Top 10 Programs We Missed, and Now Adding to Value Add Basketball Game

We did one final run through of programs with no teams in the Value Add Basketball Game for anyone we might have missed over time, and after searching all teams from those schools who made a Sweet 16 and/or were ranked in the top 25 (a few dozen) we picked this 10 to add to the game, and you can now see a full list of the ranking for all teams in the game here. 

We rank the 10 new teams here:

1. Long Beach State – 1972

Jerry Tarkanian built an instant powerhouse at Long Beach State, taking the program to four straight Sweet 16s in its first four D-I seasons. In 1972, the school’s third season at the top level, Tark put five future NBA players on the court and produced the first of two straight Top-5 AP finishes. Their Elite Eight loss came only because regional rules forced them into an early showdown with Bill Walton and the UCLA dynasty—otherwise they would likely have faced the Bruins in the Final Four or national title game. The combination of NBA talent, sustained excellence, and national respect makes this the strongest résumé of these ten teams.
Best Player: Ed Ratleff – 21.4 Pts, 7.6 Reb, 6.5 Ast

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2. Kent State – 2002

Kent State’s run to the Elite Eight remains one of the greatest mid-major tournament pushes ever. They finished the season #12 AP and then defeated three ranked, power-conference teams: #20 Oklahoma State, #8 Alabama, and #9 Pitt. Antonio Gates—who would become an NFL Hall-of-Fame caliber tight end—played like a star forward before switching sports. The Value Add Basketball Game places a higher emphasis on elite wins over major opponents, and few teams on this list can match Kent State’s three-game barrage.
Best Player: Antonio Gates – 16.0 Pts, 8.1 Reb, 2.7 Ast

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3. St. Louis – 1952

St. Louis was one of the stingiest defensive teams in college basketball history, allowing under 50 points per game while finishing #5 in the AP Poll. Their most remarkable week included three straight wins over ranked teams—#14 Villanova, #1 Kentucky, and #13 LaSalle—before an Elite Eight exit. They hold the distinction of beating the highest-ranked opponent (#1 Kentucky) of any team on this list, giving them one of the premier résumés.
Best Player: Bob Koch – 11.1 Pts, 4.3 Reb

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4. Idaho – 1982

Idaho’s 1982 squad peaked at #8 AP, reached the Sweet 16, and dominated multiple ranked opponents. They destroyed #16 Iowa State by 22 points, then beat #16 Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Few teams combined a top-10 national ranking with such decisive wins over tournament teams.
Best Player: Gordie Herbert – 12.6 Pts, 6.5 Reb, 3.6 Ast

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5. Canisius – 1957

Canisius reached the Sweet 16 in three straight years (1955–57), something the Value Add Basketball Game places a higher emphasis on to recognize consistency and demonstrate that success was no fluke. The 1957 team climbed to #10 AP, beat #17 Alabama, upset #7 West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, and lost only to #1 North Carolina before winning the consolation game. They don’t have the NBA talent of some others, but they have one of the most consistent résumés.
Best Player: Hank Nowak – 20.1 Pts, 10.7 Reb

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6. Iona – 1980

Jim Valvano’s Iona team opened the season by crushing #14 Texas A&M by 26 points, then closed with 17 straight wins before a narrow Sweet 16 loss to Georgetown. They finished #19 AP, and Jeff Ruland provided NBA-level dominance in the paint. This was the high point of Valvano’s pre-NC State career, showcasing the coaching brilliance that would soon lead to the 1983 national championship.
Best Player: Jeff Ruland – 20.1 Pts, 12.0 Reb, 1.0 Ast

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7. Fordham – 1971

A fast-paced, high-scoring team that finished #9 AP and reached the Sweet 16, Fordham remains one of the more explosive squads in Value Add Basketball Game history. They scored 100 points six different times, including a 100–90 win over #6 South Carolina in the consolation round. Two players—Charlie Yelverton and Ken Charles—went on to the NBA, making this one of the most talented Fordham teams ever assembled.
Best Player: Charlie Yelverton – 23.3 Pts, 12.0 Reb, 1.8 Ast

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8. Florida Gulf Coast – 2013

The Dunk City team remains a national phenomenon. As a #15 seed, FGCU stunned both Georgetown and San Diego State by double digits before falling in the Sweet 16. Their highlight-reel style and charisma made them one of the most memorable Cinderella runs ever. And their success had instant coaching ramifications—Andy Enfield was hired by USC immediately after the tournament, where he rebuilt the program into a Pac-12 contender. The Value Add Basketball Game places a higher emphasis on historic upsets, which keeps FGCU in the upper tier despite a lack of ranking or multiple marquee regular-season wins.
Best Player: Bernard Thompson – 14.3 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast

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9. Ball State – 1990

Ball State’s Sweet 16 run included two down-to-the-wire tournament wins over ranked opponents—#22 Oregon State (54–53) and #16 Louisville (62–60)—before nearly shocking national champion UNLV in a 67–69 thriller. The Cardinals also played Memphis to a nail-biter earlier in the season. They were one of the toughest outs in the 1990 tournament, though without major regular-season wins or an AP ranking, their résumé slots just below FGCU.
Best Player: Paris McCurdy – 11.8 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 0.9 Ast

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10. UAB – 1982 

UAB’s Elite Eight run in just its third season of existence remains one of the best coaching achievements ever. They shocked National Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and Virginia, 68–66, behind Oliver Robinson—Bartow’s first recruit. But the full story becomes far richer when viewed through Gene Bartow’s astonishing decade:

• Memphis State:
Bartow took a struggling program from an 0–3 start to its first Final Four, upsetting three top-10 teams and taking Memphis into the AP Top 10 for the first time in school history.

• UCLA:
He then accepted what many consider the toughest job in sports—replacing John Wooden. Bartow still delivered, taking the Bruins back to the 1976 Final Four, losing only to Bob Knight’s undefeated Indiana team.

• Building UAB from scratch:
Bartow created the UAB program from the ground up, making the Sweet 16 in year two and the Elite Eight in year three, coming within one win of becoming the first coach ever to take three schools to the Final Four.

Only two coaches have ever accomplished that feat—Rick Pitino and John Calipari—and both took far longer (18 years and 15 years respectively). Bartow nearly beat both to it within a single decade.

The Value Add Basketball Game places a higher emphasis on historically significant teams, and while the 1982 roster is difficult to card accurately, the modern UAB team now included in the game reflects the continuing relevance of the program Bartow built.
Best Player: Oliver Robinson – 21.1 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 2.8 Ast

Gene Bartow Game Features 2 of his 3 Elite 8 Schools - UAB vs UCLA

Results UAB 2025 vs. UCLA 2008 in the (Gene Bartow Memorial) to follow when game is complete here:

Yaxel Lendeborg (16 points, 9 rebounds) put up an epic battle against Kevin Love (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Tony Toney's 3-pointer with 2 minutes to play pulled UAB to 78-77. However UCLA held on for an 84-78 win to advance.

We will add the result here after, but the reason we were happy the seeds in our 16 games between a 2025 new Value Add Basketball Game and one of the 16 teams still alive in the All-Time Great Player tournament yield UAB vs. UCLA is to tell the story of Gene Bartow.

This UAB 2025 team does not have anyone at the level of one of the greatest of all time that their UCLA 2008 opponent has in one of the greatest players of all time in Russell Westbrook, or even his excellent teammates from that year Kevin Love or Darren Collison, so heavy favorite today for the team Bartow left to head to UAB.

 

Gene Bartow’s Astonishing Decade: From Memphis State to UCLA to UAB

We’ll add the result of our 2025 Value Add Basketball Game matchup later, but the reason we were so delighted that the seedings produced UAB vs. UCLA in our 16-game All-Time Great Player tournament is simple: it lets us revisit the incredible story of Gene Bartow.

A feature in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star in my hometown once retold one of the wildest games of the early ’80s: UAB’s first-ever recruit, Oliver Robinson Jr., outscoring 7-foot-4 National Player of the Year Ralph Sampson. That game capped perhaps the most remarkable 10-year stretch any college basketball coach has ever produced.

The Rise at Memphis State

Just a decade earlier, Bartow took over a Memphis State team that opened his tenure 0–3. From there he orchestrated a stunning turnaround—upsetting three top-10 opponents, getting Memphis into the AP Top 10 for the first time in school history, and leading them to their first ever Final Four.

The Toughest Job in Sports History

After that success, Bartow was handed what many still call the toughest coaching assignment in sports: replacing John Wooden at UCLA. Wooden had just completed the greatest run in college basketball history, yet Bartow led UCLA right back to the Final Four in 1976, where the Bruins lost only to the last undefeated national champion in men's basketball: Bobby Knight’s 1976 Indiana Hoosiers.

Building UAB from Scratch

Next came an even bigger challenge. Bartow flew to Birmingham to build a program from scratch at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). His first recruit? Oliver Robinson Jr.

In only the program’s second year, UAB reached the Sweet 16. In year three came the shocker: UAB 68, Virginia 66, sending the Blazers to the Elite Eight and putting Bartow one win away from taking three different programs to the Final Four—something no coach had ever done, and something he nearly completed in just 10 years.

Only Two Coaches Have Ever Accomplished It

Only two coaches have managed to lead three schools to the Final Four, and both took much longer:

• Rick Pitino – 18 years (Providence 1987, Kentucky 1993, Louisville 2005)

• John Calipari – 15 years (UMass 1996, Memphis 2008, Kentucky 2011)

Bartow almost beat both of them to the achievement—and in a much tighter time frame.

Why This UAB Team Appears in the Game

Creating accurate cards from earlier eras can be difficult, or we would have loved to include the 1982 UAB team here. But with UAB giving defending national runner-up San Diego State a scare two years ago, then making a dramatic Elite Eight NIT run last year, and nearly toppling UC Irvine to reach Madison Square Garden this past season, it felt like time for a modern UAB entry in the Value Add Basketball Game.

And fittingly, the Blazers draw one of Gene Bartow’s former Final Four teams—UCLA—even if it’s long after his time there.

UVa Starters	MP	FG	FT	FTA	Reb	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Ralph Sampson	37	8	3	6	21	2	0	2	1	4	19
Jeff Jones	33	9	0	0	1	4	0	0	4	3	18
Tim Mullen	30	3	1	1	3	1	0	0	2	5	7
Jim Miller	26	3	4	4	5	1	0	0	3	4	10
Craig Robinson	21	2	2	2	4	0	0	0	6	3	6
Reserves	MP	FG	FT	FTA	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Ricky Stokes	26	1	0	1	3	2	2	0	0	2	2
Kenton Edelin	23	2	0	3	7	2	2	0	2	3	4
Othell Wilson	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
School Totals	200	28	10	17	44	12	4	2	18	24	66
UAB Starters	MP	FG	FT	FTA	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Oliver Robinson Jr	40	8	7	7	5	9	1	0	5	2	23
Chris Giles	40	2	1	2	6	2	1	0	2	3	5
Luellen Foster	37	4	4	5	3	4	2	0	0	1	12
Jonathan Nicholas	27	4	3	4	5	0	2	1	0	3	11
Norm Anchrum	27	2	1	3	3	0	1	2	2	3	5
Reserves	MP	FG	FT	FTA	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Donny Speer	16	4	2	2	2	0	1	1	2	4	10
Craig Lane	7	0	2	2	1	1	0	0	0	1	2
Raymond Gause	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
School Totals	200	24	20	25	25	16	8	4	11	18	68

a;kald

Cooper Flagg, Duke, Win 92-52 in VABG Debut vs. 1948 NYU and All-time Great Schayes

Update 11/27/2025 — Post-Game Report

RESULT

While NYU’s overall defensive ratings (Dunk Adj) are very average at +0 — giving most Duke players a 51–64 dunk range — the specific matchups told a different story. NYU was able to assign one of the greatest players in the history of college and NBA basketball, Dolph Schayes, to guard Cooper Flagg, using Schayes’ –6 Adj to hold the projected No. 1 NBA pick to a 51–54 dunk range.

The strategy worked for a half. Flagg was held to just one bucket and two rebounds, and the 26-point underdog 1948 NYU team trailed only 28–27 at halftime.

However, Duke’s backcourt — Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor — both stood seven inches taller than their 1948 counterparts and took over in the second half. They repeatedly attacked the rim and ultimately outscored NYU’s guards 45–19, powering an overwhelming 64–25 second half to secure a 92–52 victory.

Schayes finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

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Original Pre-Game Preview

Cooper Flagg’s Value Add Basketball Game debut matched his 2025 Duke squad — ranked 23rd all-time in the game — against 272nd-ranked New York University (1948) (see rankings and results to date by clicking here). NYU appears in the game because Dolph Schayes, who passed away ten years ago at age 87, is ranked the 61st greatest college player of all time, qualifying his team for inclusion as one of our “teams with an all-time great player.” 

All five Duke starters from this team are already in the NBA, an amazing stat, but four of NYUs players on this 1948 team also made it to the NBA.

While Flagg led this Duke team to the Final Four as an 18-year-old, Schayes was even younger — only 16 years old — when he led NYU to the 1945 national championship game. Unfortunately, no reliable statistics exist for the 1945 season, so the version of NYU included in the game is based on Schayes’ senior year in 1948, a weaker statistical season for the team. 

Duke goes in as a heavy favorite, as their +7 rating (see just below all their cards) combined with NYUs -19 rating makes Duke a 26-point favorite in this opening round game. The ranking is like the season ratings at www.kenpom.com, but while those ratings tell you how good a current team is compared to the average D1 team this year, in the VABG game that rating shows how much better or worse each team is than the "average great team" which is roughly an Elite 8 team that was also ranked in the top 8 teams for the season as a whole.

We will add results after the game is played to kick off the tournament. You can click on the game above to get all great men's and women's teams, except for now you need to click here for the 16 new 2025 teams we just created.

Here is the box score.

 

Pos	Duke 2025	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Pts, Reb,Ast,Ht,pro?
1-PG	Kon Knueppel	27	1	10	4	4	4	2	0	3	14.4 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 6'7 NBA
2-SG	Tyrese Proctor	18	2	4	4	4	3	1	0	4	12.4 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 6'5 NBA
3-SG	Sion James	4	0	2	0	0	6	1	1	1	8.6 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 6'5 NBA
4-PF	Cooper Flagg	15	3	2	2	2	7	2	2	3	19.2 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 6'9 NBA
5-C	Khaman Maluach	8	0	4	0	0	8	1	3	2	8.6 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 7'2 NBA
Pos	Duke Bench	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Pts, Reb,Ast,Ht,pro?
1-PG	Caleb Foster	4	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	4.9 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 6'5
2-SG	Isaiah Evans	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	6.8 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 6'6
3-SG	Maliq Brown	4	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	2.5 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 6'8
4-PF	Mason Gillis	4	0	2	0	0	4	0	0	1	4.1 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 6'6
5-C	Patrick Ngongba	6	0	3	0	0	4	0	0	1	3.9 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 6'11
	18 Turnovers	92	6	32	10	10	39	7	6	19
Pos	NYU 1948	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Pts, Reb,Ast,Ht,pro?
1-PG	Joe Dolhon	5	0	1	3	4	2	2	0	3	JR, 6'0, 8.2 ppg NBA
2-SG	Don Forman	14	1	3	5	6	4	2	3	3	SR, 5'10, 11.9 ppg
3-SG	Joel Kaufman	2	0	1	0	0	3	1	0	2	SO, 6'3, 8.3 ppg
4-PF	Ray Lumpp	13	0	5	3	5	5	1	0	2	SR, 17.1 ppg NBA
5-C	Dolph Schayes	14	0	6	2	2	7	2	1	1	SR, 6'7, 13.7 ppg NBA
Pos	NYU Bench	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Pts, Reb,Ast,Ht,pro?
1-PG	Tom Kelly	2	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	SR, 7.1 ppg NBA
2-SG	Joe DeBonis	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	SR,2.7 ppg
3-SG		0
4-PF		0
5-C		0
	18 Turnovers	52	1	18	13	17	24	8	4	13

16 New Teams Debut vs . All-Time Great Players - Flagg (18) vs. Schayes (passed away at 87)

Dolph Schayes passed away ten years ago at 87 years old, but in our game his 1948 New York University team will face the youngest player in the NBA - 18 -year old Cooper Flagg in the Duke 2025 debut in the Value Add Basketball Game. You can always see updated rankings and upcoming match-ups on this google sheet.  You can print out any of the 16 new 2025 Great Teams here.

We have a lock for a new 2026 team - Michigan. Has any team ever won three straight games against A-Level games by 30 points or more like Michigan just did to San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga. WOW! We will have to wait until next year for those player cards.

As for the 16 new 2025 teams we scrapped our plans to just play them against each other and instead combined them with the 16 teams playing in our tournament of teams that featured one of the all-time great players. The tournament below matches the best new Value Add Basketball Game team from 2025 (Florida which debuts ranked #19 of the great teams in the game) against the weakest of the 16 remaining teams from that tournament (#276 Weber State with the great Damian Lillard ranked as #75 best all-time player in the game) and the lowest rated new 2025 team (#271 Troy) against the best team left in that tournament (#20 Michigan's 1993 Fab 5 with Chris Weber ranked as 76th greatest player).

Here is the bracket, and below it we have links to the star player on each team.

Each match-up includes the 2025 team debuting in red, and in each case they are playing the team below them in black that features one of the greatest players of all time.

 

All-Time	School	Year	Stars
19	Florida 1	2025	Walter Clayton Jr. 1st team
276	Weber St.	2010	Damian Lillard #75
23	Duke 1	2025	Cooper Flagg, AA, NBA #1
272	NYU	1948	Dolph Schayes #70
111	Maryland 4	2025	Derik Queen, NBA #13
267	Massachusetts	1971	Julius Erving #14
112	St. John's 2	2025	RJ Luis 2nd team
247	Gonzaga	1981	John Stockton #24
130	Brigham Young 6	2025	Egor Demin, NBA #8
246	California	1993	Jason Kidd #43
131	Illinois 6	2025	Kasparas Jakucionis (20th) & Will Riley (21) NBA picks
243	New Mexico	1974	Bernard Hardin top 100
159	New Mexico 10	2025	Donovan Dent and Nelly Jr. Joseph
225	Louisville	1980	Darrell Griffith top 100
171	Drake 11	2025	Bennett Stirtz Con MVP (Larry Bird Award)
212	Providence	1960	Lenny Wilkens #65
189	McNeese 12	2025	Javohn Garcia, Conf POY
188	Oregon St.	1990	Gary Payton #42
190	VCU 11	2025	Max Shulga, NBA #57
187	LSU	1953	Bob Pettit #35
208	Oklahoma 9	2025	Jeremiah Fears, NBA #7
116	Georgetown	1995	Allen Iverson #31
209	UC San Diego 12	2025	Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones conf POY
75	North Carolina	1972	Bob McAdoo #45
222	UC Irvine	2025	Jurian Dixon, conf freshman of year
44	Georgetown	1989	Alonzo Mourning #78
244	Chattanooga	2025	Honor Huff, call conf
43	Connecticut	1996	Ray Allen #47
266	UAB	2025	Yaxel Lendeborg, Sr., F, UAB Def POY
34	UCLA	2008	Russell Westbrook #68
271	Troy 14	2025	Tayton Conerway, Conf POY
20	Michigan	1993	Chris Webber #76

16 New Value Add Basketball Game Teams from 2025

 While one alternate-universe Statis-Pro baseball world series still rages on a back page of the sports multiverse, this time of year always brings a shift in focus. The dice are cooling on the diamond and warming on the hardwood, because it’s Value Add Basketball Game season—and this year, the game expands again. Sixteen new teams enter the all-time catalog, and with their arrival the tapestry of programs, conferences, and legendary players grows richer.

Below is the list of four tournaments we have going, starting with the 16 new teams, then the tournaments we left off when we started baseball. We have the Final 4 all-time, the Final 4 NIT of our small conference teams, and another tournament going on with teams with one of the all-time greatest college players in history. The game log is here, and a paragraph on each of the new teams is below.

We did randomly end up with one game between our top 16 teams that was played last year, Donovan Dent did score 40 points to get New Mexico a 78-71 win over VCU.

The story begins near the top of the rankings, where the 19th-best team in the entire game, the newly-minted 2025 Florida Gators, storms into the universe. Florida hasn’t had a team in the game since the 2006 national champs, but this group brings a championship pedigree of its own after a 36–4 SEC-title run. They arrive powered by Walter Clayton Jr., a first-team All-American and one of three future NBA draft picks whose elite cards made Florida too strong to keep out any longer.

Just a few pages later in the all-time book sits the 23rd-ranked team, the 2025 Duke Blue Devils, returning to the game for the first time since 2022. Their Final Four run and 35–4 finish were impressive enough, but the reason they slam open the door is unmistakable: Cooper Flagg, All-American, phenom, and the projected—and now confirmed—No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. His card alone demands a place in the game’s upper tier.

Farther down the list, but still full of firepower, come two storied programs tied at 111th all-time. The 2025 Maryland Terrapins return to the game’s pages for the first time since 2002, driven by NBA lottery talent Derik Queen and a 27–9 Sweet-16 campaign. Sharing the slot with them is the season’s 2025 St. John’s squad, the Red Storm’s first appearance since 1985. They arrive behind a 31–5 run, a Big East surge, and the splash of RJ Luis, a second-team All-American whose star power helps revive one of the game’s classic brands.

Just a step behind them, at 130th all-time, comes Brigham Young, reappearing for the first time since 1981. The Cougars’ 2025 Sweet 16 team earns its invitation largely because of another elite NBA prospect, Egor Demin, the eighth overall pick and an anchor that ensures BYU’s long-awaited return is worth the wait.

Right on their heels, the 131st-ranked 2025 Illinois Fighting Illini arrive after a 22–13 season that included two NBA draft picks inside the top twenty-one—Kasparas Jakucionis (20th) and Will Riley (21st). Illinois hasn’t appeared since 2005, but two high-end pro prospects and a gritty postseason push made the call an easy one.

The game then welcomes the 159th-ranked team, the first New Mexico squad since 1974. The 2025 Lobos bring both historical significance and on-court star power, led by Donovan Dent and Nelly Jr. Joseph through a 27–8 season and a second-round NCAA showing. With the Pac-12/Mountain West reshuffle, their inclusion brings modern relevance and long-awaited representation.

At 171st all-time, the 2025 Drake Bulldogs rejoin the game for the first time since 1969. Their 31–4 run and second-round performance were impressive, but the real spotlight belongs to Bennett Stirtz, the MVC Player of the Year—recipient of the Larry Bird Award—whose presence adds star quality to the Missouri Valley’s seventh team in the game.

One notch farther down sits historic newcomer McNeese, entering as the 189th all-time team, the first Southland Conference squad ever to make the Value Add universe. With a 28–7 record and a second-round appearance powered by Javohn Garcia, the Southland finally claims a place in the catalog.

Just behind them, the 190th-ranked 2025 VCU Rams return for the first time since 2011. They come off a 28–7 season and ride the NBA draft selection of Max Shulga at No. 57, restoring one of the great mid-major brands to the mix.

At 208th, the 2025 Oklahoma Sooners reenter the game for the first time since 2016. Their 20–14 season included a first-round NCAA trip but, even more importantly, Jeremiah Fears, who went seventh in the NBA draft. A major SEC name with a major draft pick was too strong to leave out any longer.

The next two teams come as a package, representing the first-ever Big West entries in the Value Add Basketball Game. UC San Diego, ranked 209th all-time, rides into the universe after a 30–5 season with Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (conference Player of the Year), Hayden Gray (Defensive Player of the Year), and first-team star Tyler McGhie. Their arrival pairs with the 222nd-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters, who follow a 32–7 NIT-runner-up run and feature Jurian Dixon, the league’s freshman of the year. Together, they open a new chapter for the Big West.

Several pages deeper in the rankings lies 244th-ranked Chattanooga, which becomes the first Southern Conference team ever added. The Mocs ride into the game carrying an NIT Championship and the creative play of Honor Huff, giving the SoCon long-deserved representation.

At 266th, the dependable yet long-absent UAB Blazers return to the game for the first time despite their rich history. Their 24–13 season and NIT Elite Eight finish, led by Yaxel Lendeborg (American Conference Defensive Player of the Year), finally push UAB over the threshold.

And closing out this year’s additions is the 271st-ranked 2025 Troy Trojans, the second Sun Belt team to ever enter the Value Add universe—following last year’s debut of James Madison. Their 23–11 season, conference Player of the Year Tayton Conerway, and a first-round NCAA appearance give the Sun Belt back-to-back representatives and help expand the geographical diversity of the game’s catalog.

As these sixteen teams step into the Value Add Basketball Game, they do more than swell the roster. They bring new conferences, forgotten histories, elite prospects, fresh strategies, and in the case of a few legendary names, a chance to revive tournaments featuring the greatest players to ever appear in the game—icons like Dr. J waiting in the wings.

The pages turn each year, but this year’s chapter feels especially momentous: sixteen new teams, each with its own reason for joining, its own engine, its own story. And as soon as the player cards hit the table, the alternate-universe hardwood will rumble again.

Here are the links to the stars in the other three tournaments.

Rnk	NCAA all-time Final 4 to play	Year	Best Player(s)
1	UCLA	1972	Bill Walton #44
9	Duke	2001	Shane Battier
2	UCLA	1975	Dave Meyers
3	Indiana	1976	Scott May
Rnk	NIT Final 4 (smaller conf)	Year	Star
63	Northern Iowa	2015	Seth Tuttle
186	UNC Wilmington	2003	Devontae Cacok
126	Detroit Mercy	1960	Dave DeBusschere
133	Dartmouth	1944	Dick McGuire
Rnk	Greatest Player tourney	Year	Star
20	Michigan	1993	Chris Webber #76
188	Oregon St.	1990	Gary Payton #42
276	Weber St.	2010	Damian Lillard #75
246	California	1993	Jason Kidd #43
267	Massachusetts	1971	Julius Erving #14
34	UCLA	2008	Russell Westbrook #68
116	Georgetown	1995	Allen Iverson #31
43	Connecticut	1996	Ray Allen #47
225	Louisville	1980	Darrell Griffith top 100
272	NYU	1948	Dolph Schayes #70
243	New Mexico	1974	Bernard Hardin top 100
247	Gonzaga	1981	John Stockton #24
75	North Carolina	1972	Bob McAdoo #45
212	Providence	1960	Lenny Wilkens #65
187	LSU	1953	Bob Pettit #35

10 year old 1st try; then epic statis-pro game 7

 Game 7 summary below further down, but first some fun remember the future is what matters!

As exciting as the Game 7 Classic Statis-Pro card World Series is, we were touched by a heartwarming preview on the sheets. After the 10 year old had played his first game with me instructing him through as he flipped cards and made decisions, another business trip took me away. Much to my happiness, I came back to see he had note wanted to interrupt the official World Series with the projected player sheets, so to not play a Dodgers vs. Mariners game he instead saw the Mets sheet was on the table and picked it up.

Yeah, his spelling needs work but to freehand the basic idea and get through several players before getting confused about how BD (Clutch Batting) and CD (Clutch Fielding) work he had to suspend his came to wait for instructions but I will always remember these sheets and since he is 50 years younger than me maybe he will be writing a blog and playing Statis-Pro in 2075 as the game stays alive!

This follows him getting his first trip to the mound to get the final out of the season in only his second season of playing. He had control problems on the first three batters to load the bases - as he had practiced a lot off a flat surface in the back yard again the pitching screen. 

However, he kept perfect form and struck out the last batter to end the season with a perfect 0.00 ERA, which for all of time in Statis-Pro has given a player a PB 2-9. So his first Statis-Pro on his own and his first trip to a mound in competion!

The old classic cards brought a classic ending to the 2025 Statis-Pro World Series.

Game Seven

It looked like another offensive battle early when Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani ripped back-to-back doubles to give the Dodgers the early 1-0 lead. Seattle answered in the next inning with a Eugenio Suarez solo shot (his fourth of the series) to make it 1-1. No one would score for the next ten innings. Both starting pitchers settled in after the second inning. The Dodgers went with Tyler Glasnow instead of trying Ohtani on short rest.

Glasnow went seven innings and only allowed the one run. Bryan Woo threw six innings and also only allowed one run. The bullpens then took game seven into extra innings. Both sides decided to wait and save their closer for the extra innings. Blake Treinan and Andres Munoz pitched two scoreless innings each and continued the 1-1 battle. 

Finally in the bottom of the 13^th inning, with two on and two outs, Mr. Walkoff, Freddie Freeman crushed a three run homer to send the Dodgers to a second straight Statis-Pro title winning game seven by a final of 4-1 in 13 innings. Shohei Ohtani earned the MVP honors with 3 HR's and 7 RBI's in the series along with a brilliant 7 2/3 innings of pitching in game four to secure the win.

Dodgers make it four Statis-Pro titles in six years - even more dominant than the three in six for the real team.

Alternate Simulation - 10 year Old Leads Dodgers to 7-3 Win in His 1st Statis-pro game ever!

 Details to follow. This was Game 1 of Our Alternate World Series Using Projected 2025 Cards.

Mariners v. Dodgers in Game 7 with Classic Statis-Pro Cards

We are a few days away from shifting to our Value Add Basketball Game half of the year for the blog, with about 40 new unique readers clicking to those game instructions every day ... but still wrapping up the Statis-Pro baseball half of the season.

George Springer kept the Mariners out of the actual MLB World Series, and voters may have denied Cal Raleigh the MVP on an incredibly close 17–13 vote, but in the Statis-Pro Classic Baseball Cards World Series the Mariners have forced a Game 7.

With the classic Statis-Pro cards, the Dodgers–Mariners best-of-7 was tied 2–2.

In Game Five, the Dodgers once again used dominant starting pitching to gain control of the series. Blake Snell pitched six strong innings (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K). George Kirby matched him with an equally solid outing (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K). The game remained tied 1–1 into the eighth inning, when Teoscar Hernández broke the tie with an RBI single. He finished 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs. The bullpen closed it out for the Dodgers, with Blake Treinen earning the save in the 3–1 victory. The series headed back to L.A. with the Dodgers leading 3–2.

In Game Six, the Mariners faced elimination — and Seattle’s big bats returned to save the season. Another subpar outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto opened the door, and Seattle blew the game open with an eight-run fifth inning capped by Cal Raleigh’s three-run homer. Yamamoto gave up five runs in just four innings. Also contributing to the Mariners’ offense was Eugenio Suárez, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs. Luis Castillo pitched five innings to pick up the win. This series is headed to a Game Seven.

Leading up to these games:

In our 2024 Statis-Pro World Series — when the Montana league used the 2023 Classic Statis-Pro Baseball cards and the Dodgers won the NL, and Milwaukee used the 2024 projected cards as Seattle won the AL — the Dodgers were much better, sweeping the series in four dominant games.

In the actual MLB season this year, the Mariners just missed the World Series when George Springer’s late three-run homer in Game 7 kept them out. They saw just how close they were when Toronto not only barely beat Seattle, but then barely lost to the Dodgers in their own Game 7 — only because of an out at home by less than an inch, in a play best summarized by this headline: “Andy Pages brutally ran over Kiké Hernández to save the Dodgers in the World Series.”

The Mariners were that close to a World Series title, and Cal Raleigh was just as close to the MVP — chosen by 13 of 30 clubs, barely edged out by Aaron Judge.

This year, the Mariners were not going to be blown out. After last year’s sweep, they’ve at least forced a 3-3 series, once again one win away — and this year the loser will get a second chance. For the first time, we’re playing two World Series with the same matchup: this one with the 2024 Classic Cards, followed by a second using the projected 2025 card sheets.

Our two commissioners started playing Statis-Pro baseball as sophomores in high school in Richmond, VA, using the 1979 cards — and now, decades later, we’re still here playing for another Game 7.

Dodgers and Mariners Fireworks in Statis-pro World Series

 The 2025 Statis-Pro World Series using the old classic style cards from the previous season.

It was a pair of routs to start this series.

In game one, it doesn’t matter the style of cards, Shohei Ohtani is dominant. He goes 3-4, with a double and two home runs including a grand slam. Los Angeles rolls to a 10-2 victory. The Dodgers got five solid innings from snellbl01 (5 IP, 1 ER) to get the win. The Mariners’ kirbyge01 got roughed up (5 IP, 6 ER) to take the loss.

(Links to all players will be added this evening, or see them and the pictures of the cards used in our previous post).

In game two, the Mariners were determined to not be swept again. They erupted for a Statis-Pro World Series record nine home runs as they pounded the Dodgers 16-7 to even the series at 1-1. suareeu01 and arozara01 led the onslaught with two home runs each. naylojo01 went 2-5, with another homer and 4 RBI’s. multiple pitched six innings to get the win while yamamyo01 only lasted 3 2/3 and gave up six runs.

The scene shifted to Seattle and finally a close game. A wild finish saw four lead changes in the last three innings. In the 7th, edmanto01 launched a 2-run HR to give LA a 5-4 lead. But in the 8th, Josh Naylor hit his second homer of the series, and raleica01 added an RBI double to give Seattle the 7-5 lead. In the 9th both closers were a disaster. Top of the inning munozan01 gave up run scoring hits to Shohei Ohtani, freemfr01 and multiple as the Dodgers pushed four runs across to lead 9-7. Then it was Blake Treinan’s turn and with two outs and two on, raleylu01 (also fittingly know as "Nuke" Raley) blasted a 3-run walk-off homer to give the Mariners a dramatic 10-9 win. Seattle now leads the best-of-7, two games to one.

In game four, with the Dodgers feeling the pressure, they turned to Shohei Ohtani to take the mound. He responded with a spectacular outing and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. polanjo01 broke it up with a lead-off double. After losing the shutout, Ohtani finished with a line of (7 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 12K, 3BB). The LA offense was led by bettsmo01 and Will Smith who each had 2 RBI’s. gilbelo01 had a quality start for Seattle (6 IP, 3R, 1ER), but it wasn’t enough as the Dodgers win 6-1 and even the series at two games apiece.

Dodgers Beat Mets 4 Games to 1 to Get Rematch with Mariners in Statis-Pro World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets four games to one to advance to our 2025 Statis-Pro World Series championship against the Seattle Mariners. This is our first "double" Statis-Pro World Series in which our Milwaukee Commissioner who uses the sheets of projected player cards in the free Statis-Pro game.  The starting pitchers and line-up using the traditional cards are above, while the reserves and bullpen are at the bottom of the blog.

TRADITIONAL STATIS-PRO CARDS. Below those links are the traditional cards used by the Montana manager. They are from the previous season, so his teams get the current rosters but based on the previous seasons stats. Cards like these can be purchased by googling Statis-Pro baseball cards. Our suggestion is to order players cards like those pictured below along with a full Statis-Pro card game including charts and Fast Action Cards. however, the free game played in Milwaukee allows those new to Statis-Pro to try out the game for free using dice and the blog with instructions in order to get used to the game. The pictures of the corresponding Seattle Mariners traditional cards appear in this blog.

PROJECTED PLAYER SHEETS. We list the key figures from each of those projected cards, including the position played, the range of the Random Numbers from 11-88 on which the player hits a home run, how good he is at stealing bases (AAA best ever, E never steals). For pitchers the best number is a PB  2-9, meaning the pitcher keeps the action on his card on 5 of 6 batters (only a roll of 10-12 gives the batter a chance at an extra base hit), then his strikeout range, the maximum number of innings he can pitch, and the projected ERA based on his card.

The Commissioners rotate leagues each year, and this year it was the Milwaukee Commissioner using the free projected player sheets who played off the NL with the Dodgers prevailing, while the Montana commissioner playing with traditional Statis-Pro cards played off the AL with the Mariners prevailing. Last year they each played the other league, but the same two teams won. Until this year the two Commissioners played the home games of their league for the year, so the Montana Commissioner played the two games in Seattle, and then the Milwaukee Commissioner the two in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers won all four to get the sweep. This year they will both play the entire series in an "alternate reality" so we could have one champion winning both World Series or we could have a split.

In our final regular season standings with the playoff bracket, the Dodgers were favored as the only .600 team in our Statis-Pro season at 26-16 (0.619) without even playing the last place team in their final six games since they had clinched, but the Mariners barely made the playoffs at 26-24. The following bracket shows how many games each team won in each series.

 

Pos	Dodgers	HR	SB	OPS		Pos	Mariners	HR	SB	OPS
DH	Shohei Ohtani	23-31	AA	0.993		CF	Julio Rodríguez	31-33	AA	0.726
cf	Mookie Betts	27-32	B	0.885		C	Cal Raleigh	21-32	B	0.957
1b	Freddie Freeman	33-34	D	0.847		LF	Randy Arozarena	27-32	A	0.785
C	Will Smith	31-33	D	0.913		1b	Josh Naylor	28-32	C	0.789
RF	Teoscar Hernández	26-32	C	0.799		3b	Eugenio Suárez	18-27	D	0.827
2b	Hyeseong Kim	27-31	A	0.768		DH	Jorge Polanco	24-27	D	0.722
lf	Andy Pages	24-27	E	0.751		SS	JP Crawford	25-27	D	0.695
3b	Max Muncy	17-22	D	0.761		2b	Leo Rivas	27-28	B	0.72
SS	Miguel Rojas	28-28	C	0.653		RF	Victor Robles	28	A	0.697
Pos	Key Reserves	HR	SB	OPS		Pos	Key Reserves	HR	SB	OPS
RF	Michael Conforto	23-26	E	0.752		RF	Dominic Canzone	27-31	D	0.765
LF	Tommy Edman	27-31	A	0.728		DH	Luke Raley	23-27	B	0.762
CF	Alex Call	23-23	B	0.715		2b	Dylan Moore	18-22	A	0.7
IF	Kiké Hernández	27-28	D	0.655		DH	Mitch Garver	17-22	E	0.667
C	Dalton Rushing	26 (2b)	D	0.551		3b	Miles Mastrobuoni	27	A	0.638
PB	Dodgers Rotation	K	MaxIP	ERA		PB	Mariners Rotation	K	MaxIP	ERA
2'-9	Tyler Glasnow	24-47	7	3.41		2'-8	Logan Gilbert	25-44	7	3.38
2'-9	Blake Snell (L)	23-46	6	3.38		2'-8	Luis Castillo	25-44	7	3.50
2'-9	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	25-47	6	3.54		2'-8	George Kirby	26-44	7	3.38
PB	Starter/Long Relief	K	MaxIP	ERA		PB	Starter/Long Relief	K	MaxIP	ERA
2'-8	Clayton Kershaw (L)	26-46	6	3.89		2'-8	Bryan Woo	26-47	6	3.89
2'-8	Roki Sasaki	24-46	6	3.57		2'-7	Bryce Miller	25-43	6	3.64
2'-8	Shohei Ohtani	25-41	6			4'-7	Jhonathan Díaz (L)	25-38	6	4.33
PB	Dodgers Relievers	K	MaxIP	ERA		PB	Mariners Relievers	K	MaxIP	ERA
2'-8	Alex Vesia (L)	22-45	1	3.18		2'-9	Andrés Muñoz	23-51	2	2.85
2'-8	Blake Treinen	24-44	1	3.33		2'-9	Gregory Santos	24-43	2	2.54
2'-8	Will Klein	25-41	2	2.35		2'-8	Caleb Ferguson (L)	24-43	1	3.29
2'-8	Emmett Sheehan	25-41	2	2.82		2'-8	Matt Brash	23-45	2	3.11
2'-7	Tanner Scott (L)	22-44	1	3.08		2'-6	Trent Thornton	25-43	2	3.65

and here are the cards

Here are the reserve cards