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General Draft Strategy
First, my team name: MoonBears was the name of a scrimmage team made while I was coaching at Seattle Youth Ultimate Camps this past June. MoonBear walk!

Ok, now for something of substance. The idea behind my strategy was to begin with players who would serve as cornerstones on defensive and offensive teams and to then draft around them based both on who was the best available and how the other teams were shaping up. I think it's important to snag "can't miss" players who are simply too talented to pass up, but it's also necessary to consider the parts that you are accumulating and, at some point, shape a system around them. I wanted to go focus on defense first because, well, we all know the saying...

One thing that I tried to keep in mind throughout was that superstars, to an extent, even one another out. I think that good teams are built on quality at the bottom of the depth chart rather than at the top. That's not to say that players like Chase, Beau, or Dylan aren't going to get theirs, but rather that their peers are going to do the same. In the later rounds, I looked to draft guys who have the ability to make big plays when in a bind because they have been consistently relied upon with their college and club teams, but who could also relax a bit and put their absolute best skills to use when faced with a lighter load of expectations.

Defense
On defense, I had two big priorities: speed and the ability to throw different looks at the other teams' offenses. While elite Ultimate is full of players who make it happen vertically and horizontally, I think that the most devastating teams are those whose defenses make every in cut difficult because of a sheer ability to go step-for-step with any cutter on the field. I was certainly looking to pick up a deep specialist, but wanted to wait a few rounds to do so. Moreover, I knew that playing tight man-to-man defense on every point would certainly not do the job against the powerful offenses that were being cooked up, so I really strived to draft players who were familiar with a number of zone options; when both throwers and cutters are as talented as those in this draft, the ability to clog lanes and throw off an offense's timing is a crucial counterpunch.

I accomplished my defensive objectives by drafting Masahiro Matsuno, Mac Taylor, Adam Simon, Nate Castine, Morgan Hibbert, Ryan Winkelman, and Jimmy Chu. Matsuno, while a bit of a gamble because he's not played in the UPA Series, is widely regarded as one of the absolute best players in the world. He can lock down virtually anybody, and while the recent World Games footage exposes some weaknesses while guarding Beau, Matsuno is a virtual sure bet against anything less in the air. Also, his ability to strike quickly and throw the pinpoint, blading hucks that the Buzz Bullets love so much will be an engine for the defensive offense. Mac Taylor is the full athletic package and matches up well with anyone in the air, and in my opinion, Nate Castine's speed, field sense, and intensity have made him one of the absolute best defenders in the game. Chicken defends other handlers quite well, and will be crucial in distributing the disc on a turn, Morgan is a strong deep defender who is exceptionally quick for his stride length, Ryan Winkelman is an incredibly fast and stingy defender, and Jimmy Chu brings both intelligence and a huge mark. Also, all but three of these players come from Sockeye and Buzz Bullets, two teams that are very familiar with transition and junk defensive sets, and Matsuno and Morgan will be the only ones playing without current or recent teammates.

Offense
I wanted an offense that was predicated on big, athletic throwers who, due to their length, could break the mark early in the stall count and provide the option offensive sets to initiate from the break side. Big handlers are defensive headaches because even when flow stagnates or the disc is trapped on the sideline, they are able to use their sheer size to get open for a reset. Not to mention, forcing them up-field is not a viable adjustment because they are often devastatingly capable in the air.

If you watch elite ultimate, getting open in the middle of the field is not always that difficult, as any cutter with a shred of speed and change of direction can make something happen when given enough space and time. I hoped to provide those elements by relying on long swing throws and steady dumps and forcing my opponents to play honest, tight defense on handlers, so I planned on leaving some of my offensive cutters to be drafted in later rounds.

The fun thing about offense is that you can really let your imagination run wild. I've always been very intrigued by Florida's systematic approach, where certain players are rigidly delegated to handle, cut in, and cut out, but I am also a strong believer in going with whatever works. Overall, my approach was to draft players who would be strong offensive centerpieces and to surround them with guys who would compliment them, making a judgment on exactly what kind of offense to run once the pieces were in place.

My offensive line consists of Damien Scott, Robert Runner, Nick Handler, Adam "Wormser" Bunn, Tom Rogaki, Aaron Bell, and Michael Stout. In Damien, I have one of the best big handlers in the game, and a player who strikes terror into any opposing team that sees him take off deep. Robert was a teammate of mine for four years at Virginia, and while he is still riding out his low profile as a Chain rookie, is somewhat of a left-handed Damien. Nick Handler is certainly an anomaly to the desired skill set that I described, but I like his experience and the small ball option that he provides. Wormser, for anyone who saw him at Potlatch 2008 or the All-Star game at Nationals, has the ability to outright embarrass people, and Tom Rogaki was considered to be one of the best players in the world only a few years ago, offering great deep cutting and throwing ability to go along with big international experience. Aaron Bell is a huge cutter whose experience playing all over will allow him to fit in well, and Michael Stout is a huge, fast threat in the air.

Subs
My two "utility players" are Tyler Conger and Mark Leduc. Tyler, another teammate of mine, is one of those blends between pure athleticism and a veteran's understanding of the game's pace. His play is somewhat reminiscent of Seth Wiggins, as he is constantly throwing crazy stuff that somehow was the right decision, his ability to break a zone is absurd, and his defense is extremely intelligent. Leduc has great deep ability for his size, timing his cuts very well but also remaining dangerous because he has good deep throws of his own.

Ending Thoughts
So there you have it, the MoonBears. As I said before and cannot say enough, I had a blast doing this both from a fantasy sports perspective and as a learning experience. If there were to be a second time around, I would definitely account for a few other variables, such as strength in the wind or experience playing in certain offensive sets.

Other changes would be based on what I think other Owners did particularly well.

I admire the cohesive and experienced unit that Sultan put together, as a line of veterans who not only have skills but chemistry is very deadly. Case in point as to why I think his team would do well: Namkung did what I thought to be a fantastic job guarding both Dylan and Jolian in the Potlatch Semifinals.

Ryan Thompson had what seemed to be the most comprehensive and detailed strategic wish list, which made for what seemed to be a very thought out and balanced team.

The Cultimate team made a very savvy move by trading for Kurt Gibson and building around him and Tim Gehret, as those two playing together is a force with which to be reckoned. One question I would certainly raise, however, is just how easily a team full of superb players will acquiesce to an offense centered around two players.

The Huddle came away with two players that I considered very strongly in Seth Wiggins and Oscar Pottinger, as well as Kiran Thomas, a player that I coveted but somehow passed up until it was too late.

Taylor Pope took Brian Stout, a player that I had pegged as an unstoppable deep threat, along with Ken Porter and Thomas Ward, two impressive athletes from NC State.

In all honesty, I'll stop because you can probably see what I'm getting at, which is a point that I've already made: these teams are all ridiculously good. The talent level in Ultimate is clearly on the rise, but more importantly, players and teams are learning from each others' styles and approaches to the game. I hope that as members of the community, we continue to strive to do so.

Oh, right. Whose team would win? Mine.

Jonathan Neeley currently plays for Axis of C'Ville.