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July 29th, 2002
Chacarita on the Move
This is a Big Press Conference: Chacarita Buriers has just packed their bags and moved. The question everyone is asking is, " Where would a team with so much upsides go?" or "What city would take this poor franchise?"
The answer is Birmingham this city has been dying for alittle excitement in their lives. Birmingham's City Planner Robert W. Cash says, " A team like with this much potential would be very exciting to watch especially with our plush courtside seating."
Free Agent to be Bob Delaney says, " This move could really help this franchise become a true contender." When asked about his choices on staying or leaving he had this to say, Well I plan to test the free agent market, but in all honest i like the direction GM Ethan Kight is taking this franchise and it would be really hard for me to leave my boys Fox, and Cobb."
Jim Fox states, "This was the best move i could have made to help my career blossom." "Looking forward to see what magic GM Kight can pull out of his hat to do about our PG issue."
Finally tracking down GM Kight I ask him what are his plans he stated, "After having a Community logo name raffle we have decided to be named the Birmingham Blues. Colors are Blues and Gold. Now that is over I am planning on doing what ever it takes to make a winner in this city. We need to resign Delaney, and I will get that done. Next a PG, I will research every avenue to get the best alvailable PG I can find. I want to reach the PLAYOFFS, so what every it takes to get there I will do."
I thiink that the new Birmingham Blues have a long way to go, but with all the excitement I from the team as well as the community it look looks like there will definitely some action. As the best D--M sports reporter says, To be the best, you must interview the best. This is Hal Gray reporting for FOX SPORTS.
July 8th, 2002
A Hellish Season, but still WBA Bound…
The following players are WBA player hopefuls… Roy Houle, Junior Bailey, Andy Davis, and Donta Williams… They all have one thing in common and that is College… They both went to the current Independent Conference Tourney Champions Heavenly Angels Holy Academy and they are no laughing matter. Each player has proven that they can at least be a reserve at the next level… We will conduct a simple analysis of these players.
First, Junior Bailey, didn't receive much time this season, and just may be lost in the pile of better candidates, but he has shown signs of rebounding aggressively but he needs to really buck up… Sorry Mr. Bailey, you will not fall into the footsteps of you cousin Jeff Bailey, you are a dud and you will not make it to the pros.
Secondly, we have Donta Williams, he didn't do anything really spectacular while at Heavenly, but he could be a nice bench player, if he decides to work on his touch and be a little more aggressive. I am looking for him to probably be a steal in the second round.
Third, Andy Davis, his skills were not utilized until his last season, what a pity! This season he did it all for Heavenly, rebounding, passing, stealing, shooting, he is one hell of an all around player, I look for him to go in the first round, but he could be an early second rounder…
Fourth, Roy Houle, one of the most consist colligate players. Even his terrible FG% is consistent. A great rebounder! He has a lot of the skills that a lot of teams in the league need. He doesn't turnover the ball; he will charge first and get a fouled called on him. But he is a fairly decent shot blocker, and he is like I said all around. He propelled this team to the tourney championship this season… And he showed that he could shoot the rock with accuracy… World look out for Roy, with the proper training, he could become something special.
July 6th, 2002
GSPN Play-off Predictions
By Ron Chambers
WEST
Round 1
Colorado vs. Salt Lake
This should be a short series. Colorado has the best team in the leagues history and while SLC has a nice core of players to build from they are still an upstart team. With time they may be contendors but not yet. Prediction: Colorado 3-0
Cancun vs. California
California is another young upstart team but Cancun has become one of the league Elite this season. They are lead by MVP favorite Parker Mason. Brody Liang is California's best all around player and team leader. Even if California is swept in the first round this has been a successful season for the Hellcats who every one expected to be one of the worst teams in the league. This should be another quick series. Prediction: Cancun 3-0
Cincinnati vs. Roswell
Roswell is 4 players deap but with the exception of John Greene and Wesley Phillips they are not good enough to be standouts. When Greene and Phillips are hot Roswell has the ability to upset some teams. Unfortuately for them they have not been able to beat Cincinnati all season. Roswell has a sluggish offense poor defense and poor rebounding. Cincinnati on the other hand has stong defense and offense and can rebound. Prediction: Cincinnati 3-1
Oregon vs. Nebraska
These two teams have gone opposite dirrections in the last ten games. Two weeks ago I thought this was going to be an increadibly close series. Not any more. Jones and Gonzales are one of the top offensive duos in the league. Gonzales is also the leagues best defensive center. Joe Clark has developed into one of the leagues best rebounders which helps to makee up for Ganzales' lack of rebounding intensity. But the real key in their success has been Russ Chase. While he is NO offesnive threat he has done a great job of getting th eball to Jones and Gonzales. Nebraska is a solid offensive team but they they can't stop anybody defensively. Expect Jones and Gonzales to have a feild day in this one sided series. Prediction: Oregon 3-1
Semi-Finals
Colorado vs. Oregon
Oregon is one of the few teams who has beat Colorado this year and they beat Colorado in the play-offs last year. So, this has the makings of a good series. But, don't expect a repeat of last years upset. Colorado is just too strong this year. Colorado's average margin of victory during the season was 19. They also shot 10% better than their opponents. Furthermore, they out rebounded their opponents by 13 and had 14 more assists. The league may never see that type of domination again! Prediction: Colorado 4-2
Cancun vs. Cincinnati
Wow! This will be a great series. The question here is if the domination of Cincinnati's Big Men will out do the play of Parker Mason. I'm going with Mason for two reasons. One is that Mercer and Nicholson are far from pushovers. The other is Home court advantage. Prediction: Cancun 4-3
Conference Finals
Colorado vs. Cancun
This will be another grewat series. These two teams split in the regular season and Parker Mason can break down any defense. But, I think this is Colorado's year. Prediction: Colorado 4-3
EAST
Round 1
London vs. Rochester
Rochest has the best back court in the league. But, inthe play-offs you have to be tough inside to win. Rochester, however, should never be under estimated in the play-offs. This will likely be the end of Rochesters string of play-off victories. Prediction: London 3-2
Washington vs. Boston
This is a hard one to call. Casey and Black are the heart and soul of Washington. Foster has done a great job of getting those two the ball. The problem is that even though these three are the stars Washington has really struggled as they've leaned more heavily apn them. Boston is all about the inside game. Their problem is that they don't have the passing game to support that. Prediction: Washington 3-2
Gabon vs. Albacete
This should be interesting. Abacete was a much improved team after their final trade and was upsetting some big time teams. However, Gabon wasn't one of those teams. Gabon beat them in all four meetings this season...and yes they did play after Albacete's trade. 'Cete have historically been giant killers but with out Blackstones offensive spark I don't think the will be able to beat the Gabon Giants. Prediction: Gabon 3-1
Brooklyn vs. Budapest
Budapest reminds me of the Season 1 Rage. They are all defense and no offense. The one offensive advantage they do have is offensive rebounding. Unfortunately for them, Brooklyn is also a great rebounding team which partially negates that advantage. Brooklyn has had their number all season long and they seem to be well suited to beat Budapest. This series will be a defensive war but Brooklyn also has a few offensive guns. Prediction: Brooklyn 3-1
Conference Semi-Finals
London vs. Brooklyn
London has developed into a dominate WBA team. Brooklyn is fighting hard to hold onto their past glory. Expect these two teams to war for many years to come. Brooklyn's top 3 players are locked into longterm contracts so Brooklyn should not slide anymore. During this season they split their series 2-2. London is a better offensive team. I think they are about equal defensively but London's offense takes pressure off their defense. Brooklyn has two advantages. One is rebounding. The other is their ability to put the other team in foul trouble. The key to this series is home court advantage. Prediction: London 4-3
Washington vs. Gabon
Gabon had a better second half of the season. No doubt that is due to Sam Plummers absence but since he won't be back during the second round of the play-offs. I expect the trend to continue. Prediction: Gabon 4-2
Conference Finals
London vs. Gabon
These two teams are about as even as it gets. This could easily go either way. But, during the season London won the series 3-1 and they also haev home court advantage. Prediction: London 4-3
The Championship Series!!!!
Colorado vs. London
Neither of these teams have a ring. London has been there and lost. They have the reputation of being the perpetual second place team. Colorado is the best franchise in the league and has had three consecutive seasons of 70 or more wins. But, they have also been a horrible play-off team. Colorado won both meetings during the season and is the strongest team in league history. They are due. Prediction: Colorado 4-2
July, 6th, 2002
A Song of a Mock Draft
By David Song
Well, as this season comes to an end, and the draft approaches, all owners want to make the right draft choice to either strengthen their team or rebuild. The season 6 draft is not deep (don't know what the heck Rondall was talking about at all) but the talent at the top of the draft is potentially one of the greatest we've had. Anyways, here is who I think the teams would select with their respective picks:
Utah - PG/SG Dave Troychak. This should be a no brainer for Utah, they can select Troychak and either do one of two things, either play him at the SG position along with Simpson or play Troychak at the PG position and trade Simpson to get a better SG or a C. Troychak brings the scoring dimension along with the ability to play really good defense. He has basically no flaws and should be the obvious #1 choice.
Omaha - PF Mark Miller. This should be the obvious #2 choice for Omaha, and he shouldn't even be thinking about taking Emmett Yee. Miller is a better overall player and like Troychak has no flaws. His tempers may flare a little but his skills on the court are amazing and PFs are a nice commodity to have in the WBA.
Miami - PG Jimmy Whalen. If Miami is smart and hopefully Brent is, he would know how much of a commodity a PG is in the WBA. Every good-great team needs a PG to be able to get the offense in the flow. Plus Quvedo is more of a SF anyway so taking Yee at this spot wouldn't make any sense. Whalen is the best PG on the board and hopefully Miami will make the right choice.
Colorado - SF Emmett Yee. Marc can't resist having his own player on the board just sitting there and although I've always said that Yee will be a bust, he's still a scorer and Marc is in love with him so I think Marc would take him if he was available at 4 with the Capetown pick.
Albacete - PG John Gaiser. Albacete doesn't really lack a true position anywhere so I'm guessing Pedro will take the best player available and Gaiser is the best player left. He can score, he can pass, and he almost has a Kelvin Davidson mold with better scoring but less FG%. I think Bill Andrews is a good PG but I think Gaiser is the wise choice for Albacete to strengthen their team.
Oregon - SF/PF Al Lee. Doesn't this suck for Oregon?? He desperately wants and needs a true PG but there isn't one available to take this high on the draft board. Poor Kevin, as he's left to take who I believe is the best SF in this draft in Al Lee (sarcasm). His averages in college were amazing as he can rebound pass, and defend, however his only downside is his shooting however, with a little development, he's the next Van Brandt or Chanda.
Gabon - C John Diblasi. Gabon still needs a true center to be a true competitor in the WBA for a long time. They usually play Center by committee and although that may not be a bad plan, you really just need a strong Center in the playoffs and especially against the top teams in the East. Diblasi in my opinion is the best center in the draft and Gabon will gladly welcome him as he can score, defend, although his rebounding may not be as strong in the WBA in his rookie season, but I'm sure he'll be able to develop that.
SLC - SG/SF Harold Gil. Well this pick has to be on the best talent available but Brad would take Gil if he was there at 8. Gil is a machine at either the 2 or the 3 spot, he can rebound, score, and defend and although he has a huge temper on the court, his on court performance will cover all of that.
Varese - C Jose Nobis. With his top 10 pick, Adam should now look forward to gaining the frontcourt talent. Jose Nobis will be a great pick at #9 because he's a tough nosed rebounder and defender that Varese needs badly. Also, he has the ability to score although I believe that his FG% in the WBA in his first season won't be that good, however, Varese has the ability the time to let his FG% develop.
Miami - C Charles Cushman. Miami needs a SG or a Center but I believe that the Center position is a bit more important than the SG position. Cushman is the best available Center at this time with his incredible rebounding and blocking ability it should make an immediate impact on Miami.
Baltimore - SG/SF Bert Haug. Baltimore needs a SG badly to compliment Hunt in the backcourt (if he is resigned) and Haug is the best SG available. Haug has amazing shooting ability and his FG% was one of the best in the GCBA. Also, he's a pretty good defender and his rebounding his above par to most of the SGs probably in the WBA. Of course, we don't know much due to the downgrades, but being a lottery pick, Baltimore should feel a bit safe with the new mods that Brandon and Dave has created since the risk of being a bust has gone down.
Baltimore - SF Fernando Edwards. Baltimore needs to select a SF after trading away Delaney and Edwards would be a perfect fit for them in this situation. Baltimore could choose Lance Armstrong but I believe since Edwards is the better defender that it would be wiser for Baltimore to take Edwards and now with Haug and Edwards, Baltimore fills their biggest needs at SG and at SF.
Cincinnati - PG Keith Douglas. The weakest position by far on Cinci's team is their PG spot. They need help badly and Douglas is the next best PG on the board. Cinci, meet your new passing PG as Douglas led the season in assists last season and is a perfect fit for Cinci and I'm sure he'll enjoy playing there with the talent Cinci has with Hewlett and McCarthy.
Carolina - PG Charlie Daidone. Frankly, Carolina needs a lot of help and I believe Dennis should just draft on best talent and Daidone is the best talent left so far in my opinion. He is just really really good in shooting and could be another one of those scoring PGs. Good pick for Carolina if Daidone drops to 14.
Boston - SF Lance Armstrong. Although Boston is in desperate need of a PG, they also need a SF to compliment the duo of Yeager/Short so therefore Armstrong seems like the best choice for Boston in this spot.
VI - PG/SG Michael Kutak. VI is in desperate need of a SG, desperate need and Kutak fills the void. One of the best overall players in the draft, if Kutak falls to 16, I'm sure Robert would be thrilled and would gladly take him here. Kutak can score, defend, pass, not foul and not turn the ball over…what more do you want??
London - PF Gabriel Keniry. London is in desperate need of a good PF, and it's the missing link to their team. Keniry would be the absolute perfect fit as he gives him defense and some rebounding. However, I believe with the mods Keniry won't be that great of a shooter and he may foul a lot. Also, his rebounding isn't superb however he can score and defend which is what London is looking for right now.
Nebraska - PG Brandon Sandler. Why not? Brandon likes his own players, and he showed that last season by drafting Roy Base. Sandler is a solid PG, not great, but very solid and would be a perfect fit for Nebraska since they will probably be unable to resign Dexter Kodak so this would at least give them some insurance.
Budapest - Clarence Collins PF/C. Budapest doesn't really need any specific position but their frontcourt could be beefed up a little so I think Collins would be a nice addition for them. Remember, Budapest likes to play defense and I know that Collins loves to play D (I would know since he was on my GCBA team), and he's a major force on the boards.
Brooklyn - Storm Schmid PG/SG. Brooklyn could go a thousand different directions with this pick but remember, Brooklyn lacks cap space, he can't resign Zarra this offseason which means Shane Strom moves back to his SF position with A.J Schulz back to PF and so he needs a SG bad and although Schmid isn't your typical SG since he can't shoot that well, he just can do about everything else and I don't think Brooklyn would mind waiting a season for his FG% to come around.
Nebraska - C Mike Bennett. Nebraska has many options with this pick after picking Sandler 3 picks ago but however their weakest position by far would be the Center position and having insurance at this position is never bad. With Bennett being the best available Center, I believe Nebraska couldn't pass up the chance to get Bennett who does not commit fouls and does not turn the ball over and I'm sure Nebraska could appreciate that aspect of his game, along with his scoring.
Brooklyn - SF/PF Karl Maloney. Eventually Rondall will realize that this draft pick is for depth and with the loss of Zarra plus trading away Liang, he needs a versatile player that can play either the SF or PF position to back up Strom and Schulz, and Maloney fits that bill. He's a very good all around player and was a major reason why NE Moscow had a lot of success this season in the GCBA. Great addition to Rondall's team.
Carolina - SF Dan Castle. Carolina really is in search of a SG but I believe that there aren't any SGs to take at this position so if Carolina wants to experiment with Benner at SG, they need a SF that can play well alongside Benner and I believe Castle can do that. He's a scorer, which Carolina needs and with the possible absence of Gus Rizzolo, Carolina may need a SF badly and Castle would be the choice.
Chacarita - PF Trent Jordan. Giving away the possible great PF in Mark Miller, now Chacarita has the 24th pick in the draft and I believe that the PF position is the position they need most besides the PG position. Without any good PGs left worth taking in the first round, Chacarita has to settle for Trent Jordan (lol). Jordan is an impact player that will help Chacarita tremendously and could possibly be the biggest steal of the draft so far.
Gabon - PF Sampson Reeves. Gabon I believe will be able to resign Hamleers and Berthelson so they have a strong lineup. Although Bramson is one of the top PFs in the game, I believe Gabon can take this draft pick and use it for trade bait or just beef up their frontcourt because Reeves is the best player available left in the draft and it would be very hard for Gabon to pass him up.
Washington - PF Columbus Dasher. Washington used to have brother Christobal, but they traded him in the biggest blockbuster deal of the WBA but Christobal's brother, Columbus also has some major skills. Plus, PF is probably Washington's weakest position and when you get a chance to strengthen it with a great PF, Washington should salivate the opportunity to do so.
Washington - SF Lonnie Gerson. Well, the best player available method goes with this pick and Gerson is probably the best player available and Washington will bite on the chance to get this SF steal this late in the first round.
New York - PF Anne Vondeling. Hey, it's fitting that Steve with the last pick of this draft takes Anne with this pick. New York needs a PF and Anne is a huge talent and has a great upside and with this pick would strengthen their frontcourt.
Some possible steals in round 2:
PG Bob Kaplan
PG/SG Brett Moyer
PG/SG Kyree Havens (great overall, can't shoot worth a lick, but someone will take a chance on him in my mind)
SF Elvin Sanders
SF Andy Davis
SF/PF Roy Houle
SF/PF Ellis Law
PF Bob Towe (great scorer, rebounding and defense needs a bit of work, probably high 2nd round pick)
PF Dontae Evans (the absolute steal of the 2nd round if he falls that far)
PF Mike Barrett
PF Donte Lord
PF/C Jamie Crouch
C Pat Herget (who?? That's what I'm wondering but he can get to the line often and can rebound and block shots, but can't play for long, but a great bench player possibly)
C Clark Wayne (led Paris to the championship game against Amsterdam)
C Bob Price (the 2nd best steal in my opinion)
June 15th, 2002
News Wire
Chuck Henderson will miss the next three games due to a Kidey stone he passed after today's games.
Raymond Carrol of SLC whas been suspended for one game after he spit on a heckling fan.
June 14th, 2002
Budapest GM Dugyik Tamas made a statement today after the games:
"I think Budapest proved that is one of the better teams in WBA. From 4 games we beat London 2 times, Washington once, and lost to Brooklyn by 2 points. OK, it was all at home, in the Stadium Of Light, but still from .400 last year to .600 this year is not so bad. Weak point of the team is shooting in general. The lack of 3 pointers is killing us. We are bad at FTs too, and this will be hard to balance out in the play-offs. The strong point of the team is called defense. All-in-all we will train in offense in the off-season, so watch out next year.
The teams that we dont want to meet in the play-offs are (in this order): Colorado, Brooklyn, Rochester. There is a big chance we get Brooklyn in the first round. We would really hate that.
I think its important that all the players are staying with the team for next year at least. We are most likely loosing a veteran John Riddle, but we have a replacement for him in the team, Ossie Gordon. In FA we want to sign a PG, we will make everything possible to get rookie Jimmy Whalen, but it will be hard. I personally know Jimmy (Whalen) from college, Budapest (Maine) is in close relationship with Vojvodina U., who have a lot of talent. I can tell you Harold Gil will be also a high pick in the draft this year.
When I bought Maine, I was just a business man looking for some profit. Now I simply LOVE this team and I want everybody in the team to be happy. If this is achieved by winning the ring, then I want to win the ring. Every year we have more and more fans comming to the games. In the first 2 years we got lucky and got to the play-offs. The next 2 years were very, very hard and full of disapointments. But since we moved to Budapest, my home town, things got better. I needed 1-2 years to understand how this game is played and to learn all the tactics in it. Every year I'm learning something new and that brings me even more fun. The next 2 years went on finding the right players. I think we have the players to beat almost everybody on a given day.
My final words will be a disapointment for the fans, but dont expect much from us this year. We are still in the development process. Still need this year and probably next year too to have a balanced team. I ask you to be patient, we will win the ring, and then never let it go !!!
June 11th, 2002
The Nebraska coaching staff is filing an appeal to the league.
Coach Morfeld stated: "In years past when the Nebraska
coaching staff has waged complaints about the voting
process we were told the players had no choice but to
attend the game. I think that the 1 game suspension
is a minor slap on the wrist to the Colorado
organization for such a childish act. I think the
league needs to set a precedent here that this will
NOT be tolerated. Duke is disgracing the All-Star
game and using it to make an example for the league.
Having said this I think the league needs to extend
the suspension to better reflect the magnitude of such
a deceision on the league."
Wayne Taylor: "Duke hasn't proven anything by sitting
out except that he was afraid to step onto the court
and be dominated by players with so much offensive
talent. We all knew he couldn't hack it anyway with
that weak defense that he likes to play. Or pretend
to play! I FINALLY earned a starting spot at the
All-Star game after being disappointed the previous 2
seasons, but at least I went and played my back-up
role. This league is loaded with talent. All Van
Brandt or anyone else has to do is put up good enough
stats and they will make it. I played in Colorado and
you don't have to be twice as good to get recognition
there. COACH HAMELEERS JUST NEEDS TO PLAY AN
INDIVIDUAL ORIENTED GAME IF HE WANTS INDIVIDUAL
HONORS. RIGHT NOW HE IS PLAYING A TEAM ORIENTED GAME
SO THEY SHOULD GET TEAM HONORS. THAT'S JUST THE WAY
HE IS COACHING THEM THAT KEEPS THOSE GUYS FROM THE BIG
STATS. HE HAS TO CHOOSE 2 OR 3 GUYS TO REALLY GIVE
THE HUGE STATS TO AND SACRIFICE THE TEAM GAME IF HE
WANTS THE GUYS TO SHINE. Simple as that!"
June 11th, 2002
All-Star Game
GAME MVP: Parker Mason, Western All-Stars
Western All-Stars 30 29 40 31 - 130 (Wayne Taylor 22)
Eastern All-Stars 31 19 30 28 - 108 (Boom-Boom Casey 17)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western All-Stars FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parker Mason 22 9-12 0- 0 1- 2 2- 4 11 0 0 2 0 19
Joe Jones 22 2- 6 4- 4 0- 1 0- 0 2 2 0 0 1 8
Wayne Taylor 22 8-18 4- 4 2- 4 0- 2 2 1 0 0 1 22
Cristobal Dasher 20 6- 8 1- 2 0- 0 4- 8 1 3 0 0 0 13
Jim McCarthy 19 8-11 1- 2 0- 0 1- 5 0 3 4 3 0 17
Steve Peterson 24 5- 7 0- 0 1- 2 1- 3 12 1 0 1 1 11
John Greene 24 5-11 1- 1 0- 4 1- 4 3 5 0 0 2 11
John Davis 22 0- 4 1- 2 0- 0 3- 8 0 4 0 1 1 1
Lou Gonzales 19 3- 7 0- 0 0- 0 1- 3 4 3 3 0 1 6
Wesley Phillips 22 9-14 0- 0 0- 1 0- 0 5 2 0 1 2 18
Paul Wilson 22 2- 3 0- 0 0- 0 5-11 3 0 0 1 1 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 57-101 12-15 4-14 18-48 43 24 7 9 10 130
56.4% 80.0% 28.6%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern All-Stars FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Henderson 24 2- 5 0- 0 1- 2 0- 0 8 4 1 2 1 5
Dave Williams 21 7-12 0- 0 0- 0 1- 2 2 0 1 0 1 14
Arron Black 19 3- 8 2- 2 1- 1 2- 3 0 2 0 1 0 9
Dave Short 19 2- 6 1- 1 0- 0 0- 3 2 0 0 0 0 5
Boom-Boom Casey 21 4-12 9-10 0- 0 1- 3 0 2 0 1 0 17
Kelvin Davidson 22 2- 4 2- 4 0- 0 0- 0 4 1 0 0 0 6
Harry Jarvis 21 4- 6 2- 2 1- 1 0- 1 2 1 0 2 1 11
Derek Vinyard 21 3- 5 0- 0 0- 0 2- 5 0 1 0 0 0 6
Jerry Bramson 18 3- 7 2- 2 0- 0 0- 1 0 0 1 1 1 8
George Holt 21 3-11 3- 4 0- 0 0- 1 2 2 0 2 2 9
Horace Colbert 13 0- 3 1- 2 0- 0 0- 2 0 1 0 1 0 1
Jaxon McCall 20 7- 8 0- 0 3- 4 0- 4 1 0 2 1 0 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 40- 87 22-27 6- 8 6-25 21 14 5 11 6 108
46.0% 81.5% 75.0%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
Lead Changes: 2 Ties: 7 (14-14)
Go-Ahead Shot: Jim McCarthy (32-31)
Largest Leads: Western All-Stars -- 25 (113-88)
Eastern All-Stars -- 5 (25-20)
==============================================================================
Positions Quarters Pts Scrd 1.20
Western All-Stars PG SG SF PF C 1 2 3 4 OT OFF DEF TOT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parker Mason 18 4 0 0 0 4 4 10 5 0 68 47 1.45
Joe Jones 1 21 1 0 0 12 9 0 2 0 53 48 1.10
Wayne Taylor 0 2 20 0 0 6 5 7 5 0 61 50 1.22
Cristobal Dasher 0 0 1 10 9 5 4 5 6 0 53 50 1.06
Jim McCarthy 0 0 0 0 19 5 4 6 5 0 51 43 1.19
Steve Peterson 20 4 0 0 0 4 6 7 7 0 73 56 1.30
John Greene 0 4 20 0 0 6 7 5 6 0 65 53 1.23
John Davis 0 0 2 20 0 5 4 6 7 0 60 51 1.18
Lou Gonzales 0 0 0 0 19 5 6 3 5 0 51 44 1.16
Wesley Phillips 9 13 0 0 0 4 6 7 5 0 56 53 1.06
Paul Wilson 0 0 3 19 0 5 6 4 7 0 59 45 1.31
Positions Quarters Pts Scrd 0.83
Eastern All-Stars PG SG SF PF C 1 2 3 4 OT OFF DEF TOT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Henderson 24 0 0 0 0 6 5 7 6 0 45 60 0.75
Dave Williams 1 20 0 0 0 6 5 7 4 0 45 58 0.78
Arron Black 0 1 16 2 0 5 4 6 5 0 47 47 1.00
Dave Short 0 0 0 19 0 5 4 6 5 0 51 45 1.13
Boom-Boom Casey 0 0 0 0 21 4 4 6 7 0 41 57 0.72
Kelvin Davidson 22 0 0 0 0 6 7 5 4 0 56 66 0.85
Harry Jarvis 1 20 0 0 0 6 7 5 3 0 50 59 0.85
Derek Vinyard 0 4 15 2 0 5 3 7 7 0 43 66 0.65
Jerry Bramson 0 0 0 18 0 5 5 3 4 0 45 48 0.94
George Holt 0 0 0 6 14 4 4 6 7 0 38 64 0.59
Horace Colbert 0 0 0 0 13 4 7 1 1 0 32 29 1.10
Jaxon McCall 0 3 17 0 0 5 6 2 8 0 47 51 0.92
=============================================================================
June 11th, 2002
Rookie All-Star Game
GAME MVP: Austyn Williams
Rookie All-star 29 25 34 25 - 113 (Austyn Williams 18)
Rookie All-star 24 23 23 25 - 95 (Jerry Kumanchik 22)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rookie All-stars West FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devonta Corrigan 25 3- 6 1- 2 0- 0 0- 7 3 3 1 1 0 7
Roy Base 19 5-10 0- 2 0- 1 0- 3 3 2 1 1 1 10
Austyn Williams 30 6-12 2- 2 4- 4 0- 0 11 1 0 4 1 18
Emillio Browne 25 2- 8 1- 2 1- 3 0- 4 2 0 0 1 1 6
Tyrell Hall 25 6-11 2- 2 0- 1 0- 2 1 0 0 2 1 14
Jack Spiegel 14 0- 1 2- 2 0- 0 1- 6 1 3 0 1 1 2
Leonel Coles 24 5- 8 0- 0 1- 1 2- 3 2 1 1 2 1 11
Pat Stephenson 18 6- 7 2- 2 3- 3 0- 3 3 0 1 0 0 17
Mike Farrell 25 2- 9 0- 0 0- 0 3- 6 1 3 0 0 0 4
Nike Johnson 15 6- 8 2- 2 0- 0 1- 2 0 6 0 0 0 14
Samson Gillespie 20 4- 7 2- 2 0- 0 0- 1 0 1 1 1 0 10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 45- 87 14-18 9-13 7-37 27 20 5 13 6 113
51.7% 77.8% 69.2%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rookie All-stars East FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jevon Carter 21 3-11 0- 0 1- 5 0- 6 1 1 0 2 0 7
Rondall Reynoso 21 1- 8 2- 2 0- 0 3- 5 2 2 1 1 0 4
Jerry Kumanchik 20 11-15 0- 2 0- 0 0- 3 0 2 2 1 0 22
Haznor Kolvanis 23 3- 7 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 3 1 0 2 1 8
Gary Agey 20 3- 8 0- 0 0- 1 4- 4 3 4 3 2 1 6
Cameron Sampson 20 2- 7 2- 2 0- 2 3- 6 4 1 0 2 2 6
Bill Magenheimer 23 2-10 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 1 2 0 1 1 4
Paul Dilmore 20 2- 9 4- 6 1- 3 5- 6 2 3 2 0 0 9
Jo Jo Tchaikovsky 23 2- 3 0- 0 1- 2 0- 1 3 0 0 1 0 5
Sage Walker 19 4- 8 5- 6 0- 0 3- 7 1 2 0 0 0 13
Hick Carpenter 17 4- 6 0- 0 0- 2 0- 2 4 3 0 0 1 8
Tyron Moreno 13 1- 3 1- 2 0- 0 0- 2 1 1 0 0 1 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 38- 95 16-22 3-15 18-43 25 22 8 12 7 95
40.0% 72.7% 20.0%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
Lead Changes: 2 Ties: 4 (14-14)
Go-Ahead Shot: Nike Johnson (16-14)
Largest Leads: Rookie All-stars West -- 23 (76-53)
Rookie All-stars East -- 6 (10-4)
Injuries: Rookie All-stars West Rookie All-stars East
Bill Rainwater 1
==============================================================================
Positions Quarters Pts Scrd 1.19
Rookie All-stars WePG SG SF PF C 1 2 3 4 OT OFF DEF TOT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Devonta Corrigan 0 7 0 18 0 6 6 8 5 0 70 51 1.37
Roy Base 1 0 0 8 10 3 4 0 12 0 42 39 1.08
Austyn Williams 30 0 0 0 0 12 12 6 0 0 78 60 1.30
Emillio Browne 4 10 11 0 0 4 7 9 5 0 61 53 1.15
Tyrell Hall 2 11 12 0 0 4 7 10 4 0 65 62 1.05
Jack Spiegel 3 0 0 0 11 3 5 2 3 0 27 23 1.17
Leonel Coles 0 0 5 19 0 6 6 6 6 0 45 42 1.07
Pat Stephenson 8 0 0 3 8 3 2 2 11 0 50 44 1.14
Mike Farrell 0 5 19 0 0 4 6 9 5 0 51 36 1.42
Nike Johnson 0 15 0 0 0 12 3 0 0 0 33 26 1.27
Samson Gillespie 0 0 0 0 20 2 1 8 9 0 43 39 1.10
Positions Quarters Pts Scrd 0.84
Rookie All-stars EaPG SG SF PF C 1 2 3 4 OT OFF DEF TOT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jevon Carter 0 3 18 0 0 5 4 6 6 0 48 54 0.89
Rondall Reynoso 0 1 13 6 0 5 5 5 7 0 35 40 0.88
Jerry Kumanchik 0 6 14 0 0 4 4 5 7 0 44 48 0.92
Haznor Kolvanis 7 15 0 0 0 7 6 6 3 0 40 52 0.77
Gary Agey 0 0 0 8 12 5 5 4 6 0 35 37 0.95
Cameron Sampson 0 0 0 3 17 4 5 5 6 0 42 56 0.75
Bill Magenheimer 17 6 0 0 0 8 6 6 3 0 39 44 0.89
Paul Dilmore 0 0 1 19 0 5 4 6 6 0 32 45 0.71
Jo Jo Tchaikovsky 19 3 0 0 0 7 6 6 4 0 46 60 0.77
Sage Walker 0 0 0 0 19 4 5 4 5 0 44 48 0.92
Hick Carpenter 5 13 0 0 0 3 6 6 4 0 42 46 0.91
Tyron Moreno 0 0 1 12 0 4 5 1 2 0 28 35 0.80
=============================================================================
June 11th, 2002
The All-Star 3-point contest
ROUND 1
Bill Chaussee 00000 00002 01000 10102 00000= 7
A.J. Schulz 01012 11112 01102 01010 01112= 21
Andruw Williams 00112 01102 01010 10112 10102= 19
Jaxon McCall 01102 11102 10100 00102 11112= 20
Bill Blackstone 11112 11110 01110 11102 01110= 21
Tony Clark 00112 10112 11012 01102 10012= 22
Parker Mason 00012 11110 11112 00110 00112= 19
Leon Berthelson 01012 00100 11012 00112 00112= 18
Jevon Carter 11112 11012 11010 01112 00002= 21
Buck Jones 01110 10012 00010 11102 00100= 14
Kevon Duke Did not show
Joe Jones 00112 10112 00110 01002 11012= 19
Ken Newell 00100 11100 11000 10100 11002= 12
Greg Lynn 11112 01112 01110 01102 11110= 22
Don Beard 11010 01002 01002 11012 10110= 16
Mike Sewell 01110 00010 01112 11110 11100= 16
Abdullah Chanda 01112 01012 10112 00002 11110= 20
Rick Schulz 00110 11102 10012 01012 11110= 19
Jamie Moore 11012 11110 01010 11012 01100= 17
Gannon Moore 00112 10000 10000 01000 10002= 10
Frank Rose 01002 10112 00002 10002 10112= 18
Scooter Jacobs 01012 00112 00010 10110 00010= 13
Jeff Bailey 10012 01110 11000 01102 10100= 15
Charlie Jones 10010 10012 00100 10000 10110= 11
Arron Black 11102 11112 11010 11000 11112= 22
Luke Benner 01002 11012 11102 10010 10100= 16
Duke Robinson 11102 10100 00100 00010 10100= 11
ROUND 1 SHOOT-OFF
Don Beard 11000 01010 11100 00012 11100= 13
Mike Sewell 01100 00012 10010 11012 11002= 16
Luke Benner 01010 01112 11110 10000 10102= 16
Mike Sewell 01000 10000 01110 01010 00100= 8
Luke Benner 10010 10112 11010 11000 11002= 16
ROUND 2
A.J. Schulz 01010 10010 00002 10002 11102= 14
Andruw Williams 00000 01112 01100 00100 11100= 11
Jaxon McCall 01010 00010 11112 10102 10102= 17
Bill Blackstone 11002 01002 11002 11002 01112= 20
Tony Clark 00010 00110 10102 10010 00012= 12
Parker Mason 11012 11110 11010 11102 01112= 22
Leon Berthelson 11110 10110 11112 11112 11012= 24
Jevon Carter 01112 11110 11112 11012 01112= 25
Joe Jones 10112 00002 11000 01102 10112= 18
Greg Lynn 11112 00110 11110 11112 10112= 23
Abdullah Chanda 01102 10100 11102 11010 11100= 17
Rick Schulz 01012 11112 11112 11102 10102= 25
Jaime Moore 11112 11012 11010 11112 10110= 23
Frank Rose 00002 00112 11112 10002 00110= 17
Arron Black 01010 01112 11112 10110 11002= 20
Luke Benner 10010 00110 00102 11110 10110= 14
ROUND 3
Bill Blackstone 11010 01112 01102 11110 11100= 19
Parker Mason 10100 01112 11012 11102 11100= 20
Leon Berthelson 11110 10012 11000 10112 01000= 16
Jevon Carter 11110 01110 01110 00112 11100= 17
Greg Lynn 11110 11102 11010 11102 10102= 21
Rick Schulz 11110 01110 11100 01112 10110= 18
Jaime Moore 10112 01112 11012 10102 00112= 23
Arron Black 11110 10100 11100 11100 11102= 17
ROUND 4
Bill Blackstone 11010 01100 10002 01112 01112= 18
Parker Mason 11102 11102 01110 11110 01002= 20
Greg Lynn 11110 11102 01112 01112 01110= 22
Jaime Moore 01012 01102 10112 01102 11102= 22
ROUND 5
Greg Lynn 01112 00112 11112 11100 11010= 21
Jaime Moore 01112 11112 11112 11012 11102= 27
June 11th, 2002
DUKE STAYS HOME----- Suspension will follow ???
Kevon Duke, Colorado's top scorer, didn't arrive with his teammates in New York. Duke, refused at the last moment to fly to New York and join the WBA's best players for the yearly All Star game and Celebration.
" There's nothing to celebrate, Duke said. The All Star voting is fixed as Hell. Marc Hameleers got shafted for years now with GM elections, and now van Brandt is passed over for All Star considerations. If you play in Colorado,you have to be twice as good as anyone else to get votes. It's perhaps childish to stayhome, but it's even more childish to vote for Jones over me, and to not WANT to see that Van Brandt is an All Star. People who voted that way are either stupid, or just jealous of Colorado and voted to make sure some of us stayed out or weren't rrecognised as they should. No way I'm particpating insuch a travesty!!! "
GM Hameleers, present at the All Star game, was not suprised. " Colorado will accept the punishment the league will hand out. We will not punish Kevon ourselves. He may be in the wrong by not playing here, but we can see a whole lot of logic in the explanation he gave. Heck, if we get suspended as well for agreeing with him, so be it. I'm here to support those of my players and friends that are here, but i must admit to feeling bad about the All Star selection proces, and , to be honest, as well for the fact that you can create best franchise in WBA history, and not even are considered a candidate for GM of the year. I do agree that Colorado gets passed by when it comes to award and All Star time, just because we are the best team. Duke is right in his assesment there."
Colorado's team leader on the floor, Steve Peterson, added: " I'm here for the fans. I agree with Duke that he is the best SG in the west, and even in the league. I agree that van Brandt should have been here. But i disagree with the decision not to play here becasue of it. It's the coaches that have made those "mistakes" if they should be called that, but not the fans. Not to play here only hurts the fans. It's for them that i am here...not for the guys in suits"
Dasher, starting PF for the West, added: " Duke loves the fans, people, but he just felt the need to make a statement. Don't dish the guy too hard..he's not here cause he feels something has to be done. And he's right. SOmething had to be done. It's just that i do not agree with his "something"....but i have the utmost repect for Kevon as player, and as a man. It's courageous to stand up for your beleifs like that.
Other Colorado Players had no comment.
June 1st, 2002
MVP Watch
By John Doe
With the all-star weekend just around the corner, here is a look at some of the candidates for WBA MVP: When talking about MVP'S, Lou Gonzalez's name always comes up. Arguably the best player in the league, Lou has been carrying Tokyo/Oregon on his shoulders for the past 3 seasons, and has gotten a little help this season from SG Joe Jones, but this team is still 2 players deep. Sweet Lou has no flaws, is the best defensive center in the game (4.9 BPG and 2.8 SPG), shoots well (60 FG%), but could improve his rebounding just a little bit. Gonzalez is a free-agent this offseason. With only one trade, Cancun went from a second tier team to one of the top 3 teams in the west. And the reason why is they acquired Parker Mason. Mason has done it all this season: score (21.1 PPG), pass (9.9 APG), rebound (6.4 RpG), block (1.3 BPG), steal (2.6 SPG) and has elevated himself as one of the top stars in this league. Parker is leading the league in turnovers, but his other stats more than compensate for this flaw. Dave Short has stepped up his game big time this season, keeping his Boston team among the best in the tough Eastern conference. the leading vote getter for this all-star weekend, Short has been showing why he might just be the #1 power forward in the WBA, grabbing 11.8 rebounds per game and scoring 21.4 PpG. Those numbers come even if he is the main focus of opposing defenses, as Bill Yeager is having an ordinary season. The new London management made a number of trades to get where they are now, but the biggest move they made was when they managed to convince Horace Colbert to sign with them. Colbert is having a superb season (23.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.1 BpG) leading his Disco squad to the second best record in the WBA. Another Disco player who should get some consideration is PG Kelvin Davidson. Davidson's name does not come up often in talks about the best PG in the WBA, but he just might be the best. He shoots a high percentage (57.5 FG%), passes the ball well (9.9 APG) and scores (21 PPG). Jim McCarthy. Why dont we hear his name more often? This guy is huge, 25.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 4 BPG while shooting 52% from the floor. Just impressive. When talking about MVP, we have to mention Boom-Boom's name. Again leading the defending champs, he is having another great season, as always. Derek Vinyard has been playing great basketball for the Gabon Giants. Many observers saw the Giants slipping a little, but Vinyard made sure this didn't happen, improving his scoring (20.3) while still being the top rebounding SF in the game (9.4 RPG). Vinyard also plays good defense and is an above average passer. How many experts also predicted that Brooklyn would fall in the standings? Many, me included. But the strong play of AJ Schulz has kept the Rage among the elite. Again, Schulz is having a good all-around season, rebounding the ball well, doing every thing well on the court. Things have been more difficult with young Justin Kruger taking over PG spot, and Schulz was asked to move over to SF, after spending a year at PF, but still is having a strong season. John Greene of Roswell, one of the top defensive players in the league is having another solid season, and should be getting some votes. The top WBA SG Dave Williams could be considered, but only if he takes his team to the playoffs. We have heard Colorado management talk about how his players dont get enough respect because they play on such a good team. He might just be right. Who will win the MVP in Colorado? Kevon Duke? Cristobal Dasher? Heiko Van Brandt? Or Steve Peterson? Truth is, the reason why none of these players will win the MVP award (the WBA award) is because if you take away any one of these guys, the team will perform at the same level (or close to it). Yes they get penalized because they play on such a great team, unfortunate, but true. Last year's winner, Wayne Taylor, is having another great season, but wont win due to his team's lack of success. (Can someone tell Rick Schulz the season has started?)
May 30th, 2002
California a playoff hope?
by Gaylord "Happy" Hairston
The Hellcats have motored along this year without causing much of a stir.
They have racked a nice win tally and in the weakened West of the WBA, they have a genuine shot of securing eighth, of course that will mean that they will face Colorado in the first round. But that's a good thing for the
Hellcats. Who better to face than the DARN Pioneers. The worlds biggest
chokers when it's all on the line.
As for the performances of the Hellcats. Well, Charlie Elkington has
excelled in the starting position for the 'Cats. After breaking out from
behind George Sewell's shadow. He has shown the scoring ability that he was signed for. Jesse Harrington has performed well, and since gaining his starting spot back from rookie Sampson Gillespie has blossomed, leading the Hellcats on their longest winning streak of the season at 4 games. Brody Liang has thrived since his trade from Brooklyn and is one of two leading candidates for the Most Improved Player award with VI's George Holt. JJ Jordan, has exploded as a sophomore since his trade to the 'Cats giving them a reliable power forward to anchor the frontcourt.
In other 'Cats news it is rumoured that Ernie Coustier is unhappy with his
role and is trying to negotiate a full buyout of his contract. Also, Ernie
Coustier and Freddy Washington were involved in a training session brawl and have been docked 10% of their pay for the rest of the season. Both players were also suspended for two games.
This is Happy Hairston signing off.
May 22nd, 2002
Song's Mid-season Review-- Part 2
By David Song
Cincinnati - Currently in 1st place in this division, Cinci has shown signs
of being a top contender in the West and in the league to make a run for the
title. Led by Jim McCarthy, they have the #2 seed in the West. Their starting
5 is as good as anyone in the league however, their PG position is very weak
and somehow, Matt must find a way to overcome that aspect come playoff time.
They have beaten Colorado 3 times this season and that has been a huge boost
for them. Webster Hewlett in his 2nd season is turning himself into a budding
star alongside McCarthy and with strong play from Jerry Sims, their 3 stars
could possibly lead the Cyclones to the WBA championship. Their hopes must be
to remain at the #2 seed and hopefully they'll face a team without a great PG
or they may exit out early.
Cancun - Mason for MVP? Well that is a consideration but Cancun has been very
good this season, relying on their solid rotation. Although they have
superstars like Kent Mercer and Parker Mason, Pat allows his role players to
have a big part in this team. Nicholson is a developing player with some
immaturities therefore, Pat must find a way for him to be consistent. Parker
Mason has been brilliant this season, turning himself to the go-to guy for
Cancun at the PG spot. Their main weak spot is at the SG position where they
do not have a set player and like to rotate between Shawn Mckick and John
Stewart. Overall, however, their team is deep and should make a strong push
in the playoffs. Their goal right now is to take the #2 seed from Cinci to
get home court advantage in the first 2 rounds (if they happen to advance)
Salt Lake - Salt Lake is one of those teams you can't figure out. They play
really well at home but they stink it up on the road. So come playoff time
when they do not have one of the top 4 seeds, it is going to be difficult for
them to win in that situation. However, they do possess a very strong
starting 5, led by PG Jose Hayes who has been a bright addition to this
squad. Scorers Diaz and Durden form a nice 1-2 combo and Paul Wilson is a
dominator on the boards. They must hope that their starting 5 can lead them
to an upset as they are one of the teams in the West contending for a playoff
spot without a very deep bench. Hopefully, they will be able to avoid teams
with strong Centers, like Roswell, because they seem to struggle against
those types of teams.
Miami- In his first season, Brent Bangerter has done a great job of coaching
his team to wins. He does not have a great starting 5 and does have a great
bench but he has been able to coach the talent he has to some key wins
including one against Colorado earlier this season. However, if they wish to
make the playoffs, they must make a strong push when they get Scooter Jacobs
back from IR. For the future, this team might struggle since they do have
some old players, but their one bright spot may be their PF, Raul Quvedo who
is turning himself into a nice player. Picks and smart trades can hopefully
lead this team to contending next season for a playoff spot and although they
are in the hunt this sesaon, it is unlikely that they will make it.
Texas - After starting the season 3-0, this Texas team has struggled all
season long. However, with their recent move to acquire Magic Toby, it looks
like this team is competitive again. Led by PG Buck Jones, they do have some
talent and a lot of good role players such as PF Johnny Brose. They must try
to somehow make a run, and although it is unlikely, stranger things have
happened in this league. For the future, their bright spots are the fact that
they do have some young talent, with a good PG and C, but they need to be
able to draft well to have a shot next season of improvement. Also, smart
trades would help as well. And lastly, Gustavo must find a way to be able to
resign Magic Toby as he could turn out to be a great SF, if he can get some
rebounding help from his teammates.
Capetown - Although this team has more talent than it did last season, it did
not mean more success. This team has struggled all season due to miscoaching
and lack of a true PG. For this team to be able to improve, they must do what
they did last season, make smart FA moves. Although they made smart moves
this offseason, it did not translate into more victories because teams must
realize that it takes right bunch of talent to equal wins. Hopefully, they
can improve and become a contending playoff team next season.
Omaha - Well, you may look at their record like Utah's and go hahahaha!, they
are a bad team, but incredibly enough, Omaha actually has pretty good talent.
With last year's London phenomenon Frank Rose, this team has actually been
able to win some games this season that they probably couldn't without his
services. He has been a huge bright spot for them. However, if they want to
improve next season, they must make aggressive moves in FA. This offseason,
many top notch FAs will be out but for teams such as Omaha, they should try
to look at the 2nd and 3rd tier players because the first tier players will
be most likely taken by the top-mid level teams in the league. Also again, as
many franchises should do, they should draft well and their pick of
Stephenson this season was a great move for them and they will have to make
more picks such as these if they want to get better fast.
May 22nd, 2002
Song's Mid-season Review-- Part 1
By David Song
As we near the midseason, there have been surprises and disappointments
throughout the WBA. Some teams such as Colorado and Washington are doing well
as expected but others such as New York and Montana have dropped considerably
since the preseason rankings. Here is the midseason report of all the teams
in the WBA, and what each needs to do to either get the top seed or make the
playoffs: This is part 1 of my long report, which will go by division
starting in the West
Colorado - Well duh! lol, they are by far the best team in the league. they
have awesome talent not only in their starting 5 but on the bench as well.
The only team that has done really well this season against COL has been CIN.
CIN along with about several teams have the "ability" to beat Colorado,
because although Colorado is good, they do play their bench often, so when
the bench does play, teams can try to come back on Colorado. The only task
for Colorado is to secure the #1 seed and worry about actually living up to
expectations by making it to the WBA Finals.
Nebraska- Well, this team has been sort of a disappointment this season.
However, they have so much young talent that it's hard to fathom that they
won't be effective in the postseason. This team also has a lot of depth which
will help them in the playoffs where teams starting 5 are all good and having
a good bench can enhance your possibilities of winning. This team I believe
must try to make a rally and get the #4 seed in the conference to be able to
make a strong run for the finals.
Oregon - Two names, Gonzales and Jones. These two players do almost
everything for this team, shoot, rebound, block, defense, offense,
interviews, going with good looking girls, you name it, they do it. Big key
for this team is to have some contribution from their other players because
if these two players don't keep it up for an entire series, this team is dead
in the water. Also, it is important for this team to not allow Nebraska to
take the #4 seed since homecourt advantage seems very important this season.
Roswell - This team is a mystery. They have a lot of talented players but
they really lack depth. However, they keep winning. Phillips and Greene have
been huge bright spots and Jamie Moore has been solid for them. Although this
team will make the playoffs, but it may be difficult for them to advance
unless they get better depth since many top teams in the West have depth
(besides Oregon). This team should look to finish with the #4 seed as well
and try to surpass Nebraska or Oregon, or finish #5 and hope to meet up with
Oregon, cause that would help them tremendously because their depths would be
the same.
Montana - This has truly been a disappointing season for Montana following
last years superb playoff run. Wow, this team last postseason gave teams in
the lower seeds confidence that they could win it all. Unfortunately they
fell a little short and although they have a lot of talent, it just seems
that talent can't win it all in this league. Mike needs to find a way to
correlate all this talent into a great team and make the team successful. If
this team gets on a roll, it can beat everyone, including Colorado again.
However, I think this team would fare well at the #7 or #6 seed against
Cinci, don't know why, I just believe they match up well with them
California - Oh my goodness, this team is actually not horrible! LOL Well
California has made a lot of trades this season and some of them have paid
off while others haven't. But, their record has been impressive considering
where they were last season. JJ Jordan along with team leader Brody Liang has
been consistent this season and helped this team to be able to win some games
and bring life to California. This team has a shot to make the playoffs and
if they are looking to it, they better get on a roll and try to just sneak in
although I don't think they would win 1 round. But if they do make the
playoffs, Greg would get my vote for Coach of the Year!
Utah - You look at their record and say, "What a pathetic team!", but on the
contrary, this team has a lot of talent. Simpson, Rogers, Corrigan, Coles,
and Bell are not a bad starting 5, however they just do not have a superstar
or a go-to player they can rely on. Their defense needs to also be improved
but I believe Tim has done a great job in last year's draft and acquiring
some talent to this franchise. Give it about 2 more seasons and I think they
can seriously be contenders. But remember, they must not make rash decisions
to get better too quickly like some have done, because they may be in a cap
bind if they do. With a top pick, they can do some real damage next season as
well. Biggest need: SG or C - Troychak would be the obvious choice if they
can get the #1 pick.
May 13th, 2002
Big Pain in Miami & Rochester
Scooter Jacobs has been putting in a lot of minutes and his body is feeling the beating. He will miss just over a week due to badly swollen knees. Chuck Henderson will also miss tomorrows game to rest the ankle that is showing some wear and tear.
Other News
Rod Lawrense has been suspended for three games due to a punch that he threw in todays game.
Frank McKay will miss tomorrows game will in court to face possession of marijuana.
Bob Carter will miss the rest of the season. He has been thrown in jail for sexual assault.
Brad Anderson threw a chair into the stands in Carolina and has been suspended for 5 games.
Bill Owens lost his brother to cancerand attendedthe funeral over the weekend.
Pierce Shea was convicted of Rape and will miss at least the rest of the season.
April 20th, 2002
Adding Insult to Injury
By Ron Chambers
Fan Favorite Wes Ford was sitting on the Brooklyn bench against Washington today not like he usually does but in street clothes. A few days ago he passed a Kidney Stone and will miss several more games (not that he usually plays). Then the unthinkable happened. A fan who held a grudge against Ford took his revenge. Apparantly this fan, who's name we can't release, had gotten a Wes Ford Doll a few years ago. When this fan caught up to Ford at a public apearance, Ford refussed to sign the Doll. Why? The fan was wearing a red polka dot shirt with pink striped pant! Wes said "I just can condone that kind of behavior!"
So, the fan took revenge. He got a scalped ticket to the game and he snuck in with a can of beer. In the fourth quarter the fan walked down near the bench and threw the can at Ford's head. The can knocked Ford out and then hit Reynaldo DeAngelo on the face. DeAngelo turned around and saw the fan laughing. He rushed the fan and puched him a couple of times before security was ale to seperate them.
Wes Ford will now miss more time than he would have with just the Kidney Stone. Reynaldo DeAngelo will be suspended for the next two games. And the Fan? Lets just say he will not be eating home cooked meals for a while.
April 20th, 2002
A Star Sits
Dave Willimas may not play the most minutes in the league but he does play a lot of minutes. And he plays hard and often in the air. Team Doctors say that his knees are taking a beating in this young season. As a result he will miss most of next week.
April 18th, 2002
What is this? A Parallel Universe.
By Gaylord "Happy" Hairston
Before the start of the current WBA Season, the California Hellcats, were
picked by everyone, me included, to flounder and struggle to win 6-8 games. I think some made the bold prediction that they would win 15 games. They were laughed out of sports journalism.
But, they have surprised us all. With two key trades for JJ Jordan and Brody Liang. And a buster of a trade for Ernie Coustier. They waived four rookie flops. And replaced with four reliable veterans in Bill Chaussee, Al
McCauley, Bubba Hennessy and Billy Christenson. Now, some could argue that keeping Bob Kennedy and Freddy Washington on the team is a mistake, but even they have their place now. At the end of the bench.
While, the Hellcats may not have many upsets or make the playoffs, they will scare a few teams this year. But, if Brody Liang goes down for any length of time -- they can kiss any hope of winning games down the gurgler.
That's my three cents.
This is Happy "trying to get transferred to Colorado to cover a real sports
team" Hairston signing off.
March 27th, 2002
Virgin Islands
Coach Williams comes in to practice and sees his point guard Sensation
Ethan Hunt drilling Damon Trout... It seems as if Trout wants a history
with Virgin Islands... He is being paid big money to ride the bench
behind a younger Hunt who eagerness gained him the starting position at
the Point. Alot of the other players on the team are happy about the
transtion. George Holt was noted as saying that Etan has a better touch
with the ball, Trout isn't focus this year and I think he should be
benched. I am the veteran on this team and Trout isn't doing his
job. Wish we had Bucky Back... Shoot, we would be close to
undefeated. Jim Fox was seen yesterday and he said that he is glad that
we have a trustworthy point guard in Ethan Hunt. Etan showed on last
Friday that he can score also. Current Ethan is one of the thieves in the
WBA averaging 2.09 steals a game. Etan has made himself a new home in VI,
and he is willing to help out Trout.
There are more troubles in VI... Sam Plummer is reported as being unhappy
with his shot opportunities... He thinks Hunt has a problem against him
or something. Plummer is in trouble of losing his starting position to
Shawn Newman... Newman is missing only one thing and that is
rebounding... IF Newman could rebound he would have that position with no
problem, and then Plummer would be bench... Coach Williams says that
Plummer is young and we expect to keep him... He earned the starting
position but just hasn't done a great job of holding it down... So in
this last week of preseason... EXPECT some major changes to the Starting
five in VI... It could be something of this sort...
PG- Ethan Hunt
SG- Jesus Dienes
SF- Shawn Newman
PF- Jim Fox
C- George Holt
Backups
PG- Damon Trout
SG- Tucker Sullivan
SF- Sam Plummer
PF- Keaton D' Agnostion
C- Gary Agey
March 17th, 2002
We've got Cats and it's Hell for the fans
by Gaylord "Happy" Hairston
As local sports journo, I get to cover some great teams. I've seen this fine
city bring home championships. I've been here through the disappointments.
But, this year, I've got to cover the California Hellcats.
Who did I piss off?
I mean really who did piss off?
The Hellcats, are most inept team in professional sports. I wished they'd
just stayed in Winifred. No really. I do. To open the pre-season they're
still the last team without a win. Going 0 and 5, and there is no sign of
improvement.
EESH!
However, since I'm being to do this, let's introduce you to the team.
CENTERS
Jesse Harrington, Larry Saunders, Samson Gillespie and Freddy Washington and
Kevin Ray who can both play the four. As pathetic as it is, this looks to be
the strength of the Hellcats. Now, that is saying something considering that
they're probable starting centre, Jesse Harrington, is a career 7.6 and 5.0
man. Saunders can play, when he can breathe. This man's stamina is abysmal.
He's lucky if he can go for more than 5 minutes at a time. Gillespie an
undrafted rookie, who did nothing in camp. Ray is even worse than Gillespie.
And Washington well he average 7.4 and 3.5 as a rookie.
POWER FORWARDS
Chris Ziegler, Washington and Ray, and Fidel Wilson who can play the three.
Now you've heard about Washington and Ray. But, WHO? are Ziegler and Fidel
Wilson.
SMALL FORWARDS
Wilson and Paul Larmond. Forget it this is beyond a joke right now.
SHOOTING GUARDS
Charlie Elkington, Ernest Finkel and Bob Kennedy who can play the point.
Elkington is a solid player who should perform now that he is starting and
not backing George Sewell. But, let's see if California kept the right SG as
the season wears on. The other two, don't exist as far as I'm concerned.
POINT GUARDS
Antonio Swift, George Burke and Eliot Spagnoli. Swift will start. Burke
might be something in a few years, probably not. If it wasn't for Tony
Alfonso and Arnold Erhardt. Spagnoli would be the BUST of the draft. Hell,
he more than likely still is.
Now, in my humble opinion this is California's best starting
lineup.
C- Jesse Harrington
PF- Freddy Washington
SF- The Mascot
SG- Charlie Elkington
PG- Antonio Swift
And their Bench
Larry Saunders
Samson Gillespie
George Burke
Roxy the Cheerleader
Bambi the Cheerleader
Enrique the Drinks Vendor
That's my three cents.
March 11th, 2002
The Plummer Predictions
To give the best preseason predictions, it would've been best to wait until the new player rankings come out, but I couldn't wait. I hope you all like my predictions along with my personal power rankings. I will update the power rankings weekly as long as I am still here.
The rankings are based on the CURRENT rosters and what I project the players' rankings to be. Trades are made throughout the year, so if I pick you to make the playoffs that doesn't mean I think you're going to make the playoffs. It just means I think your team, as it stands now, will finish where I project it to. I have one sleeper team in every divisio