By Michael Cousins
It is that time of the year again. The NFL Draft is here. Fans everywhere will be glued to their televisions and phones following their favorite teams’ selections. In honor of the National Football League’s draft, I thought it would be fun if we put together a bit of a PBA mock draft.
This, of course, is just for fun. But this, in my opinion, would be the order of selection if I were creating my own “big board,” if you will.
1) Jason Belmonte, Australia:
PBA Standard Titles: 6
Major Titles: 8
This should come as no surprise to anyone. He the best bowler in the world, in the middle of his prime. He is capable of doing things that no one else on the planet is capable of doing. He combines power with shot making in a way we have never seen before. The three-time Player of the Year is the clear cut number one pick in this draft.
2) EJ Tackett, Indiana:
PBA Standard Titles: 5
Major Titles: 2
When you think of power in the modern game, you almost always think of the two-handed delivery. Well, Tackett rivals the power of the two-handers using just one. He has a powerful game, getting everything he can out of his small frame. Couple his raw power with his confidence and competitiveness at just age 24, it is easy to see why the reigning Player of the Year is the number two pick.
3) Dom Barrett, England:
PBA Standard Titles: 4
Major Titles: 1
Beautiful physical game. Soft hand. Plenty of power. Effortless swing. Physically, Dom Barrett is as good as anyone on tour. A player capable of playing anywhere on the lane with a great deal of success, Barrett might be one of the most versatile players in the world today.
4) Jesper Svensson, Sweden:
PBA Standard Titles:5
Major Titles: 1
The hottest left hander in the world right now. Period. Svensson gets a lot of flack for his unique delivery and his tendency to use urethane on everything, but, fact of the matter is this: when urethane is in play, you can’t beat him. There are two ways to be great at this sport. Be good at everything or be the best at any one thing. And Jesper is just that. I wanted to put him a little lower on this list, but having won 3 PBA Titles last year (2016) including one major, he deserves the number 4 spot . . . for now.
5) Marshall Kent, Washington:
PBA Standard Titles: 2
Major Titles: 0
This may come as a shock to some, as Kent has, no doubt, had his fair share of struggles under the TV lights. But let’s not forget that he’s been getting their as of late with relative ease. Kent is, simply put, one of the best shot makers in the world. To go along with that accuracy, Kent has more than enough power to get the job done in a variety of ways. At the youth and collegiate level, Kent won everything, and it is only a matter of time before he figures out how to consistently win on tour as well.
6) Tommy Jones, South Carolina:
PBA Standard Titles: 19
Major Titles: 2
Coming off back-to-back terrific years on tour, Jones has once again earned the right to be mentioned amongst the game’s best. The last two years have been a bit of a resurgence for Jones who, for the last couple of years, battled a variety of injuries that made it impossible to compete at his usual level. But, with all of that behind him, look for Jones to continue to have strong showing after strong showing.
7) Anthony Simonsen, Texas:
PBA Standard Titles: 1
Major Titles: 1
Yet another two-hander in our top 10. Simonsen, a smooth rolling two-hander, has a very identifiable physical game compared to many two-handed players. At just 21 years of age, Simonsen has already proven himself to be amongst the game’s elite. Finding routine success in virtually everything he bowls, Simonsen has a chance to move up this list very, very fast as time goes by.
8) Pete Weber, Missouri:
Standard Tour Titles: 27
Major Titles: 10
Simply put, the greatest of all-time. And, in my opinion, not even close. At age 54, Weber continues to be a dominant force on the PBA Tour, finding himself at or near the top of virtually every single Major championship. The bigger the stage, the bigger the performance. No one has played this sport at such a high level for as long as Weber. He battled several injuries the last two years, or he’d likely be higher on this list, but when he’s healthy, he is as good as there is in our sport. In addition to his PBA Tour success, one must look at his utter dominance of the PBA50 tour, wining 6 titles in just 9 tournaments bowled.
9) Martin Larsen, Sweden:
Standard Tour Titles: 0
Major Titles: 0
When it comes to Larsen, the only thing he hasn’t done is win. The guy makes match play in virtually everything he bowls. He is, without question, the must underrated player on the planet right now. He is the best bowler in the world without a PBA Tour Title, and there isn’t a close second to him at the moment. For Larsen, it isn’t a matter of “if,” it is a matter of “when?”
10) Bill O’Neill, Pennsylvania:
Standard Tour Titles: 7
Major Titles: 1
O’neill has been one of the five or ten best bowlers in the world for nearly a decade now. He continues to be a model of consistency. At the end of every year, he finds himself near the top of the average and earning lists. With a simple physical game and an unassuming personality, O’neill just goes about his business as a consummate professional.
As I stated at the beginning of this blog, this is just my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. This is a very subjective topic, and with all of the talent on tour, it is very hard to narrow it down to just ten.
With that being said, give it try! Post your top ten below!
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