The 2003 2on2 draft was filled with wheeling and dealing and unexpected surprises. Nik shocked the world when he was awarded the 1st overall pick in the draft lottery, after having only a 2 in 21 chance of getting it. Then there was the Sorenson shake-up in the middle part of the draft that lead TJ Rumpff to Abiburg and the return of the Russian Rubles. Finally, in what may have been the biggest draft-day surprise, Adam Browne was passed up by good friend Joel Katz and wasn't selected until last overall, 8th, by Skelly. Here’s a run-down and evaluation of what happened (grades are out of 5 stars)

1. Nik – Srini Projected to go somewhere near the middle of the draft, Nik shocked the world when he picked his good friend Srinivas with the first overall pick. There will be good chemistry right from the start, which is a definite plus, but the question will be whether or not Nik and Srini will have the size and talent to match up with the other teams. 3 Stars: * * *

2. Ross Walker – Kevin Eaton We knew Kevin would be selected somewhere near the top, and number 2 overall to Ross was no surprise. They shouldn’t have any problem with chemistry, but a clash in game styles may prove to be difficult for this team. Can Ross’ defense make the grade? Will Kevin be able to guard the bigger men in the league? Those questions and a lot more will be answered once this newly assembled team takes the court in May. 4 Stars: * * * *

3. Abi Viswanathan (through Mike Sorenson) – TJ Rumpff I don’t think anyone will disagree, including TJ himself, that there was better talent available with the 3rd pick. In Abi’s eyes, it was down to chemistry and comfortability. It was hard for him to pass up on Vadim, the reigning MVP, but everyone in Abi Viswanathan’s war room seemed completely satisfied with the selection. Whether or not passing up on last years MVP is going to bite him in the ass will be answered by the summer. 2 Stars: * *

4. Emil – Vadim: Once Emil found out Vadim was still available at number 4, his war room went as crazy as if the U.S. had just found Sadaam dead. Vadim is who Emil wanted from the start, and was doing everything in his ability to trade up to get him, but to no luck. Luckily for him, Vadim fell into his lap at number 4, and the decision was made in roughly 3 seconds. One of only two teams that played together last year, these two should cause havoc this year. Watch out rest of the league - the Russian Rubles are back, and hungry for a championship. 5 Stars: * * * * *

5. Joel Katz – Alex Parr: Joel picked himself up the best complementary player in the draft. Alex would have won 2 man of the year last year if it wasn’t for the jolly, feel-good story that was Brian Cosker. Joel and Alex together provides a good inside/outside balance that will help them offensively and defensively. The only thing that may hurt them is they might find in some games that they lack a consistent scorer. If Joel is on a roll or if Alex is on fire, they won’t have to worry. But if they ever both find themselves just playing average ball, they might not have what it takes to elevate their games to get the job done. 3 Stars: * * *

6. Sean Bahrami – Craig Schattner: Sean picked himself up a dangerous player in Craig Schattner this late in the draft. He is big and strong, and his game has flourished since being away at school. A consistent ball-handler and passer may be missing with this team, but their size and strength should cause match-up problems with whoever they face. A lack of chemistry at the start may bring some losses, but if they ever get on the same page, they could be the cindarella story for this year. 3 Stars: * * *

7. Sid – Zach from York: This was the Willis McGahee pick 2on2 basketball style. No one knows much about Zach except Kevin, but Sid decided to take the chance on the 6 foot, pure shooting kid from Potomac, Maryland. If Zach can find a rhythm to his game and can knock down his shot – he’ll be dangerous and would have been a 4 star pick. Sid is a match-up nightmare for anyone because of his lightning quickness – he is the quickest player in the league. Like a couple of other teams, chemistry may be an issue at first, but if these two ever really start clicking, we could have ourselves another Butler. 3 Stars: * * *

8. Skelly – Adam Browne: One of the biggest surprises in this draft may have been Adam Browne slipping to the 8th spot. Getting such a talented player so late in the draft is 4-star worthy. Adam is a dangerous player that is very tough to guard. A smart defender, however, can quickly realize his only weakness – his right hand. A lot of coaches and scouts attribute that to why he slipped all the way down. This happens to be the only team with two rookies, so their worth in this league is undetermined. They have a lot of proving to do, especially Brownie, who I know wants to prove to the 7 other coaches that not picking him was a big mistake. 4 Stars: * * * *