I must say that in the making of this ranking, I have noticed that the caliber of teams is much better than previous seasons. There are no cake walks in this league now, and I can honestly see nearly all the teams in each division, having a shot at the playoffs. There is no longer great disparity, and the increase in competition will make this season an exciting one. And so, without further ado, I give you my preseason rankings for D.IV 10 Season 27:
#1 Bull Knights Salary: $135,882/ Average Salary: $9,059
Last year the Bull Knights lost in 3 games to the Georgia PowerRiders in the finals, and this year, we will see if they can finally get over the hump. Stefan Antonsson finished 7th in MVP voting and led the league in rebounding last year, and reigning MVP Mustapha Hajri carried BUL the whole season, putting on a spectacular playoffs where he averaged 33.4 ppg. But with an aging starting lineup, BUL will have to rely heavily on the capable backups if the want to have any chance of getting to D. III.
#2 Delroy Wolfpack Salary: $220,626/ Average Salary: $12,978
A D. III relegate, DEL comes in with the highest player salary in the league, and will instantly be a title contender. The Big 8 is going to be hotly contested this year, but DEL has extreme depth that will even give other starting lineups fits. DEL will be led by Mitch Tait, who led the team in rating, points, and shots taken last year. DEL will have to shoot much better than last season's 38.6% and play great defense if they want to outscore the very potent Big 8 opposition.
#3 Big Big Gulps Salary: $149,292/ Average Salary: $9,953
BIG was the only team to beat the eventual champions this past season, and there record is misleading because they did not trot out their best lineups at the beginning of the season. But BIG is very explosive, having 3 players in the top ten scorers last season, as well as 2 players finishing in the top six for the MVP voting. BIG had the second highest outside scoring rating last season, due to the play of Vsevolod Averchenkov and Görkem Ferzan. If they can manage their minutes and be healthy come playoff time, then this team has a real chance at representing the Big 8 in the championship.
#4 NEW WORLD ORDER Salary: $129,054 / Average Salary: $10,755
With the addition of Gerald Currier, this team instantly becomes very dangerous. A transfer from another D.IV league, NEW posses a nice compliment to Currier, including Jaan Hallik who led the team in ppg and rpg. The only thing holding this team back is their lack of depth, and this might result in poor game shape for Currier come later in the season.
#5 IXLOS Sabers Salary: $108,657/ Average Salary: $9,055
Last year IXL fell to BUL in the semifinals, and they will try this year to return to D.III after getting relegated 2 seasons ago. IXL has Wendell Windham, who at the age of 20 is a very liable candidate for the U21 team, and Victor Dincã, who will need to replace Wu Shuoxiang's production and defense, who is more than capable. IXL has decent depth, but outside from their 3 top players, they really don't have anyone to carry the team. Look for Dincã and Windham to have great seasons if IXL is to promote.
#6 Boots and Boys Salary: $98,591 / Average Salary: $7.042
#7 The Blood Suckers Salary: $119,337 / Average Salary: $ 7,956
#8 DreamTeam3 Salary: $185,262 / Average Salary: $8,421
#9 AtlantaThunder Salary: $94.683 / Average Salary: $7,890
#10 Arkansas Kings Salary: $100,875 / Average Salary: $8,406
#11 Rat Brigade Salary: $98,386 / Average Salary: $5,787
#12 Darlington Falcons Salary: $82,137 / Average Salary: $4,107
#13 Sheboygan Red Skins Salary: $117,004 / Average Salary: $6,500
#14 Get Evry Dollar Salary: $ 69,635 / Average Salary: $5,357
#15 B.I.GBallers Salary: $53,706 / Average Salary: $7.672
#16 Ten Jaguars Salary: $90,038 / Aver