Round 1: Riley Newman (6th pick)
Round 2: AJ Koller (19th pick)
Round 3: Mary Brascia (30th pick)
Round 4: Lindsey Newman (43rd pick)
The So Cal Hard 8s left Mesa with a 1-2 record and sit in 9th place with two events left in the MLP season. Not a bad performance considering they were without first round pick Riley Newman (who had other business commitments and was unable to attend). Given there are only three MLP events before the teams in premier and challenger flip flop, one of the major storylines on draft night is where Newman would be selected, as his status for the first event was well known. The Hard 8s didn’t seem to care as they selected Newman 6th overall (the third male off the board). The 8s now have some work to do and it won’t be easy as they will face a slew of dangerous opponents.
Mesa Team Point Differential (Ranked out of 12 Teams)
48.46% (9th): The Hard 8s finished 9th in overall team point differential finishing slightly ahead of the ATX Pickleballers.
Mesa Player Point Differential Rankings (Ranked Out of 48 Players)
- Riley Newman: N/A
- AJ Koller: 19th (50.00%)
- Mary Brascia: 43rd (46.67%)
- Lindsey Newman: 41st (46.94%)
- Stefan Auvergne: 17th (50.26%)
Mesa Team Match Results (3-7)
- Florida Smash 0-3
- LA Mad Drops 0-3
- Frisco Clean Cause 3-1
Mesa Player Match Results (Group Stage Only Includes Dreambreakers)
- Riley Newman N/A
- AJ Koller 2-3
- Mary Brascia 1-4
- Lindsey Newman 1-4
- Stefan Auvergne 2-3
Analysis:
With the return of Riley Newman, there is a lot to like about how this roster was constructed. The Hard 8s went against the grain and decided to go male/male with their first two picks putting themselves in a position to have one of the weaker women’s doubles teams on paper. However this team should thrive in both mixed and men’s doubles. We expect the Newman’s to team up together and that partnership has had a lot of success over the years.. Also, AJ and Riley form one of the strongest men's doubles teams in the premier league, outside of maybe Ben Johns and Tyler Loong. Although replacement pick Stefan Auvergne performed well in Newman’s absence (ranking 17th overall in player point differential) Riley’s on court presence and aggressive style of play will allow his teammates to play more of the setup role they are accustomed to.
Wild Card:
AJ Koller: Koller can be very streaky but when he is locked in he profiles as one of the better mixed men’s doubles players on tour, as he possesses a variety of shots that can put his opponents under pressure. His PPA results haven’t been up to his standards of late but that doesn’t always carry over to MLP. If Koller can find his top gear the Hard 8s bring a level of depth on both doubles lines that most teams don’t have.