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# Final NCBA Regular Season Projections: Where All 18 Players Could Finish
The projected rankings of all 18 players.
# Final NCBA Regular Season Projections: Where All 18 Players Could Finish
**By John Jacob Jr. | NCBA News**
The NCBA preseason is officially over.
After weeks of changing #1 players, enormous upsets, winning streaks, collapses, newcomers and 0-point recoveries, the league finally has a complete preseason record to evaluate.
These projections use the **entire preseason**, including final rating, record, ball differential, quality of opponents, major wins, consistency, recent performance and sample size.
Preseason wins and losses will reset for the regular season, but **ratings and ranking positions will carry over**.
That makes the final preseason standings especially important.
## 1. Easton
**Preseason: 18–5 | +24 | 852 rating**
**Projected Finish: #1–#3**
**Most Likely: #1**
**Outlook: Favorite**
Easton had the strongest complete preseason.
He finished with the most dominant rating in the league, the best ball differential and an 18–5 record while playing a large number of matches.
He also finally defeated Connor 6–5 in their long-awaited first matchup.
There were reminders that Easton is beatable. Ari defeated him 6–4, while Logan produced a dominant 6–2 upset.
But nobody matched Easton's combination of consistency, volume and point accumulation.
Starting the regular season at **852 points** also gives him an enormous advantage.
## 2. Connor
**Preseason: 10–5 | +7 | 439 rating**
**Projected Finish: #1–#4**
**Most Likely: #2**
**Outlook: Elite Contender**
Connor remains the most obvious threat to Easton.
His preseason included stretches at #1, several excellent close-game performances and two memorable double-tiebreak victories.
The final portion was less successful. Connor lost to Easton, Ari and Logan during the later stages of preseason.
Still, his overall body of work is considerably stronger than almost everyone below him.
Connor begins the regular season a long way behind Easton in rating, but he remains capable of closing that gap.
## 3. Logan
**Preseason: 11–10 | +16 | 277 rating**
**Projected Finish: #2–#6**
**Most Likely: #3**
**Outlook: Rising Contender**
Logan had perhaps the greatest turnaround of the preseason.
Early on, last season's championship runner-up fell near the bottom of the rankings.
Then everything changed.
Logan defeated Ari, Connor and eventually #1 Easton **6–2**.
His +16 ball differential is particularly important. Despite an 11–10 record, Logan consistently knocked in considerably more balls than his opponents across the preseason.
His late results suggest the player who reached last season's championship final has returned.
## 4. Triston
**Preseason: 13–11 | +4 | 334 rating**
**Projected Finish: #2–#7**
**Most Likely: #4**
**Outlook: Giant Killer**
Triston played more matches than almost anyone and became one of the defining players of preseason.
His specialty was beating players above him.
He repeatedly defeated Ari—including while Ari was #1—upset Easton and pushed Connor into extremely difficult matches.
A 13–11 record also demonstrates his biggest weakness: consistency.
Triston has already proven he can beat elite players.
If he starts beating the rest of the league more consistently, a Top 3 finish is possible.
## 5. Dravon
**Preseason: 5–4 | +2 | 249 rating**
**Projected Finish: #4–#10**
**Most Likely: #6**
**Outlook: Solid Contender**
Dravon quietly finished preseason above .500.
He didn't generate the huge headlines of the players above him, but 5–4 with a positive differential provides considerably more evidence than many of the players around his rating.
The regular season should show whether Dravon can move from solid competitor to legitimate upper-level threat.
## 6. Ari
**Preseason: 12–13 | -8 | 121 rating**
**Projected Finish: #4–#12**
**Most Likely: #7**
**Outlook: Ultimate Wild Card**
Ari remains almost impossible to predict.
At one point he won **seven consecutive matches**, reached #1 and became the first player of preseason to reach 500 points.
Later, he collapsed down the standings.
Then, during the final session, he defeated **Easton and Connor 6–4**—and still finished the day with a losing record.
His final 12–13 record, -8 differential and 121 rating are not strong.
His collection of victories over elite opponents absolutely is.
Ari could finish almost anywhere.
## 7. Rylee
**Preseason: 2–1 | +1 | 242 rating**
**Projected Finish: #5–#12**
**Most Likely: #8**
**Outlook: Unproven**
Rylee produced a solid 2–1 start but played only three matches.
That's enough to be encouraged.
It isn't enough to confidently project a Top 5 finish.
Rylee also begins with a useful 242-point head start, so strong early regular-season results could put her high in the standings quickly.
## 8. Seth
**Preseason: 3–3 | +1 | 198 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#13**
**Most Likely: #9**
**Outlook: Developing**
Seth finished exactly .500 and owns one particularly important result: a victory over Ari.
His overall statistics are balanced, which suggests a middle-of-the-league starting point.
There is enough ability here to rise considerably if he improves during the regular season.
## 9. Houston
**Preseason: 1–1 | +1 | 205 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #10**
**Outlook: Intriguing Newcomer**
Houston only played twice, but both matches were noteworthy.
He pushed #1 Easton into a tiebreak in his debut and later defeated Ari 6–5.
That's an impressive introduction.
The sample is far too small to know whether Houston can sustain it, but there are signs he could outperform this projection.
## 10. Amos
**Preseason: 1–1 | 0 | 202 rating**
**Projected Finish: #7–#14**
**Most Likely: #11**
**Outlook: Intriguing Newcomer**
Amos also faced unusually strong competition immediately.
He defeated Ari 6–5 and lost to Easton by the same score.
A 1–1 record tells us very little.
Those two results tell us Amos probably shouldn't be overlooked.
## 11. Avery
**Preseason: 1–0 | +2 | 255 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #11–#12**
**Outlook: Unknown Upside**
Avery begins the regular season with a high rating because of an undefeated 1–0 preseason.
The problem is obvious.
It's one match.
Avery could end up being one of the league's better newcomers, but there simply isn't enough evidence yet.
## 12. Makayla
**Preseason: 1–0 | +4 | 254 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #11–#12**
**Outlook: Unknown Upside**
Makayla's 6–2 debut was one of the stronger first-match performances among the newcomers.
Like Avery, though, one game cannot establish an entire season projection.
Her starting rating gives her an excellent opportunity to stay near the upper half if she begins the regular season well.
## 13. Eve
**Preseason: 1–1 | -3 | 206 rating**
**Projected Finish: #9–#15**
**Most Likely: #13**
**Outlook: Upset Potential**
Eve already owns a notable 6–5 upset over Rylee.
Her overall sample is only two matches, so considerable uncertainty remains.
She has at least demonstrated that she can win against a highly ranked opponent.
## 14. Crosby
**Preseason: 4–8 | -3 | 120 rating**
**Projected Finish: #10–#16**
**Most Likely: #14**
**Outlook: Improving**
Crosby's preseason started extremely poorly.
He reached the 0-point floor.
Then he started climbing.
Late in preseason, Crosby produced a huge upset over Logan and added several more victories.
A 4–8 record still leaves plenty to improve, but his final stretch was dramatically better than his beginning.
## 15. Kinsey
**Preseason: 1–3 | -3 | 96 rating**
**Projected Finish: #10–#16**
**Most Likely: #15**
**Outlook: Upset Threat**
Kinsey's most important result was a convincing 6–3 upset over Ari.
She then struggled to build on it.
At 1–3, there isn't enough consistency yet to project a major climb, although that Ari victory shows she is capable of producing surprises.
## 16. Daniel
**Preseason: 2–4 | -7 | 84 rating**
**Projected Finish: #11–#17**
**Most Likely: #16**
**Outlook: Needs Consistency**
Daniel briefly looked like a breakout candidate after consecutive wins.
He then lost three straight.
The 2–4 record and -7 differential leave him with considerable work to do, and he begins the season with only 84 rating points.
## 17. William
**Preseason: 5–11 | -14 | 13 rating**
**Projected Finish: #12–#18**
**Most Likely: #17**
**Outlook: Dangerous Underdog**
William's numbers look bad.
His list of victories doesn't.
During preseason he produced major upsets over players including Connor, Triston and Dravon.
That makes William dangerous in any individual match.
The problem is maintaining that level of performance across an entire season.
With only 13 starting rating points, he also begins the regular season with a significant climb ahead of him.
## 18. Samuel
**Preseason: 5–15 | -24 | 0 rating**
**Projected Finish: #12–#18**
**Most Likely: #18**
**Outlook: Needs a Miracle**
Samuel's preseason perfectly matched his reputation.
He began 0–5 and reached zero.
Then the "Miracles on Carpet" returned and he won four consecutive matches.
Then the losses returned.
Samuel finishes preseason **5–15 with a league-worst -24 differential and zero rating points**.
He has proven that sudden winning streaks are possible.
To escape the bottom during the regular season, he'll need one that lasts considerably longer.
# Final Projected Regular-Season Standings
If John Jacob Jr. had to predict the finishing order today:
**1. Easton**
**2. Connor**
**3. Logan**
**4. Triston**
**5. Dravon**
**6. Ari**
**7. Rylee**
**8. Seth**
**9. Houston**
**10. Amos**
**11. Avery**
**12. Makayla**
**13. Eve**
**14. Crosby**
**15. Kinsey**
**16. Daniel**
**17. William**
**18. Samuel**
The preseason is finished.
The records will soon return to 0–0.
The ball differentials and streaks will reset.
But the ratings—and everything learned during preseason—will remain.
Easton enters with a huge advantage.
Connor remains his most established challenger.
Logan has come roaring back.
Triston has proven he can beat almost anybody.
Ari has proven he can be both one of the best and one of the most unpredictable players in the league.
And nearly half the field remains difficult to judge because their NCBA careers have barely begun.
Preseason gave us our first answers.
The regular season will tell us which ones were wrong.
**John Jacob Jr.**
*NCBA News*
**By John Jacob Jr. | NCBA News**
The NCBA preseason is officially over.
After weeks of changing #1 players, enormous upsets, winning streaks, collapses, newcomers and 0-point recoveries, the league finally has a complete preseason record to evaluate.
These projections use the **entire preseason**, including final rating, record, ball differential, quality of opponents, major wins, consistency, recent performance and sample size.
Preseason wins and losses will reset for the regular season, but **ratings and ranking positions will carry over**.
That makes the final preseason standings especially important.
## 1. Easton
**Preseason: 18–5 | +24 | 852 rating**
**Projected Finish: #1–#3**
**Most Likely: #1**
**Outlook: Favorite**
Easton had the strongest complete preseason.
He finished with the most dominant rating in the league, the best ball differential and an 18–5 record while playing a large number of matches.
He also finally defeated Connor 6–5 in their long-awaited first matchup.
There were reminders that Easton is beatable. Ari defeated him 6–4, while Logan produced a dominant 6–2 upset.
But nobody matched Easton's combination of consistency, volume and point accumulation.
Starting the regular season at **852 points** also gives him an enormous advantage.
## 2. Connor
**Preseason: 10–5 | +7 | 439 rating**
**Projected Finish: #1–#4**
**Most Likely: #2**
**Outlook: Elite Contender**
Connor remains the most obvious threat to Easton.
His preseason included stretches at #1, several excellent close-game performances and two memorable double-tiebreak victories.
The final portion was less successful. Connor lost to Easton, Ari and Logan during the later stages of preseason.
Still, his overall body of work is considerably stronger than almost everyone below him.
Connor begins the regular season a long way behind Easton in rating, but he remains capable of closing that gap.
## 3. Logan
**Preseason: 11–10 | +16 | 277 rating**
**Projected Finish: #2–#6**
**Most Likely: #3**
**Outlook: Rising Contender**
Logan had perhaps the greatest turnaround of the preseason.
Early on, last season's championship runner-up fell near the bottom of the rankings.
Then everything changed.
Logan defeated Ari, Connor and eventually #1 Easton **6–2**.
His +16 ball differential is particularly important. Despite an 11–10 record, Logan consistently knocked in considerably more balls than his opponents across the preseason.
His late results suggest the player who reached last season's championship final has returned.
## 4. Triston
**Preseason: 13–11 | +4 | 334 rating**
**Projected Finish: #2–#7**
**Most Likely: #4**
**Outlook: Giant Killer**
Triston played more matches than almost anyone and became one of the defining players of preseason.
His specialty was beating players above him.
He repeatedly defeated Ari—including while Ari was #1—upset Easton and pushed Connor into extremely difficult matches.
A 13–11 record also demonstrates his biggest weakness: consistency.
Triston has already proven he can beat elite players.
If he starts beating the rest of the league more consistently, a Top 3 finish is possible.
## 5. Dravon
**Preseason: 5–4 | +2 | 249 rating**
**Projected Finish: #4–#10**
**Most Likely: #6**
**Outlook: Solid Contender**
Dravon quietly finished preseason above .500.
He didn't generate the huge headlines of the players above him, but 5–4 with a positive differential provides considerably more evidence than many of the players around his rating.
The regular season should show whether Dravon can move from solid competitor to legitimate upper-level threat.
## 6. Ari
**Preseason: 12–13 | -8 | 121 rating**
**Projected Finish: #4–#12**
**Most Likely: #7**
**Outlook: Ultimate Wild Card**
Ari remains almost impossible to predict.
At one point he won **seven consecutive matches**, reached #1 and became the first player of preseason to reach 500 points.
Later, he collapsed down the standings.
Then, during the final session, he defeated **Easton and Connor 6–4**—and still finished the day with a losing record.
His final 12–13 record, -8 differential and 121 rating are not strong.
His collection of victories over elite opponents absolutely is.
Ari could finish almost anywhere.
## 7. Rylee
**Preseason: 2–1 | +1 | 242 rating**
**Projected Finish: #5–#12**
**Most Likely: #8**
**Outlook: Unproven**
Rylee produced a solid 2–1 start but played only three matches.
That's enough to be encouraged.
It isn't enough to confidently project a Top 5 finish.
Rylee also begins with a useful 242-point head start, so strong early regular-season results could put her high in the standings quickly.
## 8. Seth
**Preseason: 3–3 | +1 | 198 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#13**
**Most Likely: #9**
**Outlook: Developing**
Seth finished exactly .500 and owns one particularly important result: a victory over Ari.
His overall statistics are balanced, which suggests a middle-of-the-league starting point.
There is enough ability here to rise considerably if he improves during the regular season.
## 9. Houston
**Preseason: 1–1 | +1 | 205 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #10**
**Outlook: Intriguing Newcomer**
Houston only played twice, but both matches were noteworthy.
He pushed #1 Easton into a tiebreak in his debut and later defeated Ari 6–5.
That's an impressive introduction.
The sample is far too small to know whether Houston can sustain it, but there are signs he could outperform this projection.
## 10. Amos
**Preseason: 1–1 | 0 | 202 rating**
**Projected Finish: #7–#14**
**Most Likely: #11**
**Outlook: Intriguing Newcomer**
Amos also faced unusually strong competition immediately.
He defeated Ari 6–5 and lost to Easton by the same score.
A 1–1 record tells us very little.
Those two results tell us Amos probably shouldn't be overlooked.
## 11. Avery
**Preseason: 1–0 | +2 | 255 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #11–#12**
**Outlook: Unknown Upside**
Avery begins the regular season with a high rating because of an undefeated 1–0 preseason.
The problem is obvious.
It's one match.
Avery could end up being one of the league's better newcomers, but there simply isn't enough evidence yet.
## 12. Makayla
**Preseason: 1–0 | +4 | 254 rating**
**Projected Finish: #6–#14**
**Most Likely: #11–#12**
**Outlook: Unknown Upside**
Makayla's 6–2 debut was one of the stronger first-match performances among the newcomers.
Like Avery, though, one game cannot establish an entire season projection.
Her starting rating gives her an excellent opportunity to stay near the upper half if she begins the regular season well.
## 13. Eve
**Preseason: 1–1 | -3 | 206 rating**
**Projected Finish: #9–#15**
**Most Likely: #13**
**Outlook: Upset Potential**
Eve already owns a notable 6–5 upset over Rylee.
Her overall sample is only two matches, so considerable uncertainty remains.
She has at least demonstrated that she can win against a highly ranked opponent.
## 14. Crosby
**Preseason: 4–8 | -3 | 120 rating**
**Projected Finish: #10–#16**
**Most Likely: #14**
**Outlook: Improving**
Crosby's preseason started extremely poorly.
He reached the 0-point floor.
Then he started climbing.
Late in preseason, Crosby produced a huge upset over Logan and added several more victories.
A 4–8 record still leaves plenty to improve, but his final stretch was dramatically better than his beginning.
## 15. Kinsey
**Preseason: 1–3 | -3 | 96 rating**
**Projected Finish: #10–#16**
**Most Likely: #15**
**Outlook: Upset Threat**
Kinsey's most important result was a convincing 6–3 upset over Ari.
She then struggled to build on it.
At 1–3, there isn't enough consistency yet to project a major climb, although that Ari victory shows she is capable of producing surprises.
## 16. Daniel
**Preseason: 2–4 | -7 | 84 rating**
**Projected Finish: #11–#17**
**Most Likely: #16**
**Outlook: Needs Consistency**
Daniel briefly looked like a breakout candidate after consecutive wins.
He then lost three straight.
The 2–4 record and -7 differential leave him with considerable work to do, and he begins the season with only 84 rating points.
## 17. William
**Preseason: 5–11 | -14 | 13 rating**
**Projected Finish: #12–#18**
**Most Likely: #17**
**Outlook: Dangerous Underdog**
William's numbers look bad.
His list of victories doesn't.
During preseason he produced major upsets over players including Connor, Triston and Dravon.
That makes William dangerous in any individual match.
The problem is maintaining that level of performance across an entire season.
With only 13 starting rating points, he also begins the regular season with a significant climb ahead of him.
## 18. Samuel
**Preseason: 5–15 | -24 | 0 rating**
**Projected Finish: #12–#18**
**Most Likely: #18**
**Outlook: Needs a Miracle**
Samuel's preseason perfectly matched his reputation.
He began 0–5 and reached zero.
Then the "Miracles on Carpet" returned and he won four consecutive matches.
Then the losses returned.
Samuel finishes preseason **5–15 with a league-worst -24 differential and zero rating points**.
He has proven that sudden winning streaks are possible.
To escape the bottom during the regular season, he'll need one that lasts considerably longer.
# Final Projected Regular-Season Standings
If John Jacob Jr. had to predict the finishing order today:
**1. Easton**
**2. Connor**
**3. Logan**
**4. Triston**
**5. Dravon**
**6. Ari**
**7. Rylee**
**8. Seth**
**9. Houston**
**10. Amos**
**11. Avery**
**12. Makayla**
**13. Eve**
**14. Crosby**
**15. Kinsey**
**16. Daniel**
**17. William**
**18. Samuel**
The preseason is finished.
The records will soon return to 0–0.
The ball differentials and streaks will reset.
But the ratings—and everything learned during preseason—will remain.
Easton enters with a huge advantage.
Connor remains his most established challenger.
Logan has come roaring back.
Triston has proven he can beat almost anybody.
Ari has proven he can be both one of the best and one of the most unpredictable players in the league.
And nearly half the field remains difficult to judge because their NCBA careers have barely begun.
Preseason gave us our first answers.
The regular season will tell us which ones were wrong.
**John Jacob Jr.**
*NCBA News*