There are just too many teams to pick from. Really. I have managed to whittle my tips & locks down to a manageable list of 12 Teams per Division.
Tips: A team to watch. Should have a pretty good run after lunch on Saturday.
Lock: This is a team that I feel has a better than 50% chance of making it to the finals of their division.
Here we go…
**TIPS:
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They were finalists in Pittsburgh. They were Champs in Cleveland. Delphi’s toughest defender this year #48 is the real deal. They should be a prized pick in the draft if they don’t seed high enough to be an alliance capt themselves.
Kingman #60. Tough tough tough. Seeded #20 in AZ, Drafted #1 & are now AZ Champs. Enough said.
They have had struggles at Great Lakes and Grand Rapid, but the HOT Team (#67) always puts up their best numbers at the Championships. Key your eye on them. They can put up the tubes fast.
Champs in Toronto, Finalists in CT. Even so, they may not be high on folks radar screen given how stacked this division is. I would not be surprised to see this team fall the the second draft round, but watch out. They are a huge asset. Don’t be the team to skip them and then get beaten by their play. Aces High can do it. #176 – you heard it here.
Champs in West Lafayette and on Long Island. They are up for the Chairman’s Award in Atlanta. Look for good things all the way around from Team #234 Cyber Blue.
These guys have GOT to be tired of the Simbotics – they’ve been Finalists twice to them in Waterloo and Toronto – but 2 Regional Finalists trophies are nothing to sneeze at. Look for Great thing from Team #1305 – who’ll be trying for the Chairman’s Award trophy in addition to the hardware they hope to bring home on the field.
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**LOCKS:
**16-3-1 in seeding at LA & TX Regionals. Finalist at the first, Champs at the 2nd. #118 is the very definition of a Lock. Great team, should do great in the Dome.
I picked them in Boston to go all the way. They only finished a Finalist. But, I am sticking with them #121, Naval Undersea Warfare is a team that should be a huge presence even in Curie division.
Gael Force is another team that defines Lock. They are competing for Chairman’s Award too. They often means good things on the field as well. They were Champs in Boston. Look for #126 to be putting on the hurt on the Curie field.
16-2-0 in seeding at Los Angeles & San Diego. The Beach Bots (#330) are going to have a say in how this whole Curie thing works its way out. They are a lock too.
Las Guerrillas (#469) had a rough start in Ypsilanti. They gained some traction in Detroit. They were plowing through the competition in Grand Rapids. With their huge and effective slight slope lifting ramp and an effective arm (finally) plus an extremely effective swerve drive AND some drivers who can master the beast, they should be another huge force on Curie.
How many locks does one division need? Well, at least one more if I haven’t spoken of Simbotics (#1114). These guys put the UN in UNBELIEVEABLE. This is the cream of the Canadian Crop and probably the cream of the planetary crop. They are 16-3-1 in seeding after 3 regionals (Ypsi, Waterloo & Toronto). They were #1 seed in 2 and but for loosing the last seeding round in Toronto would have been 3 for 3. It took a battery failure on a partner robot to help get them out of Ypsi or they might have been 3 for 3 this year – even so they won 6 of their last 7 Regionals.
This is the year they make their move on the Championships stage. If they get together with another Lock from Curie, well, it may be all over but the scoring…
**BONUS:
**Too many teams in Curie to keep it to just 12. Sorry I have to add one.
Keep an eye out for #2166. These guys were Rookie All Stars in Toronto & they were on the #2 Alliance there. Good luck in Atlanta Appleby Robotics!
Joe J.
