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May May 24th, 2003
Around the WBA
Dexter Kodak is sitting out two games to rest his sore body before the play-offs start. His ankle has been hurting him and he feels he should rest it rather than running the risk of hurting it more.
Sebastian Cole of Cancun has violated the league drug policy and will miss the rest of the season.
Drake Bacheman of Texas is suspended for five games after throwing a chair at a group of fans who booed him.
Everrett Kubey died today in a car accident. He didn't see a lot of playing time for VI but he was very popular in the locker room and will be greatly missed. Keyshawn Eosso of Carolina was Everrett's best friend and is taking it very hard. He seems to have closed off emotionally and will talk about nothing but basketball.
On a happier note Bert Latham is the happy new father of a baby girl.
Birmingham's Lonnie Graham dislocated his knee and will miss the rest of the season.
Charlie Jones has been stalked by a crazed teenage fan. The fan has a history of mental instabiliy and attacked Charlies gardener while trying to get closer to Charlie. The ordeal as really hit Charlie hard and he is having a hard time focusing on basketball. What is really freaky is that the investigation has revealed that the fan had a friend in Carolina who was doing the same thing to Johnnie Watson, who is aos now rather freaked out!
Bobby Egan of Utah has gotten some good press this week talking about how good his attitude has remained all season even though he has not played a single minute for the Highlanders.
May 21st, 2003
Stones in the Desert
Andruw Williams Will miss three games due to having Kidney Stones passed.
Oryn Dasing of Oregon has been suspended for the next five games because he threw a chair at a Utah fan who was booing him.
May 16th, 2003
Where are They Now?
By Sam Plummer
It seems just like yesterday that Wayne Taylor stepped foot on a WBA floor for the first time. For those owners that were around for Season 2, we all remember the hype of the very first WBA Rookie Draft. Taylor, Yeager, Colbert. We all remember the Joe Jones/Harry Jarvis saga. Now, as we approach the end of Season 7, it is time to look back and revisit that Season 2 Draft and to find out who has lived up to their billing, who has been a bust, and who has exceeded expectations. It is time to ask, "Where Are They Now?"
#1) Colorado--Wayne Taylor, Tyre Tech University
Without a doubt, the best #1 pick that this league will ever see. He was drafted when he was 17 years old. Not even old enough to smoke a cigarette, Taylor averaged 23.7 ppg in his rookie season while teaming up with MVP Boom-Boom Casey. Colorado fans thought these 2 would be together forever, but they didn't get along. Taylor was traded after his rookie season in arguably the biggest trade in WBA history. Wayne Taylor has since played for Nebraska and has been a one man show for practically his entire time in Nebraska until this season. Taylor looks to be on a mission this year as he is on his way to probably another MVP season and perhaps his first WBA Championship.
#2) Boston--Bill Yeager, Port Chester University
Bill Yeager has spent his entire career with the Boston Massacre and has led his team to the WBA Finals twice, winning once. In his rookie season, Yeager was part of that great "4 Headed Monster" as they won the championship. Yeager has certainly lived up to his billing as he has been a perennial all-star. Is age starting to catch up to Bill? For the fourth season in a row, his numbers have gone down. While still putting up all-star numbers, Cory must be asking himself if Yeager is worth another long term contract when his contract ends.
#3) Winifred--Horace Colbert, High School
After spending his rookie season with one of the worst franchises this league has ever seen, Colbert spent a couple seasons with Berlin and later signed a multi-million dollar contract with the London Disco where he currently resides. Colbert has been a 20/10 player his whole career and is still one of the top 5 centers in the league. He led London to the WBA Finals in Season 5 only to lose to Colorado. Unlike Yeager, Colbert hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
#4) Cancun--Scott Nicholson, Monaco St.
You could make a case that Scott Nicholson has been a disappointment in his 6 seasons in the WBA. Despite averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds throughout his career in Cancun, I think Pat Fullum would agree that he expected a little more out Nicholson--possibly 20/10. Give Nicholson credit though. He was the first core member on Cancun's championship team last year and has had the longest tenure out of anybody on the team. While Kent Mercer and Parker Mason overshadow Nicholson, they wouldn't be nearly as good without him.
#5) North Carolina--Paul Wilson, St. Helen's
Paul Wilson has made a few pit stops in his WBA career. He spent a couple of seasons in North Carolina, one season in London, and has now found a home in Salt Lake City. One thing comes to mind when you speak of this man--rebounding. Pencil him in for 15 rebounds, no questions asked. Some might look at this pick and say that he isn't worth the 5th pick overall. Why waste the 5th pick on someone who can't score and can just rebound? Like him or not, you can't question his work ethic. Paul Wilson will have a long WBA career. He might average double figure points one day. Wilson has quietly shot over 50% from the floor in his career. Some might wonder if one year he'll break out and average a double double.
#6) Brooklyn--AJ Schulz, Great Wall University
AJ Schulz is one of the reasons why Brooklyn is always a good team. He is another one of these rookies who has spent his entire career with one team. Some might say that Schulz has been a disappointment since his rookie season where he averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds. You can pencil him in for 17 points and 8 rebounds now. He is a great all-around player and there's not one owner in this league that wouldn't want this guy on their team.
#7) Boston--Jeff Bailey, Hard Knocks University
What happened to this guy? He was part of the "4 Headed Monster" in Boston when they won the championship in Season 2. In his first 2 seasons in the WBA, he averaged 20 points per game. He was then traded to New York, signed by Capetown, played again in New York last season where he averaged 7 ppg off the bench. He was on the verge of being out of the league until Virgin Island signed him in the off-season where he is now trying to resurrect his career. He's averaging a respectable 13 ppg, but on the second worst team in the league. This is probably one of the biggest busts I've seen after what looked to be a promising career.
#8) New York--Kelvin Davidson, High School
Of the all the bad trades that Steven would like to take back, trading Kelvin Davidson has got to be on the top of the list. Davidson spent 2 seasons in New York before being traded to London where he has played for the last 4 seasons. Since joining London, Kelvin has scored a career high in points and assists per game at 22.8 and 11.4 respectively. Kelvin is a perennial all-star and is one of the top 3 point guards in the league. He led London to the WBA Finals only to get hurt and miss a few games in a losing effort.
#9) Baltimore--Joe Jones, Sahara Institute
Joe Jones or Harry Jarvis? We all remember this debate that went on for a couple of seasons between Baltimore or Albacete. Looking back at the numbers since Season 2, Joe Jones wins by a SLIGHT advantage. These numbers are close to being identical, but Jones wins by a hair. Numbers say Jones is better, but Jones has been the only offensive threat on most of the teams he has been while Jarvis has had other scorers on his teams. Baltimore realized what a mistake they made when they failed to re-sign him in Season 5 only to trade for him in Season 6. Joe Jones is Baltimore and without him, they would be even worse than they have been over the years which is hard to imagine.
#10) Baltimore--Bill Lopez, Independent University
This is the definition of a journeyman. He has played 6 seasons with 5 different teams. Lopez came into the league with a lot of potential. His only downside was that he was injury prone. Injuries have ruined this guy's once promising career. He average 16 ppg and 10 rpg in his first 2 seasons with Baltimore and London respectively before having 3 knee operations. He has spent time with Indiana, Carolina, and has spent his last 2 seasons with Capetown. He is barely hanging on to a career in the WBA. He has said that his next injury will be his last in a WBA uniform. Some speculate that this will be his last year and could possibly join the Capetown coaching staff next season.
#11) Albacete--Harry Jarvis, Siberia University
Harry Jarvis has played in every single game in Albacete's history. I could be wrong on this, but he could be the only player in the league to have played in every one of this team's game. This guy shows up for work everyday and has always been the fan favorite in Albacete. Pedro will tell you that Jarvis is better than Joe Jones. While the numbers tell a different story, Jarvis is making his case this year. Jarvis is having one of his best seasons ever on the best team in the league and Jones is having his worst season ever on one of the worst teams in the league. Jarvis is as good as they come.
#12) Tokyo--Jerry Dickenson, New Zealand
Jerry Dickenson was the only reason why Tokyo even had fans going to their games in Seasons 2 and 3. Dickenson averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds in his first 2 seasons. When Lou Gonzales arrived in Tokyo, Dickenson was never the same player and was not re-signed by Tokyo. He signed with Cincinnati and is now averaging 1.3 points in 4 minutes per game in just 32 games this season. The rumor in Cincinnati is that Jerry will not be back next season which could spell the end of his playing days.
#13) London--Rick Schulz, Vojvodina University
Rick Schulz is arguably the best player in the league who never gets talked about. Year in and year out he scores and scores some more. He spent his rookie season in London before being traded to Nebraska. He is now probably best known for being Wayne Taylor's sidekick. Brandon Morfeld credits Schulz just as much as Taylor for having a winning team in Nebraska over the years. However, there is now concern surrounding Rick. This season, for the first time in his career, he missed a game, several in fact. Team doctors are worried that Schulz might be affected by this for the rest of his career. However, Schulz feels confident that he will be back to 100% by next season.
#14) Baltimore--George Lush, University of Alaska-Dallas
George Lush has quietly put together a solid career in Baltimore (and a brief 2 game stint in Washington before a trade was overturned). This guy has averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds throughout his career and has shot over 50%. I bet you didn't know that. Lush, who is regarded by many as the quietest man in the WBA, played college ball in Alaska. He has a pet dog named John Wayne. And a cat named Skittles.
#15) Bermuda--Rod Lawrence, Abe Lincoln University
Rod Lawrence played in 5 different places in 5 seasons. He had a couple of promising seasons in Bermuda and Nebraska where he averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds. Then he went on to Myrtle Beach, Miami, and Virgin Islands where he was playing mop up duty. Rod is currently out of the league, but is still working out in his Chicago suburb home where he hopes to be ready to tryout for a team in training camp in Season 8.
#16) Indiana--Wesley Phillips, Abe Lincoln University
Wesley Phillips has averaged a solid 16 points and 7 assists while playing for Indiana during his rookie season, Cincinnati for 2 seasons, and Roswell for the last 3 seasons. Many owners around the league feel that Phillips has been an overachiever. Roswell thought so highly of him that they gave him money that top point guards in the league make. Despite his solid play, Phillips is not one of the top point guards in the league, BUT is still one of the better ones. His huge contract has plagued him throughout his time in Roswell. Unfortunately, his play and his body have both deteriorated over the last couple of seasons. Rumors around the league have Phillips being waived at the end of the season to free up about $6 million in cap space for Roswell.
#17) Maine--Bucky McCarty, University of Alaska-Dallas
Bucky McCarty burst onto the scene back in his playing days in Maine in Seasons 2 and 3. His second season was his best where he averaged 27.6 ppg and shot lights out at 50.8% for a shooting guard!! This guy was an all-star and became a household name. He was an overachiever, and like many overachievers, he was sent to Myrtle Beach where he came back to reality. Don't get me wrong, he was still pretty good averaging 19 ppg, but was a huge disappointment coming off a career year. He was then traded to Varese and then Capetown where he averaged 19 and 18 ppg respectively. Now, in his second season in Capetown, he has lost his starting job and is now averaging 7.8 ppg. Many around the league feel that McCarty is no longer good enough to start in the league, but is a good player to come off the bench.
#18) Berlin--Charlie Elkington, Royal Academy
Two seasons ago, Charlie Elkington was one of the bright spots for an overachieving team in California where he averaged 16.1 ppg. However, he is now best known for his one year drug suspension which he served last season. He has returned from his one year hiatus and comes off the bench in a reserve role. He showed a lot of promise in his rookie season with Berlin before being traded to Winifred where he played a couple of seasons. Like everyone who ever played in Winifred he became depressed and immediately got out of there when his contract ended. Now that he is in California, he seems to be happier as he is closer to bigger cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco where he has easier access to the green stuff. I'm talking about money, yeah that's it. Yeah, money. It's green!!
#19) Chacarita--Lloyd Snyder, Chesapeake University
Who? Well I remember him (I coached him at Chesapeake U.). Chacarita got bashed for making this pick and 6 seasons later we see why. Snyder did play for 3 seasons in Chacarita and actually averaged 12 ppg in his second season. Snyder is currently one of the assistant coaches at his alma mater. No, not Chesapeake. I only hire the best. He is coaching his junior high team. Here's a little something I found out about him after he went on to the pros. He apparently had problems with alcohol and sometimes snuck out after curfew to party with the schools he played against the same night. I heard he is on Iowa St.'s list of coaching candidates.
#20) Colorado--George Sewell, Zagreb University
George Sewell spent one season in Colorado, 2 in Winifred, and has spent the last 3 seasons in Capetown. Sewell has had a solid WBA career averaging close to 12 points per game. Although, his stats have been boosted for playing on pretty lousy teams. Right now on Capetown, he is averaging 15 ppg in 2 GAMES!!! This guy has trade bait written all over him because someone in the league could use him. If Capetown is unable to trade him, there is rumors that they might release him to save some cap room.
#21) Fernie--Johnny Brose, St. Helen's
When Johnny Brose was drafted, he had to be ecstatic becuase the WBA Champions picked him to carry on their winning "tradition." Fernie went bankrupt and the rest is history. Brose was traded to New York and then traded to Midland which is currently the Texas franchise where he has been playing for 4 seasons. Brose is probably the one player in this draft class that kept getting better and better every year and is now one of the best forwards in the league. In the WBA, Brose has been best known for his ability to rebound. What makes this draft pick in Brose, one of the best in the HISTORY of the WBA is that he didn't do too much in college to warrant a first round pick or a second round pick for that matter. He wasn't even one of the top rebounders in college and is now one of the top ones in the WBA.
#22) Varese--Frank Constantini, Unknown
This is probably the one pick in this draft that got the most criticism. No one had even heard of this guy. No one knew where he came from and he was a first round pick. Constantini hasn't exactly had a great WBA career, but has been around the league with a couple of teams in Varese and Maine/Budapest. His best season was in Season 3 where he averaged 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds. Other than that, he has been a bench player that plays 15 minutes per game--but a solid 15 minutes. As long as he continues his solid rebounding off the bench, he should be able to find teams vying for his service for a while.
#23) Chacarita--Frank Rose, Iceland
Frank Rose is probably best known for having a breakout year in London back in Season 4 where he averaged 22.2 ppg. He then was traded to Omaha where he averaged 20 ppg for 2 seasons. He now plays for Birmingham which is the original franchise he started with. He played 2 seasons with the Chacarita team and average 17 ppg. This season with Birmingham he is averaging 16 ppg. Rose has shown througout his career that he is a capable scorer and can shoot the ball with the best of them with his 52% average from the floor for his career.
#24) Cincinnati--Steve Felix, Wilmington
For a first round pick, this guy has had a disappointing career. He was drafted by Cincinnati, traded to Boston, then traded to New Orleans where he played a couple of seasons, then signed with Miami where he played for a couple of seasons. Then, he signed with Cincinnati in the offseason where he has yet to play 1 minute this season! He has averaged 6 ppg for his career. Felix is thinking about retirement, but some WBA scouts believe that he still might be able to contribute with his rebounding ability.
#25) New Orleans--Andruw Williams, Vojvodina University
Andruw Williams has never been a flashy player, but has been known to get the job done. In his first 5 seasons in the WBA, he averaged double figures in scoring and was at the 5 or 6 assist mark. He helped lead the expansion New Orleans franchise to the playoffs in their inaugural season. He spent one season each in the aforementioned New Orleans, London, Chacarita, and Boston. He is now in his second season with Roswell where he has now seen diminished playing time off the bench. Some around the league feel that he can still start on some teams in the league and is always a name floating around the trade deadline with his tenacious defense.
#26) Sydney--Johnny Tatum, High School
Johnny Tatum has always impressed scouts with his potential, but not his work ethic. In his rookie season with Sydney, he averaged 12 ppg. In his second season, his numbers dropped to 9 ppg, but with a little less than half the playing time compared to his rookie season. He moved on the New York and Brooklyn each for one season, but played sporadically. He has spent the last 2 seasons with Baltimore and has seen very little playing time this year. Being out of shape and poor work ethic have hurt his WBA career.
#27) North Carolina--Ed Bryant, Independent University
There was a lot of hype surrounding this guy after he averaged 16 ppg in his rookie season as a 17-year old. He looked like he was on his way to WBA stardom. Nebraska acquired him in Season 3 thinking they had the next great player on their hands. He struggled in his sophomore season averaging just 6.5 ppg. He has now spent the last 4 seasons with Bermuda/Capetown where he has spent most of his time on the bench. This season his minutes are as low as they have ever been and he is averaging just over 2 ppg. Many scouts around the league still feel he is capable of playing in this league because of his ability to score. His inability to defend and his nickname "Lead Foot" have hurt his career.
#28) Indiana--Jim Cantwell, Unknown
The last pick in the first round didn't last long in the WBA. He was run out of town after his rookie season. Nicknamed, Jim Can't "Play" Well, he also took that nickname with him off the basketball court. Jim couldn't play well in life. He is now serving time in the Indiana State Prison for murdering his great grandfather who was 104 years old at the time. I was able to contact his ex-wife and she had this to say. "Was it really worth it to kill a 104-year old man? Doctors said he was going to die pretty soon anyway. The last time I spoke to Jim the only thing he could say was 'Dentures!!'" Apparently, his grandfather dropped his dentures in Jim's beer glass to get more added flavor, which upset Jim.
May 12th, 2003
All-Star Game
(36-15) Western All-Sta 21 22 20 31 - 94 (Kent Mercer 15)
(23-29) Eastern All-Sta 33 34 35 28 - 130 (Boom-Boom Casey 20)
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Western All-Stars FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
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Parker Mason 22 6-10 0- 0 1- 2 1- 4 8 1 0 3 1 13
George Foster 22 1- 4 2- 2 0- 0 0- 2 3 3 1 2 1 4
Wayne Taylor 21 4- 5 1- 2 1- 1 2- 2 0 2 0 2 0 10
Heiko Van Brandt 22 1- 7 2- 2 0- 1 2- 5 0 0 0 1 0 4
Kent Mercer 22 5-14 5- 6 0- 2 0- 2 5 3 4 2 0 15
Buck Jones 22 0- 7 7- 8 0- 1 0- 1 3 3 0 2 0 7
Dexter Kodak 23 4- 8 0- 0 4- 8 1- 4 0 0 0 2 2 12
Scott Nicholson 21 3- 8 0- 0 0- 1 2- 3 3 2 0 1 4 6
Jim McCarthy 21 5- 9 4- 4 0- 0 0- 4 1 1 0 1 0 14
Magic Toby 22 1- 8 0- 0 0- 1 0- 0 2 4 0 0 1 2
Devonta Corrigan 22 2- 8 3- 4 0- 0 2- 6 0 3 0 0 1 7
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Totals 240 32- 88 24-28 6-17 10-33 25 22 5 16 10 94
36.4% 85.7% 35.3%
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Coached by:
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Eastern All-Stars FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
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Kelvin Davidson 22 3- 8 1- 2 0- 0 0- 1 8 2 0 0 1 7
Dave Williams 22 5-10 4- 4 0- 0 0- 1 5 2 0 3 1 14
Shane Strom 20 6-10 4- 5 1- 4 1- 6 2 0 0 1 4 17
Dave Short 21 1- 8 6- 6 0- 0 1- 1 0 1 1 2 1 8
Lou Gonzales 8 4- 4 0- 1 0- 0 0- 1 0 0 1 0 1 8
Steve Peterson 22 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 0- 7 8 1 0 0 3 4
Kevon Duke 23 7-17 2- 2 0- 2 0- 3 6 3 0 2 0 16
Arron Black 21 3- 4 2- 2 1- 1 1- 7 2 2 0 1 0 9
Jerry Bramson 20 3- 7 2- 2 0- 0 2- 3 4 1 0 0 2 8
Boom-Boom Casey 20 6-11 8- 8 0- 0 1- 3 3 2 2 0 1 20
Jaxon McCall 21 5- 7 0- 0 1- 3 0- 3 0 4 2 1 1 11
Bobby Cress 20 4- 7 0- 0 0- 0 3- 7 2 5 1 0 1 8
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Totals 240 49- 95 29-32 3-10 9-43 40 23 7 10 16 130
51.6% 90.6% 30.0%
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Coached by:
Lead Changes: 0 Ties: 0
Go-Ahead Shot: Dave Williams (2-0)
Largest Leads: Western All-Stars -- 0
Eastern All-Stars -- 40 (98-58)
May 12th, 2003
Rookie All-Star Game
(21-31) Western Rookies 24 20 27 34 - 105 (Oman Fatafehi 22)
(22-29) Eastern Rookies 21 22 24 25 - 92 (Zane Rivers 14)
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Western Rookies FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
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John Van Horne 20 2- 5 3- 3 0- 0 3-11 2 3 1 2 0 7
Samir Sheth 23 4-12 7- 7 0- 0 2- 6 0 3 0 1 1 15
Abegunda Abasi 23 4-11 2- 2 0- 2 0- 2 1 2 3 3 1 10
Greg Lacy 23 2- 4 0- 0 0- 0 1- 4 4 2 0 0 3 4
Craig Bradshaw 20 2- 9 0- 0 0- 2 1- 7 1 3 1 1 1 4
Cole Bayo 23 6-10 3- 3 0- 0 0- 1 0 1 0 1 3 15
Felipe Juarez 24 3- 5 3- 4 0- 2 0- 4 4 3 0 1 0 9
Johnny Hawks 24 3- 6 2- 2 0- 0 0- 2 3 0 0 1 1 8
Evilio Nunez 24 5-11 0- 0 1- 2 1- 1 2 2 1 3 0 11
Oryn Dasing 5 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Oman Fatafehi 24 8-12 3- 4 3- 4 1- 6 0 1 2 0 1 22
Sean Ashman 9 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Totals 240 39- 85 23-25 4-12 9-45 17 20 8 13 11 105
45.9% 92.0% 33.3%
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Coached by:
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Eastern Rookies FG FT 3P REB
MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS
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Oliver McCarty 20 1- 6 0- 2 0- 1 1- 6 3 2 0 2 1 2
Odibe King 23 6-10 0- 0 1- 1 1- 4 1 4 0 0 1 13
Brian Collins 21 5-11 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 1 1 2 1 0 10
Zane Rivers 22 4- 9 6- 7 0- 3 2-11 2 2 1 0 0 14
Danny Hainge 20 3- 6 4- 4 0- 0 1- 1 2 1 0 2 0 10
Kadeem Reed 19 1- 7 4- 4 0- 0 1- 3 3 1 0 1 1 6
Michael Huryta 22 5- 8 0- 0 0- 0 3- 9 1 4 1 0 4 10
Bernie Henderson 20 1- 7 2- 2 0- 3 3- 4 1 0 0 0 0 4
Nick Adams 21 4-14 1- 2 0- 2 1- 2 1 1 0 2 0 9
Lonnie Graham 21 3- 9 2- 2 0- 0 0- 0 4 4 1 3 0 8
Shaun Busch 22 0- 5 6- 6 0- 1 1- 4 0 1 0 0 4 6
Vincent Robinson 8 0- 2 0- 0 0- 1 0- 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
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Totals 240 33- 94 25-29 1-12 14-45 20 21 5 11 12 92
35.1% 86.2% 8.3%
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Coached by:
Lead Changes: 8 Ties: 9 (40-40)
Go-Ahead Shot: Felipe Juarez (44-43)
Largest Leads: Western Rookies -- 15 (94-79)
Eastern Rookies -- 6 (40-34)
May 12th, 2003
3-points Contest
Round 1
Buck Jones- 01010 00112 01002 00010 01012= 14
Zachariah Salera- 01112 00110 10010 11110= 13
Wayne Taylor- 01112 11112 11112 01112 01010= 24
Johnny Hawks- 01110 00010 10000 00102 11112= 14
Austyn Williams- 10110 10100 10112 11010 10012= 17
Jamie Moore- 11100 01002 11102 10100 10110= 15
Oryn Dasing- 10110 01012 10112 01110 10112= 20
Leon Berthelson- 01012 00010 00102 01100 01110= 13
Ramiro Watts- 01010 11000 00100 01002 10002= 11
Felipe Juarez- 10012 01000 10012 10102 00110= 15
Pat Stephenson- 00110 01112 11100 11010 00112= 17
Marten Kurpeikis- 11012 10012 10110 00112 11010= 18
J.D. Yetman- 11010 10012 11102 11112 11110= 22
Dexter Kodak- 10110 00100 11000 00012 11102= 14
Dave Williams- 00102 10112 01012 01112 10100= 19
Charlie Daidone- 11112 11002 00110 11100 11110= 19
Derek Vinyard- 11100 01000 10002 11112 00112= 17
Abdullah Chanda- 11112 11112 10010 11012 11112= 25
Jaxon McCall- 11112 00100 01112 01102 11010= 19
Jalen Bell- 11112 10002 10112 01110 00010= 18
Bill Andrews- 01010 11112 00002 01002 00112= 17
Joe Jones- 00112 01012 11110 10110 01102= 19
A.J. Schulz- 00012 01010 11100 11112 00110= 16
Trent Jordan- 10100 01010 01000 11110 00102= 12
Herman Burke- 01012 11110 11010 11112 11112= 23
Kevon Duke- 01102 10102 11100 10012 11112= 21
Frank Rose- 11112 11010 01010 11102 11112= 22
Milos Tskitishvili- 00112 01012 11112 01100 10102= 20
Shoot-off
Austyn Williams- 11110 11102 10110 01112 11010= 20
Pat Stephenson- 10000 00010 01012 01002 00002= 11
Derek Vinyard- 10012 10102 00010 11100 01102= 15
Bill Andrews- 11112 00012 11112 00100 11012= 21
Round 2
Wayne Taylor- 01112 11000 11112 11102 11112= 24
Austyn Williams- 11102 11110 11000 11012 01112= 21
Oryn Dasing- 11112 01102 01102 10102 00012= 21
Marten Kurpeikis- 11112 01112 10110 10002 10012= 21
J.D. Yetman- 00012 01100 11100 11112 11000= 16
Dave Williams- 10010 11000 11110 11102 01012= 17
Charlie Daidone- 11000 11002 10010 11102 01102= 17
Abdullah Chanda- 11102 10112 10110 11002 11110= 21
Jaxon McCall- 00112 01110 11000 11110 01110= 16
Jalen Bell- 11010 01112 11112 00102 11112= 23
Bill Andrews- 01112 01110 10002 11010 01112= 19
Joe Jones- 01102 00002 11110 01010 00110= 14
Herman Burke- 11012 11010 01102 11110 10112= 21
Kevon Duke- 11110 01012 11002 11112 11110= 22
Frank Rose- 11010 01100 00102 01100 00112= 14
Milos Tskitishvili- 11010 00102 11100 10100 11112=16
Round 3
Wayne Taylor- 11012 11110 10102 11002 11112= 23
Austyn Williams- 01002 11102 00112 11112 01110= 21
Oryn Dasing- 10102 01112 11102 01112 11110= 23
Marten Kerpeikis- 01010 10102 01100 00010 00000= 10
Abdullah Chanda- 10010 11002 11112 01100 11110= 18
Jalen Bell- 10112 11112 11112 01012 01002= 24
Herman Burke- 01112 10012 00012 10110 11112= 20
Kevon Duke- 10000 11100 00002 01100 01112= 14
Round 4
Wayne Taylor- 11112 01112 00112 11112 10112= 26
Austyn Williams- 11102 11112 11112 11000 10112= 24
Oryn Dasing- 11012 11110 01112 10110 11110= 21
Jalen Bell- 01102 01112 10102 11112 11012= 24
Shoot-off
Austyn Williams- 10110 11010 11112 11112 11112= 22
Jalen Bell- 11012 10112 01000 01012 11112= 21
Round 5
Wayne Taylor- 01110 11012 11112 11012 11112= 27
Austyn Williams- 11112 11102 11002 11110 00102= 22
April 30th, 2003
Injuries Abound
Rick Schulz had a terrible high ankle sprain today. Nebraska doctors expect that he will miss almost five weeks.
Charlie Jones of Budapest will miss tomorrows game because of some bad shrimp.
Marbuke is playing a lot of minutes for a rookie. His body is having a hard time adjusting to the pro game. He will be missing the next five games to rest his over used body.
Steve Peterson's body continues to show his age. Budapest will rest him for the next two games.
April 26th, 2003
Around the WBA
Al Zarra will miss one game due to a minor undisclosed medical proceedure.
Charlie Elkington will miss two games due to being attacked by his neighbors dog.
Samir Sheth will miss one game for court. He has been charge with raping a young lady. Sheth claims to be innocent but the wigirl is very credible.
April 24th, 2003
WBA Guards Playing a lot of Minutes
There are a lot of guards in the WBA who are playing a lot of minutes. Two in particular are starting to show side affects. Steve Peterson has been complaining of back spasms and the team doctors have said he needs to sit out the next seven games. Capetown's Dexter Kodak will also sit out the next game to rest his knees.
April 16th, 2003
Will Pride cause Varese's Fall?
Keith Douglas is having an excellent season. He leads the league in assists with 13.5. But, he has never gotten along with management. Today he also got in an arguement with Jaxon McCall and decided if it worked for Pedro Otis it can work for him. He has announced that he will not play another game for Varese and demands that they trade him.
In other news Peter parker of Omaha will miss four games do to his passing Kidney Stones and Maxwell Hunter of Texas had some bad shrimp and will miss one game.
April 16th, 2003
Bad News for Nicholson
Scott Nicholson ended todays game with an injurty late in the fourth quarter. The news isn't good. Doctors say that he badly dislocated his knee. He will miss atleast 5 games but the bad news is that Doctors do not think the injury will ever completely heel. They are afraid that the rest of his career will be littered with knee troubles and dislocations.
March 31st, 2003
WBA News
Jonathan Booth of the Salt Lake City Fanatics was badly bitten on his leg by a friend's dog. He will miss the next two games.
Bob Kinsey of Budapest and Jose Hayes of Salt Lake City will miss tomorrow's games to to the births of their children.
February 15th, 2003
Back to the Future of the Brooklyn Rage
By Ron Chambers
Brooklyn is the most successful team in league history. They are tied with Colorado for the best record in league history but they have never had a loosing season nor have they ever missed the play-offs. Plus, they won a championship. But, when a team has that kind of success the management and the fans begin to expect a lot. When the Rage failed to be able to compete with teams like Washington and Boston last seasonit was a huge disappointment for the franchise. The problem for Brooklyn was that they had little money several players becoming free agents and no draft picks. Despite all that they still had a great off season!
Point Guard:
This has been one of Brooklyn's most challenging possitions. They've had Pee-Wee Stoddard, Woody Reynolds and most recently Justin Krueger. Woody Reynolds won a championship his last year with Brooklyn which really put a microscope on Justin Krueger. Krueger was only 21 when he got the starting nod and honestly he wasnt ready yet. He has slowly improved his passing but continues to struggle with his shot. What makes Kruger valuable is his cool headedness. He doesn't make many mistakes. Brooklyn believes that Krueger will develope into a top PG but he will probably need a season or two more. In order to free enough money to keep Krueger Brooklyn had to trade the very talented Russ Chase. Chase was a pure passer who had good hands on defense. His replacement is rookie Bernie Henderson who is a very different player. For a point guard Henderson doesn't pass very well but he is a much more accurate shooter than Chase was. Henderson is also a very good rebounder and has good defensive hands. He also has a good intuitive feel of how offenses and Defenses work. Over all the Rage have improve in the point guard possition and expect that this possition will not be a liability. \Shooting
Guard:
Signing Mario Bailey to a five year contract was a huge move for the Ragein the off-season. This is a guy who will one day be a super star but still has a lot of learning to do. This kid is turning twenty and already does a little of every thing. He is increadibly athletic which allows his to block shots and rebound well his primary weakness is his shooting which will slowly improve over the next few years. He isn't a star yer and may be the weak spot on this team but that can be over looked some since his future is SOOOO bright. Filling in most of the shooting guard bench minutes will be Lonnie Gerson. THis will put Gerson out of possition but he is a fantastic player who needs to find minutes where he can. Last season he lead the league in steals and he plans to do it again. He is also a great rebounder for this possition. Ozzie Kramer is also back on the Rage. The last time he played for Brooklyn they won the championship, hopefully this is a good omen.
Small Forward:
Despite the oppinions of some writers this is the strongest small forward group in the league. Shane Strom is the best small forward in the league. At some point Wayne Taylor will pass him but not yet. Strom is one of the top scorers, rebounders and passers at this possition. His weakness is that he gets a little to agressive on hte defensive end and can end up in foul trouble. A little noticed fact about Strom is that he is a fantastic decission maker. One of Brooklyn's biggest moves this off season was signing Strom to an extension. Last year he committed less than a turnover a game in 36 minutes. Lonnie Gerson will fill in the remainder of minutes. It is hard to imagine that there is a better duo in the league.
Power Forward:
Early in his career A.J. Schulz was expected to develop into a super star. It never quite happened that way. Mostly, because of Schulz' completely unselfish style of play. He can put the team on his back but that has become Shane Stroms job. However, Schulz is the glue that holds this team together. He does a little of every thing. He was second on the team in rebounding and scoring and averaged more than four assists a game. When he is playing well the Rage are almost impossible to beat. Larry Saunders and Lonnie Gerson will probably split the remaining few minutes at this possition. Saunders is an offensive specialist and Gerson is a defensive specialist. They should work well together.
Center:
Joe Siebert is one of the most under rated players in the league. He has never finished worse than 5th in blocked shots and is always amoung the top rebounders. Last year he was third in blocks and fourht in rebounds. He is also a solid offensive player when asked. He doesn't take a lot of shots but makes most the shots he takes and he also does a great job of getting him to the line. There is nothing fancy about Sieberts game but he is quitely one of the top centers in the league He also has great endourance. For the few minutes that Siebert doesn't play Larry Saunders fills in admirably.
Critical Judgement:
The weakness of Brooklyn is still their guards. But, their guards are really developing. With Henderson, Gerson and Saunders coming off the bench Brooklyn is also extremely deep. This year Brooklyn should be a better shooting and rebounding team also they should take better care of the ball and get more steals. All this adds up to a much improved team! Watch out Washington.
February 14th, 2003
Baltimore Preview
In B-More the Sentinels have gone thru FA without acquiring a single FA and managing to cap out after the Draft.
When Coach Arnold was ask how can this happen he was heard to mumble some explicates about the GM. Only having two years of accounting in college and seen hanging around with a certain Illinois Steers (you are supposed to read between the lines here wouldn't want to get sued for slander or anything LOL) JK.
When Coach Arnold was reminded he was the GM of the team he went nuts and was last seen chasing the reporter down.
So here is the lineup for your Baltimore Sentinels:
PG. This position is still held down by Stub Madison. The old still keeps put on the stats and so for looks cemented in this position. He will be backed up Damon Trout who came last year was brought into replace EH (that damn traitor) but was put back on the bench to backup Stub. Damon has put in his due and got respectable playing time. Also they are looking at Bob Kaplan and Oliver Doherty for the future.
SG This is another spot looked down by a solid player in Joe Jones. He avg. dipped down a bit because other scorers on the team but he still knows when to crank it up. Jones is backed by Johnny Tatum who is starting to look like a Jones clone. This guy has the ability to light it up also. Bert Haug the highly touted draft last season did some time here but mostly split time at the SF.
SF Some reporters around the league say this is where Baltimore weakness and sadly this reporter agree. So Coach Arnold is trying to alter that by drafting Obide King. Lance Armstrong last years rookie All-star MVP will start last season Armstrong put in some valuable playing time. He has been in the off season working on his shooting touch and is hoping to improve on it. Bert Haug and King will split time coming off the bench Haug really impressed the staff at this spot he was drafted for the SG spot but seemed to have a natural talent for this slot.
PF This still being held down by George Lush the vet is still putting up the points and grabbing some serious rebounds. He will be backed up by Craig King who just seems not be able to catch break. He is stuck behind a player who can put in major minutes. Craig is quoted as saying he is just happy to being to playing in the league and will do what is expected of him to get some wins. Also look for Clarence Collins to see some action at this spot and at the Center. The teams was really impressed with his scoring ability and defense.
C. This is the spot where Coach Arnold is really disappointed in. After trading All-star Larry Chapman so Sage could step into the spotlight he was let down by Walkers lack of commitment and lazy play. This is a make break year for this young center who need to really cut down on his fouling and stay in the game a lot longer. Backing him are even could replace Walker is Collins who came over from Varesse trade showed some flashes of brilliance enough that he replaced Walker towards the end of the season. Chuck Murphy was drafted to help out at this position, but after a horrible off season some said he was out partying with Cameron Sampson and Charles Cushman the night off the accident. He has already made it in the doghouse of the coach he may not even see playing time. If these centers don't get it together don't be surprised to see Lush putting time in here.
Well, there is the line up for the Sentinels who hope to improve their win title by 5-10 games.
Later
Benedict Washington Baltimore Press.
Late breaking Coach/GM Arnold has been fined an undisclosed amount of money and sent to Anger Management classes for his attack on beat reporter B. Washington.
February 14th, 2003
Western Powershift
by Zagrieb Zano
It has been an up and down history for the Salt Lake City Fanatics over the past 3 seasons of their exsistence. Making the playoffs in their 2nd season things were looking up. Losing Keyshawn Eosso one of their top rebounders and the glue to the teams success Camron Diaz. with no way of replacing these key components they suffered their worst season winning only 19 games in 80 attempts. finish 40 games out of first place does bring its consolation prize of getting a top draft pick. Fate seemed stacked against the Fanatics who were expected to get the #2 pick overall. The lottery gods deemed they would get no better then 4th. Luckily in a previous trade they aquired the NY pick. Which traditionally is going to be a good one and this year was no different as it gave the SLC Fanatics the 5th pick overall as well. Team captain Jose Hayes openly complained to management about getting some solid backup players so he wouldn't need to play quite so many minutes. He all but gave a ultimatum that if quality players were not brought in, he would demand to be traded.
The Fanatics delivered selecting Eric Manning and forging a trade with Utah to swap picks and some money allowing SLC to select GCBA Defensive Player of the Year Cordell Parks. The deal enabled them to take Parks for less money, had he been selected higher which was initially the plan. More importantly, it would give SLC some comfort when Harold Gil happened to lose his temper as he does on occasion. Manning proved in workouts that he should be able to provide 12-15 minutes of quality play giving Hayes a rest. Management also selected a local player from the University of Utah, Oman Fatafehi who will backup the WBA's All-Time leading rebounder Paul Wilson. He should allow Wilson to get a few extra minutes of rest thus extending the rebounding monster's career. not much is expected from KD Mobley AKA Rashman and Jarret Fox, they will have some time to adjust to the WBA lifestyle.
Many people close to the organization expected SLC to take one of the quality centers that were available. GM Brad Bangerter explained it this way, "We were definatly very excited about the prospect of selecting either John Van horne or Craig Bradshaw. And it was a tough decision, one that we hadn't determined until draft day itself. In the end one of my contacts in the GCBA has told me that there should be a quality center in next years draft that would fit this team very well. So we opted to fill some other holes first that would give us as much cap leniency as possible." Fanatic fans are hoping that this year they can make a strong push for a playoff bid. We may see the return of Hayes averaging 12 poitns and 16 assists like he did for portion of the season he had when joining the club. [Tyler] Durden stated, "Things are coming together, we having a good offseason through the rookie camp as well as veterens camp that just started. I think we are going to surprise a few people and I dare say we will have one or two of us in the All-Star game this season."
It could be said that the Fanatics may be one of the deepest teams in the league. If their rookies can fulfill their role as expected then don't be surprised to see them competitng with the elite teams. They have no delusions of making a serious run for the title, but they hope to have their first ever winning season. This team is built behind the tremoundous rebounding abilities of Paul Wilson and John Davis. Over the past couple of seasons, Davis was referred to as a cancer to which ever team he played for. And while it is true that his first year with the Fanatics had them ending up with a Franchise record for losses, he seems to have found a home here in Utah. wilson and Davis accounted for 61% of the teams rebounds last season. SLC is hoping that Gil and Parks can relieve that tremendous load slightly. Durden and Davis should once again provide the majority of the scoring. If Gil can restrain letting the officials know how bad they are doing, he could score more then last seasons 16 ppg. gil was very productive in the 27 minutes that he averaged. All the experts are wandering if this team will learn to play some defense as they were 2nd to last in the previous season. The addition of Parks, Manning and Fatafehi should bolster the defensive concept.
The starting lineup should be the same as last season. Jose Hayes will once again be the floor general and hopes to improve on his 12 points and 9 assists per game. he often outplayed the opposing PG, only see the bench unable to keep the lead. Hayes should reduce his turnovers some with a better overall supporting cast. Eric Manning out of Amsterdam will get the remaining minutes at the point. He has a great sense of the game. He is ideal for the Fanatics, for they love pass first mentality. not to mention his defensive prowess.
Tyler Durden is the teams top Shooting Guard. The fans have come to count on his pin point shooting. While he is not a stand out 3 point shooter, he is deadly from the line as well as inside the arc. Being in the top 15 for FG% considering how many shots he takes is a tremendous feat. Scott Jacoby has slowly come into his own after coming into the league. Most people believe this is a result of a personal issues dealing with his wife. His senior year he was the GCBA leading scorer with 23.8 ppg. The WBA game has been a little difficult for him to adjust to. In his third season with SLC he has become a valueable contributor and at times played 25-30 minutes with great success. He is good enough to start for about 40% of the other teams in the league and he helps give SLC a great offensive punch off the bench. Rookie Jarret Fox if he is lucky will get some garbage time minutes.
Hell knoweth no fury like a woman scorned? Then the infernal pit hasn't met Harold Gil. a terrific rookie season was marred by his excessive outbursts that got him kicked out of 35 of 80 games. He was credited a league record 73 technicals. No other player was any where near this amount. League officials deny that he is being targetted. but the rest of us can only look at the difference of Gil and the next closest "hot Head" Mark Miller of Utah who was hit with 11 technicals. Regardless Gil has promised to try to play nice a little bit more often. We can only imagine the type of numbers he will put up if this is true; considering he averaged 16 ppg in only 27 minutes last season. Cordell Parks will challenge Gil for the starting job, but he may get more time then he planned on if gil is unable to avoid the wrath of the referees. If given enough minutes Parks could possibly challenge for the 6th Man award and even Rookie of the Year. Regardless he should help his team with his defensive skills.
Able to leap players in a single bound, able to muscle anybody near the boards, and so good he alone out-rebounded Roswell's entire team 35-25. Paul Wilson is one dimensional, but his dimension changes how the game is played. Opposing players know they get lucky to get rebounds when faced against Wilson. And to think that the rookie Oman Fatafehi who will back up Wilson is one of the top rebounders in the draft. he plays very similar to Wilson. He doesn't shoot often but when he does he makes it. He is a better defensive player and plays great team ball. not to mention that Castro as decided to take Oman under his wing to teach him the finer points of the pro game. The GCBA Top scoring player K.D. mobley may get some minutes, especially for his knack of getting to the free throw line. But I suspect the WBA refs will not be as excited to give the rookie the All-Star Treatment for calls.
No longer the cancer John Davis is the other giant among men when it comes to rebounding. One of just a handful of players to average over 10 boards a game which is a great feat, but now try doing that with Paul Wilson hogging up the boards and that makes it even more impressive. both Davis and Wilson were the top two offensive rebounders grabbing 9 offensive boards a game. Davis can also score when called upon. He tends to get stupid fouls but he plays terrific team defense. He is backed up by Glenallen Castro once again who is a adequate backup and a decent rebounder. He is on the end of his rope and will probably retire following next season. This would expecially be true if indeed SLC is able to find a quality Center to draft next season.
All in all on paper this team appears to have the depth that it lacked last season. That alone behind the respected coaching of Brad Bangerter should put this team in the playoff hunt. If this team is able to play some quality defense, then they will be a team to be careful against. The powershift in the west is changing and it would appear that SLC is part of that powershift.
February 14th, 2003
As the WBA Turns
Charles Cushman was involved in a car accident today. Doctors believe he will be able to play in season 8 but will miss season 7 for surgery and therapy. What is very odd is that Cameron Sampson was in the car that Cuchman hit. Sampson is in better condition but his right hand was totally mutilated. Doctors are confident that he will be able to play again as well as he does now. However, he will require several reconstructive surgeries and will also miss the coming season.
The big news in Texas is Pedro Otis. Otis is furrious that he was traded to Texas. "I don't think Texass has a winning attitude," said Otis "If I am going to loose I would have rather lost in New York where high fashion doesn't involve cowboy boots and Cow tipping isn't even an option on Friday night." Otis says he will not play basketball again until he has been traded. "I'm tired of being around hicks," Otis complained.
February 13th, 2003
Around the WBA
Jon Morgenland signed a three year contract with Budapest this off-season but while working out with Assistant Coaches he had a freak accident. He landed incorrectly on his foot when doing a drill and required surgery. Doctor's say he will be able to play this season but this injury may effect him for the rest of his life.
Who would have thunk that a WBA player would offer to take less money! Kyree Havens has offered to allow Carolina to restructure his contract and lower it by 20% annually. No one is quite sure why he has done this. One rumor is that his Mother accused him of only being about money and forgetting the things that we really important in life...like making a shot!
The big new in the Virgin Islands today is that Storm Schmid has come down with an undisclosed chronic illness and will miss the upcoming season. His wife has refused to devulge any information about his condition.
February 13th, 2003
Oregon Preview
============================================================================================
Starters
============================================================================================
POINT GUARD
Omar Jefferson, 20
-This former high school prep star will be taking a big step in his 2nd season of professional basketball. It is a good bet that he will struggle to play the point at times, turning the ball over due to inexperience. But this kid has mighty potential and has proven he is capable of having big games. The future is bright.
SHOOTING GUARD
Michael Kutak, 24
-As a rookie last season, he didnt get much time on the bench of a deep Albacete team. Kutak is a young player who makes himself known on defense. However, he can be sloppy on offense while handling the ball. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure of being a WBA starter. Veteran JJ McCauley was signed to help him along, and if needed, step in and start.
SMALL FORWARD
Bill Rainwater, 25
-Drafted 47th overall 2 seasons ago, Rainwater was considered a "diamond in the rough". Although he has flaws, he is one of the most dynamic offensive threats in the WBA. In his 2nd full season (first season playing full-time), he accounted for 22 points per game, grabbed 7 rebounds, and shot 48% from the field while playing out of position at SG. He will have a better season at his natural SF spot. Al Lee will be backing up Rainwater when he gets into foul trouble.
POWER FORWARD
Cory Mosely, 25
-Recently signed to a 5 year contract, Cory Mosely is a monster player who is getting ready to emerge as a top Power Forward. He has all the skills to dominate almost every face of a game. His only current weakness is stamina. This season Oregon will make sure Mosely wont be over-played and wont hesitate to use the always solid Paul Hoskins.
CENTER
Marten Kurpeikis, 24
-Starting as a rookie might be tough for Kurpeikis this season, as he is a little bit behind the competition as far as rebounding centers go. He has talent in all the other areas to turn into a solid C in a couple years. Other rookies Nolan Blizzard and Oryn Dasing are also decent Centers that just lack rebounding still. Veteran Fred Cane was brought in to help on the boards and will end up getting his share of time on the court.
This is an extremely young team with lots of growing to do and many picks in the next two drafts. The future looks good for the Bears, but this will be a learning season with low expectations.
February 13th, 2003
Albacete's New Face
Starters:
PG: Bill Andrews is a player that gets his work done every game. He fits
the model of a scoring guard more than a passing oriented guard, but he has a great touch from the outside that will be very useful when teams play
double teams on Lou Gonzales. His number of assists should improve, since now he has a reliable low post offensive player to give the ball. There are rumours that he is working on his defense this summer
SG: Harry Jarvis. A perennial starter for the Burning HEll, Jarvis will see
for the first time in his career as a 2nd choice in the offensive end. If
his ego assumes that, he will be greatly benefited because of the presence
of Lou. Jarvis is more of all a scorer, and he will have to share the ball
more than previous seasons. His agent clames that he has been playing PG in the 'HELLIMFROZEN SIBERIAN SUMMER LEAGUE' with the intention of improving his passing and ability to keep all the team involved
SF: Jim Donelly; is the glue that keeps the team together. Every great team
always need someone to sacrifize for the benefit of the group. Donelly is
the man here. He can get rebounds, steal, block, and is a very unselfish
player who has leaded this team in assists from the SF
PF: Lou Gonzales. Big Lou will play at the PF and C depending on coach
decission. You can talk what you want, but hes the best player in the
league and the best ddensive player too. His shotblocking ability is
terrific, and his touch around the basket is almost perfect. He shoulh work
in being more agressive on the offensive end, and of course, his rebounding ability is verysuspicious
C: Bobby Cress. Hes back and ready to form the best deffensive combo in WBA history. HE has alll the rebounding that Lou misses, he can score too
BENCH
PG: Vincent Robinson. will need to improve his passing, but hes a very good deffensive player, and takes care off the ball like the best. Baron Hill
and Joe JOhnston could have problems to see minites
SG: Tre Freeman. This is a good addition for a team that, needed someone to play 8-10 min. Hes a good scorer
SF Rob Waite. Waite will hell a lot in the rebound when hes on the court
PF: Gordon Whitehouse. He a hurricane on the offensive end, and a very well
rounded player
C: Alfred Hodge. He can score, and his rebounded has been hit hard
February 13th, 2003
Budapest Preview
Starters
PG - Steve Peterson, one of the big 4, you almost cannot get a better PG
then him. Yes, 2-3 years ago this was the case. Now I see a lot of PGs with
very good skills and potencials. Peterson is this year only in the top 10
PGs, nothing more.
SG - Jalen Bell, a very nice SG who can score, but nothing else. There are a lot of players who can score in this league, and they are better talent then
him. Not to mention he can only play around 30 minutes, not good.
SF - Bruce Johnson, ah yes, one of the few overraited, overpaid players on
my team. Ok he can rebound, ok he can assist too, but his D sucks, his poor shooting (and he shoots alot, taking away good baskets from other players) is ruining our teamplay. He can only play around 26 minutes, I'm not sure is that good for the team or bad.
PF - Bennie Armstrong, very few good PFs in this league. I dont have to tell
you how much will I miss Leo Rice on this position. Armstrong is a player
who will play the game, but he will never stop a good player nor he will
excel if there is a bad PF on the other end. Plus he gets 4.3 mill a season,
he is probably the most overpaid player in the league right now.
C - Jack Spiegel, just an average C who i will need to resign at the end of
the year. Nothing special, will never be an allstar caliber.
Backups
PG - NONE, I have no backup PG, I only have 2 PGs, Peterson and Jalen Bell, but he plays SG, so there is no player there.
SG - Charlie Jones and Bud Johnson, Jones once got the 6th man award, but is he still that good ? I wont think so. And Bud who ? Anybody ever saw Bud Johnson play ?
SF - I almost found myself without a backup SF, so I signed an unknown
player (Bob Kinsey). Since I got Frank Constatini back, I know I will have
one of the worst team FG% in the league
PF - Jon Morgenland is called my backup PF because of his minutes, but he will mainly start at the PF position
C - TJ McFarland can be my starter C, all depends on the training. If
Spiegel gets good with training, and my 3rd C Ossie Gordon improves, TJ can be on the block
Overall all I can say we have a much worst team then last year. I aquired
Peterson, Spiegel, Morgenland, but I lost Leo Rice, a very good PF/C and
Dexter Kodak, my 3rd best player who I needed to trade because my best 2 players occupied his spot.
Seeing the rookies, and seeing overall the other teams I will be lucky to
get into the playoffs. A lot of talent came into the league this year, and I
got none of them.
February 13th, 2003
New York Preview
Starters:
Pg- Jimmy Foster, once regarded as one of the better point guards, Foster has had a little bit of problems holding onto the ball. Also true is that he averaged 9 assists per game and is only turning 25... he will be a big help in the backcourt
Sg- Paul Wright, Taken off the Virgin Island clearence rack, Wright has the ability to show his true worth in NY. An amazing shooter, however he does absolutly nothing else, and his stamina isnt a kicker, however, just look at that shooting.
Sf- Emillio Browne, The deadly 3-pt shooter is about to score some more ;)... after his training last yr revealed a dramatic improvement in fg%, Browne found his name on the most 3 pt shots made day in and day out... leading the team in points wont be as easy as Wright is on the team; however, this 25 year old will help dearly.
Pf- Roy Base, a conversion from center to power foward will help the 23 year old. A center playing out of position last year, the switch will help him. The scoring is there, but the free throws, rebounds and fouls are not, something which he will train in during the offseason
C- Al Zarra, Zarra is making his second run in NY after being shipped to the sun warriors a season ago. The massive rebounder will easily replace departed Kris Calhoun who was finally deported over to the Virgin Islands, for Paul Wright... Zarra will make shots unlike Calhoun and will make the center position more stable
Backups
Pg- Stew Page, Johnny Meynardie- Page will get most of the time at the backup helm... Page acquired during the offseason from London, is in the defensive frame of mind... free throws are a problem but he will overcome it sooner or later... Meynardie re-upped with the team as insurance incase page leaves via free agency next year.
Sg- Gene Allen, Garth Donohue, the offence will never go down with one of these two in... Allen originally thrid on the depth chart moved up when Jamie Moore was traded to Roswell for Zane Rivers and a pick... Allen, is a good 2 way shooting guard, while Donohue despite old, still has his offensive abilities which is why NY brought him back for a second round.
Sf- Trent Jordan- The talented youngster will attempt to switch to the position, regardless he will play there... the rebounder has made himself a cult hero in the Firestorm arena where it was reported that he broke a backboard during warmups... the 23 year old is expecting a decent season in NY...
Pf- Roy Cader, Gabriel Keniry- Despite being a center, Cader is better suited to play sf/pf, with his awesome shooting, great 3pt shooting and defence, rebounding will be a problem though... keniry is basically the same way except not as good of a shooter.
C- Zane Rivers- this talented monster came from Roswell for Jaime Moore. The rebounder will help out NY's front court and with a decent scoring ability he will help him more than Moore could ever.
February 13th, 2003
Nebreaska Team Outlook
The Nebraska Sun Warriors unveiled their new lineup
for Season 7.
Starters:
PG--Jimmy Whalen; Whalen is one of the brightest young
players in the league at his position. He's a great
passer and has major scoring potential as well. He
plays solid defense, but needs to work on his fouls
and turnovers.
SG--Rick Schulz; Has been a starter at Nebraska for as
long as I have been coaching them. He's the most
underrated player on the team. he never gets any
All-Star votes or has anyone say anything about him,
but he just keeps winning Game MVP's and quietly is
always the #2 guy on a great team. I think of him as
the leader of this team.
SF--Wayne Taylor; Here's a guy that I traded for 3
seasons ago. It is the best move I've ever made. The
guy can flat out play ball.
PF--Chuck O'Rourke; Here's the new blood in the
system. O'Rourke brings a powerful rebounding
presence to this team which is something they haven't
had since TJ McFarland and Jim Wilson played here. He
shoots the ball great. He just needs to work on his
fouls.
C--Jim McCarthy; This was one of the biggest
acquisitions in WBA history, right up there with me
getting Taylor!! I think that McCarthy IS the best
Center in the WBA right now. And I think he will
THRIVE under my coaching regime :) He and Taylor will
be a very tough duo to stop!!
BENCH:
PG--Jeff Finley the rookie will likely get the nod as
the back-up PG. He isn't ideal as a passer, but he
plays excellent defense and has good fundamentals. If
he can't do the job Al Wood will get the next crack at
it.
SG--Shane Dunn will play SG this season for Nebraska.
He's a great offensive talent who passes well and
plays great defense. Sergio Cahill will be the 3rd
stringer here. He has some nice potential.
SF--Rookie Quintin Pitt who was drafted to play PF
will get to back up Taylor this season. Pitt is a
very smart player with great control. He'll make an
impact in his 8 minutes. Free Agent Tyrell Hall will
play 3rd string unless he is traded for a true back-up
PG.
PF--Mathew Gill will play back-up to O'Rourke, but may
split time with Felix Del Torro. Gill needs to work
on his rebounding, but may be alright since he plays
so smart and fundamentally sound. Del Torro just has
some great talent at crashing the boards.
C--Jackson Messer is a weak sub here as a rebounder.
He'll only get his 8 minutes a game probably, but
Nebraska may be looking to add some depth here as they
are at the PG spot. Messer has some great offensive
abilities, but it willbe hard for him to overcome his
lackof rebounding ona team looking for a title.
February 13th, 2003
Season Preview
By Pat Fullum
Western conference
Pacific division:
1-Nebraska (1)
The acquisition of Jim McCarthy is HUGE! He and Wayne Taylor will form the best duo in the WBA, and they will be for a lot of years to come. The signing of Chuck O'rourke also gives them a solid PF to play alongside McCarthy.
2-Colorado (3)
They have a solid young lineup. Sheth and Lacy should make an immediate impact while Sean Ashman will be solid in the middle. Expect Emmett Yee to be the sixth man of the year!
3-Roswell (6)
Good starting five, but the bench is not that strong. Zane Rivers was a great pick and should easily replace Myron Baran and Eddie Jacobsen at center. The SG position is a little weak with Andrew Williams, a good defender who is more of a PG.
4-Montana (8)
They acquired 2 solid PF's in Cameron Sampson and Tony Gaston, and I expect this team to trade for a SG. They have a lot of PF's and C's, and 2 PG'S playing in the backcourt. Their seeding could depend on the trades they make.
5- Utah
Utah is the paradise for undrafted rookies! They have good young players, they should improve a lot, and maybe make the playoffs. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with their undrafted rookies (play them so they develop or go with the best players or just release them).
6-Oregon
Life after Lou Gonzalez will be hard for those Oregon fan. Marten Kurpeikis will be replacing Lou in the middle; he is solid, but hes no Lou. Tough situation for the kid. Cory Mosley was signed in the offseason and is a good acquisition. We should also see the emergence of Omar Jefferson, who will have more playing time and should score a lot, and turn the ball over also.
7-California
This team could finish higher. They added a couple of good rookies on the bench and Charlie Elkington will be back from his drug suspension.
Midwest division:
1-Cancun (2)
The defending champs are back with almost the same team. 20 year old Sam Plummer will replace Tony Gaston at the backup SF position while rookie Felipe Juarez will battle Jimmy Lewis for the backup guard position. They will battle with Nebraska for top spot in the west.
2-Texas (4)
Signing Langstraat was a key move. He brings lots of rebounding to a team that really needed it. Bringing back Pedro Otis was also a good move. Now lets just se if Gustavo, a trigger-happy GM, will stick with his team or start trading all his players!
3-SLC (5)
This team had an off year last season but should bounce back. They now have a good 5 and a strong bench. Parks, Manning, Mobley and Fox should form one of the best reserve squad in the WBA. With their cap problem and so many good players, a big trade might be a possibility
4-Cincinnati (7)
It will be interesting to watch that team without Jim McCarthy. Bradshaw seems like a good center, and could make fans in Cincy quickly forget about Jim. Ramiro Watts and Abegunda Abasi will provide some help in case Bradshaw falters.
5-Miami
A good mix of veterans and young players, but im not sure they have the talent to make the playoffs. The development of Dave Troychak, Gary Agey and Jose Nobis will be the key.
6-Capetown
Adding Mabruke gives this team an all-star type of player and in my opinion, the favourite to be named rookie of the year. Kodak's addition is also important, as I feel he is one of the most underrated players in the league. If Mabruke plays really well, they could challenge for a playoff spot.
7-Omaha
Some good players, they need time to develop and they will have the cash to be major players in next year's free agent market.
Eastern conference
Atlantic division:
1-Boston (1)
Last season's finalist and owner of the best record have gotten better! Jerry Sims and Danny Hainge will contribute off the bench. And don't forget about megastar Wes Ford, who should have a huge impact in the locker room, and will shift focus away from the team's stars, which should let them concentrate on their game.
2-Albacete (4)
They got the best defensive player in the league, and arguably the best player period. If Cress can make the transition to PF, this tandem will be the best 4-5 in the league.
3-London (5)
Still a good team, they added Brian Collins to play SG, who at 22 is a very solid player. It will be a matter of how the team plays together, because they have the talent but could use an upgrade for their depth.
4-Gabon (6)
This team had a difficult time last season. Now they bring in Kadeem Reed to play backup SG, he will help with his passing abilities. Also, veteran Frank Fitzgerald was signed and should compete for playing time with John Diblasi (if Diblasi works on his rebounding a little, expect him to start).
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