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February 20, 2015

The Preseason Selection Process

By Aaron Brown

There were a lot of tough decisions and predictions to make heading into the 2015 season. Determining the Top 25 rankings and making All-Illpolo Team selections is an difficult process, especially when you consider that the last official high school game was played in May 2014, close to ten months ago.

The All-Illpolo Teams were once again extremely difficult to predict, so much so that a second list of 'Impact Players' had to be created. And even with that, it still feels like there are additional deserving players who will make a case for recognition as we begin the first official competitions on Monday, March 9.

To give some insight on the decisions, here are some important things to consider:

1) The All-Illpolo Teams are strongly based on the individual impact a player makes combined with their team's overall performance. The lists are not an evaluation of a player's individual talents, which is much different than something a college recruiter or a national team coach would compile.

2) The majority of the decisions are based on recorded performances during the 2014 season.

3) While every effort is made to consider word done in the offseason and the impact freshmen players will make on their respective teams, this information can be difficult to determine and may not be reflected in the preseason lists.

4) A great deal of the list is based on exposure, especially during the previous season. I am well aware that there are probably a handful of players whose performances have been overlooked to this point and who will wonder why they have not been mentioned here. Every effort will be made over the course of the season to recognize as many players as possible.

5) In some instances, information may have gotten crossed up and a returning player may have been mistaken as having graduated and does not appear on the teams. I reserve the right to make additional changes to the lists if this is the case. If you believe this to be true, please send an e-mail to illpolostaff@gmail.com.

6) In other instances, a graduated player may appear on the list but appears on the teams because of some form of incorrect information. The same may be true about a player that has moved, transferred, or is not playing for a specific reason. If this is the case, please e-mail corrections to illpolostaff@gmail.com as soon as possible.

7) As always, the opinions of this site are simply opinions. They are meant to be a starting point to the upcoming season. I fully expect a wave of e-mails regarding the lists and the rankings, but the general answer I will always give is that they are MY opinions, which I base solely on the information I have at my disposal.

Best of luck in 2015,

Aaron Brown

illpolo.com