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# John Jacob Jr.’s Wednesday NCBA Power Rankings
Connor takes #1 in John Jacob Jr.’s Wednesday Power Rankings, followed by Easton. Triston surges to #3 after a stunning run of upsets, Ari falls to #4 after three straight losses, and Samuel returns to the Top 5 after fighting back from zero points.
# John Jacob Jr.’s Wednesday NCBA Power Rankings
**By John Jacob Jr. | NCBA News**
The NCBA preseason changed dramatically this week.
Ari lost control of the #1 spot, Connor quietly climbed to the top, Triston became the league’s most dangerous upset threat, and Samuel finally escaped zero.
These rankings are based on recent performance, quality of wins, consistency and overall threat level—not simply the official standings.
## 1. Connor
**Official Rank: #1 | Record: 7–2 | Rating: 457**
Connor takes over the top spot.
He may not have produced the dramatic winning streak Ari had earlier in the preseason, but Connor has been remarkably consistent. At 7–2 with a +10 ball differential, he now holds the official #1 ranking as well.
His latest victory over Dravon extended his winning streak to two.
Connor’s biggest strength right now is simple: while other top players have experienced dramatic highs and lows, he continues to win.
**Stock: ↑**
## 2. Easton
**Official Rank: #2 | Record: 7–3 | Rating: 407**
Easton remains extremely close to the top.
After losing a 6–5 upset to Triston, Easton responded with a 6–4 win over Crosby and still owns the best ball differential among the top three at **+12**.
He remains only 50 rating points behind Connor.
The defending champion has lost three times this preseason, but every loss has come against dangerous competition.
**Stock: →**
## 3. Triston
**Official Rank: #4 | Record: 9–8 | Rating: 278**
Forget the 9–8 record for a moment.
Nobody in the NCBA has been more dangerous to highly ranked players.
Triston ended Ari’s seven-game winning streak and then defeated Ari **two more times**, including two victories while Ari was ranked #1.
He also upset Easton while Easton sat at #2.
Triston’s inconsistency keeps him from the top two, but if the question is simply, “Who would the leaders least want to play right now?” Triston has a very strong argument.
**Stock: ↑↑**
## 4. Ari
**Official Rank: #3 | Record: 9–5 | Rating: 384**
Ari falls from the top after a brutal stretch.
Only days ago, Ari had won seven straight matches, defeated Easton twice, beaten Connor and reached **500 points**.
Then came three consecutive losses to Triston.
Ari still has more preseason wins than Connor or Easton and remains one of the league’s strongest players. But three straight defeats against the same opponent expose a problem that cannot be ignored.
This is still a player capable of returning to #1 very quickly.
**Stock: ↓**
## 5. Samuel
**Official Rank: #10 | Record: 4–8 | Rating: 100**
Yes, Samuel is officially ranked tenth.
He still earns the fifth spot here.
Samuel began the preseason **0–5 and reached the 0-point floor**. Then the Miracles on Carpet suddenly returned.
He won four consecutive games, including upset victories over William A. Triston.
Samuel eventually lost his next two, so the comeback is far from complete. But climbing from zero points and five straight losses into a four-game winning streak was enough to put him back on the radar.
**Stock: ↑**
## Just Outside the Top 5
**William** deserves attention after upsetting Triston from #11 and finishing his latest stretch with two consecutive victories.
**Logan** also showed signs of life with a dominant 6–1 upset victory over Daniel, even though the former championship runner-up remains far down the official standings.
## Wednesday Top 5
**1. Connor**
**2. Easton**
**3. Triston**
**4. Ari**
**5. Samuel**
The most important change isn't simply that Connor is now #1.
It is that the preseason no longer appears to have one dominant player.
Connor has the consistency.
Easton has the championship pedigree.
Ari has shown the highest ceiling.
Triston has become the giant killer.
And Samuel H. already proven that even reaching zero isn't necessarily the end.
The NCBA preseason remains wide open.
**John Jacob Jr.**
*NCBA News*
**By John Jacob Jr. | NCBA News**
The NCBA preseason changed dramatically this week.
Ari lost control of the #1 spot, Connor quietly climbed to the top, Triston became the league’s most dangerous upset threat, and Samuel finally escaped zero.
These rankings are based on recent performance, quality of wins, consistency and overall threat level—not simply the official standings.
## 1. Connor
**Official Rank: #1 | Record: 7–2 | Rating: 457**
Connor takes over the top spot.
He may not have produced the dramatic winning streak Ari had earlier in the preseason, but Connor has been remarkably consistent. At 7–2 with a +10 ball differential, he now holds the official #1 ranking as well.
His latest victory over Dravon extended his winning streak to two.
Connor’s biggest strength right now is simple: while other top players have experienced dramatic highs and lows, he continues to win.
**Stock: ↑**
## 2. Easton
**Official Rank: #2 | Record: 7–3 | Rating: 407**
Easton remains extremely close to the top.
After losing a 6–5 upset to Triston, Easton responded with a 6–4 win over Crosby and still owns the best ball differential among the top three at **+12**.
He remains only 50 rating points behind Connor.
The defending champion has lost three times this preseason, but every loss has come against dangerous competition.
**Stock: →**
## 3. Triston
**Official Rank: #4 | Record: 9–8 | Rating: 278**
Forget the 9–8 record for a moment.
Nobody in the NCBA has been more dangerous to highly ranked players.
Triston ended Ari’s seven-game winning streak and then defeated Ari **two more times**, including two victories while Ari was ranked #1.
He also upset Easton while Easton sat at #2.
Triston’s inconsistency keeps him from the top two, but if the question is simply, “Who would the leaders least want to play right now?” Triston has a very strong argument.
**Stock: ↑↑**
## 4. Ari
**Official Rank: #3 | Record: 9–5 | Rating: 384**
Ari falls from the top after a brutal stretch.
Only days ago, Ari had won seven straight matches, defeated Easton twice, beaten Connor and reached **500 points**.
Then came three consecutive losses to Triston.
Ari still has more preseason wins than Connor or Easton and remains one of the league’s strongest players. But three straight defeats against the same opponent expose a problem that cannot be ignored.
This is still a player capable of returning to #1 very quickly.
**Stock: ↓**
## 5. Samuel
**Official Rank: #10 | Record: 4–8 | Rating: 100**
Yes, Samuel is officially ranked tenth.
He still earns the fifth spot here.
Samuel began the preseason **0–5 and reached the 0-point floor**. Then the Miracles on Carpet suddenly returned.
He won four consecutive games, including upset victories over William A. Triston.
Samuel eventually lost his next two, so the comeback is far from complete. But climbing from zero points and five straight losses into a four-game winning streak was enough to put him back on the radar.
**Stock: ↑**
## Just Outside the Top 5
**William** deserves attention after upsetting Triston from #11 and finishing his latest stretch with two consecutive victories.
**Logan** also showed signs of life with a dominant 6–1 upset victory over Daniel, even though the former championship runner-up remains far down the official standings.
## Wednesday Top 5
**1. Connor**
**2. Easton**
**3. Triston**
**4. Ari**
**5. Samuel**
The most important change isn't simply that Connor is now #1.
It is that the preseason no longer appears to have one dominant player.
Connor has the consistency.
Easton has the championship pedigree.
Ari has shown the highest ceiling.
Triston has become the giant killer.
And Samuel H. already proven that even reaching zero isn't necessarily the end.
The NCBA preseason remains wide open.
**John Jacob Jr.**
*NCBA News*