From Dark Horse to National Champion: The 3rd Pop-A-Shot National Championship

By Bryce Smith
Championship, Elite, Events
Aug 13, 2026

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By Bryce Smith
Championship, Elite, Events
Aug 13, 2026

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Event & Location: The 3rd Annual Pop-A-Shot National Championship took place on August 8th at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, featuring a record 12-player field.
National Champion: #7 seed dark horse Mitch Phillis won the Best-of-5 final (3–1) over #1 seed James Isham, averaging 163.2 PPG with an event-high 95.3% shooting accuracy just months after donating a kidney to his father.
Tournament Highlights: Competitors recorded unprecedented accuracy, highlighted by near-flawless 99% single-game shooting performances from both finalist Mitch Phillis and runner-up James Isham.

On August 8th, the electric atmosphere inside ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, felt less like an arcade contest and more like a high-stakes arena showdown. Season 3 of the Pop-A-Shot National Championship reached its thrilling climax with the largest, most stacked, and unequivocally most competitive field in our organization's history. Every single player stepping up to the rim brought a battle-tested resume, with some having fought through grueling multi-stop qualifiers, and a core group of hardened veterans returning to settle unfinished business from previous seasons.

 

The journey to Orlando was an epic odyssey in its own right. Over the course of the season, our tournament trail crisscrossed the nation, making stops in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Portland, and Chicago. To top it all off, a ruthless virtual competition provided one final route, where our last qualifier had to out-hoop a crowded field of elite sharpshooters just to claim a spot at the main event.

 

When the dust settled, twelve players stood ready for glory. The field featured returning fan favorites Scott Setzke, Chris "Murph" Murphy, Josh Caputo, Michael Pashkow, and Nick DeMarinis, set against an explosive group of newcomers: James Isham, Carson Dean, Bobby Derian, Cary Jordan, Mitch Phillis, Gary Preston, and Danny Krolick.

Media Day And The Pop-A-Shot Community

The level of dedication across this year’s field runs deep, both at home and on the job. Five of the twelve national finalists own their own Pop-A-Shot Elite games to dial in their rhythm year-round, while one competitor has taken his passion a step further by operating two units inside his own bar to train and build the local community.

Before the first countdown timer echoed through the hall, competitors got to experience the full professional athlete treatment. Pre-championship festivities gave players a chance to showcase their personalities off the hardwood. They posed for custom trading cards, brought theatrical flair to NBA-style tunnel walks, and participated in quick-fire pre-game interviews to log their mindsets before the pressure turned up.
 

"I'm just grateful to be here and be able to play against the best players in Pop-A-Shot." 

- Gary Preston
 

While the competitive drive on the court was fierce, the genuine camaraderie off the court was the true heart of the weekend. The tournament continually reminded everyone just how connected the Pop-A-Shot community really is.
 

Take Bobby Derian and Gary Preston, for instance: two close friends who represented their Denver-based virtual league team, the Skyline Swishers, and successfully qualified together to take on the nation's best.
 

"The community, the team of Pop-A-Shot, and the other competitors are all fantastic. We're all friends now and it's a good time!" 

- Murph
 

Then there was the wild revelation between top seed James Isham and veteran Scott Setzke, who discovered they had attended the exact same high school in their hometown, graduating ten years apart. Perhaps most surprising of all was the discovery that Cary Jordan and Nick DeMarinis live less than a mile apart from each other back home, yet never crossed paths until Pop-A-Shot brought them together on the national stage. Stories like these proved that while everyone came for the competition, they stayed for the community.

Seeding Round & Fan Favorites

The tournament structure left zero room for error as we are required to complete the whole tournament under 60 minutes for our time slot on ESPN8: The Ocho, forcing players to bring peak rhythm from the very first whistle.
 

"Fun first and win second, because the wins won't come unless you're having fun. So let's have some fun and play some Pop-A-Shot." 

- Scott Setzke

To save on time with our expanded field, this year we completed the seeding round the day before the competition. Each player had one go at scoring as high as they could to have their bracket rank.

In addition, fans ranked players on who they believed would win it all this year. This is how fans voted and the players were ranked in advance of the  2026 National Championship.
 

  1. James Isham | 183 PTS | 14% Fan Favorite
  2. Michael Pashkow | 175 PTS | 8% Fan Favorite
  3. Cary Jordan | 170 PTS | 1% Fan Favorite
  4. Josh Caputo | 166 PTS | 10% Fan Favorite
  5. Chris Murphy | 164 PTS | 32% Fan Favorite
  6. Scott Setzke | 161 PTS | 9% Fan Favorite
  7. Mitch Phillis | 158 PTS | 4% Fan Favorite
  8. Carson Dean | 158 PTS | 1% Fan Favorite
  9. Danny Krolick | 153 PTS | 18% Fan Favorite
  10. Gary Preston | 148 PTS | 1% Fan Favorite
  11. Nick DeMarinis | 143 PTS | 2% Fan Favorite
  12. Bobby Derian | 136 PTS | 1% Fan Favorite

The Competition

Opening Round (Best of 3)

The opening round set a dramatic tone immediately as #8 seed Carson Dean found himself locked in a gritty three-game battle against fan-favorite #9 Danny Krolick. After trading double-digit victories in Games 1 and 2, Dean held his nerve in a tense Game 3, edging out Krolick 129–124 to advance. 

 

Elsewhere, the veterans asserted control: #5 Chris "Murph" Murphy swept #12 Bobby Derian in commanding fashion with back-to-back 160+ performances, while #6 Scott Setzke put on a shooting clinic to sweep #11 Nick DeMarinis. Meanwhile, newcomer #7 Mitch Phillis quietly began his historical run by sweeping #10 Gary Preston with remarkable consistency, dropping 166 and 163.

  • Match 1: #8 Carson Dean def. #9 Danny Krolick (2–1)
    • Game 1: Carson Dean (139) def. Danny Krolick (126)
    • Game 2: Danny Krolick (145) def. Carson Dean (132)
    • Game 3: Carson Dean (129) def. Danny Krolick (124)
  • Match 2: #5 Chris Murphy def. #12 Bobby Derian (2–0)
    • Game 1: Chris Murphy (173) def. Bobby Derian (123)
    • Game 2: Chris Murphy (164) def. Bobby Derian (141)
  • Match 3: #7 Mitch Phillis def. #10 Gary Preston (2–0)
    • Game 1: Mitch Phillis (166) def. Gary Preston (138)
    • Game 2: Mitch Phillis (163) def. Gary Preston (150)
  • Match 4: #6 Scott Setzke def. #11 Nick DeMarinis (2–0)
    • Game 1: Scott Setzke (158) def. Nick DeMarinis (124)
    • Game 2: Scott Setzke (154) def. Nick DeMarinis (118)

Quarterfinals (Best of 3)

With the top seeds entering the fray, the intensity surged. #1 seed James Isham made a statement in his opening appearance, putting up a blistering 164 in Game 1 to handle Carson Dean in straight sets.

 

"I think I'm going to try to mentally black out and let muscle memory take over." 

- Cary Jordan

 

The clash between #5 Murph and #4 Josh Caputo turned into an absolute thriller: Caputo stole Game 1 by a razor-thin single point (161–160), but Murph rallied with relentless composure to take Games 2 and 3. The biggest shockwave came when #7 Mitch Phillis dethroned last year's finalist #2 Michael Pashkow in three grueling games, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss to dominate Games 2 and 3. Closing out the round, #6 Scott Setzke put on an elite defensive and scoring display to eliminate #3 Cary Jordan in two straight games.

  • Match 1: #1 James Isham def. #8 Carson Dean (2–0)
    • Game 1: James Isham (164) def. Carson Dean (135)
    • Game 2: James Isham (159) def. Carson Dean (148)
  • Match 2: #5 Chris Murphy def. #4 Josh Caputo (2–1)
    • Game 1: Josh Caputo (161) def. Chris Murphy (160)
    • Game 2: Chris Murphy (153) def. Josh Caputo (139)
    • Game 3: Chris Murphy (157) def. Josh Caputo (128)
  • Match 3: #7 Mitch Phillis def. #2 Michael Pashkow (2–1)
    • Game 1: Michael Pashkow (168) def. Mitch Phillis (144)
    • Game 2: Mitch Phillis (167) def. Michael Pashkow (144)
    • Game 3: Mitch Phillis (161) def. Michael Pashkow (142)
  • Match 4: #6 Scott Setzke def. #3 Cary Jordan (2–0)
    • Game 1: Scott Setzke (155) def. Cary Jordan (149)
    • Game 2: Scott Setzke (147) def. Cary Jordan (125)

Semifinals / Final Four (Best of 3)

The Final Four showcased elite precision under maximum pressure. Top-seeded James Isham brought unstoppable heat against Murph, firing an astonishing 178 in Game 1 and backing it up with 165 in Game 2 to secure his spot in the finals. 

 

On the other side of the bracket, Mitch Phillis and Scott Setzke went to war. Setzke took Game 1 with a magnificent 171 performance, putting Phillis on the brink of elimination. Refusing to back down, Phillis leveled the match in Game 2 before unleashing his highest score of the tournament to that point, a blistering 171 in Game 3, to complete the upset and punch his ticket to the championship.

  • Match 1: #1 James Isham def. #5 Chris Murphy (2–0)
    • Game 1: James Isham (178) def. Chris Murphy (163)
    • Game 2: James Isham (165) def. Chris Murphy (140)
  • Match 2: #7 Mitch Phillis def. #6 Scott Setzke (2–1)
    • Game 1: Scott Setzke (171) def. Mitch Phillis (155)
    • Game 2: Mitch Phillis (157) def. Scott Setzke (146)
    • Game 3: Mitch Phillis (171) def. Scott Setzke (147)

Championship Match (Best of 5)

The Best-of-5 final pitted the bracket's dominant force, #1 James Isham, against the unstoppable momentum of #7 Mitch Phillis. Isham drew first blood in Game 1, putting up a championship-record 180 points to defeat Phillis's impressive 170. But rather than flinching, Phillis found another gear. He answered back in Game 2 with a calm 167–154 win to even the series after Game 2 had to be repeated twice due to a ball jam in the net. 

Game 3 proved to be the pivotal turning point: in an all-time classic shootout, Phillis edged out Isham 178–172 to take a 2–1 lead. Smelling victory in Game 4, Phillis put on a defensive and rhythmic clinic, locking in a 164–137 victory to officially complete his legendary run and claim the title of National Champion.

  • #7 Mitch Phillis def. #1 James Isham (3–1)
    • Game 1: James Isham (180) def. Mitch Phillis (170)
    • Game 2: Mitch Phillis (167) def. James Isham (154)
    • Game 3: Mitch Phillis (178) def. James Isham (172)
    • Game 4: Mitch Phillis (164) def. James Isham (137)

NATIONAL CHAMPION: Mitch Phillis

Complete Player Statistics

PLAYER

RECORD

TOTAL PTS

AVG SHOTS

AVG PPG

HIGH SCORE

FG%

Mitch Phillis

9-3

2,121

74.1

163.2

178

95.3%

James Isham

5-3

1,492

75.3

165.8

183

92.5%

Chris Murphy

4-3

1,274

76.3

159.3

173

91.1%

Scott Setzke

5-2

1,239

74.4

154.9

171

90.9%

Carson Dean

2-3

841

67.5

140.2

158

87.2%

Michael Pashkow

1-2

629

73.3

157.3

175

90.1%

Josh Caputo

1-2

594

75.8

148.5

166

85.5%

Danny Krolick

1-2

548

71.8

137

153

80.5%

Cary Jordan

0-2

444

76.3

148

170

87.8%

Gary Preston

0-2

436

73.3

145.3

150

86.8%

Bobby Derian

0-2

400

72.7

133.3

141

80.3%

Nick DeMarinis

0-2

385

72.7

128.3

143

83%

New Benchmarks and a Script Written for Hollywood

To fully appreciate what transpired in Orlando, one must look at the unprecedented evolution of shooting accuracy across our official arcade events. In last year's finals, Scott Setzke and Michael Pashkow set standard-setting benchmarks by shooting 92% and 89% from the field. This year, those numbers were shattered.

 

Across 13 intense games, Mitch Phillis maintained an astonishing 95.3% field goal percentage (making 918 out of 963 shots), while runner-up James Isham turned in a brilliant 92.5% clip. Even more incredible, both Mitch and James delivered mind-boggling individual games where they shot a near-perfect 99%, missing a single basketball over the entire duration of the round.

 

Yet as legendary as the numbers were, the human story behind our new champion is what turns this event into something truly extraordinary.

In April 2026, Mitch Phillis underwent major surgery to donate a kidney to his father, saving his life. Just two months later, in June, while still deep in the recovery process, he entered his very first competitive Pop-A-Shot qualifier tournament at the ultra-tough Chicago Super Qualifier. Against all odds, he won it. Two months after that, he stepped into the ESPN Wide World of Sports as a #7 seed with just 4% of the fan vote behind him. In only his second live competitive tournament ever, he ran the gauntlet to become the National Champion. It is a story so profound and inspiring it feels worthy of an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary.

 

When asked afterward how he managed to maintain his composure through the high-stakes pressure of the bracket, Mitch described entering a state of absolute focus:

 

"The adrenaline was pumping heavily early on, but eventually everything settled and I got into the zone. The only thing I could hear was my family cheering; it sounded like they were standing right beside me talking directly to me."

 

From a life-saving organ donation to a Super Qualifier miracle, and ultimately to lifting the championship trophy under the bright lights of Orlando, Mitch Phillis delivered a dark-horse run for the ages.

 

We extend our deepest gratitude to all 12 competitors for their dedication and sportsmanship, to our partners at ESPN Wide World of Sports, and to the passionate fans across the country who made Season 3 our greatest year yet. Check out our arcade basketball games to practice at home, and get ready, because Season 4 is just around the corner!
 

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