pebble Beach, but the Czech-based owners of this car can take solace in their First in Class win in the Postwar Touring category. —Rory Jurnecka

(Not So) Fastback

I’m with Mr. Jurnecka on this one. Predicting an overall Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance winner is never as straightforward as it seems, and the Talbot Lago is a case in point. The T26 Grand Sport Figoni Fastback Coupé seemingly has it all: imaginative styling, interesting custom details (including chrome “zippers” above its center headlamp from its original owner, the so-called Zipper King), a heroic rescue following 48 years of storage, and novel styling. Sure, the Best in Show–winning Alfa had understated qualities that could be described as safe, but it goes to show sometimes you never can tell. —Basem Wasef

The Cadillac Mind Melt Is it a Delahaye? A Delage? Or maybe some other dreamy, French Curvy scoop of rolling sculpture? This kinetic object d’art, it turns out, is actually a good ol’ fashioned Caddy—specifically a rather special, 1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet originally commissioned by international playboy Philippe Barraud. Wrapped in fluid sheetmetal that could best be described as Figoni et Falaschi-esque and powered by a narrow-angle V-16, this particular Caddy’s impossible, 22-foot-long proportions made waves. Many wagered that this swoopy cab would win the top Concours prize, but it settled instead for the class win in its American Classic Open category. Shame, as this Cadillac seemed to have it all: a great story, stunning lines, and elegance for miles. —B.W.

1937 Cadillac Series 90 Hartmann Cabriolet I see we’re in agreement on some of these choices, which isn’t always a guarantee when it comes to the Automobile staff and its varied tastes. I think that fact speaks to just how exceptional some of these standout cars are. This Cadillac isn’t straight out of The Great Gatsby, and it was created a dozen years too late for inclusion in the novel, but it certainly channels author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterwork. You don’t have to have even a passing interest in cars to take note of this one: a one-of-a-kind coachbuilt Cadillac commissioned by a wealthy Swiss gentleman 80-some years ago—a car many indeed pegged as the favorite to win the Pebble Beach Concours’ top award. No, it didn’t, but it checked a lot of boxes: rarity, an interesting history, immaculate design, and meticulous resurrection. Best of Show recognition or not, no one who laid eyes on it could look away. —Mac Morrison

1970 Ferrari Modulo 512 S Pininfarina Coupe Jim Glickenhaus, founder of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and owner of some very rare cars, brought this 1970 Ferrari Modulo, which he managed to wrest away from Pininfarina’s long-term ownership. This wild 1970 concept car was based on the low-slung chassis and racing powertrain from a Ferrari 512 S endurance prototype sports car. The roof slides backward to allow entry, and a perforated engine cover allows onlookers to see the race-tuned V-12 that lies underneath. —R.J.

Ferrari Modulo… You Know, for Kids Did you steal my notes, Jurnecka? Frankly, Pebble’s Pre-War-a-Palooza can alienate some of the younger showgoers who lack a penchant for brass and wicker. For the (slightly) more youthful set, the 1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo Pininfarina Coupe owned by James Glickenhaus ticks a whole lot of boxes: pivotal role in the game-changing supercar wedge movement? Check. Just-in-time engine restoration to make it mobile and Pebble Beach eligible? Check. Racing chassis, 5.0-liter V-12 under Perspex, and boggling doorstop silhouette? Triple check. The Modulo may not have won Pebble, but it certainly did win the hearts of more than a few enthusiasts in the crowd. —B.W.

1966 All American Eagle Special

Now owned by well-known restorer, collector, and all-around performance-car guy Bruce Canepa, this All American Racers Indy car might have been overlooked, especially by some young members of the Pebble crowd. And that’s a shame, as it is flat-out gorgeous. Its provenance might not be as impressive as some of AAR founder Dan Gurney’s other racers, as it never won a race. But it is the car the man himself ran at Indianapolis in ’66. This example, chassis No. 201, is the first of six such race cars AAR built that year; unfortunately, it and Gurney were taken out in an opening-lap crash at the Speedway.

Regardless, it was a gem on display at Pebble, a race car from a bygone era when beauty was appreciated almost as much as performance. The good news is, an even younger crowd will soon be exposed to it after it won the Gran Turismo Trophy (the Concours award associated with the famous video game), meaning this sublime competition car will (sooner than later, we hope) appear in the massively popular racing franchise. —M.M.

And the Best Spare Tire Award Goes to … The 1966 Ford GT40 Mark IIB. This final version of the GT40 race car is special, even though its favored status at Le Mans was thwarted by a blown head gasket in ’66, and it failed to finish again the following year after 13 hours of competition. We love its legendary lines and sexy gold livery, but we really dig the magnesium spare wheel tucked perilously close to the drivetrain; gotta love 1960s racing. —B.W.

1966 Ford GT40 Mark IIB Coupe I’m a sucker for GT40s, and as Basem notes above, this gold-sprayed coupe with white striping is one of the most stunning I’ve seen. Seemingly every GT40 of the 1960s has a story, and this car is no different. It was driven in the ’66 24 Hours of Le Mans by Dan Gurney and Jerry Grant and started on the pole, but a radiator issue hosed its chances and it didn’t finish. After being upgraded to IIB-spec, it raced at Le Mans in 1967 but crashed out. There is some controversy around this particular car as its chassis number of 1047 was somehow mixed up with another sister car known as 1031. —M.F.

File Under: Strong Finishes As if an imposing Rolls-Royce doesn’t say enough about the class divide between rich and poor during imperialist India, this 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Windovers limousine goes the extra mile with its stunning polished aluminum finish. The texture of bare metal must have required hundreds of man-hours to perfect and is just as telling of the car’s meticulous ownership history as it is about the marque’s 20th century origins. —B.W.

1958 Continental Mark III Convertible It is next to impossible to truly communicate the scale of this battleship in words and photos, but here goes. Holy hell, is this thing big, long, and massive! From the era when American land yachts roamed the interstates, as the largest unit-construction car ever built, this was one of the biggest of them all. This was the last year the Continental wasn’t badged a Lincoln, as it was its own sub-brand at the time. Powered by a 430-cubic-inch V-8 with around 375 horsepower, it is a whopping 229 inches long, but not exactly super heavy at around 5,000 pounds. Imagine trying to park this leviathan anywhere. That said, we’d love to try, after driving it everywhere, of course. —M.F.

1953 OSCA MT4 Frua Spider OSCA was a special class at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and the largely open-top race cars were an impressive lot. Known officially as Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili—Fratelli Maserati S.p.A., OSCA was an Italian manufacturer of racing and sports cars established in 1947 by the Maserati brothers, and it lasted until 1967. This particular car caught my eye, with its stunning blue, white, and red accented livery and white wire wheels. Many aficionados consider the MT4 the most successful race car the Maserati brothers ever produced, as it became a force in the under-1,500cc class during its era. —M.F.

1949 OSCA MT4 Siluro The Concours’ clutter of OSCAs consisted primarily of itty-bitty competition barchettas, and there weren’t any eyesores in the bunch. But I took particular interest in the 1949 OSCA MT4 Siluro. Or more specifically, the Siluro’s floating shift tube that extends from under the dash. It’s a feature entirely driven by engineering, but it’s so much more dramatic than some of the aesthetic extras sprinkled on some of the flamboyant sleds on the show green. —C.G.

1963 Citroën DS19 Chapron

The inimitable Citroën DS is hardly the most highfalutin car to escape France. While not as Spartan as the 2CV, the DS was reasonably egalitarian and became a symbol for accessible design and smart engineering. Citroën made roughly 1.5 million of the things, after all.

Peter Mullin’s 1963 Citroën DS19 Chapron Concorde is a bit different. A star coachworks designer for the likes of Delahaye, Delage, and Talbot-Lago, Henri Chapron penned the near-perfect bodywork for the Concorde, reinterpreting the DS’ funky aeronautical shape into an effortlessly elegant coupe marketed toward a buyer looking for more luxury. Only a handful of these were made, so this was a rare chance to see a Concorde in public. —C.G.

1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Gurney Nutting Streamline Coupe There was a special class at the Concours d’Elegance this year, “Motor Cars of the Raj,” featuring a number of incredibly elegant coachbuilt models like this magnificent example of a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, all brought over from India just for the show. (Apparently, all of the cars’ owners had to ship them to Pebble three months prior to the big day—quite a commitment.) This particular car won its class and also the Lucius Beebe Trophy as the best Rolls-Royce of the Concours, and it’s easy to see why, looking resplendent in its green and yellow paint scheme. In fact, this car is so fabulous, it was chosen as the cover car for this year’s official Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance poster. —M.F.

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#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

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newssplashy · 6 years

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Opinion: The decline of the civil war re-enactor

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The sun rose on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, 2018, to reveal a line of cars parked behind the Union Army’s tents.

It was an annoying historical anachronism for the brigade’s commander, Ted Brennan, 49, who was brushing his teeth with a horsehair toothbrush.

“We try to be as authentic as we can without getting dysentery,” Brennan said of his unit, several of whom were frying bacon and brewing coffee over a fire. They were camped in a sea of canvas tents that housed many of the 6,000 re-enactors at the event. Beyond the spectator stands and hot dog stalls, the Confederates were camped just out of sight.

The 155th Gettysburg anniversary re-enactment, which was held over the second weekend in July, was a chance for dedicated hobbyists to blast away at each other with antique rifles and rekindle old friendships over campfire-cooked meals. Spectators paid $40 to watch nearly a dozen mock skirmishes over the course of four days, and there was an old-timey ball Saturday night. An Abraham Lincoln impersonator was on hand to pose for photos.

It was also a snapshot of a hobby in decline. Gettysburg is among the biggest re-enactments of the year, and it still draws thousands to the sweltering Pennsylvania countryside in the middle of summer.

But that’s nothing compared with the re-enactments of the 1980s and 1990s, when tens of thousands would turn out. In 1998, at the 135th anniversary of Gettysburg, there were an estimated 30,000 re-enactors and 50,000 spectators.

Many of today’s re-enactors were born as the last Civil War veterans were dying, and grew up amid the celebrations and re-enactments of the centennial that lasted from 1961 to 1965. But the heyday of re-enacting was the ‘90s, during another moment of national fascination with the Civil War.

In 1990, Ken Burns’ “Civil War” documentary pulled in nearly 139 million viewers (huge ratings for a PBS program), and James McPherson’s 900-plus page academic book, “The Battle Cry of Freedom,” published in 1988, spent months on the best-seller lists.

Interest in the battlefield experiences of Civil War soldiers was fueled by cinematic hits, like the 1989 Oscar-winning film “Glory” and “Gettysburg,” a 1993 release that was more than four hours long. (Hundreds of re-enactors were cast as extras.)

But in the past decade or so, the crowds at large scale re-enactments have dwindled. Longtime hobbyists are aging out and retiring — soldiers in their 50s and 60s filled much of the camp at Gettysburg — and younger people aren’t marching onto mock battlefields in nearly the same numbers.

Enthusiasts cite a number of factors. Video games are to blame, some grouse, while others attribute diminishing interest to the rising expense of gear. A reproduction Civil War rifle alone can cost more than $1,000.

But many are more introspective about it. In the 1980s and ‘90s, “the whole tone of the country was different,” said Thomas Downes, 68, a retired machinist from Cleveland, who has been re-enacting for the Union side for 38 years.

“Up until the last five or 10 years, the social causes of the war did not come into what we do,” he said. “We were paying tribute to the fighting man.”

“It wasn’t ‘I’m racist and I want to glorify slavery,'” he said. “Nobody really thought a lot about the social reasons of why the South went to war. It was just these poor guys who were underfed, undermanned, underequipped, fighting valiantly to the last man, until they couldn’t stand anymore.”

Brad Keefer, a 61-year-old corporal in the Union re-enactor ranks and a professor of history at Kent State University, said: “Re-enactors look at the war as a four-year period between 1861 and 1865 in which you can cut out all the stuff leading up to the war and very much ignore everything that happened afterward.”

“We don’t get tangled up in all the messy bits, which are the causes and outcomes, which are complicated and uncomfortable,” he said.

It’s a vision of history placed in narrow context. The military details are meticulously researched and re-created down to the stitching of a uniform, but the broader social and political realities of the Civil War — the profound struggle over slavery and emancipation, racism and equality, citizenship and disenfranchisement — are largely confined to the margins.

Still, those issues can’t be ignored. After a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where demonstrators wore swastikas and carried Confederate flags, and where an anti-racist protester named Heather Heyer was killed, at least two smaller Civil War re-enactments were canceled. That the battle flag Confederate re-enactors carry is still used as a means of intimidation makes it hard to defend as a purely historical object, independent of its racist implications.

“You build a comfort zone for the hobby to function,” Keefer said. Pointing to the Confederate camp, he said: “And give them the benefit of the doubt that they weren’t at Charlottesville.”

There are many ways to be a Civil War re-enactor.

It’s not just the battlefield roles. At Gettysburg this year, there were also nurses and surgeons, nuns and chaplains, and 1860s-era government volunteers.

Steven Mark Diatz, a retired librarian from Alexandria, Virginia, had appointed himself the role of war correspondent for the New York Herald, one of the largest newspapers at the time and, in Diatz’s words, a “sensationalist rag.”

“I was always intrigued by how the war was brought home,” Diatz, 63, said. “Plus I can go anywhere on the battlefield as long as I stay out of the way of the firing.”

Diatz spends much of his free time portraying other historical characters, including soldiers in the American Revolution, the Spanish-American War and World War II. After Gettysburg, he planned to shave off his mustache and spend the next weekend dressed as a Royal Navy officer at a Jane Austen festival in Louisville, Kentucky.

Katie Mullins, who was portraying a volunteer for a long-extinct government organization, said that technically, she and her fellow volunteers on the U.S. Sanitary Commission shouldn’t be at the re-enactment at all. “It’s a bit of an anachronism that we’re here now during the course of the battle because the Sanitary Commission arrived afterward,” she said. “But nobody does a re-enactment of a battle’s aftermath.”

Despite the obsession with historical detail, there were plenty of re-enactors who brought air mattresses, propane burners, flashlights and jugs of Gatorade. Some camped out with entire families in tow.

There are many hard-core re-enactors — the kind of people who want to know what it felt like to march 25 miles in disintegrating shoes, sleep in ditches and subsist on hardtack and rancid salt pork — who eschew Gettysburg as a mainstream event. But at least one Union unit spent several days marching along highway shoulders to get to this year’s re-enactment, retracing the movements of the Army of the Potomac.

Another unit traveled from Germany, and hundreds of cavalry re-enactors showed up with their horses.

One cavalryman, Nathaniel Williams Sr., said he grew up riding in southern Virginia but didn’t learn that his ancestors served in the 2nd U.S. Colored Cavalry, a Union regiment of free blacks and liberated slaves, until later in life.

“I had no idea we were in the Civil War,” said Williams, his horse grazing in a field behind his tent. “It was never taught to me. It opened up my eyes to a lot of things.”

Williams first organized a re-enacting group about 20 years ago, recruiting relatives, friends and members of his church. This year, about two dozen people in his unit made the trip. They were the only black unit there.

Black re-enactors form a small faction within the overall hobby. But groups who portray U.S. Colored Troops — the designation the Army gave to ranks of all-black regiments — tend to re-enact battles where black troops played key roles in the fighting, including the Battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina, depicted in “Glory.”

Army commanders initially made black regiments perform menial labor and didn’t regularly order them into combat until after Gettysburg.

“Even though we didn’t fight here, we make it a family event,” said Williams, sitting alongside his wife, Angela, who was wearing period dress. “We’ve got three days, we can spend time together and have fun.”

The actual battle of Gettysburg was some of the most savage fighting in the Civil War, but no one wants to die early in a re-enactment. If you catch an imaginary bullet in the beginning of a skirmish, you miss out on most of the action. (For the cavalry, dying in mock battle is even rarer because it means falling out of the saddle.)

But casualties inevitably mount. Sometimes, there’s just “no way around it,” Keefer said, not long after going down under intense fire from the Confederate lines.

“We were getting killed there,” he said. “There were just too many Rebs shooting.”

Once down, some of the wounded took the opportunity to pull out their smartphones and take photos and videos. A crew of bucket-carrying women made their way around the battlefield, topping off the canteens of both the living and the dead.

Re-enactors shoot gunpowder, not bullets, but serious accidents do happen from time to time. Usually it’s heatstroke and heart troubles that pose the greatest threat, a problem that has grown as the average participant has aged. A Friday evening skirmish at this year’s event was interrupted when an infantryman collapsed in the sun. Modern medics carted him off the field.

The fighting was over when the buglers sounded “Taps.” The soldiers placed their caps over their hearts, shook hands and congratulated each other on a good fight.

Union and Confederate re-enactors alike turned out to a ball Saturday night, as did women in hoop skirts, bonnets and period jewelry. Music was provided by the 2nd South Carolina String Band, which played several hours worth of popular mid-1800s ballads and waltzes with a decidedly pro-Southern slant, ignoring requests for “Yankee Doodle” in favor of “Dixie.” (The band’s website boasts that “all five of their recordings have been listed in the Top 30 selections on Amazon.com’s Civil War Music page for the past 5 years running.”)

Back in the army camps, re-enactors pulled out bottles of whiskey and moonshine, traded stories and rehashed historical debates.

“We’ll talk about McClellan moving too slowly on the peninsula and then we’ll talk about Joe getting divorced,” said Frank Beachem, a 59-year-old from Manassas, Virginia, and onetime mall Santa who works in government procurement.

At one camp, a seasoned re-enactor tested a new recruit’s recipe for hardtack, the tooth-cracking bread that formed the backbone of a soldier’s field rations. “If it’s edible, it’s not real hardtack,” he said. As he bit into a piece — barely edible, passably accurate — the sound of a banjo and fiddle wafted over.

Historical flourishes and stacked rifles aside, the camp at a Civil War re-enactment resembles a Boy Scout jamboree. The slice of rustic outdoor life is one of the hobby’s big draws.

“I tell people it’s a chance to have a guys’ weekend out camping, just doing it a little more old school than people are used to,” said Christopher Wesp, 34, a relatively recent recruit and former Marine who served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“From my first event, the camaraderie that I felt and started building was very close and comparable to what it was like being in the service,” he said. “That’s the thing I missed most about being in the Marine Corps.”

Politically, Civil War re-enactors tend to be conservative, perhaps a reflection of the demographics of a hobby that skews heavily white and middle-aged. But it’s not a monolith. One Union infantryman, a 20-year-old college student, described himself as a Marxist and card-carrying member of the International Workers of the World.

Most re-enactors have strong preferences, but few stick exclusively to one side, instead switching into Confederate or Union garb if the opposing ranks are too thin.

Still, some Union re-enactors said they chose to wear blue at least in part because of their political convictions or because they wouldn’t fight against the U.S. flag. The Confederates were more likely to say family history had a role in how they picked their side.

“We portray Confederates because they were the underdogs and they had all the odds stacked against them,” said Bill Adams, known as “Pork Pie,” an engineer from southern Michigan who has been playing a Confederate soldier for the past 35 years. “The politics that caused the war, we don’t even care about.”

Some Confederate re-enactors, including Kenny Glass, 46, an emergency medical technician from Selma, Alabama, said that slavery had little to do with Southern secession, an assertion that is at odds with historical scholarship.

“I’ve been called a racist, a bigot, everything you could think of in the world when people find out I do this,” Glass said. “I tell them they need to learn their history. It wasn’t fought over slavery. It was fought over Southern rights, that’s just the way I see it.”

Don King, a Confederate re-enactor who grew up in North Carolina and now lives near Sykesville, Maryland, disagreed. The South fought the war because of slavery, he said, but “you can’t fight a battle with only one side.”

“Think of what a ‘Star Wars’ movie would be without the Empire,” he said. “Just because you’re acting on one side doesn’t mean you embrace their historical beliefs.”

Part of the problem is that the historical beliefs have modern day implications. Scrutiny of Civil War re-enacting from outside — as well as introspection and concern about its future on the inside — reached a fever pitch after the violence last year in Charlottesville, Virginia. But it built along with protests in many cities that demanded the removal of Confederate statues and monuments from state grounds, spurred by the murder of nine black worshippers in South Charleston, South Carolina, by white supremacist Dylann Roof.

Recently, threats against re-enactors have disrupted several events. In October, police in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia discovered a suspicious device — possibly a pipe bomb — amid the concession stands at the annual Cedar Creek re-enactment. A month later, a threat was made against participants in a parade that commemorates Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Those incidents cast a shadow over Gettysburg this year. Word trickled out that Cedar Creek had been canceled entirely, and while the reason was not stated, many thought it was obvious.

“Who would mess with Civil War re-enactors?” said Downes, the retired machinist from Cleveland. “We’re just a bunch of nut cases running around playing cowboys and Indians.”

After a skirmish Saturday afternoon, Downes was in a melancholic mood. He said that problems with the heat were forcing him to consider retirement.

Lighting his pipe in the shade of the general’s tent, he reminisced on nearly four decades of re-enacting, saying it provided an outlet and escape. “This is so fulfilling,” he said. “It carries over.”

“Historically, I’m way too old to be doing anything like this,” he said. “A lot of the people I re-enacted with have either crossed over the river are just too old.”

His wife tagged along for years, portraying a camp washerwoman, but she finally caught what Downes called “a severe case of common sense” about a decade ago. “I’ve got friends whose knees are gone, who’ve got bad backs. You just keep coming out for the friendships,” he said.

Like other re-enacting units, his group finds itself back in Gettysburg and other battlefield towns with some regularity. They occasionally set up camp on National Park Service land to serve as a living history exhibit, and they also meet up during the winter to practice drills.

Afterward, the troops may head to a local bar for a cold beer, and they’ve learned to leave their costumes on. Without their Union insignia, “no women are coming up and asking to take their picture with us,” Keefer said with a wry smile.

“Without these uniforms,” he said, “we’re just a bunch of middle-aged schlubs.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/07/opinion-decline-of-civil-war-re-enactor_30.html

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junker-town · 7 years

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2017 NCAA Basketball Top 100

The top 100 college basketball players for the 2017 season, ranked

100. Tyus Battle, SO, G, Syracuse

With Taurean Thompson out of the fold, there’s no question that Battle will be Jim Boeheim’s best player in 2017-18. On a team without a great deal of offensive firepower, Battle could put up some massive numbers in ACC play.

99. Devin Sibley, SR, G, Furman

The reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year, Sibley averaged 17.7 points per game and shot 44.9 percent from beyond the arc last season. The Paladins are expecting even greater things from Sibley as a senior.

98. Quentin Snider, SR, G, Louisville

A starter since the end of his freshman season, Snider has improved steadily each season at Louisville. He’ll be the most experienced player and the rock on a team that has already faced more adversity off the court than it’s likely to see on it.

97. Mark Alstork, SR, G, Illinois

Arguably the highest-profile transfer on the market last offseason, Alstork averaged 19 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for Wright State last season. He took visits to Louisville and Georgetown and also considered South Carolina, Pitt and LSU before settling on the Illini.

96. Jaylen Hands, FR, G, UCLA

No, he isn’t Lonzo Ball, but Steve Alford doesn’t need him to be in order for UCLA to have a successful season. The 6’3” floor general is explosive both in terms of his first step and his vertical leaping ability.

95. Trae Young, FR, G, Oklahoma

Oklahoma took an enormous step back last season after Buddy Hield carried the Sooners to the Final Four in 2016. OU fans are optimistic that 2017-18 will be better, and Young is the main reason why. The McDonald’s All-American averaged 42.6 points per game as a high school senior at Norman North High School last year.

94. Chris Clemons, JR, G, Campbell

Clemons flirted briefly with jumping to the NBA after a sophomore season where he averaged 25.1 points per game, the fourth-highest total in Division-I. He was at his best in the Big South Tournament, averaging 37.6 points per game and dropping 51 in an upset win over UNC-Asheville.

93. Tres Tinkle, SO, F, Oregon State

If he can stay healthy, Tinkle has the potential to make the Beavers competitive in the Pac-12 again. He averaged 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds as a freshman in 2015-16, but missed Oregon State’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 26 years because of a broken foot. Last season, Tinkle was averaging 20.2 points and 8.3 rebounds before a broken right wrist ended his campaign after just six games.

92. James Daniel III, SR, G, Tennessee

A graduate transfer from Howard, Daniel led the nation in scoring two seasons ago at 27.1 points per game. He’ll look to add some offensive firepower to a Tennessee squad that ranked 145th in the country in scoring last season.

91. Quade Green, FR, G, Kentucky

It’s no secret that point guard is the position that makes John Calipari’s teams go, but Green is more of a shooter than a slasher like John Wall or De’Aaron Fox. Regardless of style, if Green proves himself to be the next great UK floor general, then the Wildcats will once again be right in the national championship mix come March.

90. E.C. Matthews, SR, G, Rhode Island

Matthews averaged 14.3 points per game as a freshman all the way back in 2013-14, which makes it seem like he’s been around forever. His crowning college achievement to date came last season when he was named Most Outstanding Player of the Atlantic 10 Tournament after averaging 19.3 points and 5.7 rebounds to get the Rams into the Big Dance for the first time since 1999.

89. Kyle Guy, SO, G, Virginia

The man bun, aka the “Guy Bun,” is gone. In his second college season, Kyle Guy hopes he can go from the “guy with the weird hair who could score in streaks” to Virginia’s most complete player. He’s added 10 pounds to his frame and is hoping to make the same freshman-to-sophomore leap that guys like Malcolm Brogdon and Klay Thompson did under Tony Bennett.

88. Chandler Hutchison, SR, G, Boise State

A First Team All-Mountain West selection in 2016-17, Hutchison had six games where he scored at least 20 points and snagged at least 10 rebounds. He also became the first player in Boise State history to record 500 points, 200 rebounds and 75 assists in a single season.

87. Justin James, JR, G, Wyoming

James was the Mountain West's Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore, averaging a team-high 16 points per game to go with five rebounds and 2.2 assists. He figures to be the unquestioned star of a Wyoming team that hopes to compete for a top tier finish in what should be a rejuvenated Mountain West.

86. Omari Spellman, FR, F, Villanova

A former five-star recruit, Spellman was forced to sit out the entire 2016-17 season after the NCAA ruled that he did not complete his initial eligibility requirements in time. The addition of the 6’9” power forward should give Jay Wright the elite inside presence his team desperately missed at times a year ago.

85. Chris Clarke, JR, F, Virginia Tech

With Zach LeDay and Seth Allen both graduated, the pressure will be on Chris Clarke to first get healthy, and second become a star. Clarke was the team’s leading rebounder (7.3 rpg) and third-leading scorer (11.4 ppg) when he tore his ACL in mid-February. The Hokies performance on the glass took a huge hit, and the team went just 5-4 after his injury. If Clarke is 100 percent for the duration of 2017-18, he should be an All-ACC performer.

84. Josh Okogie, SO, G, Georgia Tech

A Second Team preseason All-ACC honoree, Okogie was the leading scorer for the 2017 NIT runners-up, averaging 16.1 points per game. He will miss at least the team’s season-opening game against UCLA due to a suspension for receiving impermissible benefits totaling less than $750.

83. Markus Howard, SO, G, Marquette

Howard was the most accurate three-point shooter in the country last season, connecting on 54.0 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. His goal as a sophomore is to prove to the rest of the Big East that he’s developed into more than just an outside assassin.

82. Andrew Jones, SO, G, Texas

Jones had an up-and-down freshman season, but begins his sophomore campaign as the only Longhorn returnee who averaged double-digit figures last year (11.4 ppg). Shaka Smart’s hope is that Jones joins forces with freshman big man Mo Bamba to form the most lethal inside-outside attack in the Big 12.

81. Jo Lual-Acuil, SR, F, Baylor

Acuil is a known commodity as a 7-foot defensive force. With Johnathan Motley gone, the big man’s offensive game is going to have to be dramatically improved in order for the Bears to avoid taking a dramatic step in the wrong direction.

80. Khyri Thomas, JR, G, Creighton

The Big East’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, Thomas did a little bit of everything for Creighton a year ago. He was the team’s most efficient offensive player after point guard Mo Watson’s season-ending injury, and in league play he ranked third in the Big East in assists (3.9 per game), sixth in rebounding (6.2), and eighth in steals (1.5).

79. Esa Ahmad, JR, F, West Virginia

Ahmad will be ineligible for the first semester of the season, dealing a huge blow to the Mountaineers’ chances of capably handling a tough non-conference slate. The power forward scored in double figures 20 times last season and was arguably the top defensive performer on one of the nation’s best defensive teams.

78. B.J. Johnson, SR, G, La Salle

Johnson flirted with making a leap to the NBA after a junior season where he led the Explorers in points (17.6 per game) and rebounds (6.3). He also became just the 30th player in school history to score 500 or more points in a single season.

77. Theo Pinson, SR, F, North Carolina

Known as much for his comic relief during press conferences as his on-court talents, Pinson is looking to finally emerge as a consistent (and healthy) offensive threat in his final collegiate season. He set career highs in points (6.1 per game), rebounds (4.6) and assists (3.7) last season, but shot just 38.1 percent from the field.

76. Jordan Caroline, JR, G, Nevada

An explosive athlete, Caroline averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season. The rebounding average was the second-best in the Mountain West. He was also named MVP of the Mountain West Tournament after helping the Wolfpack punch its first ticket to the Big Dance in a decade.

75. Shamorie Ponds, SO, G, St. John’s

A Big East All-Freshman team performer in 2016-17, Ponds averaged 17.4 points per game and hit double figures in all but three of St. John’s 33 games. If the Red Storm take a large step forward in year three under Chris Mullin, Ponds will likely be the biggest reason why.

74. J.P. Macura, SR, G, Xavier

Macura was the only player on an injury-ridden Xavier team to appear in all 38 games last season, and he was at his best when the lights were the brightest. The guard averaged 13 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists during a surprise run to the Elite Eight that rescued what had been a disappointing campaign for the Musketeers.

73. Tyler Hall, JR, G, Montana State

One of the best-kept secrets in college basketball, Hall will have you up late trying to find streams for Big Sky Conference games this winter. In his sophomore season, the 6’4”, 175-pound point guard ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (23.1 points per game) and second in three-pointers made. He did this while shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc and turning the ball over an average of just 2.0 times per game.

72. Kyron Cartwright, SR, G, Providence

Cartwright proved to Friar fans last season that life would go on without Kris Dunn. He led the Big East with 6.7 assists per game (fourth nationally) while also chipping in 11.4 points per game.

71. Lonnie Walker, FR, G, Miami

The crown jewel of Miami’s top 10 recruiting class, Walker is likely the most hyped freshman to ever suit up and play for Jim Larranaga. He had surgery for a torn right meniscus in July, but was cleared to return to practice in mid-October.

70. De'Anthony Melton, SO, G, USC

Melton is a freak athlete who earned a starting spot as a freshman on a loaded USC team last season because of his defensive prowess. If he can develop a consistent jump shot in his sophomore season, he could find himself ready for the league in a few short months.

69. Kevin Hervey, SR, F, UT-Arlington

The Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2017, Hervey averaged 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while leading UT-Arlington to the conference’s regular season title. He’ll now look to end his college career with his first NCAA tournament appearance.

68. Quinndary Weatherspoon, JR, G, Mississippi State

Weatherspoon returns to Mississippi State after leading the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game last season. He’ll have backcourt help this year in the form of his younger brother, four-star recruit Nick.

67. Elijah Brown, SR, G, Oregon

Brown started his college career at Butler, spent the past two seasons at New Mexico, and will now wrap things up at Oregon. He averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season for the Lobos. Brown’s new task will be to lead the offensive charge for an Oregon team that lost a significant amount from last year’s Final Four squad.

66. Amir Coffey, SO, G, Minnesota

Coffey was Minnesota’s second-leading scorer (12.2 ppg) last season despite using only 19.2 percent of the team’s possessions, just the fifth-most on the team. Expect Richard Pitino to feature the sophomore guard more in 2017-18.

65. Jaren Jackson, FR, F, Michigan State

A versatile 5-star forward with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Jackson can score from any spot on the floor. He should serve as the perfect accent to the bigger and stronger Miles Bridges.

64. Mikal Bridges, JR, G, Villanova

Bridges hasn’t averaged double figures in scoring in either of his first two college seasons, but he’s still widely viewed as the best NBA prospect on Jay Wright’s roster. The reason is because he’s a 6’6” freak who Wright recently referred to as the best defensive player he’s ever coached. If Bridges’ shot improved as much this offseason as it did after his freshman year, he will be a force for the Wildcats as a junior.

63. Bryant Crawford, JR, G, Wake Forest

One of the most underrated guards in the country, Crawford helped Wake Forest get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010 last season. He also became the first Demon Deacon with 500 points and 150 assists in a single season since Randolph Childress in 1994-95.

62. Isaac Haas, SR, C, Purdue

Making room isn’t an easy thing for a 7’2”, 290-pound center to do. That’s the position Haas was forced into last season while sharing a frontcourt with consensus First Team All-American Caleb Swanigan. The loss of Biggie is a huge blow to Purdue as a team, but it figures to give Haas more room to operate on his own in the post.

61. Wendell Carter, FR, F, Duke

Outside of Jahlil Okafor, highly touted freshmen big men haven’t had a significant amount of success right out of the gates at Duke in recent years. The No. 5 overall player from the class of 2017 is more than talented enough to reverse that trend.

60. Jerome Robinson, JR, G, Boston College

Robinson might be the best player on a bad team in college basketball. His streak of eight straight games with 20 points or more last season was the longest of any major conference player in America.

59. Jordan McLaughlin, SR, G, USC

When McLaughlin arrived at USC, the Trojans had just wrapped up three seasons with a losing overall record and five straight with a sub-.500 record in Pac-12 play. Now he’s the senior captain of a squad that won a pair of NCAA tournament games last season and will start this year at No. 10 in the Associated Press preseason top 25.

58. Tyler Davis, JR, C, Texas A&M

The leader of what has become a veteran Aggie squad, Davis averaged 14.1 points and seven rebounds per game last year. He led the SEC and ranked 14th in the nation in field goal percentage at 62.9.

57. Gary Clark, SR, F, Cincinnati

For a second straight season, Clark came dangerously close to averaging a double-double, chipping in 10.8 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game. The do-it-all forward has been referred to by Mick Cronin as “the type of player every coach wants to have.”

56. Thomas Welsh, SR, C, UCLA

College basketball’s king of the mid-range jumper, Welsh has showcased a new skill during UCLA’s preseason: a three-point shot. If he can knock it down consistently the Bruins will be able to spread the court and give their super-athletic guards more room to operate.

55. Markis McDuffie, JR, F, Wichita State

A First Team All-Missouri Valley performer in 2016-17, McDuffie became the first underclassmen in 23 years to lead Wichita State in both scoring and rebounding. He’ll miss the start of the season because of a stress fracture in his left foot, but figures to be back in time to help the Shockers compete for a conference title in their first year as a member of the AAC.

54. Justin Jackson, SO, F, Maryland

One of the top breakout sophomore candidates in the country, Jackson ranked second on Maryland’s team in scoring last season at 10.5 ppg. The 6’7” wing shot 43.8 percent from three last season, but has dedicated his offseason to becoming more of a threat off the dribble.

53. Malik Newman, SO, G, Kansas

There are few mysteries in college basketball this season greater than Newman. Two years ago, he was a highly touted five-star prospect who was expected to put up otherworldly numbers at Mississippi State. That didn’t happen, and now he’s at Kansas where he’s drawn rave reviews from head coach Bill Self since his arrival. How much in-season success those offseason performances translate into is what everyone is waiting to see.

52. Vince Edwards, SR, F, Purdue

With Caleb Swanigan now suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers, Vince Edwards is now the top dog in West Lafayette. He’s also the only active player in Division-I with 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 made three-pointers.

51. Bryant McIntosh, SR, G, Northwestern

Everyone knows about the history Northwestern made last season, but now the expectations are even higher for 2017-18. That’s because Chris Collins returns nearly every major cog from that team, including McIntosh, who became the first player in NU history to lead the Big Ten in assists (5.4 in league play). He also chipped in 16.3 points per game during league play, seventh-best in the conference.

50. Johnathan Williams, SR, F, Gonzaga

Four of the five double-figure scorers from the Gonzaga team that made it all the way to the national title game are now gone. The lone returnee is Williams, who averaged 10.2 ppg and also led the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg). His presence is the biggest reason why Mark Few is once again fielding a top 20 squad.

49. Ben Lammers, SR, C, Georgia Tech

The ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2016-17, Lammers was one of the country’s most improved players last season. Few players are more valuable to their respective teams than Lammers, who averaged 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game (fourth in the ACC) last season while hitting 51.6 percent of his shots from the floor (fifth in the ACC).

48. Peyton Aldridge, SR, F, Davidson

He’s not quite Steph Curry, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Aldridge brought a national scoring title back to Davidson. He put up career bests across the board as a junior last season, including averages of 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Bob McKillop’s team will go as far as Aldridge can carry them this season.

47. Rodney Bullock, SR, F, Providence

The 6’8” forward averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, helping the Froars to their fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance.

46. Jeffrey Carroll, SR, G, Oklahoma State

Quietly last season, Carroll became just the fourth player in Big 12 history to finish in the top 10 in the league in scoring (17.5 ppg, third), rebounding (6.6 rpg, eighth) and three-point percentage (44.4 percent, third). The other three? Georges Niang (Iowa State, 2015-16), Jordan Hamilton (Texas, 2010-11) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2006-07).

45. Jalen Adams, JR, G, Connecticut

Without much support a year ago, Adams led UConn in both points (14.4 ppg) and assists (6.1 apg). The return of a healthy Alterique Gilbert and Terry Larrier should force opposing defenses to not key entirely on Adams this season.

44. Troy Brown, FR, G, Oregon

Dana Altman is going from having one of the most experienced teams in the country to one loaded with fresh faces. The most hyped among those newcomers is Brown, the No. 13 player in the 2017 recruiting class according to Rivals. He and backcourt mate Elijah Brown figure to have green lights brighter than the Ducks’ road uniforms.

43. Nick Ward, SO, F, Michigan State

Miles Bridges wasn’t the only Spartan who put up numbers as a freshman but still decided to return to East Lansing. Despite playing fewer than 20 minutes per game, Ward still managed to average 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. He also ranked third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage at 59.2 percent.

42. Rawle Alkins, SO, G, Arizona

Alkins won’t see the court until December after breaking his foot in late September, but he still figures to play a major part in whatever success Arizona has this season. Alkins was a standout performer for the Wildcats as a freshman in 2016-17, averaging 10.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.

41. Moritz Wagner, JR, F, Michigan

Michigan's leading returning scorer (12.1 points per game) and rebounder (4.2), Wagner emerged as a force for the Wolverines late last season. His most memorable performance came in the second round of the NCAA tournament when he hit 11 of 14 shots and scored a career-high 26 points in a 73-69 win over second-seeded Louisville.

40. KeVaughn Allen, JR, G, Florida

A year ago, Allen was the leading scorer (14.4 ppg) on a Florida team that came one win away from a trip to the Final Four. Now expectations in Gainesville are higher for both himself and the Gators.

39. Rob Gray, SR, G, Houston

Gray is a certified bucket-getter, leading the AAC in scoring last season at 20.6 points per game. He also shot 47.5 percent from the floor and led the Cougars in steals 1.2 per game.

38. Matt Farrell, SR, G, Notre Dame

Despite Demetrius Jackson’s early jump to the NBA, Notre Dame didn’t miss a step at the point guard position last season because of Farrell. The junior emerged from the shadows and helped lead the Fighting Irish to yet another top four finish in the ACC and a trip to the conference tournament title game.

37. Shake Milton, JR, G, SMU

Some in the Dallas area are calling this a “rebuilding season” for SMU. The preseason AAC Player of the Year doesn’t want to let those predictions come to fruition. Milton was sensational during the team’s summer trip to Canada, averaging 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 assists in just 23.3 minutes per game.

36. Khadeen Carrington, SR, G, Seton Hall

Carrington led the Pirates and finished sixth in the Big East in scoring last season at 17.1 points per game. He’ll team up with big man Angel Delgado to headline the most anticipated season of Seton Hall basketball in quite some time.

35. Kelan Martin, SR, F, Butler

Martin was the leading scorer (16.0 ppg) and rebounder (5.8 rpg) on a Butler team that won 25 games and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. He’ll become an even stronger force for the Bulldogs this season if he’s able to pull his three-point percentage up from the 34.8 percent clip he fired at a year ago.

34. Nate Mason, SR, G, Minnesota

Mason was the top performer on a 2016-17 Minnesota team that was among the biggest overachievers in the country. He led the team in scoring (15.2 ppg), free-throw percentage (80.8 percent), assists (169), and steals (46).

33. Trevon Duvall, FR, G, Duke

Duke never lived up to its preseason hype last season in large part because it never discovered a true point guard. That doesn’t figure to be an issue in 2017-18 thanks to Mike Krzyzewki’s signing of Duvall. The five-star floor general was the top-ranked point guard in the 2017 class.

32. Jacob Evans, JR, G, Cincinnati

Evans figures to be the top offensive performer on what many are predicting to be the highest scoring and best overall team that Mick Cronin has fielded at Cincinnati. The 6’6” junior netted 13.5 ppg last season, best on the team.

31. Aaron Holiday, JR, G, UCLA

After playing third fiddle to Lonzo Ball and Bryce Alford last season, this would seem to be Holiday’s show. The junior is the leading returning scorer on a team that lost 72 percent of its offensive output from last season. If the Bruins want to have any hope of making it back to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, Holiday has to develop into a First Team All-Pac-12 caliber performer.

30. Reid Travis, JR, F, Stanford

Travis led a sub-.500 Stanford squad in virtually every statistical category last season. He was also the only Pac-12 player to rank in the league’s top five for both scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg).

29. Chimezie Metu, JR, F, USC

After averaging 14.8 points. 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last season, Metu figures to once again be one of the fiercest post players in America. His numbers won’t shine the way they would for 99 percent of the other teams in America because USC has another one of best frontcourt players in college basketball.

28. Bennie Boatwright, JR, F, USC

Boatright missed 17 of USC’s first 22 games last season because of injury, but still managed to post season averages of 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. A 6’10” forward who can score from any spot on the floor, he might be the most versatile player on a Trojan team that’s chock full of them.

27. Hamidou Diallo, FR, G, Kentucky

This is the youngest Kentucky team of the John Calipari era, which is saying something. It’s so young that Diallo, who was with the team for the second half of the season but did not play in games, is viewed as a veteran leader despite technically being a freshman. The super athletic 6’5” guard will finally get to make his college debut on Nov. 10.

26. Deng Adel, JR, F, Louisville

With Donovan Mitchell now lighting up box scores for the Utah Jazz, Adel has to emerge as an effective go-to offensive performer for the Cardinals. He showed flashes of having the ability to do just that near the end of last season, averaging 16.2 ppg over Louisville’s final five contests.

25. Bruce Brown, SO, G, Miami

Brown is a strong candidate to take a large step forward after a solid freshman season where he averaged 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also became just the second player in Miami history to record a triple-double.

24. Marcus Foster, SR, G, Creighton

Foster was a unanimous First Team All-Big East selection in his first season with the Bluejays, averaging a team-high 18.2 points per game. The transfer from Kansas State is a strong candidate to be the conference’s top scorer in 2017-18.

23. Jaylen Adams, SR, G, St. Bonaventure

Regardless of how the team performs, make some time to watch at least one Saint Bonaventure game this season. Adams, who posted averages of 20.6 points and 6.5 assists per game last year, will make it worth your while.

22. DeAndre Ayton, FR, C, Arizona

Ayton is one of the most naturally skilled centers college basketball has seen in some time. He spent the bulk of his early years being regarded as the top player in the 2017 class, but questions about his effort allowed others to surpass him heading into college. Those same questions are the only ones surrounding his potential to help take Sean Miller to his first Final Four.

21. Collin Sexton, FR, G, Alabama

A remarkably gifted scorer, Sexton should make Alabama one of the most entertaining teams to watch in college basketball this season. The likely one-and-done talent could also help the Tide win a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006.

20. Landry Shamet, SO, G, Wichita State

Like Wichita State’s other top performer, Markis McDuffie, Shamet has spent a solid chunk of the offseason sidelined by a foot injury. Once he’s back to 100 percent, the redshirt sophomore should be the best player on a Shockers team that could be good enough to compete for a national title.

19. Yante Maten, SR, F, Georgia

There’s been a lot of chatter this offseason about the NBA talent in the SEC, but not nearly enough sent in the direction of Maten. The 6’8” forward did all for Georgia in 2016-17, averaging 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He missed four games late in the year because of a knee sprain, an injury which ultimately sealed the Dogs’ fate as an NIT team.

18. Jevon Carter, SR, G, West Virginia

Carter is the senior leader of a West Virginia team that will begin the 2017-18 season with a top 10 ranking in the USA Today coaches poll. He was the leading scorer on the Mountaineers’ Sweet 16 squad a year ago, averaging 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

17. Mike Daum, JR, F, South Dakota State

In one year, Daum went from completely off the map to one of the nation’s most elite scorers (25.1 ppg). The 6’9” sharp-shooter dropped a season-high 51 on Fort Wayne last February and figures to put up more absurd numbers as a junior.

16. Robert Williams, SO, F, Texas A&M

Williams, a highly skilled 6’10” forward, stunned everyone last spring when he announced that he was bypassing the NBA Draft in favor of another season at Texas A&M. The potential lottery pick averaged 11.9 points and 8.2 rebounds as a freshman for the Aggies in 2016-17. He’ll miss the first two games of this season while serving a suspension for a violation of team policy.

15. Jock Landale, SR, C, Saint Mary’s

Arguably the most efficient big man in college basketball, Landale finished his junior season shooting 61.1 percent from the field while averaging 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. His numbers were stellar enough to earn a runner-up finish in Ken Pomeroy’s player of the year rankings.

14. Kevin Knox, FR, F, Kentucky

An explosive 6’8” forward who can do a little bit of everything, Knox will be Kentucky’s best player this season. He’ll be a matchup nightmare for every team on the Wildcats’ schedule.

13. Mohamed Bamba, FR, F, Texas

Perhaps the most interesting NBA prospect in the world, Bamba is the centerpiece of a Texas recruiting class that has Longhorn fans rejuvenated after a disappointing 11-22 campaign in 2016-17. The big man’s on-court talent and off-court personality could make him the Kevin Durant for a new generation of UT fans.

12. Angel Delgado, SR, C, Seton Hall

Delgado took a long time before deciding last spring to put the NBA on hold and return to South Orange for his senior season. The league seemed like a realistic option after he averaged 15.2 points and a Division I-best 13.2 rebounds per game as a junior. This season he hopes to show off more offensive versatility, including a more consistent mid-range jumper.

11. Trevon Bluiett, SR, G, Xavier

Twice a First Team All-Big East selection, Bluiett scored 20 points or more 19 times last season for the Musketeers. He was at his best during back-to-back NCAA tournament upsets of third-seeded Florida State and second-seeded Arizona, scoring 29 points against the Seminoles and 25 against the Wildcats.

10. Joel Berry II, SR, G, North Carolina

The Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 Final Four, Berry has already accomplished plenty in his college career. The final task will be to serve as the unquestioned leader and focal point of a North Carolina team looking to make a third straight trip to the national championship game.

9. Jalen Brunson, JR, G, Villanova

Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds are all gone, which means it’s officially time for The Jalen Brunson Show at Villanova. Not that the former five-star recruit wasn’t impressive even with a crowded backcourt. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists per game last season for a Wildcat team that went 32-4.

8. Ethan Happ, JR, F, Wisconsin

In 2016-17, the ultra-efficient Happ was the nation's only player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during conference play. The challenge for Happ as a junior will be to keep posting those types of numbers with less of a supporting cast surrounding him.

7. Allonzo Trier, JR, G, Arizona

Trier would likely be a member of an NBA franchise right now had it not been for a suspension that forced him to miss the first 19 games of last season. He was terrific when he was eligible, averaging a team-best 17.2 points per game to go with 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

6. Devonte’ Graham, SR, G, Kansas

Graham wasn’t even a top 100 player when he signed with Kansas back in 2013. Now he enters his senior season as the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, and has a chance to step into Frank Mason’s role as the Jayhawks’ leading scorer and a candidate for national Player of the Year.

5. Grayson Allen, SR, G, Duke

Allen might be the most nationally recognizable player that college basketball has seen in at least a decade. Unfortunately, that status isn’t due entirely to his on-court efforts. The controversial Dukie occupied the top spot on this list a year ago, but then experienced an individual season that was as much of a roller coaster ride as his team’s. If he can eliminate the tripping and the temper tantrums, he has an opportunity to be the leader and top performer on the best team in the country.

4. Marvin Bagley, FR, F, Duke

When Bagley announced over the summer that he was reclassifying to 2017 and signing with Duke, it all but assured that the Blue Devils would be the No. 1 team in both major preseason polls. Many people’s pick to be the first player selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, the 6’11” Bagley can do a little bit of everything. It might take some time for him to figure out exactly what his role is on Coach K’s loaded team, but once he does, look out.

3. Bonzie Colson, SR, F, Notre Dame

If the players on this list were being ranked on NBA potential, Colson wouldn’t be anywhere near the top. A 6’5” forward who basically serves as a center for the Fighting Irish, Colson’s remarkable production is hard to explain for anyone who hasn’t actually watched him play. Colson was the only player in the ACC to average a double-double (17.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg) last season — numbers that earned him Third Team AP All-American honors.

2. Michael Porter, JR, F, Missouri

Missouri basketball suddenly has life thanks mostly to the addition of Porter, the superstar recruit who spent most of last year as the top-ranked player in the 2017 class. Porter hopes to enjoy more college success than Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, top-rated recruits who signed with struggling power conference programs but failed to take their teams to the NCAA tournament. Porter is probably fine with mimicking where those guys wound up being selected in the NBA Draft, though.

1. Miles Bridges, SO, F, Michigan State

As a freshman in 2016-17, Bridges put up absurd numbers after getting back to 100 percent following an ankle injury that forced him to miss the entire month of December. He shocked everyone in the spring by announcing that he was returning to Michigan State for one more season. Don’t be surprised if Bridges has a sophomore season that reminds fans of the one Blake Griffin had at Oklahoma almost a decade ago.

JUST MISSED:

Jaylen Fisher, SO, G, TCU

Donte DiVincenzo, SO, F, Villanova

Mustapha Heron, SO, G, Auburn

Carsen Edwards, SO, G, Purdue

Alize Johnson, SR, F, Missouri State

Cassius Winston, SO, G, Michigan State

Manu Lecomte, SR, G, Baylor

Matt Mobley, SR, G, St. Bonaventure

DeAndre Burnett, SR, G, Ole Miss

Rui Hachimura, SO, F, Gonzaga

P.J. Washington, FR, F, Kentucky

T.J. Haws, SO, G, BYU

Brandon McCoy, FR, F, UNLV

Tra Holder, SR, G, Arizona State

Jae’Sean Tate, SR, F, Ohio State

Matthew Fisher-Davis, SR, G, Vanderbilt

Kevin Huerter, SO, G, Maryland

Gary Trent Jr., FR, G, Duke

Giddy Potts, SR, G, Middle Tennessee

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years

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SIXERS RUMORS: Dennis Smith, Patty Mills, and More

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OK let’s get this first one out of the way right off the bat. Stefan Bondy covers the Knicks. Why is he reporting about the Sixers? Fuck knows! But here’s how I read this: Bryan Colangelo is taking a point guard or at least wants people to think he’s taking a point guard.

Fox: Love him. Just not for the Sixers. He seems to have the widest DELTA between his floor and ceiling of any of the four (now five and maybe even six) guys projected to be taken third. He’s crazy athletic and quick, but he can’t shoot, is a bit erratic, and somewhat small. If this were a year ago and the Sxiers weren’t ready to turn the page, I’d be willing to take a chance on Fox because he has superstar potential. Alas. Colangelo is (I think rightfully) set to move forward, and Fox really isn’t a great fit.

Dennis Smith Jr.: I’m gonna be real transparent�� a highlight video of Smith from his high school days popped up on my Facebook feed last night and by the end of it I had already customized my Smith Jr. jersey on Sixers.com. I haven’t done a deep dive on him yet (I will today), but the skinny is that he’s a talented, NBA-skilled point guard who can get to the rim and shoot effectively but lacks decision-making ability, played for a lousy NC State team, and is 15 months removed from tearing his ACL (fun fact: Kyle Lowry tore his ACL before his freshman season, and this injury basically means nothing anymore).

Smith seems to be getting a lot of buzz lately, oh and he just happens to be a point guard who checks most of the boxes the Sixers need. There’s also an interesting theory in this FanSided breakdown of his game, which posits that he was hurt by his supporting cast and routinely had to deal with multiple defenders, and may have played timid after recovering from said knee injury:

However, as with Fultz and outlined in earlier Smith breakdowns, if you delve deeper for team context the fact Smith was able to get to the rim as much as he did given his surrounding personnel was impressive. As scouts and writers start to dive back into the tape on Smith, the lack of spacing and secondary playmaking talent Smith dealt with was clear. He routinely saw multiple bodies attacking the paint, as illustrated in this handy snapshot from DraftExpress’ Josh Riddell.

…

The best way I can characterize Smith’s athleticism display last year is inconsistent. There’s a decent argument to be had that potential physical limitations, operating at less than 100 percent healthwise, may have constrained Smith physically on the court, but also mental hesitancy post-injury.

As ex-head coach Mark Gottfried noted in an interview with the New York Post, it takes time for an athlete like Smith to regain confidence in his body after sustaining a significant injury. You could see this manifest on the court at times last season, especially against notable athletes in space. I noted this in a video breakdown against the Blue Devils in January, and plays like this against Frank Jackson in space just scream hesitancy.

Keep in mind, the other top prospects other than Fultz played for UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas and Duke.

I don’t love the idea of a player coming in with built-in excuses, but both of these could be legitimate reasons for a somewhat muted output. Though taking yet another player with lower-body injury concerns scares the actual shit out of me. Yep, I just took a Marcus.

…

I thought this watching the Spurs this postseason and wondered why Mills’ name hadn’t come up for the Sixers. Now it has.

Mills is Australian, so the combination of him, Brett Brown and Ben Simmons would make the Sixers ripe for Outback and Fosters sponsorships that would build Scott O’Neil another vacation home. Get ready for Shrimp on the Barbie Night in the lux seats. The rest of you peons get $8 Fosters specials.

Mills is 28 and can shoot the three (over 40% this year), but has been a career backup to Tony Parker. A good backup, but still a backup. He has the right combination of skills the Sixers are looking for – can handle the ball but play off it too – but forgive me for not getting too excited about a 28-year-old averaging 9 and 3 per game who is a defensive liability.

…

Here is an obscenely long article from Marc Whittington at Liberty Ballers making the case for Jayson Tatum:

Narrative 2: Tatum lives in the midrange, and is an iso-scorer.

Yes, Tatum does use a larger share of possessions for isolation than many prospects. However, that does not make him either incapable of playing different styles or incompatible with the modern game.

Tatum’s isolation style jumps off the screen when you watch him. Any highlight compilation will feature one or two pinch post-ups or an isolation drive. That many of these plays result in long 2’s has garnered him (wrongful) comparisons to Carmelo Anthony and DeMar DeRozan.

But this also overstates the impact his style has on a game overall. According to Synergy, Tatum used 23.2% of his finishing possessions for isolations (117 total). This puts him very high among college athletes— for instance Josh Jackson only used 46 isolations, 7.8% of his finishing possessions. However, it is still a remarkably small number of plays given the length of a college basketball season.

Tatum’s usage rate was 26.2% this year. If 23% of his usage was reserved for isolations, that comes to only 6.1% of Duke’s possessions while he was in the game, which is fewer than 4 possessions per game. In a smaller role in the NBA, those possessions will shrink further to potentially only 1 or 2 per game. An occasional isolation play is hardly a ball-stopping, offense detonating disaster, and Tatum doesn’t project to destroy motion offenses because he played an iso-heavy style in college.

Moreover, there have been plenty of players who shouldered heavy usage, isolation roles in college who then adjusted to playing more of an off-ball role in the NBA. Gerald Henderson, Klay Thompson, and Luke Babbitt(!!) all used more possessions for isolation in college, and no one would dream about labeling them isolation players now.

Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant may be great examples of how being iso-heavy in college does not necessarily lead to iso-dependency in the NBA. Both were high usage isolation players in college (Durant used an equal percentage of possessions as Tatum did). Golden State avoids isolation even when they might exploit mismatches, preferring player motion, intricate screening, and ball movement to capitalize on them. This is one of the most sophisticated offenses in the NBA, and both players are key contributors to its success despite their college playing style. There is no reason why the same should not be true of Tatum.

I respect the hell out of this breakdown and the work that went into it, but it feels like Whittington, who just dismissed the percentage-based evaluations that define modern day NBA analytics with a wave of the hand and a “yeah, but 23% isn’t really that high,” is trying to talk himself into Tatum. What he wrote here amounts to: Sure, Tatum takes a lot of jump shots, but it’s not as many as you think and he can totally change, just like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Problem: Kevin Durant was a freak who could get to the rim and shoot the three better than Tatum. And Klay Thompson is an all-world shooter. Tatum is neither of those things. He’s also somewhat slow and his old-school skill set doesn’t translate well to the modern NBA, certainly not for a team like the Sixers.

…

Matt Mullin delves into the possibility of the Sixers’ signing the Wizards’ Otto Porter. I like Porter– he’s 6’8 and shot over 40% from three. But popular conjecture has the Wizards retaining him.

SIXERS RUMORS: Dennis Smith, Patty Mills, and More published first on your-t1-blog-url

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flauntpage · 7 years

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SIXERS RUMORS: Dennis Smith, Patty Mills, and More

Dennis Smith Jr.: I’m gonna be real transparent– a highlight video of Smith from his high school days popped up on my Facebook feed last night and by the end of it I had already customized my Smith Jr. jersey on Sixers.com. I haven’t done a deep dive on him yet (I will today), but the skinny is that he’s a talented, NBA-skilled point guard who can get to the rim and shoot effectively but lacks decision-making ability, played for a lousy NC State team, and is 15 months removed from tearing his ACL (fun fact: Kyle Lowry tore his ACL before his freshman season, and this injury basically means nothing anymore).

…

Keep in mind, the other top prospects other than Fultz played for UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas and Duke.

…

I thought this watching the Spurs this postseason and wondered why Mills’ name hadn’t come up for the Sixers. Now it has.

…

Here is an obscenely long article from Marc Whittington at Liberty Ballers making the case for Jayson Tatum:

Narrative 2: Tatum lives in the midrange, and is an iso-scorer.

Yes, Tatum does use a larger share of possessions for isolation than many prospects. However, that does not make him either incapable of playing different styles or incompatible with the modern game.

…

SIXERS RUMORS: Dennis Smith, Patty Mills, and More published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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