Five years, five losses for Dubois Dream. Is this the year they finally break the curse?
Dubois Dream has taken part in five tournaments. Every time, they’ve lost. Last year, they lost by 11 to Happy Valley Hoopers, and the year before, they actually played Best Virginia, and lost by just two points.
This year, they’re ready to break the curse and are hoping they’ve built the team to do so. It won’t be easy as the six seed, but they’d like nothing more than to just win.
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Current Roster:
- Albert Varacallo III (Gannon University & Washington & Jefferson College)
- Christian Montague (West Liberty)
- Dalton Bolon (Charleston)
- Isaiah Fuller (Nova Southeastern)
- Jordan Hinds (Bluefield State)
- Jordin Sommers (Penn State & Dubois)
- Laync Shuler (West Liberty)
- Ryker Cisarik (Nova Southeastern University)
- Shane Hunter (Nova Southeastern University)
- Tyler Eberhart (Charleston WV & Nova Southeastern)
- William Yoakum (West Liberty & NSU)
Coaching Staff:
- Albert Varacallo III (GM)
- Michael Lamberti (Head Coach)
- Jake Perrin (Asst. Coach)
- Abigail Guiher (Asst. Coach)
Region: West Virginia
All-time Record: 0-5
First Matchup: vs. Best Virginia (July 18th at 8:00 p.m EST)
Team MVP: Jordan Hinds
Hinds is coming off a great season at Bluefield State University. He averaged 20.3 PPG, on top of 6.7 RPG and 1.9 SPG. He shoots the ball well on all three levels and is a leader on the court. Defensively, he’s a pest and takes no plays off. They’ll look to him to get them going and break them out of slumps, especially during the Elam Ending if they find themselves in a position where they can win the game.
Make-or-break Player: Shane Hunter
Hunter played in Sweden professionally this year and put up respectable numbers, averaging 14.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG. He also averaged over a steal and a block a game. At 6’10, he’s the tallest player on the team, and with size already being an issue for this team, he should be on the court for most of the game.
If he gets in foul trouble or can’t match up defensively, then things can get out of hand quickly. If he holds his own, which he should, then he can keep this team in the game, and perhaps sneak them a victory.
Team Outlook
Dubois Dream is trying an interesting strategy, returning just one player from last year’s team. On one hand, starting fresh gets rid of all the negative energy surrounding the team. On the other hand, they come into the tournament without experience, already being an underdog. We’ll see which side comes out on top, but hopefully for Dubois Dream, the former.
Dubois Dream will face Best Virginia in round one, who, as mentioned earlier, they played in 2023. If they can get their revenge and pull off the upset, they’d face Herd That most likely. That’s a tough two-game stretch for a regional based in West Virginia, but they aren’t phased. On paper, things might look a bit bleak for them, but they have confidence that they can finally earn that first win.