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Pool B
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Pool C
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Pool D
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Total Bids to Nationals: 2
The road to Boulder starts here as 16 teams from Arizona, Colorado, and California will battle it out on the UCSD campus for 2 bids to nationals. From the get-go, the clear favorites to make nationals will be Colorado Mamabird and Arizona Sunburn; but don't discount the teams that are directly below the top seeds. Claremont has definitely shown potential to excel as they took the Southern California Sectionals quite handily, beating UCSB 11-9 in the finals.
The "pool of death" is definitely Pool B with Arizona, UCLA, and Colorado State. Arizona has proven to be an elite team with the likes of Kershner and several great handlers that can put it. UCLA has been solid team, with key wins over LPC, Claremont, SDSU, and a close loss to Arizona 11-13 at Presidents Day. UCLA has depth in their line with arguably the 2nd best deep in the section (behind stout of claremont) in Fozzy, solid cutters in Sultan and Seraph, who can also handle the disc effectively. The Pool of Death will hold seed, with UCLA playing Arizona down to the wire, but Arizona coming out on top after Pool Play, followed by UCLA, Colorado St., and Cal Poly Pomona.
Pool A will be well contested with SLO, Colorado, and Irvine heading up the top 3. Colorado has proven to be one of the top in the nation but has been streaky this season compared to the past, with losses to Oregon, Illinois, and LPC, but with wins over UCSD, Brown, CAL, Arizona and Michigan. They did lose Beau due to graduation (?) but return a solid core of players that include their veteran deep/handler Dahl. SLO has played well this season but I believe we will be able to upset them (like we did at sectionals) and break seed. Pool A will finish Colorado, California-Irvine, SLO, and APU.
Pool C will feature the likes of Stout and Shai of Claremont who will really go uncontested in this pool. UCSD has the home field advantage but from what we saw in playing them at sectionals (losing 10-11), they do not have the deep presence to stop Claremont's deep game and Claremont simply has the handlers to break through their zone and Clam. Pool C will finish Claremont, UCSD, Colorado-B, Occidental. No surprises here.
Pool D will be a battle for the #1 spot. UCSB is still a good team, but I feel that SDSU has the potential for an upset. They've had some great games this year and I'm really pulling for the FEDS to show up and pull off the first big shocker of the tournament, beating UCSB in a close one. If SDSU can shut down Jeff's deep game, then they have a shot. If not, they're in for a long slug fest as both teams favor the deep game. Pool D finishes SDSU, UCSB, NAU, Air Force.
Once Saturday play has finished, I will offer my predictions and previews for bracket play and the eventual two teams that will represent the Southwest at nationals.
-hammy
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