WGS Invitational Tournament: PS4 Player Bios

BOHIO (Eddy Perez) 

PG — Direwolves

Twitter: @BOHIO_25

Key Tournament Statistics: 17.1 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 61 FGM, 62.9 FG%, 52.4 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K10

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K16

Awards: Militia League Champion on NBA 2K18, WR Select Champion on NBA 2K19

 

By his own admission, Eddy “BOHIO” Perez has been around NBA 2K and NBA 2K Pro-Am for ages.

“All I can do is thank my dad, because he put me on 2K back in 2K10,” BOHIO said. “Ever since then I’ve loved it, and I won’t stop until I reach my dream and my teammates’ dream.”

BOHIO has played competitive Pro-Am since NBA 2K16, when leagues were to be found more on Facebook than on Twitter, and he won a Militia League championship on NBA 2K18 and then a WR Pro-Am League Select title on NBA 2K19. As he improved his game, he consistently made quarterfinals and semifinals, but the ultimate prize eluded him. For two consecutive seasons, his dream of making the NBA 2K League has gone unfulfilled.

Now, with his goal firmly in sight, BOHIO has stepped up his play as Direwolves has progressed through the WGS Invitational tournament. Averaging nearly 7 assists per game through the first three rounds of the tournament, BOHIO poured in 47 points in a two-game sweep of Ascension to send Direwolves to the PS4 tournament finals.

“To be honest, my life outside the game is centered on the game,” he said. “I’m a 2K head. My dream is to make the league.”

The 2K veteran knows his job is far from done.

 

  

IlReggll (Reginald Nash Jr.) 

PG — Farewell Gaming

Twitter: @IIReggII

Key Tournament Statistics: 20.4 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 29 3PM, 60.8 FG% 64.4 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K9

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K19

Awards: WR Season XVI MVP, WR Open Champion, Militia League Season 1 Champion, SSWI California Showcase Champion

 

Reginald “Regg” Nash Jr. burst onto the scene in NBA 2K19, quickly rising through the ranks to become known as one of the top point guards in Pro-Am.

After his friend introduced him to Pro-Am during the NBA 2K19 cycle, Regg firmly found his place within the Pro-Am community through his early success. Playing with No Handouts, War Ready, and now Farewell Gaming, the point guard has won multiple titles across the WR Pro-Am League and Militia League, even winning WR season 12 MVP. He also played in the live SSWI California Showcase event during the NBA 2K19 cycle.

“I see myself as a leader, a communicator and a person who always had his team’s back and knows how to pick his team up after any tough loss,” Regg said.

Regg scored a personal tournament-high 36 points in a series-clinching win over LightsoutEsports in the quarterfinals, one of his many stellar performances during Farewell’s run to the WGS Invitational PS4 Finals. He’s averaging a series-best 20.4 points per game on 60.8% shooting from the field, and enters the Finals shooting a scorching 75% from beyond the arc in his last three games.

“I made a statement that I was going to win it, and I will stick to my goal,” he said. “I’m literally one step away and I’m super proud of my team and myself.”

 

RJFootball (Riley Joesph Furtado)

SG — Farewell Gaming 

Twitter: @RJFootball

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K9

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Awards: WR Mid-Season Invitational champion, NAPX tournament champion

 

Riley Joseph “RJFootball” Furtado has some history at stake in these finals.

A number of his past successes in Pro-Am competition have come against Direwolves, the team he’s going up against in the Finals. One of the longer-tenured Pro-Am players on his team, RJFootball consistently highlights his progression from newcomer to established player.

“I worked my way up from the 2k community page on the PS4 to the comp scene,” he said. “I did it with a great group of friends and built my name alongside them.”

The Finals-bound RJFootball is prone to catching fire from the field. He’s erupted for 30- and 23-point games, the latter coming in game 1 of the semifinals against WetBoyz. With 55 made field goals throughout the tournament, RJFootball has proven himself a crucial complementary scorer alongside point guard Regg—and he knows it.

“I see myself as a player who can take over any game at any moment on both sides of the ball,” he said. Facing a wing duo that has combined for nearly 30 points per game, RJFootball knows he’ll have to rely on more than his history to defeat Direwolves once again.

 

 

Neweditionflash (Kimmani Ingram)

SG — Direwolves

Twitter: @Splashedition

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K11

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Awards: MPBA Rookie of the Year on NBA 2K18, TopTierLeagues champion

 

Although his Twitter handle calls for splashes, Kimmani “Splashedition” Ingram is just as content to flash his passing skills.

“I see myself as a top passing point guard among all the great PGs on 2K,” he said, and he’s lived up to it during the tournament. Neweditionflash has averaged an impressive 5.5 assists per game at shooting guard and showed out with a 12-assist game to open the semifinals against Ascension.

The assists are symptomatic of how Neweditionflash perceives his role on the team. He styles himself as a glue guy, someone who helps keep the team together with wit and personality.

“Good vibes, great personality, one of the standout personalities on 2K,” he opined. “Great humor, I do everything I can to keep the team together.”

He’s kept the team together as it’s cruised to the PS4 Finals. Can he hold it together with enough assists in the Finals to pick up the tournament title?

 

Wady Tactuk (MLGTactuk)

SF — Farewell Gaming

Twitter: @MLGTactuk

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K6

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: WR Open Champion, Militia League Season 1 Champion, SSWI California Showcase Champion

 

Tactuk is no stranger to the spotlight.

The former Division I baseball player coached Bucks Gaming to an 8-8 record in the NBA 2K League’s 2019 season, landing two players on All-NBA 2K League teams. In his own playing career, Tactuk is seen as a top lockdown or secondary defender. He’s found success over the course of his career, taking home 7 trophies and winning a ring with Farewell in WR Season 13. He also competed in the SSWI California Showcase event with Farewell, with whom he’s played for numerous Pro-Am seasons.

“My favorite thing about my team is the family aspect,” he said. “We have been together for a long time and love playing together. We stay true to each other and are always honest. The family environment makes it really comfortable to play with.”

Tactuk, with NBA 2K League-level experience in his back pocket, understands the magnitude of the WGS Invitational. After missing out on playing in both seasons one and two of the league, he knows that the tournament offers his team more than just a prize pool. For Tactuk, there’s a potential career to be won.

“I’m excited we got this far, and we are ready to go win it,” he said. “We need it, there’s careers on the line and we are ready.”

 

Kwan Niblack (FollowTHEGOD) 

SF — Direwolves

Twitter: @FollowTHEGOD

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K10

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Awards: Made the NBA 2K League 2019 Entry Draft pool

 

Although Niblack went undrafted in the 2019 Entry Draft, he professes that the setback turned him into a better player.

“It highlighted my weaknesses as a player,” he said. “This year I feel as though I have attacked those weaknesses and made them into strengths, and that has turned me into a better player.”

Niblack originally got into NBA 2K as a way to clear his head, using the game as an outlet during a difficult freshman year of college. He initially played with real-life friends, but he quickly realized his potential and began to play more competitively following the announcement of the NBA 2K17 Road to the All-Star Game tournament and the NBA 2K League. He first played in the MPBA and WR Pro-Am League in NBA 2K17.

With Direwolves, Niblack says he’s found teammates who share his mindset and push him to grind harder to make the league. He styles himself as a two-way player who excels at locking down the opposition without compromising his output on the offensive end.

“I’m happy that the league has given us the opportunity to win a spot in the draft pool,” he said. “It has definitely made me be prepared and more locked in: I know what’s at stake.”

Making the draft pool in season two gave Niblack a chance to re-evaluate and grow his game; now, the WGS Invitational gives a chance to make his opportunity a success.

 

Evan Hinrichs (Uniit_) 

PF — Farewell Gaming

Twitter: @UNiit_

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K9

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: Made the top 250 for the 2018 NBA 2K League draft, 7-time tournament champion, 1 ring

 

Evan “UNiit” Hinrichs is a helper on and off the court.

For the past 12 years, he has lived in an Adult Family Home, taking care of adults with special needs. It’s an important job that enables him to see the importance of staying together as a team.

“Farewell has a family atmosphere that few 2K teams can emulate,” he said. “All of us genuinely want each other to be great in the game and in life.”

UNiit contributes to the Farewell family on the court, too, doing whatever the team needs, and averaging 8.5 points per game in the tournament. He makes it count in big moments. In the semifinals-clinching game against WetBoyz, UNiit exploded for a personal tournament-high 20 points, hitting 6 three-pointers to send Fareweel to the finals. Even then, however, he didn’t allow his personal accolades to surpass the team.

“I’ve made a growing name for myself as a ‘team guy,’ someone that’s always willing to get extra hours in and move to other positions when necessary,” he said. “I’m a student to the game of 2K, I constantly study the best at each position so I can become as well rounded as possible.”

 

Tori Riviere (Swaqqaf) 

PF — Direwolves

Twitter: @xSwaqq

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K11

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K16

Awards: Made the top 250 for the 2018 NBA 2K League draft, made the season 2 draft pool

 

Though he plays the four, three is key for Tori “xSwaqq” Riviere, who starts at power forward for Direwolves.

“I believe I am one of the best power forwards on this game right now with my corner defends, rebounding and shooting,” he said. “I feel like having those three aspects and doing it on a consistent level is important for the power forward of the team.”

Those three facets of his game have helped him bring Direwolves to the finals of the WGS Invitational. He has combined with small forward FollowTHEGOD to shoot over 70% from the field and over 60% from beyond the arc.

There’s another important three that’s driving his game. Before season 1 of the NBA 2K League, Swaqq made the second-last cut for the league draft pool. Before season 2, he made the pool but went undrafted. Third time, he hopes, is the charm, and he has put in the work trying to make it happen.

“I know why I haven’t been drafted in the last two years and now I have started to play on the competitive scene a lot more. I’m here to make my name and secure my spot in the 2K league this year hopefully.”

Will the WGS Invitational make the third time the charm?

 

Robert Nastasi (Cantguardrob_)

C — Farewell Gaming

Twitter: @Cantguardrob_

Key Tournament Statistics: 7.9 PG, 7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1 BPG, 57.4 FG%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K17

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: Militia League Champion, SSWI California Showcase Champion and DPOY, WR Pro-Am League Season 16 Defensive Player of the Year

 

Robert “Cantguardrob” Nastasi does it for his grandmother.

“My grandma passed away earlier this year, and it had a heavy impact on my life,” he said. “My grandma was the one who pushed me to keep pursuing the league, even when no one else did.”

After an injury in his sophomore year of high school forced him to quit playing high school sports, Cantguardrob took to NBA 2K as a replacement for the competition, especially once the NBA 2K League was announced. While the majority of his family pushed back against his desire to make the league, his grandmother supported him fully. When she passed away, Rob decied to use it as further motivation, rather than allowing doubt to creep in.

“I seriously considered stepping away from 2k when she passed, but instead I used it as motivation to keep pushing forward and now my dream of being in the NBA 2K League is that much closer.”

His desire has helped him make his gamertag somewhat of a misnomer. Styled as “Catguardrob,” it’s more like “Rob can guard,” or “Can’t slip Rob’s guard.” The WR Season 16 Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 2.8 steals per game in the WGS Invitational, keyed by a 3-steal team in the semifinals to send Farewell to the Finals. With his grandmother in mind, he’ll look to continue manning the middle for Farewell to make a tournament title—and a chance at a league draft pool spot—that much closer.

 

Ludlow Samuels (GloTheReal)

C — Direwolves

Twitter: @GloTheReal

Key Tournament Statistics: 10.1 PPG, 2.5 BPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.75 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48.5 FG%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K10

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: WR Champion x 2 on NBA 2K19, Militia League Champion, 2KProAmIntel Tournament Champion, NAPX Tourney Champion

 

Ludlow “GloTheReal” Samuels’ stock just keeps rising.

The center burst onto the scene with a remarkably successful post-draft run on NBA 2K19, where he won back-to-back WR titles with a very strong Lyfestyle squad. Like his Farewell Gaming counterpart, Glo sees his defense as key and professes admiration for what his team can do as a whole.

“My favorite thing about my team is the defense we play,” he said.

Glo averaged a double-double—15 points, 10 rebounds—in the semifinals against Ascension, exceeding his tournament averages of 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He’s also excelled in paint protection, averaging a tournament-high 2.5 blocks per game (he averaged 4 per game through the tournament’s first two rounds).

Winning the Finals will take more than just defense, however, but Glo is confident. Another tournament win will only increase his stock and chances of being selected for and in the draft pool. Glo thinks his resume, titles aside, is simple.

“I see myself as one of the best Cs in my class,” he said.

 

The PS4 Finals of the WGS Invitational powered by the WR Pro-Am League tip off at 10 p.m. Eastern on Monday, November 4.