The news that 100 Thieves have finalized their Academy roster first surfaced on Twitter. There, the NA LCS newcomers announced that they’re planning to field Do "Levi" Duy Khánh as their starting jungler.
He will be accompanied by Maxwell "Kaizen" Waldo in the top lane, Allen "Linsanity" Lin in the mid lane, Richard "Rikara" Samuel Oh in the AD carry role, and Ryan "Whyin" Karaszkiewicz in the support position.
Even without Levi, this would be a very promising lineup. But when you add the former GIGABYTE Marines’ superstar to the equation… Let’s just say the Academy league is about to get a lot more interesting!
Leading the charge
There’s no denying that Levi is one of the most promising prospects in League of Legends. He’s proven himself by taking over his domestic league of GPL and putting on a clinic at the 2017 MSI and 2017 World Championship.
With a wide champion pool and an aggressive playstyle, Levi constantly keeps his opponents guessing, and his mechanics are good enough to challenge the best junglers from all over the world. If anything, Levi has already affirmed his world-class status—so much so that he’s made our one-man army list.
So isn’t it a waste to field such a talented player in the Academy league?
Well, not exactly.
Despite his accomplishments, Levi still has one massive hurdle to overcome. Learning English. While his coach made several attempts to sell his star player, it was clear that organizations were reluctant to take him up on the offer. A huge part of it revolves around communication issues.
At its core, League of Legends is a team game, and a certain level of synergy is expected from every player, especially the jungler. It’s obvious that Levi is meant to be at the vanguard of this Academy lineup, and it’s a great opportunity for him to adjust to communicating in a foreign language. And maybe next season, he can work his way straight into the NA LCS.
But what about his teammates?
Well, the top laner, Kaizen, is an up-and-coming Challenger player that’s already made his presence known at the 2017 Scouting Grounds. In fact, his performance was impressive enough that 100 Thieves drafted him at the event.
The mid laner—Linsanity— has been consistently dominating the North American Solo Queue and has also shown up at the same event.
The bot lane of Rikara and Whyin is a bit more experienced. Both of them have already played together in the Challenger Series, and their team, Gold Coin United, consistently made it to the promotion tournament.
Granted, none of these players hold a candle to Levi. But this roster has great potential, and we’re expecting its members to make a splash in the NA LCS somewhere down the line.
And we'll soon see the splash they make in the Academy battleground.
What do you think about Levi and 100 Thieves’ Academy team? Share your opinion in the comments below!