Season 59 Improvements/Regressions

 IMPACTFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CUT PILE

-- Third-year 6-5 forward COUNT SACKULA is the only real player worth reporting on in the cut pile. Already a defensive specialist against the shot, Sackula got better against the pass (+2) and the run(+2) while adding a good on 9 down low. His only miss down low is now on 5.

IMPACTFUL IMPROVEMENTS

-- Fourth-year 6-10 Charleston forward BIG BEN PETTIS...improved on both offensive rebounding (15) and defensive rebounding (10) which will likely earn him a starting spot on the Mountaineers.

-- Third-year 6-2 Seattle shooting guard "SLEEPY" MEL A. TONIN...went from a 6 passer to a 7 passer.

--Third-year 6-6 Seattle forward J.J. "JAKE" PICKLE...improved his dribbling to a 6 and defense against the dribble twice to a 3.

-- Second-year 6-5 Oklahoma City shooting guard BONAFAZIO SPEGATINI, last season's Rookie of the Year and top Lariats' scorer at 18 ppg, will take more medium jump shots as he improved his tendency to shoot in that area to a 4-6. That's huge for one of the top medium shots in the game.

-- Fourth-year 6-2 Gillette point guard MABOROSHI NO HOTCAKE, one of the MBA's top 3-point shooters became a 7 dribbler and filled in "the box" in his 3-point column, getting a good on 7. He now has goods on 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 (a swish).

--Sixth-year 6-8 Dallas forward VENIAL SINN...improved by one on both defensive boards (14) and offensive board (9) while upping his speed from slow to medium.

-- Sixth-year 6-8 Sacramento forward MORDLE SINN, twin brother of the above-mentioned Venial Sinn...also improved in both of his rebounding areas...he's a 13 on defensive boards and 5 on offensive boards. But his big improvement was filling in "the box" on his 3-point shot, which he has a 5-6 tendency to take and has made at over a 50 percent clip the past three seasons.

-- Third-year 6-9 Sacramento power forward JACK "GUZZLER" MASTERSON improved his tendency to take short jump shots (his best zone) while adding to his offensive rebounding (now a 9) and improving his free throwing.

-- Fourth-year 7-1 Los Angeles center OTZI "THE FROZEN HUNTER" BOLZANO...is sure to get more steals after improving his ability against the dribble from a 2 to a 4. Also upped his speed from medium to fast.

-- Seventh-year 6-11 Philadelphia center BLOB DYLAN, already a defensive maestro, improved against the pass to a 3 while upping his passing rating from a 5 to a 6 after completing his best assist season last campaign.

REGRESSIONS WORTH NOTING

-- 13th-year 5-11 San Jose point guard JOE MOMSAWHORE loses his only positive move against the shot (a deny on 11) and goes from a 1 to a 0 against the pass. Plus, he's now slow.

-- 19th-year 6-8 San Jose forward AL A. ORDEN gets worse in passing (now a 5), offensive rebounding (now a 6) and against the dribble (now a 1).

-- 10th-year6-2 Dallas Hall of Fame guard JUZAN DJINN decreased his tendency to shoot in the medium zone (where he is excellent), lost a dribbling point (now a 6) sand is now a 0 against the dribble. Having said that, this decline in ability still leaves him with one of the best cards in the game.