The Barstool Basketball Association Is Back For Season Two (SPOILERS AHEAD)

*AGAIN I WILL WARN YOU THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD, SO PLEASE WAIT TO READ UNTIL YOU FINISH THE FIRST EPISODE HERE!* These are just my thoughts on the first episode as I was watching live.

The Barstool Basketball Association is officially BACK for Season 2, and if Episode 1 is any indication, we are in for chaos in the best way possible.

First things first. Commissioner Mark Titus walking in wearing the red suit. That is how you set the tone. You see that and immediately know this is not going to be some casual rec league run. It gives off Rick Pitino in the all white suit energy. When you see it, you just know you are about to witness something special. Titus means business this season, and with $80,000 on the line, he has to.

Shoutout to everyone behind the scenes too, because dropping Episode 1 during the break between the first weekend and the Sweet 16 is diabolical. That is knowing your audience at an elite level.

We have 32 contestants in the association this year, and right away, NO COMBINE??? Tragic. But honestly, probably for the best. Nobody needs to see White Sox Dave dribbling like a chicken with its head cut off or guys taking 15 attempts just to hit a top of the key three. We move.

This year’s captains are Jerry, Max, Dana, Tate, Doitche, WBR, Francis, and Nicky Smokes. Instead of a snake draft, they went with knockout to determine draft order. Already better. Already content.

The broadcast crew is strong with Scoof, Brandon Walker, and Rone on the call, plus Nick Turani on the sideline.

And of course, controversy did not take long.

Jersey Jerry (unknowingly or not) interferes with Smokes’ ball during knockout. Redo. Then an airball free throw to start round two, and everyone knows you can't start the game of knockout on an airball, so another redo. We are barely getting started and already arguing calls.

Fast forward to the end and Tate (who admits he isn't a good shooter) gets called out for his ball contacting Doitche's in the final two people Tate had every right to be pissed. Knocking the ball out is part of the name in KNOCKOUT. That was a brutal call from Titus, but it is his league.

Original draft order: 8 Jerry, 7 Dana, 6 Max, 5 Smokes, 4 Francis, 3 WBR, 2 Tate, 1 Doitche.

But if you watched Season 1, you knew it would not stay that simple.

Enter the twist. Hit a three from the State Farm logo and jump to the front. Miss and you go straight to the back. Four shots were taken and only Max hits. Rare shooting performance, perfect timing. That flips everything.

New order: 1 Max, 2 Doitche, 3 Tate, 4 WBR, 5 Francis, 6 Jerry, 7 Dana, 8 Smokes.

And I will say this, I am glad they stuck with the tier system. It just makes the whole thing more interesting because you cannot stack one team and call it a day. You actually have to think a little bit, which for some of these guys is asking a lot.

Full draft results:

Round 1: 1.1 Bosco (Max) 1.2 Sydnie (Doitche) 1.3 T-Bob (Tate) 1.4 Hank (WBR) 1.5 Chief (Francis) 1.6 Steph (Jerry) 1.7 Katic (Dana) 1.8 Big Cat (Smokes)

Round 2: 2.1 Moobie (Max) 2.2 White Sox Dave (Doitche) 2.3 Smelly (Tate) 2.4 Mackenzie (WBR) 2.5 Rudy (Francis) 2.6 Big T (Jerry) 2.7 Hannah Montoya (Dana) 2.8 Chef Donny (Smokes)

Round 3: 3.1 PFT (Max) 3.2 Wonton Don (Doitche) 3.3 Oldie (Tate) 3.4 Zac (WBR) 3.5 Megan Makin Money (Francis) 3.6 Spider (Jerry) 3.7 Mintzy (Dana) 3.8 Annika (Smokes)

Best draft by value goes to WBR. He might be the best hooper in the office and it is not particularly close. If his teammates can get him the ball, he is going to look like prime Zach Randolph. Mackenzie brings effort, Hank needs to knock down shots, and if Zac shows up on time, they are dangerous.

Favorite team from a content standpoint is Max, easily. Rico at 1.1, plus PFT and Moobie. That is a content goldmine. Blue collar basketball with chaos built in. You can already see the clips coming.

Then there is Jerry... Big T was a solid value pick. Steph plays hard. But pairing Spider and Jerry on the court is a tough look. Then Jerry basically admits he is tanking for future picks mid episode, which tells you everything you need to know.

Also, Tate deserves his own spotlight. The brain on this guy is ridiculous. Working the official immediately, building relationships, trying to find any edge possible. You can tell he has real coaching experience. Letting JJ know the prize pool increased and he can pay better than IHSA is next level thinking.

Then comes the injury storyline with PFT. You knew it was coming if you had been paying attention, but still tough timing. Max tried to make a smart move going after EBo, which made sense given their size and James Madison background, but Titus steps in and puts Mikey Bets on Team Max. Classic Commissioner move.

And just when you think things might settle down, we end up in the Commissioner’s office with captains making trades like it is deadline day.

Trades: Steph for Annika

Big Cat for Bosco

Oldie for Mintzy plus cash considerations

Now Team Smokes suddenly looks interesting. Steph, Rico, Chef Donny, and Nicky could be a solid group if they find chemistry. You have Team Max who can still probably find a way to get in people's heads with him, Big Cat, Mikey Bets, and Moobie on a team. Team Doitche can still easily win the whole thing with him and Sydnie being a dynamic duo. Who the hell is going to want to bang down low with Beers and Katic while also having to smell Oldie when running around the court?

At the end of the day, none of this is safe. I ranked my favorite teams at the end of the combine episode last season and immediately in the next episode, teams were different. If Season 1 taught us anything, Club Trill is going to keep things moving with trades, cuts, and whatever else he has planned.

Season 2 is off to a wild start, and we have not even seen real games yet. If this episode is the baseline, the BBA is about to be even more chaotic and even better than last season.

Let me know your thoughts on the draft results, controversy involved from episode one, or who you like to win it all @RyderStoolie on X!