[Note: I'm not sure what PK stands for, or even what this team will be called tomorrow. They're PuG KiNGz in the CGS Pro-Am, they were PK during the CEVO-PT, they're Moenkhaus Gaming on their CEVO page, and GotFrag referred to them as Pineapple Kabobs. No, I don't know what a pineapple kabob is, either, but clearly there's a little confusion.

At this point, I think anything goes. If you want to refer to them as Pinecone Killas, be my guest. I'm sticking with PK until further notice.]

Roster:
- Jared "pNo" Schultz
- Rafeal "bReAkDoWn" Tavarez
- Dan "Mose5" Moenkhaus
- Eric "ER1c" Arellano
- Bobby "JaP" Yamanaka
- Matt "ms" Sanders

Predicted Finish:

sapphiRe's Prediction: 14/16
Mike's Prediction: 14/16

Composite Prediction: 14th Place, 3-12

How They Got Here

PK got off to a good start in the Placement Tournament, taking out New Era Gaming 13-9 in the first round. That gave them the pleasure of playing the top-seeded CHImera, where they promptly got smacked down 3-13.

They only needed a lone win to advance to CEVO-P after the first round, but the lower bracket wasn't any kinder to them than Chicago. They met up with Cyber Revolution on Russka and once again dropped a big match, this time 5-13.

And that loss sent them to the Last Chance Bracket. As the name implies, this was their last chance to advance to CEVO-P. No more big losses followed by a spot in another bracket. They needed all the talent they could muster, too, they played Skull Gaming and the match went into overtime. They took an early lead in the extra time and never relinquished it, eventually winning 18-13 (6-1 in OT), finally earning their second win after a hairy ride that brought them to the brink of elimination.

Looking Ahead

They've got some talent on the roster, and there are a few familiar names like pNo, ms, JaP, and bReAkDoWn. They've been on various teams around the CAL-I level, but I think their decline through the brackets speaks to their chances this season. Will they flame out? No. But I don't think they're going to soar up, up, and away, either.

They've got the experience to beat the low-tier teams, but expecting anything more than that is probably a stretch. They won't have much luck against the CGS teams or the level just below those guys. I don't think their 3-13 loss in indicative of their talent level, either. But let's face it, you can't just lose 3-13 one day, flip a switch, and win 13-11 the next day.

(Well, I suppose you can, but the flip you have to switch is called "hacking", and it's generally frowned upon.)

Overall, it should be a struggle for PK this season. And, just to make sure they come out of the gate with a painful groan, the Scheduling Gods have put them against Chicago and Los Angeles on Inferno. Things will get better once they see the easier side of the schedule, but for now...

Ugh.

--Mike