September 16-30, 2004

GLOBAL SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK

September 30th, 2004

A Seductive and Costly Talent

By Ron Chambers

Most people don't know this but the WBA's highest paid player is not Wayne Taylor, Kent Mercer, Sean Ashman, Parker Mason, Lou Gonzales, Jaxon McCall or any of the highly paid Super Stars we normally think about. The truth is that the WBA's highest paid player was drafted #17 in the Season 2 Draft and has never reached what people thought his potential was. After two years of tremendous success in Maine where he averaged over 23 points in his rookie campaign and nearly 28 pointes per game (yet somehow missed all-star selection… a cursed career?) in his second year he was awarded a $10.50 million contract by Virgin Islands. But, his production dropped to under 20 points a game (is that franchise really cursed as Virgin Island locals claimed?) and he was traded & traded & traded. Finally, he found himself in Texas only to be released when they decided his worth was not worth the cost. As if Texas having to pay this former standout $10.50 annually was not enough of a punishment for their ill judgment they further have to deal with the $2.63 which counts against their cap to this day.

Next, this player was picked up by Capetown for $3.25 million (You may have noticed that Begley never mentioned this in his promo piece for the Capetown franchise). He had two good seasons in South Africa- separated by a year spent coming of the bench. But, ultimately Capetown felt that his scoring punch was not enough to warrant his salary. So, they released him. While league rules state that they are still obligated to pay the remainder of his salary they only have to worry about $0.81 million counting against their cap.

The next year this player wasn't even under contract to start the season but found some interest from Carolina once Kevon Duke suffered his career ending injury. He ended the season with a respectable 15 points a game. But, far below the scoring totals some thought he would spend his career producing. Once again this season he has a team willing to give him a chance. You would expect that a solid veteran guard might find himself on a team like Andorra with their struggling young back court but instead he has found his way to the College…umm… pro team the Montana Knights. The Knights have a talented and very young team and now they find themselves with the highest paid player in the WBA, even if they are only paying him a minimum contract.

Who is this player? If you haven't figured it out yet his name is Bucky McCarty. He is the leagues poster boy for wasted money but he isn't complaining. All told his three contracts will earn him $14 million this year. With his two large contracts expiring he will take a large pay cut next year but for this year at least, despite being relegated to league obscurity he enjoys the title of being the WBA's highest paid player.

*After the writing of this article GSPN learn that Montana had actually retracted their offer to McCarty in favor of Tyler Durden. McCarty is still the leagues highes paid player but he now holds that "honor" despite not being under contract with any team.

September 28th, 2004

Free Agency Day 3

By Clark Lane

Free agency is now ramping and we have a lot of signings to report. I am going to talk about the best and the worse deals. If your player is not here it is because I don't think it is a great signing, neither a bad one… or because it went thru unnoticed… Let's see one some owners are ready to do…

Charlie Daidone, PG, 5.3m$ for 5 years. Colorado. This is a strange signing. I mean, Daidone is a worthy player. But he is a shoot first-ask-later kind of player. It looks as if Colorado has fear of his scoring and wanted to bring a scorer to the team… The assists won't come from him that is sure. I preferred the signing of Tango, way cheaper, and a worthy player. Only time will tell us if it was good or not, but I am not too sure about this signing. If he had been cheaper I would have said a great signing, but for this kind of money I put a question mark over it.

Tre Freeman, SG/SF, 0.5m$ for 2 years. Albacete. I don't know what Pedro thinks about this player, but if he goes to the shooting guard spot he will be a great signing. His stamina is pretty bad, but for the SG backup spot behind Jarvis that won't matter a lot. He won't appear on any man of the match report, but he will give Albacete quite a nice replacement for a few minutes.

Jim Fox, PF/C, 0.25m$ for 1 year. Cancun. This is not a great signing, but a solid one. Fox knows what he has to do and he does it well. He will give relaxing time to the power forward slot if needed. This is something that makes the difference between a great team and a good one. Good, cheap serviceable players to backup key positions.

Chuck O'Rourke, 0.5m$ for 1 year. Capetown. Another of this low profile backup players that give a few minutes of very good play. Nothing fancy about it, just getting the work done.

Thumb up.

Gerhold Verholm, 4m$ for 5 years. Omaha. A signing for the future. Verholm is a liability on any team right now because of his lack of rebounding. But if lucky, and well train he can be a worthy player. He is only 20, but his lack of rebounding is very important so he will need more than training there…

Sean Ashman, 11.5m$ for 7 years. California. Can this signing turn California into a respectable team? It is a very good signing. I really think that Ashman is a great C, even if he stills need training. But the rest of the team around him lacks depth. There are some good players, but I still think California is missing something. One thing is for sure, now they have a true center, maybe the best young center behind Vasquez. (I have said maybe)

Jo Jones, 1m$ for 3 years. California. At first I got this guy confused with Joe Jones. Now knowing who it is, I see that California wants a look at the future. The only thing that worries me is that Jo does not know how to shoot. So even if he can be a good player he needs to improve that real fast. Why use has a shooting guard that does not shoot? Another gamble with the future…

Reaynado DeAngelo, 1m$ for 3 years. Texas. A veteran coming back home after 5 seasons. He is a very good all-round small forward. He won't be playing a lot of minutes at Texas, but he will bring some quality from the bench. His price tag maybe a little bit too high for the kind of minutes he will be playing, but knowing that the can cover a spot for 25-30 minitues of quality play if needs arise is a motivation for his price tag.

Jeremy Aarons, 2m$ for 3 years. Cancun. This looks quite a gamble to me. And maybe too expensively paid for what he brings to the table. A 35% FG shooting guard that fouls quite a lot is nothing to be too happy about. I know he has Schmid and Koons at the Guard spot so I imagine he wants a little bit more depth. Aarons will turn, hopefully, into a good Guard, but not today, maybe in 1 or 2 seasons… not the best move on my book, but it could have been worse. He could have sign Carroll ;-)

At the end quite a few overpaid players, but not as many as other years. Even if on the top talent department this season wasn't great, on the low level there were quite a lot of worthy players. But the action is not finished. Look at teams that have many players accepted and nearly no cap, and think that they are not going to pick them. They are waiting to see if other players free to get them. Do they same and get a few of the nice players that are there. Price can go down quite a bit. I will always remember that Toby started with a price tag of more than 7 m$ and he fell down to 2. A nice drop. Maybe Nick Adams will do the same thing?

September 28th, 2004

Relocation

Zagrieb Zano

The WBA has been running strong coming up on its 10th season. While there

have been a few teams that have moved around, never before has the league

considered it necessary allow realignment. Though not to long ago Varese

was allowed to go west to the cow polk down of Sacramento. Virgin Islands

coming off of their best season in franchise history are leaving those fans

behind for colder pastures in Alaska. The Utah Highlanders had a short stay

in the great state of Utah going oversees to the small country of Andorra.

It is unknown why the league allowed such moves to occur considering

previous requests to leave the geographical regions of a teams respective

division have always been denied. First and foremost this is a business,

and if you move a team, they will come. Shoeless joe Jackson would be so

proud.

The league has looked at various realignment plans. Not only must it make

geographical sense as much as possible, but the league must consider travel

costs for divisional opponents. The fact that the league has teams across

the atlantic ocean and has been able to be profitable, it is a testament to

the league.

Plus natural rivalries are not good to split up especially if they are

division rivals. Not only are these big money makers, but typically these

rivalries are good spirited. It just doesn't mean the same if your not

facing a division rival.

It will be interesting to see how the teams that are directly effected will

be able to promote the season to their fans. I highly doubt the that very

successful Topless night promotion will be as successful in Alaska as it

was in the Virgin Islands.

There are some advantages to realignment. It can be a cause for excitment

as some teams that your fans would only see 1 time a year, will now see

those teams twice at home, and 4 overall. Plus, let us not forget that the

Eastern Conference is not to happy about becoming the J.V. league. So it

seems clear they need to do what they can to get one or two of the superior

western teams to make their conference a little more exciting and

marketable.

There have been various recommendations for reallignement. The option

currently label as Option G, seems to have the most likely ability of being

approved by the board of govenors. So let's look at Option G, and examine

what affects it will have.

Pacific

Alaska

Oregon

California

Cancun

Montana

Sacramento

Salt Lake

The Pacific divsion would be the division stuck with the mediocre sludge

from the east. Though it would make Montana appear to be a better team then

they are. Plus it would include some great competition for the top 3 spots

in the division between Oregon, Cancun and Salt Lake City. Montana and Salt

Lake City have had a good strong rivalry going for several years, now their

games will mean just a little bit more. Cancun will also face a tougher

task in winning the division over a very potentent Oregon team. Whether

Alaska and Sacramento will bring the overall competitivenous of this

divsiion to become the laughing stock remains to be seen. Hopefully, both

teams are on the right track, and this could easily be one of the most

compeititve divisions that the league has to offer.

Midwest

Nebraska

Texas

Omaha

Cincinnati

Colorado

Roswell

Miami

Initially this move really helps out Nebraska as they are the only real

elite team in the division. Texas dosn't move, but will now have to face

Colorado on a regular basis for 2nd best. Omaha and Miami lose their Rival

Salt Lake. This however is a good thing, since it has been very one-sided

as of late. Hopefully in due course, some of the teams that don't being

with N will be able to bolster their rosters to take advantage when

Nebraska is slowed down due to injuries. Though Miami is a team that

matches up well against Nebraska, its just the other teams they have

problems with.

Atlantic

Boston

Rochester

Washington

Brooklyn

Baltimore

Carolina

New York

The Atlantic doesn't really change that much. Brooklyn and Washington are

of course the cream of the crop. And they are able to keep their rivarly in

tack so they can battle it out for the division title year in and year out.

Boston and Rochester are like the ugly sisters trying to get into some of

the action. They will poke their heads in from time to time. Overall this

division is still top heavy as it lacks any serious depth.

Far East

Capetown

Andorra

Gabon

London

Budapest

Albacete

Birmingham

I know what your thinking, Birmingham? but they are farther west then any

of the Atlantic teams. One word: Deliverance. Simply put they might as well

be a foriegn country. This allows them to fit in well with the Far East

Division. Capetown will be able to battle Albacete as the divisions top

team. They will miss their rivalry with Cancun, but at least Albacete is

kind of like a red-headed step child of Cancun. Budapest will poke their

head in from time to time. Andorra could cause problems as they are

somewhat of an average team now. Gabon and London have had their best years

behind them, but they are still competent teams.

If Option G does go through as diagramed it will be something that people

will like while others will hate. Granted this could have all been avoided

if eastern teams were not allowed to move west to visit Fifel. In a perfect

world, teams wouldn't feel the urge to relocate. Perhaps some additional

fines such as losing some salary cap for the first two years would limit a

owners desire to change locations on a whim. The constant changes do have a

monetary affect as fans are not so willing to support a team for fear that

they will be gone the following year. I am more of a purist, and I think

constant relocation hurts the history of the league. People are not able to

identify with teams or players as easily. As owners look to sell their

teams, they should have the decency to put in the contract that the team

cannot be relocated for 10-15 years. They should do it for the fans. Of

course the fan is normally dim-witted. If you build it, they will come.

September 27th, 2004

Western Conference Free Agency Review

by Brandon Morfeld

Nebraska--Signed SF Nick Adams, SF/PF Ron Avery, C Marty Williams, C Nolan Blizzard

This was an amazing free agency period for an already premier squad. They had planned to skate out of free agency with some quality signings, but they were shocked when teams kept withdrawing bids on two of the top players out there. After a salary dumping trade thy were able to pick up Nick Adams and Marty Williams. Adams is a dominant player at SF on offense and he will be a critical player to have with Taylor's health issues. They also resigned Ron Avery who will be a nice sub to have as he continues to learn the WBA style of play. They alsomanaged to steal Marty Williams who is pretty old, but still has some very good seasons left in him as proven last season. None of these signings will start for them, although Marty may get a shot if Clopp struggles and Adams will start if Taylor is injured. In all this was a great free agency.

Oregon--Signed Joe Menendez, Leon Berthelson, Pat McDaniel, Myles Herring, JJ McCauley, Evan Kerr

Oregon needed to solidify their backcourt depth with this free agent crop. Before they could acquire Davidson they were desparate to find a suitable PG prospect so they went out and signed former big dollar star Leon Berthelson who will be a nice compliment for this team off the bench. They also signed lower end players like McDaniel and Herring to play PG. These guys will get little playing time now of course. They did go out and grab SG Evan Kerr for a good contract and he will definitely help this team out with their depth at SG. JJ McCauley will also help to make this backcourt even better.

Colorado--Signed Ray Tango, Charlie Daidone, Stub Madison, Joe Watts, Mark Crowley, Quentin Christensen

They went out and also were in search of a PG to fill a major need on this squad. Their solution was the signing of Charlie Daidone. He is a viable offensive minded player at PG, but I feel he isn't worth the big dollars they dished out to get him. He isn't a prototype PG at all. Stub Madison may end up being the starter here even though he makes much less money. He is a passing PG that I feel has always had a bad rap. He will put up the stats though. Watts and Tango will both see mainly mop up duties. Mark Crowley and Quentin will both be excellent additions to this teams depth. They are strong on the boards and know how to get the job done offensively. Withthe proper training they will be impact players.

Montana--Signed Marcus Johnson

They didn't need to add much to this squad as they had a pretty full roster and were up near the cap. They went out and added a scrub to mop up at the PG position.

California--Signed Austin Novak, Jo Jones, Evilio Nunez, Sean Ashman

This was a great free agent period for California. Evilio Nunez is a great scorer and he will be a major weapon to have for this offense. Sean Ashman gives them a real Center that can get some rebounds and play some defense.

Andorra--Signed Ossie Gordon, Pierce Shea, Kelian Fabares, Tyran Besecker, Jon Morgenland, Walt Coleman, Tristen Collins

The biggest signing for them was keeping around up and coming Tristen Collins for a few more years. He really makes this team go. They also brought in Pierce Shea who has never lived up to his potential as a SG either. The rest of the players will be decent role guys at best for this squad.

Roswell--Signed Cullen Phillips, Roy Golden

Just a couple of signings here as they shored up a couple of holes. Golden was a very nice addition as I believe he has a bright future in the WBA. Phillips is a proven starter in this league and he will go a long ways in helping their young players to adjust.

Cancun--Signed Jim Fox, Jeremy Aarons, Jesus Dienes, Treyvon Marlow, Storm Schmid

This was a pretty good period for this team overall, but they did lose out on Paul Carroll. To replcae him they will bring in rookie Jeremy Aarons who will likely not be ready for such responsibility and Storm Schmid who also has some weaknesses in his game. Marlow was re-signed to play the back-up PG role and Jim Fox was brought in to bolster the frontcourt depth.

Capetown--Signed Roger Mayer, Woody Reynolds, Chris Worsinger, Chuck O'Rourke, TJ McFarland, Glen Chandler

They bolstered their backcourt withthe additions of Worsinger and veterans Mayer and Reynolds. All are capable players, but none are starting caliber under any circumstances. They also added defensive specialist TJ McFarland and rebounding specialist Chuck O'Rourke. They added a lot to their bench this year with these players. Most of the help will come as role players that will help with specific areas.

Texas--Signed Reynaldo DeAngelo, Mike Reardon, Shawn McKick, Paul Carroll

They went out and practically took all of Cancun's depth this season. I guess if you can't beat them, then take them! McKick has been a vital bench player for Cancun the past few seasons and he will be a big help for Texas also. They also took starting SG Paul Carroll who will be a very nice addition to this squad for the season. He really adds a backcourt element to the Texas lineup. Reardon is a career sub atPG, but a good one and DeAngelo is a defensive/rebounding specialist.

Salt Lake--Signed Bernie Cobb

Cobb is an excellent pickup at the minimum for this team. He'll provide them high quality minutes at the C position this year.

Omaha--Signed Gerhold Verholm, Bomber Bartkowski

Verholm was their key target this offseason and they managed to keep him by dishing out a huge deal. Right now I don't think he is near worth it, but maybe he will develop into the kind of player they need to compete. They also signed a scrub in Bomber Bartkowski.

Cincinnati--Signed Gene Swanson, Frank Rose, Antonio Grandison, Douglas Leboyare, Jason Vance, Ivan Cherny

Despite a small mishap withtheir bids, I think this team got exactly what they wanted this year. Grandison will be a very nice addition although it will take a few seasons for him to mature. The same goes for high flying Jason Vance. Frank Rose is a veteran that will need to provide some leadership for this team if they want to succeed. Leboyare is also a good prospect that they hope will mature fast. Cherny and Swanson have a ways to go before they can compete at the WBA level.

Miami--Signed Oman Fatafehi, Euclid Spafford, Isaac Edmondson, Milo Chambers, Greg Sembers

Oman was obviously one of the biggest signings in free agency. He can do it all and they are quite proud of keeping him around. Edmondson is a guy I believe they overpaid for, but he has promise. If he keeps getting better then by the end of this contract he will be worth it. Spafford, Chambers, and Sembers will all need time to develop before they are at a highly competitive level.

September 27th, 2004

Eastern Conference Free Agency Review

by Brandon Morfeld

Budapest--Signed Bob Kinsey, Frank Constantini, Mathew Gill, Walter Callaway, Roy Cader, Marques Feldman

This was a very productive seasonfor Budapest in free agency. They brought in stellar depth in the form of Frank C. and Mathew Gill. Gill will be an impact bench player for sure. Roy Cader is a high profile youngster who has the potential to really develop nicely. He fits perfect into this style of play. In fact all of these guys are exactly the kind of class that I would expect Budapest to bring in.

Albacete--Signed Jason Moss, Tre Freeman

Cete didn't need much help heading into this offseason so they weren't big players in the market. Jason Moss was a solid C prospect for this team so they kept him around. They also went out and nabbed SG/SF Tre Freeman who will be a big boost off the bench for this team. They really needed to bring in a guy like this to keep this team flowing when the reserves come into the game.

Boston--Signed Felipe Juarez, Danny Hainge, Pedro Otis, Michael Huryta

Juarez is a nice addition to the offense. He isn't a real PG, but he can sure provide a scoring boost if the team needs a shot in the arm. They also bring in Danny Hainge which gives this team a bona fide SG. That's something they have lacked in recent years. To go along with Hainge they also brought in Pedro Otis who I believe will actually get the start at SG. Otis is a defensive presence while being a great scorer at the same time. They really got a deal when they brought him in. Huryta is a player with some nice talent, but he will be a bench player this year again unless they lose faith in George Holt.

London--NO SIGNINGS

Gabon--Signed Trever Rosin, Misha Kryznetsov, George Lush, Sage Walker

This was a very nice group of players for Gabon to bring in. George Lush is a premier scorer and gives this team a nice offensive compliment to Bramson. They also added nice depth at the C spot by bringing in Sage Walker who has really finally started to mature a bit. Trever Rosin is a nice looking young PG prospect that will probably need a few seasons to turn into the type of player they want him to be. Misha Kryznetsov is a big signing in my eyes. He is going to be a very high quality sub for this team to bring off of the bench. He could start for a lot of teams.

Rochester--Signed Ramon Phelan, Odibe King

They didn't have a lot of cap room to play with after reacquiring Dave Williams in the offseason, but I feel that they spent it very wisely. Phelan is going to be a star in this league and he will be an excellent sub for Williams and may even get to play major minutes at SF. He is a great all around player who is very smart with the ball and makes good choices all around. Not to mention that he is an emerging offensive threat also. Odibe King is going to give them even more depth at those important middle positions. These were two great signings by the Rochester management.

Sacramento--Signed Sheldon Maloney, John Diblasi

Sheldon Maloney was a very important signing for this team I feel. He should really give them a great SG player to go along with their other big time scorers. Maloney can do it all, but he is best suited for an offensive style of play, which is perfect for this team. Diblasi is not a fully ready C yet, but he has the tools. If he can come around for this franchise eventually then they have a pretty good lineup and some nice depth.

Washington--Signed Justin Krueger

This was all that this team needed to make itself a contender this season. They went out and got the best PG available in free agency. I believe they may have overpaid to bring him in, but they didn't really have a choice. PG was a desparate hole that this team needed to fix if they hoped to have any shot at contending. Krueger brings a complete game to the table as he can pass and also isn't too bad offensively.

Brooklyn--Signed Larry Saunders, Jake Cone, Mike Barrett, Yurily Zakharov, Scooter Jacobs, Daren Benson, LaKar Everidge

This team managed to keep a lot of their own free agents despite being a high profile team. Larry Saunders is a great guy to have come off the bench and there was surprisingly little interest in him this season. The same goes for Mike Barrett who has always provided Brooklyn with very high quality minutes. Jake Cone should also give them a young potential guy to eventually maybe play some minutes at C. Scooter Jacobs is a veteran talent that used to be a viable All-Star game candidate. He has slowed off some, but is still a very effective player to have off the bench. They also kept their project player in young LaKar Everidge. He just hasn't ever managed to dig himself out of that hole. He has the potential, but has so many flaws to overcome. Daren Benson was another youngster that they felt was crucial to keep since they lost Krueger. They will need him to really mature in order to be an effective starting PG in theWBA.

Baltimore--Signed Lonnie Graham

Despite being very active in the free agent market this team didn't make a big splash. They seemed to be just shy on most of their efforts and with a bit higher commitment level could be a big player next season. They also brought in Lonnie Graham which should give them a nice defensive presence on the floor.

Alaska--NO SIGNINGS

Birmingham--Signed Isaac Rice

They didn't need to add much and they maximized their efforts. Rice is a big time playmaker on the boards and at the defensive end of the floor. He'll be a nice addition to this squad. Hopefully he can compliment their other big men and make some things happen for this team. They could really use a good season.

New York--NO SIGNINGS

Carolina--Signed Marko Maric, Luke Benner, Malachi Jefferson, Lance Stow

Marko Maric got a big contract when he could have been signed for less, but perhaps they wanted to lock him up long term. He has some potential, but it isn't a consensus that he will be an everyday player in the league. Luke Benner is their best signing. He is a high quality SF and will be an impact player for this squad. In fact he might be their highest scorer in the not too distant future. Malachi Jefferson is a young guy that they are willing to take a chance on, hoping that he will mature into the kind of impact player they need. Lance Stow is another great signing. He will be a major contributor right away and has the talent to compete in the WBA.

September 27th 2004

Pacific Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Nebraska

Key Players: Dexter Kodak, Dennis Evans, Wayne Taylor, Roy Base

Rundown: Well of course the two biggest storylines of the offseason for this team involve the health of Taylor and the trade of Dave Williams. First off, Taylor is by far the most prolific offensive player in WBA history and if he stays healthy this season he could make another MVP run. He's the heart of this team and when he goes off there is absolutely no one that can slow him down. He shoots so well from every spot on the floor. Williams was dealt away in order for the team to extend the contract of Roy Base. Base has really developed into a premier player and is a threat to put up 20 points every night. He needs to work on his fundamentals to round out his game, but once that gets taken care of he will be a dominant player. They also brought in Dennis Evans to replace Dave Williams. Evans will be a much improved shooter after heading to shooters camp this offseason and the team thinks he will easily replace Williams in this scheme. They also have standout PG Dexter Kodak who knows how to move the ball around and get it to the open man. Perhaps the bigegst strength of this team is its' depth though. Not many teams can match their second team of Bachemann, Morfeld, Adams, Wilson, and Williams.

Oregon

Key Players: Lou Gonzales, Bishop Stein, Donavan Jones, Cory Mosley, Kelvin Davidson

Rundown: Gonzales is the franchise player here undoubtedly. He is a dominating defensive player and a perennial MVP candidate. Gonzales is a bit weak at rebounding for a C which always hurts this team a bit, but they took measures to help him out this offseason. They brought in Donavan Jones to compliment Cory Mosley as huge rebounders. These guys will make sure that Gonzales doesn't feel overwhelmed down low at any point during the game. They also have an amazing young player in Bishop Stein who can play defense and shoot the rock with the best of them. He will be a huge factor in this team success. They also acquired a great PG in Kelvin Davidson who will really bring the floor leadership to this squad that they haven't had before. This team has a lot of very talented role players right now and I believe they are all perfect compliments of one another.

Colorado

Key Players: Greg Lacy, Samir Sheth, Jim Peyton

Rundown: This team has always been known as a "team" first franchise. It has been void of individual stars and seems to always succeed despite this fact. It is never because they don't have great individual talent, but because they always seem to spread the ball around and play an open style of ball. Greg Lacy is a very good defensive player and he is coming around offensively also. He'll be the cornerstone of this team starting this season. They also have Samir Sheth who willbe the teams offensive go to guy. They will need Sheth to really mature as an all around player in order to make a strong push this year. They also have a talented C in Jim Peyton. He will be key for this team as they try to play withthe other elite C's in the Western Conference.

Montana

Key Players: Pat Stephenson, Kadeem Reed, Jarius Miles, Umberto DiTullio

Rundown: Kadeem Reed is a great young player that will really help this team at their guard positions. He is a bit more mature than teammate Umberto DiTullio who will be his backcourt mate. They both have a lot of growing up to do before they will be what is required to make a title run. Pat is a great C, but he isn't quite up to par with some of the other dominant players out there. Perhaps with the right offseason work ethic he will finally live up to his billing. They also extended young Jarius Miles. Once he gets his fouls and turnovers under control he will be an unstoppable player for this franchise. They have already committed to building this team around him. The team will be solid, but they could struggle as I still believe they have a few players that need extra time to develop.

California

Key Players: Pete Merritt, Brody Liang, Sean Ashman

Rundown: This team has new owners which are slowly developing their avenue to build this team. They weren't major players in the free agency market this year which tells me that the new owner is still catching on. They need to do a lot of scouting this season and really hit free agency and the draft hard next year. Pete Merritt is their only offensive weapon and that isn't saying much. He can sure score, but when all that pressure is on him he can't handle it. Liang is a great rebounder and plays solid defense, but these two players alone won't be able to guide this team. They will have a very long season this year I would expect, but hopefully they can get up to tempo with the player development and scouting and make an impact next season. Their one main signing was bringing in Sean Ashman that gives them a major player at the C spot. he'll determine exactly how many wins this team can get this season.

Andorra

Key Players: Mark Miller, Al Herbert, Oshodi Bombata, Tristen Collins, Devonta Corrigan

Rundown: I would expect a great season from this team if they can get good production out of Al Herbert. He was the top rookie C available and it was a major deal for this team to grab him. He should be able to compete right away as a rookie, but he will need a few seasons before he becomes a truly dominant C. Devonta Corrigan needs to step up and have the kind of season that everyone expects him to have. He seems to underachieve almost every season. He should be huge on the boards and throw down shots left and right. He needs to become more dominant to help this team. They also have signed defensive force Mark Miller at PF which should help them with some match-ups. Miller isn't bad on offense either. The last key to their puzzle was Tristen Collins who really helps this team complete out its' rotation.

Roswell

Key Players: Walt Jackson, Ajani Valentine, Quintin Pitt

Rundown: This team will probably struggle this year, but as Valentine and Jackson mature they will really start to look good. Jackson is probably the rookie of the year frontrunner as he is a great scorer and rebounds very well also. He can also play very stout defense which just adds to his abilities. Valentine is the perfect compliment to him as he is another big time scorer that plays very smart with the ball. He will need to watch his fouls, but he'll be a big time player also. Quintin Pitt is a young SG prospect that will fit nicely in this teams defense first scheme. They all have excellent defensive qualities, but they are a season or two away from competing offensively. They also need to take steps to bring in a real bigtime C prospect.

Projected Finish Order

Nebraska

Oregon

Andorra

Colorado

Montana

Roswell

California

September 27th, 2004

Midwest Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Cancun

Key Players: Kent Mercer, Scott Nicholson, Parker Mason, Lonnie Gerson

Rundown: This team is just dominant right now. This upcoming season could be their biggest test yet as they lost much of their talented depth to the free agent market. In fact they are very weak a SG as they prepare to start the season. But if anyone can overcome this it is Cancun. They have superstar Kent Mercer at C. Mercer is just dominating. He is a monster under the rim on both ends of the floor. He puts up huge numbers on offense and just absorbs rebounds. They don't get much better than that. At PF they have injury prone Scott Nicholson. When he plays he is a great court presence with a nice offensive touch and good defensive pressure. Last year they also brought in defensive specialist Lonnie Gerson who is one of the best defensive players in the WBA. He was key to bring in to match up with all the offensive firepower at the SF position. Then at PG they have former league MVP Parker Mason. Not many PG's can compete with his all around game. He's a great rebounder and is a solid floor general. He really completes this team and I see him as the team leader.

Capetown

Key Players: Evelio Jackson, Chuck Henderson, Obafemi Mabruke, Bill Yeager

Rundown: Evelio Jackson was a superb selection for this team. He is proably the most complete rookie in the entire draft and will be ready to contribute immediately as a SG. Putting him in the same backcourt as Chuck Henderson will give this team the best passing duo in the league. Henderson is a perennial All-WBA selection and just knows how to get the ball around the floor. He will make the rest of this team better. Mabruke is a great player also. He is a very good rebounder and plays amazing defense. He also knows how to put the ball in the hole. The team also traded for big time C Bill Yeager. This could be the move that puts this team up near the top of this division. Yeager is huge on the boards and he can score major points. This was a big time deal for this team.

Texas

Key Players: Paul Carroll, Heiko Van Brandt, Jay Vasquez

Rundown: I really like the direction this team is headed. Bringing in Van Brandt last season was just amazing. He is just a great all around player. He is so good on the boards and can shoot the ball so well. There isn't much he can't do and he is such a smart player also. But perhaps the best thing management here did was drafting C Jay Vasquez. He is already one of the most dominating players in the WBA and will just get better. He is the franchise player here and along with Van Brandt gives them a dominating frontcourt. Vazquez rebounds very well and he is such a threat to score from the paint. teams already have him singled out as the player that makes this team go. They also added Paul Carroll at SG. Carroll is mainly a defensive specialist, but he isn't bad offensively either. He'll be a nice additon to the team, but perhaps more importantly for Texas, they stole him from rival Cancun.

Salt Lake City

Key Players: Cordell Parks, Brad Bangerter, Austyn Williams, Arnold Eaton

Rundown: This is the year that SLC finally becomes the team that others predicted them to be earlier. They will be a tough nosed defensive squad and also pack an offensive punch. Their biggest acquisition was Brad Bangerter. He is a premier offensive player who will need to work on his rebounding to become a complete player and he also needs to watch his fouls. They also brought in PG/SG Austyn Williams who is a great passer and a shutdown defender. His issue is also his fundamentals. Another great defender is Cordell Parks. He was brought in to be a shutdown defender also. His issue is his fouling issues. At C they brougth in Arnold Eaton who is another premier defender. He is a top shot blocker and he is a very smart player. I think that this team could easily have the lowest points allowed figure in the WBA, but I think they may not score as many as people may think. I see this team struggling with fouls especially. If they can play smart defense and shoot well then watch out.

Omaha

Key Players: Brian Collins, Oliver McCarty, Tony DiMateo, Branko Filipovic

Rundown: This is a young team that is trying to build. One great addition was getting DiMateo. He is a bona fide offensive threat and this team will really rely on him to score the points. Another great young player they have is Branko Filipovic who brings a complete game to this team. He'll really be relied upon to help this team match up better against the high powered offensive SG's out there. At PG they have signed up Oliver Mccarty to a huge deal. In fact I think he is way overpaid, but he does bring talent to the floor. He isn't a prototype PG, but he is a solid defender and can pass the ball. They also have Brian Collins in the backcourt which adds even more depth. He will probably start and is a great up and coming young player. This team is pretty weak in the frontcourt though which will cause them to struggle against theteams with dominant big men in their division.

Cincinnati

Key Players: Craig Bradshaw, Abegunda Abasi, Brandon Sandler, Webster Hewlett

Rundown: This team has failed to live up to my own expectations over the last few seasons. They have a dominating C in Craig Bradshaw who is a stud under the boards and is a huge offensive weapon. This team really needs to utilize him more and make him an offensive focal point. If they do that then they will have a chance to finally make a decent run. They also have a strong rebounder at PF in Abegunda Abasi. Abasi is also a premier defender and really gives this team a solid frontcourt. At SG they will start sharpshooting Webster Hewlett. Hew is an offensive machine that won't let you down when it comes to a clutch shot. To distribute the ball around they have relied upon Brandon Sandler for the last few years and will continue to do so. Sandler is a good floor leader and he will do a great job of moving things around and getting it to the open man.

Miami

Key Players: Dave Troychak, Oman Fatafehi, John Davis

Rundown: Miami has been trying to make that turn as a franchise the last few seasons. This year won't be the year either. They have a nice talent base, but the West is just so tough. They have a great veteran C in John Davis who is a premier reboudner and a solid defender. With him in the frontcourt is young talented Oman Fatafehi. Oman is a great rebounder himself and is also a solid defender and a great offensive presence. But he won't be relied on to handle the scoring duties as that job will fall to young Dave Troychak. Troychak is a natural scorer who has no problem shouldering that responsibility. Any success this team hopes to have rides squarely on the shoulders of Troychak to outscore opponents.

Projected Finish Order

Cancun

Salt Lake City

Texas

Capetown

Cincinnati

Omaha

Miami

September 27th, 2004

Atlantic Preview

by Brandon Morfeld

Budapest

Key Players: Johnny Brose, Larry Chapman, Roy Cader, Steve Peterson

Rundown: This team always seems to surprise everyone. They do it by playing great defense and high percentage offense. They are the only team in the WBA that I have ever seen make this approach work. Johnny Brose is the perfect start to this style of play because of his solid shooting ability, great rebounding, and solid defense. Then you move to a guy like Steve Peterson who is a great passing PG and is one of the WBA's premier defensive players. Peterson has had a long road to get here, but he always gets All-WBA Team consideration. Larry Chapman and Roy Cader are two more defensive minded players that this team paid big time dollars to play Budy Ball. The team should have pretty much the same look as last season as they kept their major players.

Albacete

Key Players: Juwan Bixby, Harry Jarvis, Bobby Cress, Keith Douglas

Rundown: Albacete still has their franchise mainstay Harry Jarvis at the SG position. Jarvis is aging, but he can still get the job done and is the leader of this team. He is a great offensive player and can make things happen on defense also. They are also keeping around big man Bobby Cress who is one of the leagues top rebounders. Cress has been a monster for this team during their stretch runs and has really developed into a premier player. Last season they brought in PG Keith Douglas which solved amajor hole in this team. They had never been known for having a quality true PG, but Douglas gives them that. He may be the best passer in the WBA and he just knows his way around the floor and knows how to make an offense run effectively. They also have young talent such as Juwan Bixby and Tyler Kane. These guys are turning into bigtime players and this really helps out Cete. Bixby especially has become an everyday kind of player who hits the boards well and shoots well. He may need t switch to PF for the better of his career longrun.

Boston

Key Players: Jimmy Foster, Danny Hainge, Dave Short, Pedro Otis, Magic Toby

Rundown: Life after Bill Yeager begins. I really think they dealt the wrong guy here as not having a dominant C will really hurt this team. Dave Short is a staple of this franchise and I don't expect to see him playing anywhere else anytime soon. He rebounds the ball very well and is a major offensive weapon. They also acquired a pair of talented SG's in Pedro Otis and Danny Hainge. Both will fit into this system well. Otis is a great offensive weapon that they may need to replace Yeager. They also have offensive showoff Magic Toby. The problem with Toby has always been his weak rebounding and average defense. It's just hard to find a place for him on the floor where his offense can help more than his defense hurts. The team also does have a great PG in Jimmy Foster. Foster is one of the best passers in the WBA and they'll need someone to get the ball around and keep all the shooters happy. I just see this team taking a step back after losing Yeager and trading Greene. They are still a quality team of course with tons of talent, just not as good as in the past.

London

Key Players: Abdullah Chanda, Horace Colbert

Rundown: This team recently approved adeal that gives away star PG Kelvin Davidson which really leaves this team short on talent if you ask me. I respect David Song as an owner/coach in this league, but you can tell that he has a lack of time on his hands and it is hurting his franchise. Abdullah Chanda is the only real star that I see on this roster right now. He is a great defender and will be relied upon by this team to shut down opponents. They also have Horace Colbert who I see as just an average Center these days. Every year that they keep him I am shocked because I know they have tried so hard to move him out of here. Colbert is a big offensive weapon and he is a good rebounder and plays good defense. I think this team should have used some of that almost 5 mill in cap to bring back Nick Adams or to sign another quality free agent. Instead they were relatively low players in free agency. Prehaps they want to build through the draft.

Gabon

Key Players: Otto Hameleers, Jerry Bramson, Jim Wilson, Derek Vinyard

Rundown: This team just always seems to look the same. I can't even remember the last time these 4 players weren't on their roster. But if something is working why change it. Otto Hameleers came into this league as one of the most high profile rookies ever and his career has just never quite panned out to expectations. He is a premier defender and can steal the ball from anyone in the league. He is just an average passer though and isn't a large offensive threat. They also have C Jim Wilson who is a great high efficiency guy. He is a great rebounder and has an amazing inside shot. He is also a very solid defender. Not many players can combine all those aspects of their game. They also have Derek Vinyard who is another guy that came in with big expectations. He has really done exactly what is expected of him by being a decent offensive threat, but really laying it down on the boards and defensively. The heart of this team is Jerry Bramson though and always has been. Trading him would be a mistake. Bramson is their offensive machine and he is a great rebounder and defender. Every team in the league makes sure that when they play Gabon they shut down Bramson before anyone else. He is what makes this team go.

Rochester

Key Players: Jimmy Whalen, Jim McCarthy, Dave Williams

Rundown: This team should be much improved from last year and I think they will look more like their old selves. The team never seemed to recover after trading away Dave Williams and now they bring him back to Rochester. Williams may be the best scorer in WBA history and he is a solid rebounder and plays decent defense. He'll take over right away as the focal point of this team and rightfully so. He alone will make this team better by many games. They also managed to hold onto Jim McCarthy who is one of the best C's in the league. McCarthy has worked really hard on correcting his foul issues and if he stays in the games then watch out for this Rochester squad because they will be very hard to beat. They also have PG Jimmy Whalen out there. Whalen is a guy that has all the tools you want from a PG. He is an offensive weapon, passes the ball well, and is a great defender. He is a guy that hasn't seemed to play up to potential thus far, but if he does then he'll really help out this Rochester squad.

Sacramento

Key Players: John Van Horne, Harold Gil, John Gaiser, Jaxon McCall

Rundown: This team made a great move by bringing in Van Horne this offseason. He brings them a premier C that plays great defense and is a scorer also. Bringing him in will really increase their ability to compete with the rest of the teams and allow some pressure to be taken off of Jaxon McCall. McCall is one of the best scorers in the WBA, but has had way too much focus and pressure put on him by this franchise in the past. Hopefully with the new additions he will be able to relax and just play within his game. McCall is one of the best SF's there is. They also have Harold Gil at SG which gives them a scorer there also. The problem will be seeing if he can stay in the games and not lose his temper too many times. They do also have a great PG in John Gaiser that can keep all these shooters happy.

Projected Finish Order

Budapest

Rochester

Sacramento

Albacete

Gabon

Boston

London

September 27th, 2004

Mid-Atlantic Preseason Look

by Brandon Morfeld

Washington

Key Players: Boom-Boom Casey, Emmett Yee, Justin Krueger, AJ Schulz

Rundown: This team should be pretty similar to last season. They did add a great PG by taking Justin Krueger away from Brooklyn. They should be able toscore points with anyone and they are a pretty good defensive squad also. BB is one of the premier players in WBA history and can still get the job done. Young superstar Emmett Yee is the focal point of the offense and he can knock down the jumper with anyone in the WBA. He was an MVP candidate early on last year and I would expect him to remain a staple on that list. AJ Schulz is another veteran superstar and he hasn't lost anything from his game. This team should be very difficult to beat. They are switching management groups which hopefully will not be an issue for this franchise. I think that Krueger may be overpaid, but the team needed a PG and he was the best available. This team is in fora great season.

Brooklyn

Key Players: Joe Siebert, Mario Bailey, Tom Perkins, Shane Strom

Rundown: This is another team that will remain relatively the same as last season except their youth has matured another year. Mario Bailey has really come into his own as a player and is a viable MVP candidate I believe. He is a great shooter from the floor. Shane Strom is the perfect compliment to him at SF also. Strom is another MVP name and is another great shooter. In fact this entire squad is going to be dead on from the floor and they will be monsters under the boards. The one thing they will have to be careful of is their foul issues. It's no secret that Brooklyn has struggled with the fouls in the last couple years as they bring up these young players. Siebert and Perkins are the veteran leadership here and both are foul prone. When the team loses that veteran presence on the floor they can struggle at times. But I don't expect that to keep this team from an amazing season.

Baltimore

Key Players: Zane Rivers, Anson Valente, Clarence Collins

Rundown: Baltimore has a long ways to go to become a true contender and I think they may have gone the wrong direction this offseason. It's not really the managements fault directly because they were short on cap, but they could have used bringing in a bigtime free agent. The team does have one of the best passing PG's in the game in Anson Valente. Valente can do just about anything with a basketball except shoot it. But that isn't what he gets paid to do anyway. Zane Rivers on the other hand is being paid to score points and he'll have to do a lot of it if this team wants to win games. Clarence Collins is another player this team will need to mature fast if they want to make a playoff run this year.

Alaska

Key Players: Buck Jones, George Foster, Rick Schulz, Marquez Houston, Raphael Park, Jack Spiegel

Rundown: Sure, it looks as though this team is just loaded with talent for the first time I can recall, but it's easy to do that when you are over 15 mill above the cap. Odds are that 2 of these players will have to be cut which puts this franchise right back where it began. I guess we all could have expected that. My guess is that Foster and Jones will be cut because it just makes the most sense. Jones is making 10 mill himself and he still has Ed Kane that can start at PG. If he cuts Foster then he still has Schulz that can start at SG. Houston and Park atSF and PF is a great young duo. Houston is a premier rebounder and will be a real force once he gets the offense down. Park will need a few seasons to mature, but once he does he will be a real star in this league. And this team also acquired often maligned C Jack Spiegel. If Jack can ever get to the point where he gets those fouls down then he will be one of the best C's in the entire WBA. The question is, when can he do that?

Birmingham

Key Players: Bob Delaney, Bill Blackstone, Michael Kutak, Ramiro Watts

Rundown: I like this teams talent base. I think they are headed in the right direction and are doing things the right way. They are being patient and signing players for good values. The key is to not panic and build the franchise. Delaney and Blackstone are both great offensive weapons to have. Blackstone is one of the best shooters in the league. Kutak is a great SG and really knows how to make things happen. He was a great addition for this team last season. Then we can't forget about young Ramiro Watts. Most people said he would never be a good C when he came out of college, but he has developed nicely into a great all around prospect. I think he is a very quality starting C.

New York

Key Players: Camron Diaz, John Greene, Jevon Carter

Rundown: New York has some potential and I think that their new management will bring a sense of stability to the franchise which may allow them to build something. John Greene was a very nice addition to this squad because he brings them a proven winner at the PF position. A lot of this teams progress will ride squarely on Greene's health issues. If he stays in the game then they have a chance, but if he gets hurt a lot then they may struggle. They also have Jevon Carter at the SF position. Carter is a great offensive weapon and is a strong rebounder. The real issue with this team is their lack of a dominant big man. They need to address that need through free agency or a trade or even the draft. They also are missing a bigtime PG. PG and C are probably the 2 most vital positions and this team will struggle despite the talent they have in the middle.

Carolina

Key Players: Eugene LaMaitre, Alvin Simpson, Anthony Curtis

Rundown: This team does have a viable PG in Simpson who is a premier passer. They also have the perfect compliment at SG with LaMaitre. Eugene is a great offensive weapon and he is also a tight defender. LaMaitre is easily this teams franchise cornerstone right now. Anthony Curtis is another player that they are bringing along. He brings a lot to the table and will be vital resource for this teams future. The team does have a lot of other minor talents signed up right now to some average sized deals. They would be better off spending a bigger sum to sign some big name players I think though.

Projected Finish Order:

Brooklyn

Washington

Birmingham

Alaska

New York

Baltimore

Carolina

September 27th, 2004

THE BIG MOVE.

Well, the move that was supposed to happen never really got finalize. The Dutchmen Shoe Company came to Birmingham and left thinking that they had just bought a WBA franchise. The Shoe Company had big plans in moving the Birmingham Fury across the Atlantic Ocean to Finland. Sven Gustafson the owner of Dutchmen Shoes is a life long fan of the WBA and wanted his fellow countrymen to experiences the enjoyment that he receives from watching the WBA. The C.E.O. Board members for the Birmingham Fury Voted 3 to 3 in order to sell the franchise to Sven Gustafson.

With the deciding vote belonging to Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight keep his promise that he made to the fan of his hometown, when he took over as Coach / Owner / GM, his statement was, “ As long as I am a part of this team, this organization well stay in Birmingham.” And he voted to stay in Birmingham. After, the meeting with the C.E.O. Board members for the Birmingham Fury Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight insured hat the team would not ever be moved from Birmingham. He bought out three of the six C.E.O. Board members, so that he would have the majority vote on all decisions. So all you Fury fans get ready and cheer loud this season, because the Fury is HERE TO STAY.

10TH SEASON PREVIEW

his season should a lot like season 8. Season 9 was a lost. With the being sold, ownership changing hands, and the being in of Yuri Vilasny the team needed time to heel. With the off season the Co-Captains of the team, Delaney and Blackstone gather all the players together and set a goal of 50 wins for this season. Delaney said, I am tried of just getting by I want to win, and the time is now.”

The nucleus is back and they have a little help this year. During the draft Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight made some very good addition that will help there team. With the 8th pick in the draft they selected Wu Dian-fan who was #1 on the Fury draft board. The fans are going to be really thrilled with this young kid he can really put the ball in the hole. That will help there bench scoring cause last season it was MIA.

With the 25th pick they selected Coach / Owner / GM, Ethan Kight's fellow alum Joe Brennan from Scottsdale University. Brennan can rebound with the best of them, which will add another key element coming off the bench. The Fury also added another point guard Alton Odom one of there long line of point guards that they are try to find so they can back up Vilasny. They also drafted a shooting guard, but did not sign him. This year rookies are expected to get some action so be ready for some exciting Basketball.

LET'S LOOK AT THE TEAM.

The point guards are pretty solid. The starter at the point guard is Yuri Vilasny, after getting comfortable with the player last season he avg. 15+ assist per game and is looking to raise that avg. higher. When asked what he likes best about basketball, his reply was, “I collect dimes, so every time I get an assist I add a dime to my collection.” The backup is Michael Kutak a very under achieving player waiting for his break out season this year. Third on the depth chart is the rookie Alton Odom hoping to help the team out how ever he can.

Shooting guards are next. The starting shooting guard is Bill Blackstone made this move last season and his point per game went up about 5 points per game. His backup will be Nike Johnson; he has accepted his role as the six man and is waiting the challenge. Third is Leon Connelly he is hoping that he get a chance to play this season.

The starter for the small forward position will be Bob Delaney; he is the glue that keeps this team together. For the past three seasons he has not been voted into the all star game and very well should have been. When asked about not being voted into the all star game he replied, “Individual awards don't mean anything to me. I just want to win a championship. Yes my numbers say a lot, but give me the ring and I will be happy.” His backup will be Wu Dian-fan, with his scoring ability he is expected to get a lot of playing time. Don't be fooled he can also play on the defensive side of the court. Third here will be the other rookie Joe Brennan; he is a great rebounder and could really help out this bench.

The starter for the power forward position is up for grabs. Leonel Coles is listed as the started, but Joe Brennan and Jamie Crouch could be the starter as well. Who ever starts they will have a very good backup waiting to make there name known.

The starter for the center position will be Ramiro Watts; he is looking to have a monster year. With Vilasny settled in and giving out dimes, his game numbers might be a little crazy. His backup is Wong-Wei Wang, is a young but aggressive center hoping to have a very product trainging camp to help this team get to the next level.

This team will be very good this season and they will not just settle for mediocre. With the Draft helping to fill spots in their bench rotation, I will say they are due to win 46 games.

By: Bobby “Blue” Bland

September 24th, 2004

Jerry Bollinger Show Transcript.

Jerry:

Good morning all you wild animals out there. This is the Jerry Bollinger show and I'm howling at you from our roaming studio in Paris Idaho. Why are we in Paris you might ask? Because this is where we were when the show was suppose to start. We are on our way up to Montana to find any Knights fans. It's a mystery what city the Knights call home but I think we can find it if we roam around enough. I just hope Montana is not a very big state.

Because we are on the road, “literally” we will not be taking any calls today and Biff, bonehead Biff that is, didn't line up any interviews for us so today is all me. I do have a topic of interest so stick around because we will be talking about the trades dealing with the upcoming draft.

Biff:

Sorry Jerry. I didn't know we were doing a show today

Jerry:

We are back. I want to open with commentary that I think many of you will find, if not just interesting, but fascinating. Since the playoffs are over and Cancun's reign continues; kudos to Cancun by the way; the next event of excitement is the draft. But while all you animals lounge around waiting for that day to come all the front offices in the league have been busy trying to make trades that they feel will help their teams the most.

#1: Let's begin with the #1 pick. It belongs to Roswell and as most #1 picks it will probably stay with its original owner.

#2: The #2 pick however has seen some action. It began in Rochester but was part of a 4 team trade (Rochester, Montana, Nebraska, and Alaska) that involved 6 players, 6 1st round picks, and 3 2nd round picks. When the dust all settled Montana ended up with the pick. But is wasn't long before Montana then packaged that pick with the #15 and a future1st and gave it to Washington in exchange for the #6 pick and Kadeem Reed.

#3: This pick is still held by the former Virgin Islands now known as Alaska

#4: The #4 saw some action. It was first held by Carolina but they gave it to Oregon for Anthony Curtis, pick #39 and a future 2nd

#5: Still held by Andorra

#6: We talked about this one already. It started with Washington but is now owned by Montana. Something tells me however with Montana's hyper trading tendencies this pick will end up in someone else's hands

#7: This pick has seen some action. Originally owned by Miami. Miami traded down to the #11 pick owned by Sacramento and gained a future first. Sacramento then sent that pick to Andorra for John Van Horne. This puts Andorra in a nice position for the draft. They have the #5 and #7 pick.

#8: Still owned by Birmingham

#9: Still owned by Cincinnati

#10: This was part of that spaghetti bowl trade dealing with the #2 pick. This was first owned by Alaska but now belongs to Nebraska.

#11: This pick started in Sacramento. They traded up to the #7 with Miami and Miami then traded down again to the #15 with Cancun. And that's where she lives now.

#12: Rochester has kept this pick

#13: And London has kept the 13 pick

#14: The 14 started in Salt Lake but quickly ended up in Cancun. This pick was part of a handful of picks needed to send Bangerter to Salt Lake

#15: This pick has been the jugglers dream pick. It has bounced around all over and has yet to hit the ground. It started in Salt Lake. Salt Lake just wanting out of the pick gave it to Montana for a future Montana pick. Montana then made it part of the package with the #2 and got Kadeem reed from Washington. Washington then gave it to Cancun for a small handful of future picks. And Cancun used it as part of a trade up deal with Miami. Cancun traded up to the #11 and Miami received the #15. Miami then quickly traded down in an agreement with Oregon sending the #15 to Oregon and the #24 to Miami. Just so that we have this straight. The order of teams touching this gem was Salt Lake, Montana, Washington, Cancun, Miami, and is now held by Oregon.

#16 - #23 are all held by their original owners

#24: Started in Oregon but traded up to the #15 giving the 24 to Miami

#25: Stayed in Birmingham

#26: Started in Brooklyn and went to Albecete along with the #47 and #54

#27 - #38 Stayed with their owners

The second round picks aren't near as exciting as the first. Just suffice it to say that between Albecete and Carolina they hold about every other pick. Those two teams should start a 2nd round rookies are us store.

So what does all this mean? Well it's interesting to see how different teams have different opinions on the value of the draft. Take Salt Lake for example. They started with the #14 and #15 picks but traded them both away. Now granted the #14 was for Bangerter and who wouldn't make that trade. But the 15 was just rolled out to a future pick telling us that Salt Lake didn't like the looks of this draft. As oppose to Andorra who ended up with the #5 and the #7. I would try to analyze Montana's view of the draft but know one really knows what that front office is thinking. Miami kept trading their pick down. They started with the #7 and ended up with the #24. I think Miami was looking to the future with the horde of picks they gained by trading down the way they did and at the same time will still get to participate in this draft. Many teams went conservative and didn't do much trading if any at all. But yet Cancun did whatever they could to trade up ending up with their given pick at 28 and gaining the #11 and #14 picks.

End of transcript

Jerry:

Well here we are again for the follow up to our discussion of the trading of draft picks of the up coming draft. The draft has happened and as I expected there were many draft day trades. Here on the show today we will go over some of the bigger ones. We begin with the #2 pick. Last we knew, Washington held it but it was quickly dealt back to Montana for an undisclosed price. I say undisclosed because the WBAs practice of posting all trades for whatever reason passed this one by. The #3 originally belonging to Alaska also changed hands in a 3 team trade involving Washington and Montana. Washington ended up with it. The #5 was owned by Andorra but ended up in the hands of Omaha. The #7 which had already been owned by 3 teams changed hands one more time to Capetown. We then jump down to the #13 where London dealt it to Capetown. We then get to the already heavily traded #15 where it once again changes ownership. The lucky and final team was Albacete. The #16 went from Capetown to Andorra. And finally for the first round picks the #26 was traded by Albecete to Oregon.

So there you have it all you animals. The volatile drafts picks of the WBA.

I have to say this just before I go. On draft day I was gracefully invited by the icon in the business Zagrieb to join him on draft day. I was not only excited but honored to do the show with him. Well it turns out the show went so well that Zagrieb has invited me again to join him on his next show. So all you animals out there let it be known that the big bear Jerry is moving up the radio food chain. Until then Ooowwwwwwweeeeeeee.

Draft picks trade history:

Roswell

Rochester

Montana

Washington

Montana

Alaska

Washington

Carolina

Oregon

Omaha

Andorra

Omaha

Washington

Montana

Alaska

Miami

Sacramento

Andorra

Capetown

Birmingham

Cincinnati

#10

Virgin Island

Nebraska

#11

Sacramento

Miami

Cancun

#12

Rochester

#13

London

Capetown

#14

Salt Lake

Cancun

#15

Salt Lake

Montana

Washington

Cancun

Miami

Oregon

Albacete

#16

Capetown

Andorra

#17

Baltimore

#18

Gabon

#19

London

#20

London

#21

Albacete

#22

Colorado

#23

Colorado

#24

Oregon

Miami

#25

Birmingham

#26

Brooklyn

Albacete

Oregon

#27

New York

#28

Cancun

#29

Nebraska

#30

Andorra

London

#31

Oregon

#32

Budapest