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GLOBAL SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK
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January 8th, 2003
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
WBA MVP
Wayne Taylor, Nebraska
2) Lou Gonzales, Oregon
WBA DEFENSIVE MVP
Lou Gonzales, Oregon
2) Lonnie Gerson, Carolina
WBA 6TH MAN AWARD
Joe Clark, Oregon
2) Charlie Jones, Budapest
WBA MOST IMPROVED AWARD
Devonta Corrigan, Utah
2) Bill Rainwater, Oregon
WBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Dave Troychak, Miami
2) Emmett Yee, Colorado
TEAM AWARDS
ALL-WBA
FIRST TEAM
C - Lou Gonzales, Oregon
PF- Dave Short, Boston
SF- Wayne Taylor, Nebraska
SG- Dave Williams, Rochester
PG- Parker Mason, Cancun
SECOND TEAM
C - Bill Yeager, Boston
PF- Kent Mercer, Cancun
SF- Shane Strom, Brooklyn
SG- George Foster, Texas
PG- Kelvin Davidson, London
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
C- Ramiro Watts, Nebraska
PF- Mark Miller, Utah
SF- Emmett Yee, Colorado
SG- Dave Troychak, Miami
PG- Jimmy Whalen, Nebraska
GM OF THE YEAR
Cory Bowen (Boston)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brent Bangerter (Miami)
January 7th, 2003
Budapest News
Main News is that the basketball team Budapest Tigers did not change hands as reports said earlier. But GM Dugyik Tamas sold 49% of the teams shares to the Hungarian Beer Drinkers Association (HBDA).
After this deal everybody seemed happy:
- Dugyik Tamas agreed that his players are allowed to drink beer before the matches to boost their morale(whatever that means, we didnt understand this move).
- The team name (at least unofficially for now) changed to Budapest Drunken Tigers.
- Tamas hopes he will now have enough money to resign his players at the end of the contract, especially his guards Jalen Bell and Charlie Jones
- He also expects full house on every match next year (mainly because with every bought ticket you get unlimited beer during the matches)
- Dugyik Tamas will stay as GM and as coach of the team
This deal made a lot of contraversy in Budapest, people are affraid strange things will happen in Budapest next year if players and spectators will compete in beer consumption.
Other news:
- Jalen Bell and Charlie Jones got drunk after the disapointing exit in the first round of the play-offs. They felt guilty for the looses and said they will extend their contracts for only 4 mill/year with Budapest. But The next morning they denied these facts saying they were too drunk to think clear.
- Several Budapest players that were seen in the nightclubs with beautiful women before the gamedays are punished with 100.000 USD each, but their names remain a secret.
January 5th, 2003
Mock Draft
1) GREG LACY: Colorado will pick the best available talent here..and that
is Greg Lacy. Lacy may lack scoring, but in Colorado, that may not be as
much of a problem.
2) OBAFEMI MABRUKE: Together with lacy the players that stand out form the crowd. Mabruke is the sure no2 if lacy goes number one..and vice versa
3) Abegunda Abasi: Nebraska needs a 3 or a 4....and probably the best still available here is Abasi. Don't be suprised is Nebraska makes a move to get the 1st or 2nd pick!!!
4) Eric Manning: A rebounding PG....that has few turnovers? gotta get
that....and can he play SG? Bonus!!!!! Salt lake will get the guard they
want. Oliver mcarthey is the Alternative here
5) Craig Bradshaw: Apart form a guard, Saltlake wants a big C.....And
That'll mean Bradshaw or Van Horne. If Bangeter comes out early, he will go here!
6) John van Horne: Unless Vasquez enters the Draft, Van Horne or Bradshaw is a sure pick here for Colorado. They need a big man!
7) Samir Sheth: Another guard for Colorado???? Well, Colorado always drafts talent over position if they can afford it...and they can. No doubt either peterson, Williams, yee, or Sheth will be traded for a 4/5..unless Abasi drops to here!
8) Zane Rivers; Rivers may go a little high here, but unless bangeter or
vasquez come out early, he is the best C available..and utah needs that
badly!
9) Oliver Mcarthy: No matter how many PG's Birmingham has, They haven't one of this quality. It will be either him or manning, if Mcarthy was taking
insteadof him earlier. There is an outside that change that Birmingham will
take their time rebuilding and go for KD mobley, who can score...but needs a few years to ge his aiming right.
10)Odibe King: a 3/4 is a perfect fit for baltimore, and King is the best
left....or even in the draft.
11)Brian Collins: As ther ewon't be a quality big men here, unless Vasquez
or bangeter enters early, Texas should just draft the best player there and
trade......better option: trade up if no C's of qualkity declare early
12)Brandon Morfeld: Ok, Brandon is really a late first rounder...but can
Coach Morfeld resist drafting his namesake here????? He might be gone whenhe
gets anohter shot......
January 1st, 2003
LOTTERY RESULTS (expected)
==========================
12 Budapest (via Colorado) (12)
11 Texas (via Carolina) (11)
10 Baltimore (10)
9 Birmingham (via Omaha) (9)
8 Utah (8)
7 Colorado (via Varese) (7)
6 Colorado (via VI) (6)
5 Roswell (via New York) (4)
4 Salt Lake City (2)
3 Nebraska (via Birmingham) (3)
2 Capetown (1)
1 Colorado (via California) (5)
December 28th, 2003
Play-off Predictions
by Pat Fullum
Eastern conference
#1 Cancun
#8 Montana
(Cancun won season series 3-1)
Montana had some good games against Cancun this season, but they won't upset the #1 Outlaws.
Cancun 3-1
#4 Texas
#5 Cincinnati
(Season series tied 2-2)
Cincy has been up and down this season, and this series could go either way. Texas needs to be aggressive and get McCarthy into foul trouble to win this series.
Texas 3-2
#2 Oregon
#7 Miami
(Oregon won season series 3-1)
Too bad for Miami, they wont face a "C" team.
Oregon wins 3-0
#3 Nebraska
#6 Roswell
(Nebraska won season series 3-1)
This will be an interesting series, as I think Roswell has underachieved all season long, while Nebraska has played really solid ball, but I still expect Nebraska to get to the 2nd round.
Nebraska wins 3-2
Western conference
#1 Boston
#8 Rochester
(Boston won season series 3-1)
Boston is the best team in the league, coming into the playoffs having won 18 straight, Rochester could steal one game max.
Boston 3-0
#4 Albacete
#5 London
(Albacete won season series 3-1)
In my opinion the most interesting first round matchup. This is a great rivalry, with London's owner promising to die if he looses. I think London will step up and the loss of Bobby Cress will really hurt Albacete.
London 3-1
#2 Washington
#7 Brooklyn
(Washington won season series 3-1)
Brooklyn has been up and down all season long, and I really think they miss Wes Ford's leadership, and I don't see how they can beat Washington's strong squad (they don't have a PG, but Brooklyn has Justin Krueger)
Washington 3-2
#3 Budapest
#6 Gabon
(Gabon leads 2-1)
Gabon played solid against Budapest and seem to match up very well against them, they get to the line a lot and that has hurt the Tigers this season.
Gabon 3-1
2nd round
West
#1 Cancun
#4 Texas
(Cancun won season series 4-0)
Parker Mason has been on a roll late in the season, playing great ball and he will lead Cancun past Texas.
Cancun 4-1
#2 Oregon
#3 Nebraska
(Oregon won season series 3-1)
This series will be hard fought, Nebraska might pull this one, but Oregon looks good and will advance to the western finals.
East
#1 Boston
#5 London
(Boston won season series 3-1)
London has promised that they would look better in the post season, but it wont be enough to beat this Boston squad.
Boston 4-2
#2 Washigton
#7 Gabon
(Washington won season series 3-1)
Having lost in the first round in the last 3 seasons as a top seed, Gabon will be hungry and will go the the eastern finals with their aggressive play and tough defense.
Gabon 4-2
Eastern finals
#1 Cancun
#2 Oregon
(Cancun won season series 3-1)
Cancun has owned Oregon since the first game where they lost by one point. But the post season is another story. While Mason has had success against Oregon, Kent Mercer struggled somewhat against the leagues best defender, Lou Gonzalez, and will need to step up to get his team the win
Cancun wins 4-1
#1 Boston
#7 Gabon
(Boston won season series 3-1)
Gabon's Cinderella run will end against Boston, although if Boston's big guns get into foul trouble, this could be an interesting series. It all depends if the Hameleers, Vinyard and Bramson can get to the line and Diaz, Yeager and Short must play smart and not get fouled out.
Boston 4-3
WBA Finals
#1 Boston
#1 Cancun
(Boston won season series 2-0)
For the second season in a row, the team with the best regular season record will win it all. Cancun will put up a fight, but they are just not strong enough to pull this upset.
Boston 4-2
Play-off Predictions
by Sam Plummer
#8 Montana vs. #1 Cancun--Cancun wins series 3-1
#7 Miami vs. #2 Oregon--Miami wins series 3-2
#6 Roswell vs. #3 Nebraska--Nebraska wins series 3-0
#5 Cincinnati vs. #4 Texas--Cincinnati wins series 3-2
#8 Rochester vs. #1 Boston--Boston wins series 3-0
#7 Brooklyn vs. #2 Washington--Brooklyn wins series 3-2
#6 Gabon vs. #3 Budapest--Budapest wins series 3-0
#5 London vs. #4 Albacete--London wins series 3-1
#5 Cincinnati vs. #1 Cancun--Cancun wins series 4-1
#7Miami vs. #3 Nebraska--Miami wins series 4-2
#5 London vs. #1 Boston--Boston wins series 4-2
#7 Brooklyn vs. #3 Budapest--Budapest wins series 4-1
#7 Miami vs. #1 Cancun--Cancun wins series 4-1
#3 Budapest vs. #1 Boston--Budapest wins series 4-3
Cancun vs. Budapest--Cancun wins 4-2
December 23rd, 2002
In The News
During dinner today Bobby Cress of the Albacete Bruning Hell had a heart attack. Fortunately he lived and is said to be doing well but team Doctors say he will miss teh rest of the season and atleast the first round of the play-offs.
Virgin Islans stated today that Rik Kist violated a team rule and will miss one day. Team officials have not stated what rule was violated.
Brooklyn's rookie Power Forward Mike Barrett left his abussive wife today. Friends say that his professional wretler wife has been beating up on him because he is not turning out to be the WBA star she had hoped he'd be when they married in college.
Playoff Predictions
By Kevin Harper
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1
(1)Oregon Vs (8)Montana
-Montana is a good team. If Perkins and Jones really step up, and Oregon starts off slow, there is a good chance Montana will win. But Lou Gonzales and Bill Rainwater will carry the team and avoid the big upset.
Oregon Wins 3-1
(2)Cancun Vs (7)Miami
-Miami dosent have much of a chance here. They are a growing team that is still building. Troychak and Miami might put up a fight, but Cancun will be too much for him in this series.
Cancun Wins 3-1
(3)Texas Vs (6)Roswell
-This has the makings of a good series. Although Roswell has been a dissapointment this season, they still have the ability to play with big boys. Roswell has done well against Texas this season and I don't see why they won't continue this trend.
Roswell Wins 3-2
(4)Nebraska Vs (5)Cincy
-This should also be a pretty good series. Both teams have been stepping up their games at the end of the regular season. But, look for Wayne Taylor to dominate and lead Nebraska to a victory.
Nebraska Wins 3-1
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1
(1)Boston Vs (8)Rochester
-Boston will continue it's dominance and take care of Rochester. Boston is simply overpowering. Rochester might squeeze one game out of this series if they're lucky.
Boston wins 3-0
(2)Washington Vs (7)Gabon
-The lack of a decent Point Guard will hurt Washington very badly in this series. The Guard tandem of Ethan Hunt and Otto Hameleers will defensivley control this series and lead Gabon to a narrow victory over a great team in Washington.
Gabon Wins 3-2
(3)Budapest Vs (6)London
-Yet another great series in the making in the 1st round. London has been slipping lately and Budapest is a consistant team. That is what the series should come to. Budapest's great defense will keep London in check most of the time and Kelvin Davidson will probably get injured again!
Budapest wins 3-2
(4)Albacete Vs (5)Brooklyn
-While this series looks like it will be extremely tight, I dont' see Brookyn wining this. Albacete has been too hot latley to lose here. Brooklyn is still getting better. 19-year old Mario Bailey will just get better and eventually be a key player on this Brooklyn team. Maybe next year Brooklyn.
Albacete Wins 3-1
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Quarter-Finals
(1)Oregon Vs (4)Nebraska
-This should be a great matchup in a growing rivaly. Last season, Nebraska came back from a 2-0 game defecit to beat Oregon in the first round. Dont expect a repeat performance. Gonzales and Company will play well here. Wayne Taylor will still shine as an MVP canidate, but the rest of Nebraksa's powerful offense will be contained. The other MVP front-runner Lou Gonzales will post consistant 25-point,10-rebound,5-block games. Bill Rainwater might explode for a 40 point game also. This will still be a very close series.
Oregon Wins 4-3
(2)Cancun Vs (6)Roswell
-This is lop-sided matchup in which Cancun will win. Greene and Dasher cannot carry this team by themselves and it will show against a very deep team in Cancun.
Cancun Wins 4-1
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Quarter-Finals
(1)Boston Vs (4)Albacete
-These just might be the two best teams in the playoffs. This will be a great series and should come down to the wire. Boston would be able to handle Albacete much easier if it wasnt for their foul trouble. Big Free-Agent acquisition Camron Diaz is fouling out too much and might cost his team some games. In the end, Boston is still too good and will edge Albacete.
Boston Wins 4-3
(3)Budapest Vs (7)Gabon
-This will be yet another close series. Budapest has the edge because of depth and better defense. If Hameleers and Bramson play exceptionally well in this series, I think Gabon will knock off the 3rd seeded Tigers. But, for now I can't count out Budapest and their suffocating D.
Budapest Wins 4-3
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Semi-Finals
(1)Oregon Vs (2)Cancun
-This will be a great challenge for Oregon. Early in the season, Cancun made Oregon look like a High School JV team. But, since then Oregon has done work do make themselves better and will really be able to compete with Cancun for a trip to the finals. Lou will have to play his best, and Rainwater will have to keep the ball under control in order for Oregon to win.
Cancun wins 4-3
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Semi-Finals
(1)Boston Vs (3)Budapest
-If Boston keeps their fouling under control, then they shouldnt have too much of a problem disposing of Budapest. Budapest showed last season they have problems advancing too far into the playoffs.
Boston wins 4-2
WBA Finals
Boston Massacre(East) Vs Cancun Outlaws(West)
-This is a closely matched game. Parker Mason and Co. will have to step up to face this mighty Boston team. Once again, foul trouble is the key for the Massacre. If their starters continue to be in constant foul trouble, then Cancun will take home the WBA Finals Trophy. If they dont they will cruise. I belive they will have some trouble, but not enough to lose.
Boston Wins 4-2
WBA Season Awards Predictions
WBA Co-MVPs : Lou Gonzales, Oregon
Wayne Taylor, Nebraska
WBA Rookie Of The Year: Emmett Yee, Colorado
WBA 6th Man Award: Charlie Jones, Budapest
All-WBA Team:
C- Lou Gonzales, Oregon
PF- AJ Schulz, Brooklyn
SF- Wayne Taylor, Nebraska
SG- Bill Rainwater, Oregon
PG- Chuck Henderson, Rochester
All-WBA Rookie Team:
C- Ramiro Watts, Nebraska
PF- Trent Jordan, New York
SF- Lonnie Gerson, Carolina
SG- Dave Troychak, Miami
PG- Jimmy Whalen, Nebraska
December 12th, 2002
In the News
An angry business man from Albacete went to today's Nebraska/ Albacete game. Not only was he not able to close a big fertilizer sale but his team lost. In a fit of rage he threw what was left of the stale snickers bar he had gotten from the concessions stand. The bar hit Kwan Thomas in the back of the head and knocked him out. He is expected to miss one game.
Roger Bradshaw of Cincinnati choked on a pretzle passed out and will miss tomorrow's game.
Keith Griffin of SLC spilt on a visiting Boston fan who called him a poligamist. The league has suspended Griffin for one game. On a side note there is no basis for this accusation by the Boston fan. Griffin is not married though the Inquirer is reporting that he did date two women at once.
Pete Small of Montana got into today's game against Colorado for all of ttwenty seconds before he punched Austyn Williams in the face. Samall is reported to behaving a difficult time with the death of his mother and has been suspended for 3 games. Williams has a sore chin but should not miss any games.
Rondall Reynoso of Rochester has been convicted of Criminal Assault and Battery and will miss the rest of the season with jail time. Reynoso has refussed to comment on the conviction but it appears that while on a recent trip to New York he was provocked by a fan that he proceeded to beat to a pulp.
Odell Bell of Utah fell off his bed while having a nightmare. Unfortuantely, he landed at a very awkward angle and will miss the rest of the season with a broken arm.
Kelvin Davidson has been complaining about pain in his leg during lateral movement. He claims that this is why Justin Krueger of Brooklyn was able to light him up today. The London Disco team Doctor says that the amout of minutes Davidson has had to play as a WBA star is showing. Davidson will miss the next 6 games to give his legs some much needed rest.
December 12th, 2002
MOCK DRAFT
By Pedro Alcarez
1. CAPETOWN: This teams needs help everywhere out of the Center, where Jack Spiegel and Keith Chambers are good players. PG is horrible here, but we cant find anyone to go with the top pick at this position. Being scoring and rebounding the top needs, a player like Obafemi Mabruke is the best suited to carry the big load this team is. Mabruke can really score, crash the boards, hes a great passing player, and he shows great hands to steal the ball.
Obafemi Mabruke(SF): 20 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals
2. SALT LAKE CITY: Rumour is that SLC will pick Brad Bargenter is he declares, but the player still hasnt said a word about it, and his teanmates have declared that he plans to play one last season for the GCBA. In any way, SLC has John Davis and Paul Wilson signed long term, which cover decently the frontcourt for the Fanatics. Hayes makes a good work, Durden is a great scorer and Harold Gill is a very decent player, then what happens here? Well, just and plain, SLC doesnt play defense at all, and out of the big men, no one rebounds decently. A good pick could be Eric Manning, a great all around PG/SG, who could fix all this problems, being capabnle of passing the ball, get a lot of boards at his position, and getting the ball off the hands of anyone
Eric Manning (PG/SG): 10 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals
3. COLORADO (from California): Losing Duke, Dasher and Cress hurts in the short term, but Marc made a brilliant move trading Cress for picks that will end being great ones (California was a playoff team when the trade took place). With Dasher and Cress out, no cap room and Langstraat expiring contract, its easy to wonder that Colorado needs a C to come back to the elite. Craig Bradshaw or John Van Horne are the candidates here, with Bradshaw being a bertter scorer and more durable in terms of health, the Dutch origins of Van Horne will make tim the chosen
John Van Horne(C): 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks
4. COLORADO (from VI): Once the C is filled, the best player available is out of doubt Greg Lacy. Colorado doesnt really needs a PF, but Lacy could find minutes with Van Brandt on the bench, or moving Van Brandt to the SF when Yee takes a rest. Lacy is a great talent in every area of the game, and his versatility will help to Colorado a lot.
Greg Lacy(PF): 18 points, 10 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks
5. ROSWELL (form NY): Brian will keep saying that his team is the best, that hes a genius as a GM, but this team, with a great frontcourt, is really bad in the guards rotation, Wesley Phillips will never be the PG of a top team, and Brian has to know it. Other need is a better rounded SG, Moore can score, but thats all. If Roswell management considers that big men passing abilities can make up for a bad passing guard, then Brian Collins will be the pick. Collins is a scorer too, but he can excel at any other category in the game. Sitill, he will need to defend the ball.
Brian Collins (SG/SF): 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block in 22 minutes
6. NEBRASKA (from Birmhingan): If i know Brandon (and i own part of his soul since las draft), he will try to trade up to get Lacy. If hes unable to do it, the most urging needs are a PF and a SG, and some boost in defense. Oman Fatafehi is a PF whose better qualities are the rebound, blkocks and stealing, being an offensive gifted big man too.
Oman Fatafehi(PF) 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks
7. BALTIMORE: Baltimore is one other team that needs help everywhere, maybe out of SG. Stub Madison is a good PG, but he isnt getting any younger, and he will be 29 next season. With a bad defense, and being outrebounded every night, the first need will be a frontcourt player who knows how to spell the “D”. Abegunda Abasi is known as one of the top scorers in the draft pool, but his scoring averages hide that hes a player well rounded that shows up in both zones. Abasi can do a lot for a rebuilding project like this
Abegunda Abasi (PF/C): 28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks
8. BIRMHINGAN(from Omaha): Bob Delaney and Bill Blackstone are the only bright signs for the Burries, and bot play at the forwards, which means that the team is shorthanded at the center and guards. The PG rotation is pathetic, and that would make him drafting a PG, but with a C needed too, and Craig Bradshaw ready to be drafted, its a done pick. Bradshaw could be easily gone by this pick, even more if Colorado doesnt use sentimental reasons at his selection. Bradshaw will make an inmediate effect for this needed team.
Craig Bradshaw (C): 25 points, 13 boards, 3 assits, 2 steals and 2 blocks
9. TEXAS (from Carolina): Here is a team that has turned around his situation slowly. Now Texas has a winning record, have good players signed long term...but theres an issue (like always). Texas is constantly outrebounded, and Lou Boone going at the end of the season for cap reasons wont help. Someone will have to play C in this team, and, while Kegan Salazar is a serviciable player, hes a backup. Zane Rivers could be a solution to play for Texas.
Zane Rivers(C): 15 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks
10 NEBRASKA (from Montana): If Brandon has his PF, , now the need is a backup for the PG and the SG. With one more pick in the mid tens, he could end trading up to get lacy again, if not, bot pick could end being seviceable backups at backcourt. Jimmy Whalen hasnt resulted to be the dominant PG he was expected to be, and this late at the lottery, a player like Oliver McCarty could help a lot at the PG. Hes not as passing oriented as whalen, but hes more rounded and a better defender.
Oliver McCarty(PG): 16 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 boards and 1 block
11. COLORADO: We have called a C and a PF, what about a SG to close the guards rotation? This way, Austyn Williams will be able to share time at the PG with Peterson on the bench. We all know that Samir Sheth plays for Marc's `alma mater' Amsterdam University. If hes available, he will play for Colorado the nest seasons
Samir Sheth(SG): 30 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals
12. COLORADO(from Varese): Theres no real need hear, maybe some specialist here for the frontcourt. Alfred Hodge is a versatile big man that wont demand the ball, but hes capable to hurt the opponents in the deffensive end, playing with a lot of intensity in defense and a rare ability on not committing fouls
Alfred Hodge(PF/C): 8 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
13. UTAH: This team is the X-factor. With Corrigan and Miller signed, a lot of cap room available and some players to extend, if they are capable to convince Alvin Simpson to stay, SG and C are the obvious needs. How Utah plans to use the free agency will determine who they draft. With all the dominant C picked before, maybe a SG will be a better pick, and Petya Denisov is the best available at this point, with a lot of weapons to make a service for this team
Petya Denisov (SG/SF): 13 points, 5 rebounbds, 4 assits, 2 steals and 1 block
14 ROSWELL: Now a PG is out of question (even if Bryan makes the pick). Vincent Robinson is a first pass oriented PG, who helps in the rebound and takes a lot of care of the ball. HE could give good minutes as a rookie, and the team would play even better with him at the command
Vincent Robinson(PG): 11 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assits, 2 steals, 1 TO
15. NEBRASKA: Like ive said before, if Nebraska keeps this pick, a backup SG could be the best suited here. Jim Madden sounds good if you want a scoring punch from the bench
Jim MAdden (SG/SF): 15 points, 9 rebounds
16. MIAMI: This is a team with one of the young stars of teh league in Troychack. Out of him, Miami has decent players at PG, PF and C, but theres a void at the SF. The best of this team is the defense they play, but the rebound and the FG% kill them. MIsha Kryznetsov is a polivalent forward with a great shooting ability that will make everything on court, since rebounding, to defend.
Misha Kryznetsov(SF/PF): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
17. CINCINATTI: Cindy again.... capped out, and with Hewlett ending contract, theyt will need to draft a SG again. Too bad, there no one available who can fill his shoes. Tyson Cooper is the best available with his scoring ability, but there are doubts about his fragility. If Cindy takes the risk, and it results to be good, he will be a good complement
Tyson Cooper(SG): 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assits, 3 steals
18. SALT LAKE CITY (from Texas): With the PG fixed, SLC needs to add more players who play D. Quintin Pitt does it, and he does it well. Besides, he will help the rebounders more than anyone in the team
Quintin Pitt (SF/PF): 18 points, 7 boards, 3 steals and 1 block
19 ROCHESTER: Rochester is a good team, but a little short in effectives. His bench doesnt deserve to be called a second unit. The major needs are at SG, SF and PF, but thesre just one pick to use. Just to make Williams play under 40 minutes, Rochester could pick Tre Freeman, who is a scorer overall, but can do a lot more of things on court
Tre Freeman(SG/SF): 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assits, 1 steal in 19 minutes
20. GABON: The search for a C in draft will never end with this team,and if Marten Kurpeitis is around, Simon would be silly passing on him. Kurpeikis is the best shotblocker in the draft, and he can score very easily
Marten Kurpeikis (C): 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks
21. ALBACETE(from Brooklyn): Albacete is a very deep team, with no real needs at this point. He will take the best player available, and at this poits it happens to be Roy Cader. Cader is a scoring big man, but some purt in question his desire in the other basic areas of a center, like the rebound
Roy Cader (C): 26 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks
22. VIRGIN ISLAND (from Albacete): Please, a PG!!! We all know that with a PG (he doesnt need to be a good one), VI would be a better team. Having played for Heavenly, Felipe Juarez is the top candidate to be selected here, Juarez is a great scorer, but he lacks in passing abilities. I dont know why, but im sure VI will select him
23. CAROLINA (from Budapest): This team needs desperately a PF and a C, the scoring seems guaranteed, but the defense and the boards no. A player like Will Rider can score his points, but he knows what he makes better, and it is to crash the boards and play defense. He hasnt played enough minutes this season, that could make him loose positions in draft
Will Rider (PF/C): 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 12 minutes
24 LONDON: London has had problems of chemistry this season after the trade that ended with Ozzie Kramer with the Disco. They have a dominant C and a dominant PG(the most important positions in the game). They have the best dirty worker in the league in Chanda, but with Kramer being a good player, the PF never has been well filled. Sky Harrington cant start for a contender, just and plain. Al Watson is the kind of player that could find minutes for London, hes a player that is capable to score, but he will defend very hard, and is very rebounded oriented
Al Watson (PF): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block in 27 minutes
25. CANCUN: You can argue whatever, but Cancun hasnt a decent SG.While we cant find the perfect player this late in the draft, Danny Hainge could be the most talented player available, but his fragility will make him to loose a lot of positions (he could have been a lottery pick). Hainge will score, pass the ball, defend, and rarely turns the ball over, a perfect compliment to Parker Mason
Danny Hainge(PG/SG): 19 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals
26. CALIFORNIA(from Washington): This team will need to choose between a C and a PG. But given the lack of a great talent around, California could opt for selecting the top scorer in draft and boost their offense with K.D. Mobley, and the moving Jordan to C. Mobley is a pure scorer that could take all the shots needed in California
KD Mobley(PF): 35 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals
27. TEXAS(from Oregon): with a C already selected, Texas still has the problem that anyone is capable to play basketball when Berthelson and Foster are resting. A combo guard would be the most intelligent solution here, and John Archibald is the one that can easily play both positions, maybe a lil more at PG. Hes an old school player, who looks always to pass firsdt of all, and he plays always under control. His defense will make him a good player this late in draft
John Archibald(PG/SG): 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals
28 BOSTON I suppose they could try to improve at PG. Johnny Burns is the top player at steals in the draft, and Boston could use him
Johnny Burns (PG): 10 points, 7 assists, 5 steals
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Johnny Hawks
Oliver Doherty
Jake Johnston
Sergio Cahill
Evilio Nunez
Zachariah Salera
Willie Thomas
Kelian Fabares
Lonnie Graham
Patrick O'Connor
Brandon Morfeld
Gianni Colladarci
Shavlik Kuhnaphel
December 10th, 2002
All-Star Game
Western All-Sta 14 35 29 18 - 96 (Wayne Taylor 17)
Eastern All-Sta 22 19 17 15 - 73 (Boom-Boom Casey 12)
GAME MVP: Wayne Taylor, Western All-Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western All-Stars FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parker Mason 24 1- 7 3- 4 0- 2 3- 7 7 0 0 3 1 5
George Foster 22 5-10 2- 2 0- 0 1- 2 1 2 0 3 0 12
Wayne Taylor 20 7-12 2- 2 1- 1 0- 6 1 3 0 0 0 17
Tom Perkins 20 4- 7 2- 4 0- 0 1- 4 1 0 0 0 1 10
Lou Gonzales 11 2- 6 4- 6 0- 0 0- 0 1 2 2 0 1 8
Cristobal Dasher 19 2- 4 0- 0 0- 1 0- 2 2 2 1 1 1 4
Jim McCarthy 19 5-14 0- 0 0- 0 3- 7 0 5 2 0 1 10
Devonta Corrigan 22 5- 9 2- 2 0- 0 1- 5 0 2 1 0 2 12
Bill Rainwater 21 5- 9 2- 4 0- 0 1- 8 0 3 1 2 1 12
Heiko Van Brandt 20 1- 3 0- 0 0- 0 3- 7 3 0 1 2 1 2
Steve Peterson 22 1- 7 0- 0 0- 3 2- 4 9 0 0 2 2 2
Kent Mercer 19 1- 6 0- 0 0- 1 1- 3 0 1 1 0 3 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 39- 94 17-24 1- 8 16-55 25 20 9 13 14 96
41.5% 70.8% 12.5%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 19 3- 5 0- 0 0- 2 1- 3 2 0 0 1 6 6
Dave Williams 21 4- 7 0- 0 0- 0 0- 3 3 1 1 1 0 8
Jaxon McCall 20 3-11 3- 3 0- 5 2- 5 0 1 1 4 1 9
Jerry Bramson 20 1- 4 0- 0 0- 0 0- 5 5 0 2 2 0 2
Horace Colbert 21 4- 8 2- 2 0- 0 2- 6 2 5 0 2 1 10
Shane Strom 20 2-10 1- 2 0- 1 0- 3 1 2 0 1 2 5
Kelvin Davidson 21 4- 8 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 3 3 0 1 1 8
Kevon Duke 21 1- 7 0- 0 0- 2 0- 1 1 3 0 1 0 2
Arron Black 21 0- 4 0- 0 0- 2 0- 5 1 1 0 1 0 0
Boom-Boom Casey 21 3- 9 6- 6 0- 0 1- 2 3 4 0 1 2 12
A.J. Schulz 21 3- 9 2- 4 1- 1 0- 3 1 1 0 2 0 9
Stub Madison 13 1- 1 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 2 1 0 0 0 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 29- 83 14-17 1-13 6-37 24 22 4 17 13 73
34.9% 82.4% 7.7%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
Lead Changes: 5 Ties: 5 (41-41)
Go-Ahead Shot: Bill Rainwater (42-41)
Largest Leads: Western All-Stars -- 25 (94-69)
Eastern All-Stars -- 10 (22-12)
==============================================================================
December 10th, 2002
Rookie Game
Western Rookies 19 17 23 22 - 81 (Dave Troychak 19)
Eastern Rookies 30 23 28 22 - 103 (Charlie Daidone 20)
GAME MVP: Lance Armstrong, Eastern Rookies
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Rookies FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Troychak 24 7-16 5- 9 0- 1 0- 1 0 2 0 1 0 19
Emmett Yee 25 1- 7 2- 2 0- 1 0- 2 1 1 0 2 0 4
Al Lee 24 1- 4 0- 0 0- 1 1- 2 3 1 0 2 0 2
Harold Gil 24 6-12 0- 0 0- 1 0- 4 2 2 0 1 3 12
John Gaiser 23 2-10 3- 6 0- 2 1- 1 7 2 0 1 0 7
Mark Miller 24 2-10 0- 0 0- 2 1- 7 3 4 5 2 2 4
Kevin Mills 24 2- 8 7-10 0- 1 0- 3 2 1 0 0 1 11
Samson Reeves 24 4- 6 1- 2 0- 1 1- 7 0 5 1 1 0 9
Brandon Sandler 24 2- 4 0- 2 0- 0 1- 2 5 2 0 2 3 4
Wilson Callaway 24 3- 9 2- 2 1- 3 1- 6 2 5 2 0 0 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 30- 86 20-33 1-13 6-35 25 25 8 12 9 81
34.9% 60.6% 7.7%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
Technical Fouls: Harold Gil 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Rookies FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Daidone 24 9-14 2- 2 0- 0 0- 1 2 1 0 1 0 20
Mario Bailey 24 5-12 3- 5 0- 0 0- 3 3 2 0 0 0 13
Trent Jordan 22 3- 8 0- 0 0- 3 2- 5 1 4 0 1 1 6
Gabriel Keniry 22 5-14 1- 2 0- 0 1- 2 1 3 1 0 0 11
John Diblasi 20 2- 7 2- 2 0- 1 2- 6 1 2 3 1 0 6
Fernando Edwards 23 5-13 3- 4 0- 0 3- 7 1 2 0 3 1 13
Charles Cushman 20 0- 5 0- 0 0- 0 4-14 3 2 1 2 1 0
Keith Douglas 24 2- 5 2- 2 0- 1 0- 3 9 3 0 0 0 6
Lance Armstrong 24 1- 5 11-13 0- 1 1- 9 3 3 0 1 2 13
Jose Nobis 12 2- 3 0- 0 0- 0 0- 2 1 0 0 1 2 4
Karl Maloney 24 3- 6 5- 6 0- 0 2- 5 1 2 0 2 0 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 240 37- 92 29-36 0- 6 15-57 26 24 5 12 7 103
40.2% 80.6% 0.0%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coached by:
Lead Changes: 2 Ties: 1 (6-6)
Go-Ahead Shot: Lance Armstrong (7-6)
Largest Leads: Western Rookies -- 3 (6-3)
Eastern Rookies -- 25 (100-75)
Injuries: Western Rookies Eastern Rookies
Milos Tskitishvili 1
==============================================================================
December 7th, 2002
WBA 3-point Shoot Out
Round 1
Leon Berthelson 01102 11010 01100 11002 00110= 15
A.J. Schulz 01112 00000 01010 11112 00102= 16
Garth Donahue 11112 11112 10012 11112 11112= 28
Dexter Kodak 10110 11100 01000 01100 11102= 14
Joe Jones 10002 11102 11112 00012 01112= 22
Parker Mason 10110 01002 00012 10110 11110= 16
Jaxon McCall 11002 00100 10102 01012 00102= 16
Herman Burke 11110 10012 10012 01100 10112= 19
Emillio Brown 11102 11112 11102 11002 00010= 21
Buck Jones 11110 01112 00110 11102 01000= 17
Al Lee 11010 00100 00000 10110 00000= 7
Jeff Jackson 11110 11012 10112 10112 01112= 24
Wayne Taylor 10012 11100 11110 10002 11102= 19
John Stewart 01110 11100 01102 11112 00110= 18
Austyn Williams 11102 10110 01112 11112 00110= 21
Fred Hartman 01012 11112 00112 00012 11012= 22
Jerry Sims 00010 01002 00000 10000 00012= 8
Pat Stephenson 11102 01112 11102 00012 11012= 23
Jonathan Booth 01010 00100 01102 11110 01010= 13
Geroge Sewell 00110 01010 01012 01012 00012= 15
Dave Williams 11110 11110 01102 01102 11012= 21
Charlie Daidone 11010 11002 11112 01002 11010= 19
Derek Vinyard 01110 10012 10012 11012 10002= 19
Abdullah Chanda 10102 01102 10010 11012 10112= 20
Bill Andrews 01112 11112 00110 11012 11110= 22
Luke Benner 11002 10100 11110 10010 01112= 17
Bill Blackstone 01112 10112 10112 01012 01112= 24
Paul Wright 00112 01000 01110 00102 01110= 14
This round was very mixed in the performance that players put in. Al Lee and Jerry Sims shot some of the worst rounds in the 3-point Shootout history. On the other hand Garth Donahue put in the best score in the contests history.
Round 2
Garth Donahue 11110 11010 10112 01000 11010= 16
Joe Jones 10010 01010 10102 11000 10112= 15
Herman Burke 10102 01112 11110 10102 01110= 20
Emillio Brown 01110 11112 10002 11112 10112= 23
Jeff Jackson 10112 10112 11102 11102 01010= 22
Wayne Taylor 11112 11112 11112 11012 11112= 29
John Stewart 10112 00102 00110 11012 00000= 15
Austyn Williams 10012 11112 11012 11012 11102= 25
Fred Hartman 00010 11010 11112 00010 11002= 15
Pat Stephenson 11112 00102 10110 01102 10112= 21
Dave Williams 10112 10112 01110 10012 11012= 22
Charlie Daidone 00100 10012 00112 01112 11010= 17
Derek Vinyard 11112 00000 10000 11110 01000= 14
Abdullah Chanda 11100 11112 01112 11102 00100= 20
Bill Andrews 11110 10102 11112 11002 00110= 20
Bill Blackstone 11102 01112 11102 11002 11112= 25
Shoot off
Herman Burke 10102 01100 11112 10012 11112= 21
Abdullah Chanda 00112 11012 11010 11012 01010= 19
Bill Andrews 11110 00110 11112 10110 01100= 17
The biggest surprise of this round was the horrible shooting f Garth Donahue who set the record for the best round ever last round. The next biggest surpise was that Wayne Taylor set a new record for with 29 points.
Round 3
Herman Burke 10100 00012 00110 00110 11100= 12
Emillion Brown 11110 11112 11110 11110 10000= 19
Jeff Jackson 10112 11112 10112 01110 11110= 23
Wayne Taylor 11102 11112 11112 11102 01110= 25
Austyn Williams 10112 10112 11112 01112 01100= 23
Pat Stephenson 01002 10112 11002 11000 11112= 20
Dave Williams 01110 11112 11110 11110 11110= 21
Bill Blackstone 11110 11112 11112 10110 11112= 25
With the exception of Burke and Brown who suffered from a bad case of nerves this round was played at a very high level. Dave Williams has to be disappointed with his performance since he missed 4 of 5 money balls. In fact he only missed 5 balls over all but missed all the wrong shots.
Round 4
Jeff Jackson 10112 01110 10112 10010 10102= 19
Wayne Taylor 11112 11102 01002 10100 11010= 19
Austyn Williams 11112 01012 11112 10112 10102= 25
Bill Blackstone 00012 01112 10112 01000 11112= 20
Nerves were huge in this round. Only Willaims performed up to his standard. Blackstone was lucky to catch fire on the last rack and hit his last shot to go on the the final round.
Round 5
Austyn Williams 10112 11112 00110 01012 11100= 20
Bill Blackstone 11112 00102 01112 11102 00112= 23
Blackstone bounced back from a poor performance in Round 4. Williams on the otherhand had his worst round of the contest. Congradulations to Bill Blackstone the Season 6 Three point contest!
November 14th, 2002
Virgin Island's midseason Report
Half way thru the season... Virgin is not the team that stunned everyone last season... It seems as if Coach Williams has given up this group of men. Holt isn't having the stellar season promised... Him and Paul Wright have done nothing but bicker, and without VI having a pure point guard, it is even more difficult. They acquired Jeff Jackson, just get it over turned by the new rule in the WBA, but he could have only made so much of a difference. The play of rookies Andy Davis(now with Miami), Milos Tshi..., Storm Schmid, Donnie Sommers, and Jose Nobis, has help this team's season from falling totally apart. Coach Williams was sited saying that this season isn't as bad as seasons when they only won 8 games, but it looks that way for some reason... Those were the days when no names like Fred Bell would score 18 a game, and Damon Trout would dish out 9 to 10 assist... Damon is now a SCRUB and Fred is somewhere... Where is the heart of this Virgin Islands team. Even without a pure point guard, VI should be in the thick of it... Anybody can win any night in the East, VI is currently 9 games out of the playoffs, and hoping to turn this season around. It is possible, but Storm has to get more than 4 assists a game, his high for the season is only "6" and that hurts... Holt has to start shooting better and attacking the boards. VI got arrogant, got rid of Stub Madison, brought in anothe scorer and the team hasn't blossomed yet... Will they blossom and make something out of this season?! Seems as if Coach Williams is shuffling the line up... The follow players have had there seasons evaluated... Check out the grades....
Virgin Islands as a whole, This is the most offensive team they have ever had, but also the worst defensive team... As a team VI gets a letter of "D"
Starting FIVE
PG- Storm Schmid- has had some strong showings, shows that he can shoot the rock, but he is a point guard playing like a SG, and he isn't passing the ball effectively. He is a rookie and is trying to make a name for himself, he will make a bad name if he doesn't pass more. "C"
SG- Paul Wright - was carrying this team for the first 2 weeks of the season, but recently he has been out done by rookie Milos, but this isn't a knock on Paul, he has got to get more aggresive, and take it to the defense. He was acquired for his scoring abilities, but his fan base hasn't seen it yet... "D"
SF- Tyrell Hall - Hall has just gotten the starting position after Gary Agey and Andy Davis shared it, but they were both traded... Tyrell Hall is not doing a bad job, but his FG percentage is a thron in the butt... He was brought to this team for his stealing ability, and each game at the SF position he is just getting better... Look for him to have a strong second half... "C"
PF- Jose Nobis - Brought over from Miami, this position was held by Marty Williams, but Nobis can play at the same intensity as Marty and is 2mil cheaper, and has 3 years on his contract. His frist starting game he swatted away 5, not bad for a rookie... Seems as if VI has always had a strong shot blocker... Nobis is a gamble at this position especially when you have Rik Kist on the bench, but Nobis is ready for the second half... "B-"
C- George Holt - Talks of TRADE, yes this popular icon has only had one explosive game this season 55 on Brooklyn 2wks ago, and that is it... He has been rotated back and forth from PF to C, but he seems more comfortable in the Center position... His point average is down, but if VI had a passer, he would be doing aight... Can't give yourself an assist... He leads the team in all major categories (points, rebounds, and assists)... If someone would pass him the ball and let him get the easy layup with his altheicism... He would be a good candidate to put up 30 a night... But it starts with the point guard...
KEY BENCH PLAYERS...
VI isn't known for its bench but the following players have made strong contributions off the bench...
PG- Donnie Sommers- was Game MVP once, has lead the team in points scored on 3 occasions, high for the season 22 points, has also had 3 blocks in a game...
SG/SG- Milos Who?- Game MVP once... Even light up Washington for 32 points... Old man, with bad knees, but can shoot from the early morn to dust...
PF- Skyler Peyton - Strong preseason, but regulars season has been as strong, look for him to get more playing time...
C- Rik Kist - Has seen rare playing time, but makes it worth the team's time to put him in the game... He will get more playing time at the PF position....
Duds...
Rod Lawrence, hasn't been getting the time to play and when he does, he isn't playing ... Rod will be traded soon, or even released... Hasn't produced the way he did two season ago when he started for VI in the SF position... Buh Bye Rod...
And the proposed starting five for the second part of the season....
PG- Storm Schmid sharing time with Donnie Sommers
SG- Paul Wright
SF- Tyrell Hall sharing time with Nick Bavos
PF- Jose Nobis sharing time with Skyler Peyton
C - George Holt sharing time with Rik Kist
October 24th, 2002
As The WBA Turns: Surprises and Disappointments
Teams
Disappointments:
1-Colorado: The champs are playing .500 ball and struggling, maybe now we know why Marc wanted to buy another team last season...But this team should improve with mr. Hameleers gm skills.
2-Roswell: They had a big offseason, but it doesn't seem to be working out very well in Roswell. We have heard a lot from their owner during preseaon, but he has been very quiet since...
3-SLC: Rumors are that team is loosing games on purpose...Too much talent on that team not to make the playoffs in the weak western conference, but that might not be their goal. Or maybe John Davis has polluted yet another locker room?
4-Brooklyn: Well, they have been playing better as of late, and are used to starting off slow. But they lost many games they shouldn't have, and they need to solve their PG problems. But I still expect them to get back to high level of play.
5-Gabon: Another team who has played better the last couple of games. Their 3 main weapons on offense are shooting below 40%, while the defense, wich used to be the best one in the league, isn't that dominating this season.
Surprises
1-Oregon: Gonzalez has a better supporting cast, and its showing. They are the team to beat in the western conference.
2-London: We all knew they were good, but they are dominating.
3-Texas: This team is finally playing well, they have a solid group of players that seem to work well together.
4-Utah: This young team is playing .500 ball, but they are in the western conference. They should improve a lot nect season with all that money to spend.
5-Capetown: They won 3 games!!
Individual
Disappointments
1-Gommer Cummings: Had his starting spot taking over by Dominik Lang and his backup job by Henry Jordan.
2-Bucky Mcarthy: Never got back to his season 3 form, where he was one of the league's best guards.
3-Gary Agey: His stats are all down from his rookie season
4-Pete Merritt: Signed to near 8 millions per season, hes expected to produce more.
5-Wes Ford: Hasn't made too many headlines this season, maybe due to the fact that hes playing in SLC and getting less media coverage.
Surprises
1-Reynaldo Deangelo: London has the PF they needed. Deangelo is a great adition, he does the little things that help this team win. He passes, rebounds, shoots relatively well and plays solid defense, the perfect fit for London.
2-George Foster: This veteran is having a career year in texas, shooting well, passing and playing defense. One of the main reasons why Texas is playing so well.
3-Bill Rainwater: Has adapted well to his new SG position, and is one of the league's top scorers.
4-Lou Gonzlez: He is amazing. This guy has stepped up his game and carried his team to the top of the western conference with the help of a better supporting cast.
5-Jack Spiegel: Maybe the lone bright spot on this team, is playing well and has shown improvement over last season.
Have asked to be traded?
1-Omar Jefferson: Too much talent to be sitting on the bench. this 19 year old needs to play, many lowly teams could do with his turnovers and low FG%.
2-Jose Nobis: Playing behind a player many consider to be less good than he is.
3-Jerry Dickenson: This solid PF/C is playing behind Roger Bradshaw and not getting too much playing time.
4-Mike Sewell: Versatile SF is warming up the bench in Montana.
5-Lonnie Gerson: Another rookie who needs playing time to develop, but hasn't seen so much court time yet.
August 31st, 2001
First Look at the Future:
By Zagrieb Zano
The Rookie Review sponsored by Rochester has begun. All the draft picks have been assigned to teams to give us a peak on how good these players really are. Let us not get ahead of our selves and believe that those who shine during the review will be able to do so when they are faced against the WBA best. Nevertheless, we can get an idea of who were good picks and who were not. The top 10 players picked in the draft were all considered to be one of the top drafting classes within recent memory.
1. Dave Troychak - Playing for the Cougars, the Miami top pick did not disappoint as he displayed his offensive ability showing why he is the GCBA all-time leading scorer. Going 6-11 from the field and 5-7 from the line, Troychak's 17 points helped to pace his team to victory. He only had two assists but Dave has always been a shoot first player. DT showed his defense with 3 steals and generally showed why he was the top pick.
2. Mark Miller - Miller had a shaky start missing his first 8 shots but then he settled down and just played hard going 5-10 the rest of the way. He would have scored more had fellow Eagle teammate Keith Douglas have dished him the ball on several fast break attempts instead of trying to keep it himself. Miller had 7 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals. He showed that even with a bad shooting night, he is able to many other things to help the team win.
3. Jimmy Whalen - Nothing spectacular for this Vojvodina Alum. He did control the pace of the game fairly well, and had some good passing but his teammates simply were not hitting his shots. He showed the type of leadership you want in a PG, but lets see how he plays when his teammates can make their shots.
4.John Gaiser - John had a very solid game before fouling out. with 8 assists 1 block and 2 steals combined with 7 points an overall good game. He will need to be less anxious trying to show his defensive prowess, but he made some spectacular passes through out the game. One of which was an alley-oop pass from the 3-point line with Jose Nobis spinning around Mike Bennett.
5. Emmett Yee - Averaging over 32 ppg in college, apparently when you play against the best off the college players it isn't as easy. Shooting a dismal 4-17 for a meager 8 points, some speculate that Yee could be a bust. Shortly after the game, a representative of Colorado released a statement, " Yee has been having some pain in his feet, and has been diagnosed with Bone Spurs.They are not severe enough to prevent him from playing, but will definitely affect his game. We expect that he will have surgery after this season to see if he will be able to play up to his potential."
6. Harold Gil - A very solid game Harold. Knocking down 14 points and dishing out 4 assists. SLC was also very proud of defensive ability that didn't show up much in the stat sheets but showed his hustle. He was also hit with a Technical Foul, which is something SLC likes to see in their players.
7. Al Lee - Team up with former college teammate Harold Gil, Lee did his thing by controlling the boards. He snagged 11 of them along with 4 assists. Lee didn't shoot as much as he could have, but Lee is a guy that makes the team play better.
8. John Diblasi - Having been named the Championship tourney MVP in college John expected big things. But he had an utter disappointing game in which he basically too up 20 minutes and did nothing very productive. Gabon execs are hoping this was simply an issue of 1st game jitters.
9. Keith Douglas - Keith had a decent game with 8 assists, but also had 4 turnovers. Heralded by some as a top three PG, He didn't control the flow of the game like he would at Amsterdam, and he simply refused to pass to Miller. One can only assume with them being Archrivals in college this was the reasoning. Varese might want to make sure they only acquire players that Douglas likes; otherwise this headcase could be a distraction.
10. Jose Nobis - Many felt Miami made a mistake taking Nobis over Mike Bennett. Though it would see the Miami GM knew something that others didn't. Nobis simply abused Bennett on his way game high 18 points and
11 rebound with 1 block and 4 steals and was one of two players with a double double for the day. A big man who can Score, Rebound and play great Defense.... yeah, that sounds like a NE Moscow alum to me.
Overall some pretty good performances by the top ten draftees. But there are some who went later in the draft that pulled off some pretty good performances. There were 52 players in the draft selected. How is it possible that teams could have passed on Elvin Sanders? Elvin out to prove that people made a mistake and he was fabulous in his first game. Shooting a blistering 12-16 from the field for 24 points to lead all rookies on the first day. True he didn't do much else, but 24 points is 24 points.
Samson Reeves was one of the people who was a top ten talent but was taken by Omaha in the 2nd round. He shot 70% from the floor and scored 18 points. He has always been more of a scorer then a defensive player. Does anybody wonder why Omaha got an A draft grade? Bob Towe is another 2nd round pick that is trying to show he is a first round talent. With 18 points 7 rebounds he was one of the bright spots for the Eagles.
Budapest is going to wish they would kept the rights Bob, but now Boston is smiling with glee. He will need to work on his ball handling skills after 4 turnovers, however, he should be a solid player.
There were some other intriguing performances through out the day. Omar Jefferson the high schooler from Milipitas High School in California showed he could score with a team high 17 points. He also dished out 8 assists, however those are negated with having 8 of the teams 16 turnovers. Omar will not like Lou Gonzalez getting on his case if he is getting that many turnovers a game. Lonnie Gerson could have have been a top ten pick, and perhaps he should have after having a 16 point, 7 rebound 3 steal performance. Brett Moyer is looking to earn starter minutes for Birmingham. With 16 points, 4 assists, 1 block and 2 steals, he could very well do just that. Karl Maloney not happy about being drafted in the 2nd round put in a solid performance going 6-12 for 14 points and had 2 steals. There are others who deserve being mentioned that will not be in this instance.
Who could be the potential top ten busts of this draft?
Emmett Yee of Amsterdam - 8 points on 4-17 shooting just doesn't get it done.
John Diblasi of Amsterdam - 3 points 2 rebs and 4 turnovers. No, you're not in Amsterdam any more.
Keith Douglas of Amsterdam - 7 points 8 assists but 4 turnovers. Keith you need to pass to all your teammates.
Jimmy Whalen of Vojvodina - 9 points 5 assists. He was supposed to be the top pure PG, of course passing to Yee today meant a missed shot.
Amsterdam has recently started a recruiting campaign that indicates if you go to Amsterdam you will be a top ten pick. One has to wonder if they will try to remove the moniker that some have added to slogan. If you go to Amsterdam you will be a top ten pick and a bust in the draft.
August 23rd, 2002
News Flash from Capetown
16JJeff Bailey and Jimmy Walters are the first casualties of the new management. Today they were both cut. Bailey refussed to comment.
August 21st, 2002
Bob Towe
Budapest has a ful roster and as a result has decided not to sign their second round draft pick Bob Towe. Towe was considered by some to be an excellent second round draft pick but Budapest just doesn't have space for him.
August 20th, 2002
Making the Draft Grade.
Draft Analysis
by Zagrieb Zano
It has been only a few short hours since since the draft at the time of this writing. not having slept more then 2 hours in the last 48, I have literally become exhausted by the draft. Every year there are a few surprise moves that make people have the gaping mouth shock look with a terrific pick. There are also those teams who would cause the giggelings of their counterparts at a bold pick ... so bold it shouldn't have been done.
There are winners and losers in the deaft. While it is true my point of view is merely one subjective look on how these picks help a team. Class is now in session, and I do grade on a curve so listen up Owners and GM's.
Western Conference
Pacific Division
Colorado Pioneers
They recently resigned Heiko Van Brandt who is one of the top small forwards in the game. With the imminent exodus of Kevon Duke, Cristobal Dasher and Pete Merritt, one has to wonder why Emmett Yee who is a pure SF would be the top pick for this club,it is obvious that there is a sentimental feeling towards Yee.. Gil was available and is a better player over all and can play the SG spot. Colorado traded away a 1st round pick in order to grab Bob Price in the 2nd round, this was a very good move and Bob could get some significant minutes at the 5 spot.
Grade C+
Oregon Golden Bears
After resigning Lou Gonzales and sending Joe Jones to Varese in exchange for Ed Kane, this team really needed to get a SG. But they were one pick too late to get Gil who was very high on their priority list. hey selected Al Lee as they believe they will be losing Bill Rainwater. Al Lee is a very good player but he is a 3/4 and so didn't solve gaping hole at the SG spot. With the 27th pick overall they took youngster Omar Jefferson the 19 year old hot shot out of Milipitas High, CA. This guy has about as much ball control of Parker Mason with out the passing ability. And he is a shooter ... just isn't good at making them often. After a few years of WBA experience he could be very good. he plays the 1/2 but you don't want him handeling the ball because he will lose it a ton, and you don't want him at the 2 shooting. Omar should've been a late 2nd round pick.
Grade D
Nebraska Sun Warriors
Nebraska originally had the 18th pick but gave up something like 9 picks to move up to #6. And then paid an additional 2.5 mil plus the 6th pick to take Jimmy Whalen. I sure hope this guy was worth all that, talk about entering the pressure cooker. Whalen should be fine and he is exactly what this team needed. He is considered the top pure point gu