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April 12th, 2004
The Highlander Report
In the last issue of the Highlander report, we looked at the Highlander’s draft, and some of their offseason moves. Now let’s look at the players on the team, and what role is expected of them:
PG:
Nikos Atirides returns to the team that originally drafted him after a trade with Budapest. Playing behind top PGs in the league hasn’t helped his career much, but with Alvin Simpson gone, Atirides will be counted upon to be the starting PG this year. His stamina isn’t the greatest, and he’s not the pure passer of many PGs in the league; as stated by Coach Pat Fullum of Cancun, Atirides' philosophy is to shoot first, and shoot second. However, with work on his shooting accuracy, Nikos should become respectable as a scoring threat, along with his ability to get to the free throw line, where he’s 90%+ from, and maybe he’ll add some assists into the mix as well.
Roger Mayer is familiar with Corey Daubanton’s coaching schemes, as he was a player on his Season 2 South Carolina Hurricanes franchise before his hiatus as a coach. This veteran, being in the league since Season 1, but still only 27 years old, is not known for being a defender, but his skills of running an offense are noteworthy. He’s a great passer, and is also capable of shooting the ball. He’ll likely be backup to Atirides, unless injuries force him to play his other position at SG.
Addison Stanton, an undrafted rookie, was signed to a 2 year contract worth $0.5 million a year. He’s not expected to get too many minutes a game, unless other guys get injured. He’s another one of the shooting types of PGs, as his rookie league performance suggests. He also gets fouled a lot, but perhaps it’s because his FT% is lousy - under 50% in rookie league games. But when a PG can get some blocks now and then, it’s all okay.
SG:
Ryan Cuevas has a lot to prove after being rejected by critics by being picked so early. But he has a good all-around game for a guard. His FG% might be low for a SG, but with Atirides at the point, it’ll probably be a good idea to have another decent passer in the starting lineup, so Miller and Corrigan can get the ball.
Zacariah Salera had high hopes from management this off season. Even though he played very few minutes under the old regime, it’s believed he can be solid defender, and possibly a three-point threat. Now, with his 30 game injury due to a broken arm, it’s time for a plan B.
Solomon Farrell, another undrafted rookie, hasn’t confirmed his presence on the team yet, as the commissioner's office has yet to confirm his acceptance of a minimum contract. If he’s in a Highlander’s uniform next season, expect him to play some solid minutes with Salera’s injury. He might not score much, be he’s a pretty good rebounder and passer for the position.
Evilio Nunez was told, after accepting the Ogden citizenship award, that he would be cut to make room for salary cap. If Farrell signs with the Higlanders, he’ll be gone. Isn’t that wonderful? However he has found Utah to be a fixture for him, and the move to Andorra would probably be hard on him.
Ales Broz, a 19 year old foreign player from the Czech Republic, looked like a good pickup in the second round by Highlander scouts. Now it looks like he’s not going to adjust to WBA very well. Don’t except him to get much minutes, if any. Whether or not he stays on this team is unknown.
SF:
Devonta Corrigan is a premier scoring and rebounding threat, which forgives him for his somewhat lackluster “D”. He gives the team 40 solid minutes a game, making him a fan favorite, and third team All-GBA SF last year.
Kai Chorpa, another undrafted rookie, was picked up to back up Corrigan. Even if he only plays a few minutes a game, he can grab boards, and draw fouls, so he should be productive with the time he plays.
PF:
Mark Miller, bad boy of the team, was the top free-agent last season, and luckily will be returning, even though it’ll cost $11 million a year over the next 7 years. But he’s one of the best young PFs, with his ability to score, rebound, and play defense, so it should be worth the price.
Ezequiel Grunspan was expected to be one the better picks of the late first round, with his great rebounding and defensive skills in college play. Now WBA scouts say the transition to the pros is turning out too hard on him, and he won’t live up to expectations. At least he won’t be getting too much playing time behind Mark Miller, but hopefully he won’t lead to the yearning for Leonel Coles to return.
C:
John Van Horne is the last member of the three headed front court monster. He has great rebounding and blocking skills, and gets to the foul line often. If he improves his scoring, he should be one of the top centers of the league. Unfortunately, he’s under the last year of his contract, and after re-signing Miller, the Highlanders might not be able to afford to keep him around after this season.
Oshodi Bombata was the cornerstone of the Alvin Simpson trade with Miami. Even though he plays the opposite end of the position spectrum of Simpson, his already solid defensive and scoring abilities while being only 22, make his future as a solid center in this league look good.
Marques Feldmen was labeled as one the steals of the second round. Even though he was taken #45 overall, he has a solid rebounding and defensive game. Of course, this might be a casualty, as he was only able to get a one year contract, and he will get very little playing time behind Van Horne and Bombata this year, unless Coach Daubanton chooses to have him to play PF. If re-signing John Van Horne after this season is not possible, re-signing Feldman will then be a top priority.
Summary:
Nobody doubts that the Highlanders have one of the better front court trios in the league, but there is some skepticism about the guards, as there is no big name guard on the team anymore. But if Cuevas can adapt to the league, and Nikos Atirides can learn to hit more of his shots and not rely on the front court to bail him out with O-boards, it is believed the team will be a competitor in this league. Also, don’t count out Roger Mayer or Zacariah Salera when he returns -- even if they don’t have much stamina, they should have productive backup minutes.
My predication is still the same as last issue: 47-33 and a playoff berth.
April 12th, 2004
Omaha World-Herald
By: Dave Webber
YEAR TWO AT THE “WILD” KINGDOM
During the off-season, the Omaha Wild's Coach Kelley sat down with Warren Buffet CEO of the Omaha Wild and decided that there need to be some changes made in order for our team to win. To build their team they needed to make all the draft picks count and sign a key player in free agency. According to my review, they did just that during the draft they took the 9th and the 14th picks and got Harry Kramer (PF/C) and Scott Currie (SG). During free agency, The Wild went out and sign hometown favorite and Great Plains University alumni Michael Kutak (PG/SG).
The Wild's moves they made to improve their record from the 7th season of 19 - 61 paid off by almost helping the team get into the playoffs. In the 8th season Omaha finished 33 - 47 and Warren Buffet CEO of the Omaha Wild has given the final word, “we will make the playoffs this season or else”. Coach Kelley response to that was, I have the same feeling and want the team to have the same sense of urgency as the owner.
PG: Yuri Vilasny - In the 16 games that Vilasny played with the Wild he averaged 5.8 points, 7.5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. Now the team is looking for him to have a breakout season as the starter. The Wild need Vilasny to score a little bit more, but become a big defensive minded guard.
Felipe Juarez - He has the potential to be an excellent backup PG, and some even would say starting PG. The upside is great for this young player, he can score, rebounds very well for a guard, and oh yea can pass too. His downfall is the lack of his defensive effort is which what cut his playing time down. Reports say that he worked hard on that aspect of his game, if that is the case Coach Kelley has a tough decision to make who will start.
Pepe Garcia - Garcia is security at the PG position in case Vilasny gets hurt sometimes during the season. Garcia probably will not see that much playing time.
SG: Michael Kutak - He is the missing piece to the puzzle. Kutak can do it all if he stays out of foul trouble. He can score, rebound, pass, block shots, and is an excellent stealer. Now all he needs to do is mesh with the rest of his teammates. In college, he played one year with Donavan Jones at Great Plains U.
Peter Parker - A one-time starter is very happy to have Kutak with the team. Coming off the bench will be an adjustment for him but the teams leading scorer from last season will be a solid contributor to the second team. “Spiderman” one weakness is team Offense has to become better in that area to be a superstar.
Scott Currier - Currier is the Wild card at the SG position, because of his great rebounding ability he is going to be pushing for playing either here or at the SF position. He will make playing time for himself. I do not think Coach Kelley can leave him out of the lineup.
SF: Ellis Law - Law is consistence most people do not give him enough credit for the things he does. He can rebound, score, block shots, and play good defense.
Bronko Filipovic - Filipovic is just waiting his turn to play, so he can show everyone he is a star. Filipovic shot 48.9% from behind the arc last season. To move to that next level Filipovic needs to rebound a lot more and work on his passing.
Luo-Kung Liu - Luo can rebound, pass, and steal the ball but really is about one to two season away from making a serious contribution to the WBA playing time will be limited.
PF: Donavan Jones - “Junkyard Dawg” is what his teammates call him. Jones does it all for the Wild. Jones says, “Kutak was a freshmen when I a senior and I knew then he would be a star, now he is on my team and we are going to the “SHIP”” The Wild organization want Jones to score a little bit more to help give them more of an offensive punch.
Harry Kramer - This rookie is having a great camp in the rookie league. He is listed as a PF but probably spend most of his time at the center position. He ability to pass the basketball will fit in with this team.
Roy Houle - This Journeyman has found a home in the Wild- Kingdom. Improving his shooting and staying out of foul trouble. He could be a great role player.
C: Mike Bennett - Last season trade of Pat Stephenson cleared the way for Bennett to show the Wild that he was the man. Now in the off season Bennett has been reported attending George Miken big man camp to improve his rebounding and his toughness. I say if that happens the Wild will be tough to bet.
Gerhold Verholm - This player is somewhat of a mystery. He is listed as a Center, but played most of his time at the PF position. Now this Foreign superstar want to follow the footsteps of his childhood idol Dirk Nowitzki and play SF also. Verholm feels he can help the Wild by this move. Coach Kelley comments was, “ if G.V. wants to change and learn another new position he is the man who can do it. This Kid has so much upside it is not funny. I like his game a lot and we need him here.”
Outlook: The guard play will be solid if the can stay out of fouls trouble. The key for the Wild to be contenders is the improvement of Filipovic, Currie, Verholm, and most important Bennett. My prediction Omaha will make the playoffs with a record of 41- 39.
Dave Webber
April 9th, 2004
Baltimore Report
By Robby Arnold
Baltimore Pre- Season
There has been a change for the Baltimore fans, the team has changed its logo and colors. Now they are known as the Pirates and have donned the colors of purple and black.
This isn't the only change for the organization they have released long time players Stub Madison and Joe Jones for salary cap reason. The release of Stub was very hard for
Coach Rob Arnold who was sad to see the Pirates all time assist leader leave but Stub understood the nature of the business and had no ill will for the team moving in a new direction.
Joe Jones on the other was happy to released since his playing time was greatly reduced after the All -Star break
in favor for Johnny Tatum and was quoted as saying that he was glad to be gone and will hope that when Montana and
Baltimore play he hope his is the one personally responsible for their loss.
Now here are your Baltimore Pirates
PG.
Anson Valente what can be said about this All-star Rookie and Rookie of the year Candidate. This kid is a pure passer who will be asked again this year to the run the offense. The only flaw in his game is his shooting touch if he can start putting the rock in the hole he will be unstoppable. Backing him up will be rookies Bailey Wood and Ruben Schmidt. Scmidt has a shoot first mentality while
Wood will look to pass more.
SG
Good-bye Jones hello Tatum after years of playing behind Jones, Tatum was allowed to start after the All-star break and he was rewarded with a new contract and Jones being released. Tatum is a great shooter with good mid range touch. He will be backed up by Steve Vernie who may see some time at PG. if things don't work out with Schmidt and Wood.
SF
Odibe King has had this spot since his rookie season and will not let it go. The smooth small forward has the ability to rebound, score and assist. He needs to work on his fouling to stay in the game and help the Pirates stay in games. Mike Ivey will come off the bench and hopefully has gotten in better shape this season if does he will give King a good breather during the long season. Also coming back at the SF is Lance Armstrong who has had a very disappointing career after a good start after being named to the Rookie All-star team and voted Rookie player of the game at the All-star game he has fallen off the WBA radar. Hopefully if he has gotten a better shooting touch he could push Ivey at the backup three.
PF
Who does Baltimore start here Mr. Consistency and long time Pirate George Lush or Clarence Collins who was given a good contract during fa. Lush who is a career 50% shooter from the field and several time All-star PF can just flat out shoot the rock but is being pushed hard by Collins who can almost do it all, Collins who the past two season has had to perfect his game at the center position says it my time to shine and go back to my natural spot. They have let go of Madison and that headache Jones it is time to let go of this antique at PF who can't play d like me baby. Since Collins is moving back
PF this limits time for Walter Callaway, who had a decent rookie season, and rookie Matt Archer who sources around camp say he was brought in case Collins wasn't signed in the off-season.
C
Could Zane Rivers be that big time center Baltimore has been missing since Larry Chapman was traded away for Collins are was Baltimore blinded by his rebounding, blocking ability and potential up side, but fouls way too much and doesn't bring any offensive punch to the line up. If River fails to flow smoothly with the rest (I know corny but hey I couldn't pass it up) look for last year first round pick Don Laine to come in.Laine has the potential to dominate if he can just put the ball in the hoop.
April 9th, 2004
Oregon Report
By Corey Daubanton
The Oregon Golden Bears had a good team this year, and with their great draft and off-season moves, expectations have been as high as ever for this team. Here is a look at their roster:
PG:
Bill Andrews accepted a three contract with Oregon worth $6 million a year, making it clear that he'll probably be their starter at Point Guard with the departure of Buck Jones. Andrews, who has been around since the league began, is not immediately one of the great PGs of the league, but he will likely provide the leadership needed, as he did in Albecete, with his great shooting abilities, and dishing out an assist now and then.
Joe Watts can't pass, so it's a wonder that his natural position is at point guard. I suppose he'll be used as a shooting guard, were his shooting ability can be used better. He's also a pretty solid defender, making him a pretty good backup.
Mike Reardon has been around for awhile also. He's a good shooter and pretty good passer, but not that's probably not enough these days to be anything more than a backup.
SG:
Bishop Stein, drafted #2 overall is a solid guard that Oregon could use. Even though his shooting skills are a little off, he provides a solid all around game with his passing and rebounding skills.
Herman Burke is an occasional scoring threat, but he doesn't do anything else. He doesn't pass, rebound, or play much D. Even though he was a starter last year, I wouldn't be surprised to see his playing time diminishing with the addition of Bishop Stein, and younger players in the future.
Chancellor Agey, an undrafted rookie, might be a scoring threat, as likes to shoot a lot, but I don't see him causing much damage in the near future, as he lacks much of a defensive game.
SF:
Anthony Curtis is likely going to be starting at SF, as Oregon doesn't have any SFs at this time -- they should trade on of their surplus guards for one. However, Curtis has a solid offensive game, and is great at intimidating his opponents. If playing out of position doesn't affect him much, he should be a nice fit on them team.
PF:
Cory Mosley had a breakout season, showing that he's one of the top rebounders in the league. A little more work on his scoring, and he might be one of the top players in the league.
Alexei Vasilev, drafted #17 overall in the draft, isn't expected to be a major offensive threat, but is ability to rebound, draw fouls, and get a couple steals a game should make him a solid backup during his career.
Tony Dimateo likes to shoot beyond the arc, so he's always a threat to score, but other than that, he doesn't do a whole like else, except get some boards. He might end up playing SF behind Curtis.
Damone Randle-El doesn't know how to shoot the ball, so don't ask him how. Oregon might have picked this undrafted rookie up for his rebounding and passing skills, but this guy looks like he's going to take awhile to develop into even a decent backup. I don't expect him to play much in his career.
C:
Lou Gonzales is one of the biggest superstars in the league. His defensive ability, with 5.1 blocked shots and 2.7 steals a game last season, is unmatched by anyone in this league. He also has great accuracy with his inside shooting, making him a serious threat to any team.
Oryn Dasing is a odd guy for a big guy, as he doesn't rebound too much, and has a love for shooting beyond the arc. He does have talent at blocking shots, and with some playing time, he should be a solid backup.
Quest Campbell received a three year contract worth $0.55 million a year from Oregon during the off season. Not much of an offensive player, but he can get rebounds and block shots, so he might be a decent backup as he matures.
Conclusion:
Oregon should be back as a solid contender next season, as stars Lou Gonzales and Cory Mosley will be back. They did trade Buck Jones, but they shouldn't miss him, with the addition of Bill Andrews from free agency. Also, with the addition of Bishop Stein, Oregon now has a guard with an all-around game, and not the one-dimensional play of Herman Burke, which is a plus. Now if Anthony Curtis can play SF with little effects, and the Golden Bears obtains a decent backup SF, I believe this Golden Bears team can be just as good, if not better, as they were last season.
My prediction: 54-26, 2nd in Pacific Division.
April 9th, 2004
Montana Report
By Corey Daubanton
Montana is a tough team to figure out, as they are coached by Michael Esposito, a trash-talking Long Islander. It seems like they always expect to be a championship team, but end up the way of the Minnesota Vikings football team. Here is a look at the roster of the Knights:
PG:
Buck Jones returns to Montana after a stint at Oregon. I personally think that they gave up way too much for him, giving two solid backup players in Odell Bell and Paul Wright, and the #7 pick that Anthony Curtis, a future star at forward, was chosen with. However, Buck Jones will give a Montana a PG who can pass the ball, as well a score, and should give a solid 40 minutes a game.
Oliver Dohery will probably start at SG, as Buck Jones would limit his playing time. He should be a great player as he develops, as long as he improve his shooting percentage -- he already makes plenty of shots, and draws fouls from his defenders.
SG:
Dennis Evans should be a solid backup SG if Doherty starts. Being another young guard, he could work on his shooting, but he is already a good passer, and is always threatening to knock down the three.
Joe Jones comes to Montana with a minimum contract. If I was coaching, I wouldn't play him much, as he only provides a brief scoring punch -- he lacks an all-around game that he should look for if he wants to revitalize his once proud career.
SF:
Heiko Van Brandt, obtained in this off-season by the Knights, is known as being one of the best all-around players in the WBA, with his ability to score, rebound, and pass, without fouling or turning over the ball. He is expected to be an impact player, but he alone is not going to get Montana through the playoffs.
Mike Taylor is a solid backup player, who, like many others, got a minimum contract with Montana. His rebounding and offensive skills are quite good. He just needs to work on his fouls a bit.
Lonnie Graham accepted a minimum contract during free agency from Montana. Okay player, who might see a few minutes now and then.
Alex Yura, a late second round pick, isn't expected to get much playing time, but Espo likes him, so he probably will end up trying to keep him another season to see if his talent develops.
PF:
Pat Stephenson may be asked to play PF this season after the addition of Joe Cochran. He is a solid rebounder and shot blocker, and if playing out of position doesn't affect him much, Coach Espo will be a very happy person.
Toby McCree is going to be a solid backup for PF. He is 23, and is already pretty good at rebounding and pointing points on the board.
Geoffrey Thompson got a minimum contract from Montana. Depending on training results, he could be a solid rebounder next season, even if he won't get too minutes. He's 22, so Espo might have wished he offered him a longer contract.
Kenyon Maggette is another one of the privileged Free Agents who got a minimum contract from Montana
C:
Joe Cochran is hoped by Montana to be a solid center. He may be year or so away from be a star, but he is enthused with being able to play under Coach Espo, as he did at Harlem U., and his performance in Rookie League may reflect that.
Michael Huryta is another Free Agent that Montana picked up off season, who should be Cochran's backup at C. He has a pretty good jump shot, and is a decent rebounder, but will need to be able to prove himself if he's going to get more than a minimum contract in the future. At 23, he should make a name for himself as a solid backup someday.
Conclusion:
Even with all the off season moves Montana made, I don't see Montana improving much over last season, unless Van Brandt, or another player has a breakout year. But the team has a young group of players, like Oliver McCarthy and Joe Cochran who should help this team remain a competitor for many years to come.
My prediction: 40-40 5th in Pacific Division.
April 8th, 2004
Season Preview
By Pat Fullum
Western Conference
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Pacific Division
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1-Nebraska (1)
Probable Starting five: 1-Dexter Kodak 2-Dave Williams 3-Wayne Taylor 4-Paul Wilson 5-Kris Calhoun
Preview: There wont be too many 2nd chance opportunities to score against Nebraska this season! The offseason acquisitions of Paul Wilson and Kris Calhoun should have a tremendous impact on this team. Both are top rebounders and should complement Wayne Taylor, Dave Williams and Dexter Kodak perfectly. I expect this squad to be the toughest rebounding team in the league, by far. Having Roy Base, rookie center Vance Clopp and Jack Spiegel gives them a deep frontcourt. Now the big question is how many games will Taylor play? Of course you cant replace a player of his caliber, but the Sun Wariors have plenty of options if Taylor goes down. Kodak can move to SG and Williams to SF with newly signed Drake Bacheman running the point. Or maybe they will trade some of that frontcourt depth for a guard or SF.
2-Oregon (4)
Probable Starting five: 1-Bill Andrews 2-Bishop Stein 3-Anthony Curtis 4-Corey Mosley 5-Lou Gonzalez
Preview: When you have Lou Gonzalez patrolling the middle, you always are a strong contender. What more can be said about this guy? Gonzalez once again will have Corey Mosley by his side, who had a breakthrough year last season and became part of the WBA's elite. The major concern on this team his Bill Andrews running the point; can he initiate an offense properly? Some have doubts, but he did win a championship running the point on a team that had Lou Gonzalez as a first option... Oregon also had a great draft, bringing in Anthony Curtis, who will have to adapt to playing SF in the pros, and Bishop Stein. Both will bring rebounding to the team, and Stein should share some of the ball handling duties with Andrews, as he could be the best passer on that team.
3-Colorado (5)
Probable Starting five: 1-Austyn Williams 2-Samir Sheth 3-Edgar Kamara 4-Greg Lacy 5-Sean Ashman
Preview: A young promising team got younger this offseason, and are still very promising. But can they win this year? Trading Heiko Van Brandt might hurt this team in the short term, but they got rookie Edgar Kamara to replace him. Kamara will have big shoes to fill, but he brings a solid all-around game as a rookie and can only improve from now on. One of the offseason biggest moves for the Pioneers was resigning Greg Lacy, who became one of the best defensive forwards in the league last season. Sean Ashman was the starting center last season and did a solid job but he will be challenged this season by newcomer Paul Spagnoli. Spagnoli led his college team to two straight championships and had a solid rookie camp. One other player who might get pressure to keep his minutes will be PG Austyn Williams. Charlie Daidone was brought in as a free agent from Boston and rookie Ray Estrada showed flashes of being a good player in rookie camp.
4-Utah (7)
Probable Starting five: 1-Ryan Cuevas 2-Nikos Atrides 3-Devonta Corrigan 4-Mark Miller 5-John Van Horne
Preview: Utah might have the best 3-4-5 combination in the WBA, or one of the top three. Corrigan, Miller and Van Horn form a formidable trio upfront. They can all score, rebound and play defense and are young. The team will rely upon this trio to take them to the playoffs. Now where they are in that playoff race or how they perform will depend on how rookie PG Ryan Cuevas adapts to the pro game. The selection of Cuevas at #13 raised some eyebrows, but he has been playing well in the rookie league and although he might not be worth his selection rank, he could be a solid contributor. Management seems to have faith in him so he will get the time and confidence to improve. As for the SG spot...Who will be the starter come opening day? My guess is Nikos Atrides, a PG who looks to shoot first and shoot second. Although he hasnt proved anything yet in the pros, he has intriguing talent. Atrides had a couple of big games scoring last season for Budapest and if he worked hard this offseason, he could be the starting SG on that squad.
5-SLC
Probable Starting five: 1-Eric Manning 2-Eugene Lamaitre 3-Cordell Parks 4-Wally Birkhead 5-Arnold Eaton
Preview: Loosing Keith Douglas to Budapest will definitely hurt. But Eric Manning has been waiting for an opportunity to play some significant minutes since he was drafted, now its his chance to shine. His development will be key for this team, as most of the other key players from their rotation are back. If Manning should falter, SLC management probably will look for help at the point position. Rumours are already starting about Woody Reynolds coming over via trade.They ended the season on a very good note after acquiring center Arnold Eaton, making a push for the playoffs but falling short at the end. They have strong depth at the swingman position with Lamaitre, Parks, Rick Schulz and Emilio Brown. One of them might be dealt for a PG. It is also hoped that Wally Birkhead, a strong defensive player, can work on his offensive game in the offseason to complement Eaton in the frontcourt. Cameron Sampson will be backing him up and should provide quality minutes, maybe even starting in place of Birkhead.
6-Montana
Probable Starting five: 1-Buck Jones 2-Joe Jones 3-Heiko Van Brandt 4-Pat Stephenson 5-Joe Cochran
Preview: It is always hard to predict this team, as they could have a totally different lineup on the first day of camp, and then a completely new look on opening day. But right now they look solid on paper. Buck Jones was brough back to run the point. He had a very good season in Oregon and should once again be one of the top PG's in the west. Joe Jones was signed from Baltimore, and management must hope he can revive a once great career. If he plays like he did a couple of seasons ago, this could mean great things for this franchise, If he cant regain his confidence, sophomore Dennis Evans will start. Oliver Doherty might se some minutes backing up both positions, as he was signed as a project last season. He had some great games at the end of last season. I expect Pat Stephenson to move over to power forward to make room for rookie Joe Cochran. But the biggest move Montana made was acquiring Heiko Van Brandt, an all-star who can do it all. VB is one one of the most versatile players in the league and will make this team a lot better. They could move up if Jones plays well, if Cochran can adapt well, if Stephenson can play PF and if management doesnt loose patience and trades away everyone.
7-Roswell
Probable Starting five: 1-Wesley Philips 2-Jamie Moore 3-Tyler Durden 4-Keyon Brown 5-Columbus Dasher
Preview: New ownership in Roswell could really help this moribond franchise. They made a huge deal this offseason, trading the team's most recognizable player, John Greene. It will take a couple of seasons for the new owner to make an impact. The starting five is ok, but theres not much depth. Columbus Dasher will be the player to watch on this team. He is a great player that doesnt get talked about a lot. Will he be used as trade bait for young players and picks? Tyler Durden and Wesley Philips should also keep this franchise from having the worst record in the league. The good thing for this team in rebuilding mode is they own their first rounder next season.
Midwest Division
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1-Cancun (2)
Probable Starting five: 1-Parker Mason 2-Sott Lio 3-Lonnie Gerson 4-Scott Nicholson 5-Kent Mercer
Preview: The two-time champs bring back its whole starting five, wich is a good thing for them. Loosing fan favorite Elvis Harris and backup SG Tyson Cooper will hurt them, but Cancun signed Storm Schmid and Leon Berthelson and Shawn McKick was brought back. Now McKick's health is a big issue, as Nicholson's is. But Nicholson didnt miss many games last season, playing through the pain, but he will get more rest this season because the team acquired Brad Bangerter last seaon. And the team is hoping one of its undrafted rookie SF's will step up and earn the job as backup to Lonnie Gerson. Ean Smith might be the best undrafted rookie and possibly better than some players picked in the draft. As for Juwan Engle, hes playing well in the rookie camp and the only reason he might not have been drafted was because of his health. If this team can stay healthy, they will once again win the Midwest. But its a big "if". Scott Lio, Shawn McKick, Scott Nicholson, Juwan Engle and Ean Smith are all injury prone.
2-Capetown (3)
Probable Starting five: 1-Chuck Henderson 2-Gene Allen 3-Obafemi Mabruke 4-Oman Fatafehi 5-George Holt
Preview: Should Cancun have trouble staying healthy, Capetown might just steal the divison crown from them. Maybe even if Cancun is healthy they might win it. The only weakness they have is at SG, where right now Gene Allen seems to be the starter. But they have tremendous depth at the PF position: Oman Fatafehi, Donovan McCormick, Mark Crowley and Abdiel Gordon. There has been talk that Gordon might be the best player of the draft. We will only know when training camp opens, but he looks really good in the rookie league. Now that could give Capetown a happy problem. I expect one of the power forwards to be traded for depth at the guard position. Signing Holt was a good move, as he is a solid veteran center. Mabruke is a great player and the team was transformed last season after it acquired veteran PG Chuck Henderson. Henderson will again lead the team as they will contend for top spot in the western conference.
3-Texas (6)
Probable Starting five: 1-Charlie Meyers 2-George Foster 3-Johny Brose 4-Jaryus Miles 5-Jay Vazquez
Preview: The signing of Charlie Meyers to a big contract raised some questions, but Meyers is only 21 years old. Texas needed a PG, and they got a 21 year old prospect to run the show. He his talented, and could mature with this young squad. Now Texas might have the most promising PF/C tandem in the WBA in Javier Vazquez and Jaryus Miles. Vazquez was the rookie of the year and should be an all-star for years to come. Miles had to learn the game coming off the bench last season as a high schooler, bu he is full of potential. He only need to work on his turnovers and fouls to become an elite player. But theres been talk that Miles was on the block. Same with veteran John Brose, who has a solid game. All-star George Foster was also brought back last season and should once again be an all-star this season. And did the Juggers get the biggest steal in free agency? Signing Al Lee to a minimum contract was huge. Although not the great player he was predicted to become, he is a good player to have on the bench or to start with his cheap contract.
4-Miami (8)
Probable Starting five: 1-Alvin Simpson 2-Dave Troychak 3-Bill Rainwater 4-John Davis 5-Marty Williams
Preview: Will Bill Rainwater bounce back after a tough season? If he does, Miami has themselves a very good starting five. Dave Troychak continues to mature and was named an all-star reserve last season. He needs to continue to develop his game for this franchise to have success. John Davis and Marty Williams form a good duo at the power positions. Once labeled a troublemaker, Davis seems to have found a home in Miami last season. He will help this team make it to the postseason. Alvin Simpson comes over from Utah and has the potential to lead the league in assist, the only concern with him is his ability to hit shots. So Miami should rely on its starting five to take them to the playoffs, as depth seems to ba lacking right now.
5-Omaha
Probable Starting five: 1-Yuri Vilasny 2-Michael Kutak 3-Scott Currie 4-Donovan Jones 5-Harry Kramer
Preview: I believe they will start rookie Scott Currie at that SF position as they dont have a small forward worthy of starting. Currie's game should fit well as a SF, as he is a solid rebounder. And after three seasons of playing on the bench or limited minutes on a great team (Brooklyn), Michael Kutak gets a chance to start and shine. He was brought in in the offseason and should make an immediate impact as a strong defensive player. And Yuri Vilasny will get the opportunity to start and play every game, as he had some very good outings as a rookie last season. He should compete for the assist title if teammates can hit their shots. Last season Omaha had a big hole in the middle, but they hope draft pick Harry Kramer can solve some of that problem, If Kramer can just play solid, Omaha could cause some surprises this year and maybe even battle for a playoff spot. A very young team, the future looks bright in Omaha.
6-California
Probable Starting five: 1-Cole Bayo 2-Pete Merritt 3-Brody Liang 4-Angel Rojas 5-Chuck Murphy
Preview: The California Hellcats brought in two players this offseason. Cole Bayo has been a good player in his first two seasons, but some doubt he will ever be a good PG. Nonetheless, he helps this team with his defense and knack for getting to the line. Now Angel Rojas? He was a surprise last season as an undrafted rookie free agent, but signing him to a 12 million contract? If he can resolve his health issues, he could beconme a solid contributor. The center position is a question mark with Chuck Murphy, Roger Bradshaw and Sky Harrington expected to fight for minutes. Charlie Hernandez was solid for them late in the season, but wasnt resigned by California or any other team. Brody Liang will again be the leader of this team, a quiet player that seems to produce every year no matter who plays with him. New ownership will help this team get better, but previous management didnt help by trading their first round pick.
7-Cincinnati
Probable Starting five: 1-Brandon Sandler 2-Webster Hewlett 3-Trevant Bordeaux 4-Dontae Evans 5-Craig Bradshaw
Preview: They signed Dontae Evans and Trent Jordan to big contracts this offseason, so they are expected to play the PF spot. This means that its probably the end for Abegunda Abasi in Cincy. Evans showed promise in his last couple of seasons and should get the minutes here to shine, with his 16 million deal. Trevant Bordeaux was also brought back and his expected to play, he is young and talented. Craig Bradshaw was kind of a disappointment in his young career but still his a solid center. Fortunately, they have their first round pick next season.
Eastern Conference
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Atlantic Division
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1-Albacete (1)
Probable Starting five: 1-Keith Douglas 2-Harry Jarvis 3-Jim Donnely 4-Bobby Cress 5-Juwan Bixby
Preview: Some say drafting Tyler Kane at #1 was one of the worst pick ever, but most say it was a brilliant move by GM Alcarez, who wanted, and got, both players he wanted: Kane and center Juwan Bixby. Bixby will make an immediate impact in his rookie season and will be surrounded by a strong veteran crew. Keith Douglas is now the PG, a pure PG compared to Bill Andrews. Tyler Kane will have time to learn backing up Douglas. Douglas will bring another dimension to this team with his passing. Having Bixby in the middle means that Bobby Cress is going back to PF, where he had the most success in his career. They arguably are the deepest team in the league. Albacete resigned overweight but also very talented PF Gordon Whitehouse, they kept Jim Donnelly, a very important move as he is a great fit for this team. They also brought in SG Paul Wright and SF Reynaldo DeAngelo. Lou who? This is Harry Jarvis team, and he could bring them to the championship this season.
2-Boston (4)
Probable Starting five: 1-Danny Hainge 2-Sheldon Maloney 3-Camron Diaz 4-Dave Short 5-Bill Yeager
Preview: This team is looking to acquire another backourt player, as Danny Hainge is not a pure PG. They again bring one of the most solid duos in Bill Yeager and Dave Short. They are a solid team, always tough to play agaisnt. Will Art Campbell replace Camron Diaz in the starting lineup? Campbell was a nice surprise last season in Oregon and was rewarded with a new contract in Boston. He brings passing to a team that really needs it. He could make Diaz expendable. They should once again make it to the postseason between the #4 spot and #7.
3-Gabon (5)
Probable Starting five: 1-Ethan Hunt 2-Otto Hameleers 3-Derek Vinyard 4-Jerry Bramson 5-John Devine
Preview: Its well known that Gabon has been looking for a true center for years. Is John Devine the answer? Is Dudka Catelinas the answer? All they have to do to be that center is rebound and play a little defense. Jerry Bramson is one of the best PF's in the league and will benefit from going back to his natural position, because he had to play center last season. They also got some nice depth this offseason, signing Stub Madison, Elvis Harris and bringing back Fernando Edwards. Both Madison and Harris can pass and shoot well, wich will help. As for Edwards, he has big potential, but major flaws (TO's and his shot). These three, with Magic Toby, will give Gabon a good bench. If one of the rookie centers can step up, Gabon will be looking at a very productive season. Otto Hameleers, Derek Vinyard and Bramson will once again lead this team.
4-London (7)
Probable Starting five: 1-Kelvin Davidson 2-Brian Collins 3-Abdullah Chanda 4-Sergeï Danilov 5-Horace Colbert
Preview: They didnt make many moves this offseason, wich could be a good thing. They did trade the #4 pick for Nick Adams and picks, wich was a surprise. But they bring back a solid group of veterans and can always move up higher than the #7 spot they are predicted here. With three potential all-stars in Kelvin Davidson, Abdullah Chanda and Horace Colbert, everything is possible. If Sergei Danilov doesnt develop well enough in the offseason, rookie Ruben Sax could start at the PF spot, as he is having good games at the rookie camp.
5-Rochester (8)
Probable Starting five: 1-Jimmy Whalen 2-Bert Haug 3-Jerry Sims 4-Rondall Reynoso 5-Jim McCarthy
Preview: The look of this team changed quite a bit since the beginning of last season. Jim McCarthy is a prime time player and can definitely take this team to the playoffs. Rochester has to hope that he gets back to his old Cincy form. One of the surprises on this team last season was the play of PG Jimmy Whalen after he was acquired form Nebarska. He was one of the best PG's in the league after the trade. If he can continue his play, Rochester will be a very solid team. Now playoffs hope might rely on Rondall Reynoso's shoulders. Did he just have one good season so that he could sign a big fat contract? He was involved in trade talks, but he still could be an important piece of the puzzle for this squad. Newcomer Bert Haug should get a chance to play here, competing with Pedro Otis, Jerry Sims and rookie rebounding machine Norm Axelrod for playing time.
6-Varese
Probable Starting five: 1-John Gaiser 2-Harold Gill 3-Jaxon McCall 4-Paul Dilmore 5-Charles Cushman
Preview: They got one of the most sought-after player in free agency this season in Harold Gill. After there was talk that he couldnt have big games, he had a couple of scoring outbursts playing for lowly VI. Now he needs only to control his temper to stay in games. Defensive specialist Bobby Egan was also resigned and should back up the SG spot, with Gill moving over to SF to rest scoring machine Jaxon McCall. Gaiser is still an unproved PG but will have to step for this team to have any shot at the playoffs. Paul Dilmore was a nice surprise but needs to work on his shooting.
7-Budapest
Probable Starting five: 1-Steve Peterson 2-Jalen Bell 3-Tre Freeman 4-Bennie Armstrong 5-Larry Chapman
Preview: Every season they are predicte to finish low, but they always find a way to make these predictions look foolish. Will this year be the year that they finally do as expected? They lost bruce Johnson and got Tre Freeman to replace him. Freeman has some potential but he his nowhere near the player Johnson is. They do have TJ Macfarland back from his one year suspension, but its unknown how he will report to camp. If hes in good shape, he could reclaim his starting spot from Larry Chapman, the veteran center who had a surprisingly good season for Budapest last year. Tyson Cooper was also brought in as a backup SG, he is a very smart player that doesnt make many mistakes, but will his health is a concern.
Mid-Atlantic Division
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1-Brooklyn (2)
Probable Starting five: 1-Justin Krueger 2-Mario Bailey 3-Shane Strom 4-Tom Perkins 5-Joe Siebert
Preview: Every single offseaosn, Brooklyn looses a key element from its rotaion to another team with more money. And every year they go out and make up for it. This offseason, they lost Michael Kutak, who made a name for himself in Brooklyn. But they got young guard Omar Jefferson, who is full of potential. Daren Benson is another young player that was brought in, as he could mature into a good PG. But the key to replace the departure of Kutak might be the development of Mario Bailey. This talented young player lost his starting role to Kutak last season, when much more was expected of him. If he has a goodoffseason, loosing Kutak will hurt less, if he doesnt, Brooklyn has to hope that Jefferson develops quickly. They should again compete for the championsip, with Strom, Perkins and Siebert leading the way.
2-Washington (3)
Probable Starting five: 1-Kadeem Reed 2-Emmett Yee 3-A.J. Schulz 4-Leo Rice 5-Boom-Boom Casey
Preview: They have depth, they have talent, they have a good mix of veterans and young players. Will they be back atop their division? A lot depends on how Kadeem Reed and newcomer Emmett Yee adapt to their new positions. Reed has always been more of a PG than SG because oh his talent, so has Yee. Elvin Sanders stepped up in the playoffs and was awarded with a nice contract. He should see more playing time backing up A.J. Schulz and Yee. Washington also bring in two strong draft picks, PG Marvin Lee and center Reed Moses, wich should give them a strong bench. Now will ownership still sell the team? Whatever they decide, Washinton will be in the hunt for the title, hoping no one gets injured or decides to retire.
3-Birmingham (6)
Probable Starting five: 1-Oliver McCarty 2-Nike Johnson 3-Bill Blackstone 4-Bob Delaney 5-Ramiro Watts
Preview: The cinderella team of last season, can they repeat their success of last season? The only significant addition has been backup forward Leonel Coles, who should help coming off the bench. The surprising play of Nike Johnson last season has made Frank Rose expendable, as he probably will get traded. If he stays, he will notheless play a significant role off the bench. It will be interesting to see if they sign PG Oliver McCarty to a long term deal, try their chance at free agency with him or just trade him. He has some nights where he looks like a premiere PG, but others where he just disappears. He might be they key player this year for this team, as we know that Blackstone, Delaney and Ramiro Watts will play solid ball.
4-NY
Probable Starting five: 1-Jimmy Foster 2-Jerry Kumanchik 3-John Greene 4-Jevon Carter 5-Tyriq Lang
Preview: The same question will ba asked as when John Greene was in Roswell: How many games will he play? When he is healthy and in the lineup, Greene is one of the top WBA players. But he does spend a lot of time on the injured list. And New York doesnt seem to have an adequate backup to sub in for Greene, but that could change with a trade. They brough in free agent Bill Magenheimer, a very solid combo guard to back up Jimmy Foster and Jerry Kumanchik. He might even challenge Kumanchik for the starter's role. The big quiestion is who will play center? Tyriq Lang struggled a bit in the rookie league, but has potential. The other two that could battle for a starter's role are Gary Agey and Chuck Orourke. One of them will have to step up to replace Zane Rivers.
5-Baltimore
Probable Starting five: 1-Anson Valente 2-Donn Laine 3-Odibe King 4-Clarence Collins 5-Zane Rivers
Preview: Anson Valente was a nice surprise last season, being signed to a big contract in the offseason. Two other players won the jackpot with Baltimore, Clarence Collins and Zane River. Those three players will be asked to carry the load on offense with help from SF Odibe King, who had a solid season. With Collins expected to start at the PF position, George Lusch might be a quality backup at the forward position. Baltimore will also count on rookies Ruben Schmidt, Matt Archer and Bailey Wood to provide some quality minutes of the bench.
6-Carolina
Probable Starting five: 1-Russ Chase 2-Kevon Duke 3-Luke Benner 4-Simeon Hill 5-Keyshawn Eosso
Preview: Kevon Duke his one of the best shooting guards in the league, but he doesnt get talked about much nowadays playing for a non-playoff team. But he produces every year and will once again lead this team. Simeon Hill, the starting PF, was a surprising rookie last season and became one of the league's most efficient rebounders. Jim Charles was signed to back him up and will provide rebounding off the bench. Carolina also brought in PG Jose Hayes, who was once a very good player but hasnt played well the last couple of seasons. He will battle Russ Chase for the starting job at PG. If he can find his old game in camp, it could mean good things for Carolina, as Chase has been somewhat of a disappointment the last two seasons.
7-VI
Probable Starting five: 1-Umberto DiTullio 2-Garth Donahue 3-Bruce Johnson 4-Kelvin Boice 5-Al Zarra
Preview: Resigning Umberto Ditullio was a good thing, but they did have to overpay a little to keep his services. But he his a good passer who needs to work on his shot selection. They also brought in Bruce Johnson, signed long term in free agency. Will Johnson get major minutes? Will that affect the development of rookie Marquez Houston? Houston had a very interesting freshman season, as did fellow freshman Kelvin Boice. Some felt Johnson could have been a superstar but was held back by Budapest's sytem. We will see how he reacts to a change of scenery. AL Zarra is the center still, and he is a good veteran to have alongside those youngsters. Sophomore Cullen Philips could take Donahues place in the starting lineup, Philips being way younger. The development of the young players will be of major importance for this team as they continue to try to build a respectable team.
April 6th, 2004
Free Agency Review
By Brandon Morfeld
Below is my review of how free agency went for each team in the league. I guess I'll maybe give some insider info and behind the scenes on some players and also just generally say how I feel about what each team accomplished. I listed them in order of how I think they rank in what they did this offseason.
1)Nebraska-- This is my own team so take this analysis with a grain of salt. But Nebraska set out to sign 4 players and ended up getting them all despite having limited cap room. They went out and brought home Drake Bacheman who is probably the best back-up PG out there. He's a great passer with excellent defensive skills. His major weakness is his offense, but since he doesn't shoot he doesn't need to make it. He is a good FT shooter though. Nebraska also brought back Quintin Pitt who they dealt to Cincy last season. Pitt was an absolute steal as I think he could start for most of the teams in the WBA. He rebounds well for a SG, shoots well, and plays very good defense with a good mental game. Nebraska then went out and brought in 2 of the WBA's best rebounders ever in Kris Calhoun and Paul Wilson. Calhoun is a great rebounder, but he does struggle offensively and isn't an overly impressive defender. He'll be a nice role player off the bench. Perhaps the steal of free agency was the low priced acquisition of Paul Wilson. Wilson is well on his way to becoming the leagues career rebounding champion and that just means more shots for Dave Williams and Wayne Taylor. The duo of Wilson and Calhoun should take this team to the top of the rebounding charts.
2)Washington-- Washington had a hot and cold free agency. They were able to sign up Kadeem Reed who is going to be a superstar in this league. Reed will put the ball in the hoop and can make an offense run through him. It was a great job by Washington to keep him around. They also went out and brought in Emmett Yee. Yee is the replacement for Carter. Yee is a big time scorer, but is pretty weak on the boards and defensively. Washington will be hoping that he can upgrade these areas of his game. Elvin Sanders is a good player with a nice touch on his shots. He is also a really smart player. But his biggest asset is his agent who got Washington to fork over the big dollars despite the fact that not any other team made him an offer at all. I won't be the one to say that he isn't worth what he's making, but he was by far the most overpaid free agent in terms of interest. Frank Constantini is another really nice player for this squad to have picked up.
3)Omaha-- Omaha went out and got Michael Kutak who will be a bigtime player for them. Kutak brings a complete package to the table with his superb offensive skills, great rebounding, passing, and defense. If he can control his fouls and not tuen the ball over too much he will become Omaha's franchise player. Peter Parker is a nice offensive punch off the bench and Roy Houle has some potential too if he can overcome some major weaknesses.
4)Cancun-- Cancun went out and focused on finding some depth this season. At PG they signed Leon Berthelson and Treyvon Marlow. Berthelson once had great promise in the league but has fallen out of favor and Marlow is a solid young player. Neither will light up the stats sheets, but both are very consistent and hard working players. Shawn McKick was a major key for cancun this year. They were able to keep a great player at a decent price. McKick is a great producer with an accurate shot. He does everything else well also. They also signed up Storm Schmid who is in that same mold. Schmid and McKick will both be pressing for playing time on this team. Wong Wei-Wang was another nice addition for depth. His shooting will hinder him a lot, but he rebounds and plays solid defense. They also signed undrafted rookies Jo Jones, Paul Carroll, Ean Smith, and Juwan Engle. Ean Smith is the one to watch here. He was receiving votes for the All-GCBA team this past year so he has some skill. It all just depends how he adjusts to the pro game.
5)Baltimore-- Johnny Tatum was a nice pickup for Baltimore. He's a very consistent offensive producer who plays smart with the ball. He's one of the better pick-ups this offseason. Ruben Schmidt is an unproven rookie who may struggle to find playing time in this camp. Clarence Collins was another very nice signing for this squad. He's a PF on the rise with solid rebounding and a nice defensive presence. Couple that with a nice shot and you have a pretty complete player. Lance Armstrong is a guy who can be a contributor on any squad, but his main weakness is his inability to knock down a shot. That will be a major liability working against him. Baltimore then went out and signed Zane Rivers. This was perhaps the biggest surprise of free agency since so many teams went after him. Rivers will be a great presence for this squad with solid offense and defense and great rebounding. Rivers will be a thorn for this team because he struggles with the mental game of fouls and turnovers, but in all he will surely help.
6)Cincinnati-- John Archibald was a decent player to keep. He will provide some nice bench support. Jim Glenn is another player in that same mold. They are both consistent players, but neither is going to wow anyone. Trent Jordan was a very nice pick-up for Cincy. He needs some training in a few areas, but hopefully this coach will be smart enough to get that done for him. He has great offensive potential and hits the boards hard. They also signed Trevant Bordeaux who has a lot of work to get done to make an impact. Cincy is the perfect type of team to be able to wait for him. They also signed Willie Toth who will playmuch better if they use him as a SF. He is mainly just an offensive minded role guy. The biggest signing for this squad was Dontae Evans who was one of the biggest young names out there. Evans has the potential to be an amazing influence on any squad once he gets his shooting touch down.
7)Albacete-- Albacete was searching for a PG this year and they ended up signing one of the top passers in the league in Keith Douglas. Douglas is competent on offense and hits the boards well, but his defense is lacking and he isn't very smart with the ball at times. He was one of the best PG's this draft though. Vincent Robinson will also provide some punch off the bench if necessary defensively. Cete also signed Paul Wright who is one of the top offensive threats in the league coming off a bench. He better provide the offensive spark though or else he's pretty much useless. They also signed Reynaldo DeAngelo and Gordon Whitehouse to solidify their frontcourt. I believe Whitehouse is earning more money than he is worth because he can only do so much before fouling out. He's making a lot of money to be a role player. DeAngelo is the same way. Jim Donelly was a nice addition however. He isn't great on offense, but he is a very solid all around contributor to his team. Harry Crowley and Jason Moss are both going to be riding the pine a lot I think as they are players that were signed withthe future in mind.
8)Utah-- Utah spent all of their money to make sure they kept Mark Miller and they did just that. Miller is coming away as the richest free agent this season and deservedly so. He brings the complete package to the team and is their franchise player. Everything this team does on both ends of the floor will run through him. Kai Chorpa and Addison Stanton are both reaches that Utah is hoping can produce some help off the bench or else develop into that role later on.
9)Brooklyn-- Brooklyn joined the youth movement this season. They signed Daren Benson who is improving his offense every day and is already a great passer and defensive player. He just needs to learn to play smarter. They also signed LaKar Everidge who has the potential to be one of the great scorers in this league. He is a few years away from this however so Brooklyn will be his learning ground. Next was Omar Jefferson. Jefferson struggles with turnover problems and also with his shooting. He may need a few seasons to develop into the PG that Brooklyn is hoping for. Until then he brings some major liabilties onto the court with him. Brooklyn also resigned Chance McCormick who is a solid player in most aspects. His defense won't impress anyone, but he does so many other things well. Jay Dickinson is another young player who has some thinsg to work on. His main focus should be offensive consistency. Mike Barrett and Yuriy Zakharov are 2 very consistent players that will help this team with its' depth.
10)New York-- New York signed Bill Magenheimer who is a good offensive player, but he needs to work on his mental game to be effective. They also brought in Haznor Kolvanis and Walt Rogers who are the exact same type of player. Their big signing was the addition of Jevon Carter. Carter is a great young player who just needs to learn to knock down his shot consistently to be a force. Gus Rizzolo was a nice addition too and could help the team is he stays out of foul trouble. JJ Jordan is a guy that has never lived up to expectations probably because of his journeyman status. He just never gets consistent coaching, and New York probably isn't the team you want to be on if you want to stick around.
11)Texas-- I don't like the signing of Charlie Meyers to that contract at all. It's a high price to pay a guy that doesn't really play any offense, or pass the ball well, or play much defense really. I guess it is more an investment in a vision than an investment in a player. Meyers does everything good, but he doesn't do anything at all great. Skyler Sorenson is that same kind of player, but he was signed to a more appropriate offer in my mind. Shaun Busch was a decent pickup though. He's a solid shooter and will grab some boards. Al Lee was a very nice surprise for them to go out and keep for such a bargain price also. Lee is another player who does everything good and will be a major contributor to the squad. Terry Bumgardner was also added for depth and could mature into a pretty nice player in the Texas lineup. To me though, the best signing for Texas was Ed Bryant. He is just starting to come into his own as his shots are falling, his rebounds are up, and he is playing smarter. He has a lot of room to grow yet and this is a guy Texas will be happy to have.
12)Budapest-- Budapest signed some nice free agents in Tyson Cooper and Bud Johnson. Both will be nice contributors for this team. Tre Freeman will be an excellent SG in the near future and will be a nice player for this team. I really like the signing of Kegan Salazar though as he is exactly the kind of player Budapest has become known for over the years. They love players who are consistent on offense but play amazing defense and play hard on the boards.
13)California-- Their big signing was Cole Bayo this offseason. Bayo is a great player, but I think he was also overpriced due to the demand for PG's this offseason. He's a nice offensive weapon, but he is such a weak passer for the position. The thing that will make it or break it for California is if Bayo's defensive intensity and offense can outweigh the lack of ball movement he will bring to the offense. Johnny Hawks has a lot of the same qualities as Bayo so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out for the Cal offense. Jarrett Fox was also a nice offensive minded acquisition for this squad. They just need him to contribute some high quality minutes on that end of the floor. Angel Rojas leads this frontcourt class because he has the potential to become one heck of an all around player. California just needs him to stay healthy and get conditioned. Sky Harrington, Roger Bradshaw, Chuck Murphy, Hakeem Samir, and Alfred Hodge will all add some depth to the frontcourt, but none of them are a bigtime C. Not sure this was the quality of depth that a playoff team would want to build.
14)Varese-- Varese spent a lot of money this offseason to try and build a team around Jaxon McCall. I personally feel they went the wrong way. Harold Gil is a very nice player to add to the team, but his attitude is a well documented problem. This team has an offensive lightning rod in McCall and what they needed to bring in was a dominating post player. Instead they paid a lot for a very volatile SG. Gill will be a great addition to this team though with his offense taking some pressure off of McCall. Plus he does so many other things well that his presence will improve the team. Chris Worsinger was a nice try at PG, but like so many others this offseason he just isn't an adequate passer to get the ball out to McCall and Gil. Himself he is a nice offensive player, but he has foul issues and is a defensive liability. Bobby Egan is another guy that will put up some numbers and is a quality SG, but will be sitting alongside Gil and Worsinger on the bench with 6 fouls. I like the signing of Jim Harrison. He's a solid young player who has the potential to turn into a great one. He'll do a great job backing up McCall. John Diblasi is a major reach at the C spot so I am hoping they plan to play him at SF where he might be competitive.
15)Montana-- Montana made a huge steal when they signed up Joe Jones. He will provide a very nice offensive presence although he does lack the complete game that a lot of today's SG are bringing to the table. They also brought back Mike Taylor who is another offensive minded player. Lonnie Graham and Geoffrey Thompson are guys that could also develop into nice everyday players for this team. Kenyon Maggette and Michael Huryta are two players that this team will need to work with to make them the kinds of players a title team needs to contribute.
16)Virgin Islands-- Believe it or not this was a productive offseason for VI. They now have Garth Donohue and Scooter Jacobs signed on. Both are aging players, but this team needed a presence on the squad and these guys will provide that. Both are still quality players that would get time on most squads and both bring an offensive attitude to a team that was looking for an offensive identity all last year. They also signed Umberto DiTullio who is one of the best passers in the league. He's also improving the rest of his game although his offense will still be a liability. Lastly he was able to steal Bruce Johnson. This was a major signing for VI. Johnson is an excellent rebounder and makes the offense run with his passing ability. He's not an overly impressive defensive presence and he still needs to work on his shot, but there is some potential here for VI to work with.
17)Rochester-- Rochester did a nice job in signing Bert Haug who will be a nice addition to their offense. He just needs to get more consistent as a shooter and stay out of foul trouble. They also signed Kristian Dickerson and Norm Axelrod. Axelrod is probably the best rebounder in the entire draft and as long as he adjusts well to the WBA style of game he will make an impact for this team.
18)Gabon-- Gabon brought in Stub Madison who is still an effective PG in the league. He hits his shots and can distribute the ball, plus he plays smart. They also signed Fernando Edwards who just needs to work on a few areas to become a nice player. He is already a great rebounder and is adequate on offense. Elvis Harris was their last addition. He will be a very nice sub for them and contribute some high quality minutes.
19)Oregon-- Oregon went out and brought in one of the big names this offseason in Bill Andrews. To be honest I think that Andrews was one of this years overpriced players. One key element for any PG is being able to pass and Andrews just doesn't get the job done. He's a great offensive threat, but why are you worried about offense when you have a guy like Lou Gonzales on the squad. Andrews is a solid player, but I just see him being more effective as a SG. Joe Watts is basically a poor man version of Andrews. Oregopn shouldn't expect much ball movement from its' PG position. Oryn Dasing is a joke at C with his extreme lack of rebounding. He MIGHT be able to get away with that if he were an excellent defender or was a smart player, but fouls and turnovers will haunt him. Quest Campbell, Damone Randle-El, and Chancellor Agey were all picked up to add some depth and I don't foresee any of them making a major contribution to this squad. In all I think Oregon was obviously searching for some offensive firepower and they got it, but most of these players have a major weakness somewhere that will hurt them in the game. This was just a very average free agency for Oregon.
20)Boston-- They signed Gannon Moore who has some defensive issues and Petya Denisov who struggles with fouls. Denisov could develop into a nice SG someday though. They did do a great job in signing Art Campbell who will be a force in the league if he can get his shot to start falling more often. Charlie Brown is also capable of putting in some quality minutes as a reserve.
21)Capetown-- Capetown signed up George Holt who is one of the all time great scorers in the WBA. He's always had issues with knocking down his shot which has hurt the teams he's played for, but when he gets hot he's one of the best. That's really his only strength. They also signed Burt Rodriquez who is at best a SF, but is trying to play C. This prevents him form making much of an impact.
22)Salt Lake-- SLC didn't have a lot of spots to fill. They went out and signed Columbus Dasher who won't be a major impact player, but will provide some help if needed. They also signed Al Harvey who I think will be one of the better rookie PG's this year. He'll provide some nice bench help for this squad.
23)Colorado-- Colorado didn't really go out and make a big impact this year. They signed Charlie Daidone to play the point. Daidone is a guy who is pretty close in a lot of areas to breaking through. He nees to get his shot to fall more consistently and work a bit on his passing and fouls. They also signed Dickie Cotter who has some all around ability at SF. He's a guy that they will be hoping to develop.
24)Roswell-- Andy Davis won't be much help to this team because he is too much of an offensive liability to put him on the court right now. Paul Hoskins was a very nice signing though as he has added some quality minutes to every team that he has played for. They also signed the undrafted rookie Shawn Jones who they hope will be a quality player for them in the years to come and Sage Walker who hasn't had an effective career so far.
25)Carolina-- Carolina signed Jose Hayes, Seh Learton, and Chris Scott to try and play the PG shot. Hayes is a one time starter in the WBA and might be what this team is looking for. Scott and Learton are both stretches to be quality players at this level. Jim Charles and Stone Connell are a pair of players who both have potential also, but this team needed to sign some players that are already there, not have the potential to be there.
26)Birmingham-- Birmingham didn't make a big splash in free agencythis year signing only 2 players. Vladimir Prokhorov and Craig King will fill bench needs on this squad, but they aren't any major step forward for this organization.
27)Miami-- Miami didn't make anyone take notice with their offseason this year. They signed Milo Chambers, Brent Bangerter, and Euclid Spafford as undrafted rookies. These guys weren't even really impact players in college so I doubt they will be what this team needs to help them out.
April 1st, 2004
The WBA's Future is Broken!!!
There is huge news out of Nebraska today. During a summer workout Wayne Taylor broke his foot. It happened on a seemingly benign play as Taylor grabbed a rebound and landed on another players foot. Taylor initially tried to shake it off but soon found that he could not continue playing. X-rays reveal three broken metatarsals. he qcuickly had surgery and team doctors expect that he will be really for the season but stress that these types of breaks are often do not heal properly. They fear that this may be an injury that haunts Wayne for the rest of his career.
In an unrelated injury. Utah's Zachariah Salera broke his arm and will miss the first 30 games of the year.
April 1, 2004
A Dream Dies...or Rather is Murdered
WBA hopeful Nehamiah Stewart wasn't believed to have much of a shot at making an WBA roster. Still, he was hoping that with the new Developemental league that he had a shot at his dream. But, that all ended today when he was convicted of having sex with a minor. His girl friend of 3 years is just now entering her Junior year of High School and her parents have never approved of her relationship with Stewart. After a long drawn out court case they have succeeded in getting him convicted of statitory rape and now his WBA dream is dead.
March 23, 2004
In The News
Rookie Isaac Edmondson has always been knows as a communiy oriented athlete. In High School he tutored other athletes and in College he continued by tutoring local High School athletes. This week he was honored by GSPN as the rookie with the greatest social consience. Edmondson was understandably very happy to recieve this recognition.
March 23, 2004
WBA FREE AGENCY PREVIEW
POINT GUARDS
Keith Douglas: Douglas is probably the best passer in the free agency. HE hasn't excelled in Salt Lake, but his 9 assists per game in limited time are worth an offer. His defense will hurt his stock, but hes young and still has room to improve. 5 SEASONS @ 5.5 MILLION
Bill Andrews: Andrews is a very good commodity for any team. HE has played 5 seasons running the show for Albacete, and the results are obvious. While he isn't a great passer, he is a very accurate shooter, is always in control, and is an average defender. He is peaking, and could get his last great contract, given that he is 27 years old. 4 SEASONS A 3.5 MILLION
Michael Kutak: Kuatk has had a problem his whole career, he has played for great teams that didn't really need him. Albacete, Oregon and Brooklyn aren't good destinations to develop your game. Other than his passing, he is a great PG with a game better suited for an up and coming team. Good scored, rebounder and awesome defender, his youth is a warranty. 5 SEASONS @ 6 MILLION
Cole Bayo: Like Kutak, Bayo will have problems distributing the ball, but he will be a good floor general. His defense is out of the charts for a player with his age, and his ability to go to the line will make him a very coveted player. 4 SEASONS @3.0 MILLION
Umberto Ditullio: Sure his stats are due to his exceeded playing time, but he is a great passer, and this pays in this game. His defense is a good point too.I think he will be one of the most overpaid players this season. 5 SEASONS @ 6 MILLION
SHOOTING GUARDS
Harold Gill: Mr. Hothead is looking for a new hometown, and Virgin Island will have to open his wallet to keep him. He is a great scorer, with a well rounded game capable to get 24 points a game this season with the playing time at 35 minutes. His attitude is a problem of course, but there will be teams without fear. 6 SEASONS @ 8 MILLION
Bud Johnson: His conditioning is an issue, but his talent is enormous. Great scorer, but he knows how to pass the ball. His defense is pretty amazing. He could be a great player, but he can only play half of the minutes. 4 SEASONS @ 3 MILLIONS
Bert Haug: Haug coulñd end being the final piece for a contender. Good defense, a great scorer who needs to be a third or fourth option. 3 SEASONS @2.5 MILLION
Kadeem Reed: Free agent status has come in a great moment for Reed. A well rounded player with a great court vision. He will never score at will, and wont be the star that everybody expected, but hes a player in this league. 4 SEASONS @ 3.9MILLION
Bill Manghenheimer: Can play both guard positions, scores like the best, defends well, can pass the ball. His fouling and bal control hurt his stock a little bit. 4 SEASONS @2.5 MILLION
SMALL FORWARDS
Emmet Yee: The best scorer available. He cant do anymore, but if hes able to put 25 points every night, he will be forgiven. His age and his room to improve make him one of the most sought after players. Better suited for a non playoff team looking for a scorer. 7 SEASONS @ 9 MILLIONS
Bruce Johnson: A great rebounder and passer for this position, he is only questioned by his shooting selection. The fact that he is 28 years old could give him a short and well paid deal. 2 SEASONS @ 6 MILLIONS
Jim Donelly: The perfect team player. HE has never been a scorer, but he leads his team in assists every year. He rebounds, defend, pass the ball. Only for contender needing a final piece. 4 SEASONS. 3.25 MILLION
Jevon Carter: I think there will be a great fight to get his services. A good rebounder, he looks always a way to score although he needs to improve his shooting. His defense isvery good too. 6 SEASONS @ 6.75 MILLION
Harry Crowley: Hes a poor man Jim Donelly, but 5 years younger. 4 seasons 3.5 MILLION
POWER FORWARDS
Mark Miller: Maybe the most coveted player in this draft. He is young, a great scorer and defender, he needs to improve his rebounding, but he is 24 years old and clearly one of the best young players around. 7 SEASONS @ 10.75 MILLION
Gordon Whitehouse: It is hard to find a player more talented in this class. Whitehouse can do anything on the court, and he can do it almost perfectly. There are 2 big `ifs' though, his stamina which prevents him to be a star and his age that will limit his development. 5 SEASONS @6.5 MILLION
Dontae Evans: Another young good player coming out of Albacete. He is very good where he has to be, draw a lot of fouls, rebounds very well, and his long arms make him to block a lot of shots. His bad hand with the medium distance shoot will prevent him from a great contract. 4 SEASONS @ 3.95 MILLION
George Holt: A veteran who needs a perfect enviroment to contribute. He needs to be the man in his team. Maybe a great short term contract. 1 SEASON @ 10 MILLION
Trent Jordan: A nice player, with good rebounding and young enough to land a decent contract. 3 SEASONS @ 2.5 MILLION
CENTERS
Zane Rivers: Bad news if you are looking for a C in free agency. There are some nice ones, but nothing special. Rivers is a team player whose better skill is rebounding. He scores when he needs to, but that never is his goal. His defense is over average, but he is foul prone. 4 SEASONS @ 3 MILLION
Kegan Salazar: A scoring machine with some problems to close the zone when it is time to rebound. He is a defensive specialist too with a preference for blocking shots. 3 SEASONS @ 4 MILLION
Oryn Dashing: This player is a very good scorer. His rebound is very suspicious, and he'd better be trained to be a PF. He has a soft touch, and this makes him a big player with a great shooting range, capable even to make the three. 3 SEASONS @ 2.5 MILLION
Charles Cushman: Poor man Ben Wallace. He cant score. He rebounds and block shots well, but cant do anything more than that. Very foul prone. HE has a marginal option to have a decent contract 3 SEASONS @ 1.25 MILLION
Sage Walker: Walker is an average player in this league. He is decent everywhere and can play a decent role as a backup. 3 SEASON @ 0.75 MILLION
TEAMS TO FOLLOW
ALBACETE: With more than 14 MILLION to spend and their core signed long term, you can expect anything here. Albacete will work to resign their best players like Donelly, Whitehouse and Andrews, But there is a possibility to go after players like Mark Miller and Keith Douglas
Baltimore: With around 8 Millions, Baltimore will have to try to resign Bert Haug at a reasonable price. Harold Gill could be a good prize too
CALIFORNIA: 9 MILLION seem to be not too much when you need so much players. A point guard and a center should be the main objectives, but there´s not too much quality around
CAROLINA: 9 MILLION more to spend and a lot of voids to fill. Expect them to resign Daidone and make a run at a p`layer like Whitehouse or Gill
MIAMI: This team is over the cap by 0,05
NEW YORK: Is it time to go back to respectability? With 14 MILLION, Steve will try to build a frontcourt. You can expect him to go after Mark Miller as a first option, and endorse him an offer over 70 M. Zane Rivers could be here too
OMAHA: After Jacobs depart, Kelley will have around 13 Millions to spend, they will try to get a scorer, given that this is a great passing team with Currie, Jones and Vislany. Emmet Yee seems a perfect fit at small forward, but you cant rule off a scoring SG too
UTAH: Mark Miller is a free agent and they have 11 MILLION to spent. The equation is very clear
VIRGIN ISLANDS: 16 MILLION to build a roster. They should make a run to resign Harold Gil, even overpaying. With Gil and Zarra, you have a start of something. Giving Gil 8 millions let you some money to work with. Ditullio should be kept too and maybe this team will be respectable+
WASHINGTON: With 14 MILLION, this team will resign his free agents and make a rum at some quality
March 21, 2004
The Highlander Report - Issue #1 - March 21, 2004
Taking over the Utah Highlanders, Corey Daubanton, former coach of the South Carolina Hurricanes franchise in seasons 1 and 2, was looking forward to his new challenge of being a WBA owner.
After taking over the team, which he decided to move to Andorra, pending approval, Daubanton realized that his team has potential to be a competitive team, with a front court lead by young stars Mark Miller and Devonta Corrigan. However, it was noticed that the team had problems with cap space, especially with all-WBA Defensive PF, Mark Miller's contract set to expire. This led to the trade of veteran PG Alvin Simpson, along with a Season 10 first, and cash to the Miami Xtreme for C Oshodi Bombata, Albecete's #26 pick in the upcoming draft, and their Season 11 first. While Alvin Simpson's veteran leadership will be missed, having been fourth in the league last season in both assists and steals, he was making $8.5 million a year, and the Highlanders needed the cap space. They also believed that Bombata, at his young age, has potential to be a solid center in the league, perhaps replacing John Van Horne, as his contract is set to expire in a year.
As draft time came along, it was somewhat obvious that the Highlanders would need to draft a guard, as their guards consisted of no-namers such as Roger Mayer and Zacariah Salera, as well as Jean Pierre and Dovydas Vilijamas, who received pink slips as a reward for their disappointing rookie seasons. When it came to the Highlander's turn to pick at the #13 spot, they chose PG/SG Ryan Cuevas. Being considered by the media as the worst pick in basketball history since the Portland Trail Blazers picked Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, Daubanton defended his pick, saying that Cuevas' overall game will make him a good fit on his team, and if he didn't pick him, he'd likely lose his chance to get the solid guard that they desperately needed after trading Simpson. He also noted that while Cuevas' FG% might not be great, he doesn't turnover much, so he can always pass more often, and added that he knows that Cuevas plays a little too aggressively, with a high foul rate, but he's going to try to work on that through training over the next few years. As Cuevas quoted “My Phy. Ed. teacher in 8th grade said I'd never make it on the Junior High basketball team, and I was the all-city PG that year. I'm used to putting up with criticism, and I feel good knowing that Coach (Daubanton) has put his confidence in me. I feel I can like I can compete with the Tyler Kanes and Bishop Steins out there, and am ready to prove it.”
With the Highlanders up on the board again at pick #26, they were looking for another guard to complement Cuevas. However, with Ray Estrada taken already, there really wasn't a legitimate guard left in this PF/C heavy draft. Therefore, they selected, Ezequiel Grunspan, a solid rebounding PF, who, while being at a position not needed by the team, will likely have productive backup minutes, assuming Mark Miller stays around.
Because of the addition of Grunspan, it was determined that Leonel Coles' days in a Highlander uniform would soon be unnecessary, and he was quickly traded to Birmingham for their #45 pick in the draft, and their season 13 first round pick. Leonel Coles was disappointed about the move, but knew that moving to Birmingham would probably be better for his career.
The second round for the Highlanders went quite well. With the #42 pick, they selected Ales Broz, a 19-year old SG from the Czech Republic. While his stats aren't immediately impressive, it is hoped by management that he'll as he matures, he's develop into the solid SG that the team has always needed.
With the #45 pick, the Highlanders picked the best player the thought to be available: C Marques Feldman. While he probably won't get much playing time this year, it is expected that he'll slip to a backup role once Van Horne is traded or left unsigned after next season.
Now, the main goal of the Highlanders is to resign PF Mark Miller. Mark Miller is a greedy fellow, who won't be happy unless he makes enough money so he can have a mansion in every continent, including Antarctica. But Mark Miller is an essential piece of the Highlanders, with his solid rebounding, scoring and defensive skills, and it is unlikely that Grunspan would be able to replace him as of now.
However, Devonta Corrigan, being the leader of the team, agreed to a new $8 million a year contract for 5 years, which revokes the NTC from his old $7.65 million a year contract, and guarantees that Corrigan will stay here from an extra 2 years, assuming that Coach Daubanton doesn't plan on trading his team away. “I know that a lot is expected of me, being the leader of this team.” said Corrigan in an interview. “So I agreed to this new contract, knowing that Daubanton can now have another NTC available to offer to more selfish b****es such as Miller.”
So next season, while Daubanton feels that his team will improve from the previous year, he feels that probably won't be enough, as his division already has top teams in Colorado and Nebraska, and with Oregon's good team having a good draft, and Montana revamping its lineup, it might be difficult for the Highlanders to cause much damage.
My prediction: 47-33, 4th place in Pacific Division behind Colorado, Oregon and Nebraska. (Sorry, Montana!!!)
March 21, 2004
GSPN WBA Crossfire
-BY Kevin Harper and Michael Esposito-
PICK 1
-PG Tyler Kane, Albacete
Harper: Kane will be a good pure PG. Not a scorer, but distributes the ball and plays good D. Good pick.
RATE: B+
Espo: I don't know about Kane being the number 1 pick overall. Sure, he will be a solid PG with good passing, turnovers, steals, and fouls, but his stamina concerns me. When the downgrades come into effect, Kabne's stamina has a chance to be around C-, which is not starting material. But, Albacete needed a PG since Bill Andrews is a free agent and that's what they got.
Grade: B+
PICK 2
-PG/SG Bishop Stein, Oregon
Espo: After trading Buck Jones and having no real starting SG, Oregon needed a PG and SG. So, they drafted a PG/SG. Stein can pretty much do it all and will fit nicely for Oregon at the PG or SG position. I like this pick for them.
Grade: A+
Kevin: Oregon got what they needed and wanted, an all around guard. The rebounding talent in stein really attracted Oregon the most, as they find contolling the boards a key to winning consistently.
Grade: A+
PICK 3
-G/F Edgar Kamara, Colorado
Kevin: This is a pretty good pick, but I think Kamara will be somewhat of a bust. If one of his strengths,Rebounding or passing, gets hit hard and knocks it down to around a B-, hes just an average player who specializes in passing or rebounding. He also dosent score, so he can fall back on that either. Can you say Reynaldo DeAngelo?
Grade: B-
Espo: I completely agree with you there, Kevin. I just don't see Kamara being that great and if he ends up being great, it won't be for a few years. Having Farrell, who is able to play the 3, and having a starter worthy player at all other positions, I would have gone with Bixby here. He would have been an upgrade over Sean Ashman at the Center position as opposed to Kamara being somewhat of a downgrade as a starter or a bench player for a few seasons.
Grade: B-
PICK 4
-C Juwan Bixby, Albacete
Espo: Great pick here. I know the word "steal" in a draft is usually associated with later picks, but this is a steal. Albacete grabs up the best player in the draft at the #4 overall pick. Bixby could have 'Cete fans forgetting very quickly about Lou Gonzales, as awkward as that may sound.
Grade: A+
Kevin: I love this pick here, as I think Juwan will be a stud. He rebounds very well and scores more than anyone in this draft. It was a sensational manuever to trade for this pick and steal Bixby.
Grade: A+
PICK 5
-C Paul Spagnoli, Colorado
Kevin: Solid, solid pick here. Spagnoli should be an upgrade over Ashman after missing out on Bixby. He can score, rebound, and has exceptional awareness on both offense and defense.
Grade: A-
Espo: Spagnoli is definitely a solid player. He can definitely score and rebound, but might have a little trouble blocking the ball after downgrades and his FT% is not good at all. Still, his defensive and offensive abilities are great and I think he will be an upgrade over Ashman, even if they did miss out on Bixby. He was probably the best player available.
Grade: A-
PICK 6
-SG Maury Coleman, Roswell
Espo: The best SG in the draft, Coleman will be a very good player. Look at that 3P ability (A+/A+)! Great offensive minded player who can still play a little defense. Still, with Jamie Moore already at the SG position, I would've gone with Curtis here.
Grade: B+
Kevin: Coleman will make an immediate impact and should start over Moore. He will be a future 20 point per game scorer and one of the best 3pt shooters in the league. Roswell could be a sleeper to sneak in the playoffs with a competent owner.
Grade: B+
PICK 7
-PF Anthony Curtis, Oregon
Kevin: Boy, the Buck Jones deal that Oregon thought they might regret is appearing to pay off. Curtis is a great scorer who is fairly active at the free throw line and beyond the arc. He's gritty on the boards also. Curtis should be a serious rookie of the year canidate playing SF.
Grade: A+
Espo: Oregon really needed a SF here, but the best SF left here was Maurice Evers. The thing is, Curtis playing out of position is better than Evers playing at his position. Curtis is one of the best players in this draft as he can score, rebound, and play defense while not fouling or turning the ball over much. What's not to like?
Grade: A+
PICK 8
-C Vance Clopp, Nebraska
Espo: Surprise pick here by Nebraska, whose only real need is at Center. With Spiegel starting there, you never know what is going to happen or how long he'll last in the game. I don't think Clopp was the best available here, though, as his FT% is horrible and defense is only decent. I think Harry Kramer would've been a much better pick here, as he could've played minutes at the PF and C positions.
Grade: C+
Kevin: Center definitley was an issue for Nebraska, with Speigel being so unpredictable. Clopp is not a bad pick at all, but a smarter pick would have been Joe Cochran. Hes a better scorer and has better overall awareness of the game. They could have made a good situation better.
Grade: B
PICK 9
-PF/C Harry Kramer, Omaha
Kevin: Omaha made a smart move and filled a big void on their depth chart by taking Kramer. He should team up with Donovan Jones to form a great frontcourt. Kramer is a great FT shooter and makes a big impact by having a great all-around defensive game.
Grade: A
Espo: With Stephenson gone, Omaha definitely needed a big man. Kramer is a good little player who can do a lot on the court, including playing good defense. As long as his health and fouls aren't affected too badly, this should end up being a nice pick and could keep Omaha in the playoff hunt.
Grade: A-
PICK 10
-SG/SF Maurice Evers, Carolina
Espo: Carolina has a solid SF in Luke Benner and a great SG in Kevon Duke, which makes me wonder why they drafted a SG/SF. Their weakest positions are PG and PF. At PF, they have Simeon Hill or Eosso to play out of position, but it would be nice to have someone there naturally who can actually play besides the very average. At PG, they have Chase, who can only pass and steal. Evers is a decent player, but not what this team needs.
Grade: C-
Kevin: Not much to say here. Not a bad pick, but nothing special. Evers will be a decent scorer and is average across the board.
Grade: C
PICK 11
-C Reuben Sax, London
Kevin: Londong traded away the pick that would have landed them Juwan Bixby to add depth. They got a nice player with Nick Adams in that trade, but they will regret passing up Bixby. As for Sax, he will be a decent center. His specialty is defense, blocking shots. Could be this year's Simeon Hill or last year's Marten Kurpeikis. Who?...exactly.
Grade: C
Espo: Sax seems to be a decent player. Depending on how downgrades go, he could be a low-end starter or a decent backup. His rebounding and defense are very good, but I don't ever see Sax being anything special, maybe a decent starter in a few seasons.
Grade: C+
PICK 12
-C Joe Cochran, Montana
Espo: Montana needed a PF, but the best player available in their mind was Joe Cochran. This guy can score, rebound, and play defense. Pretty similar player to Sax, but Cochran is a better scorer and can actually get a steal once in a while. Pretty good pick for Montana.
Grade: B
Kevin: Great pick with Cochran here. Mostly due to the fact that he should have gone a little earlier. He should be able to get some PT in Montana's frontcourt which needed a little bulk. He's even a decent 3-point shooter for a big man. His most prized attribute should be his rebounding.
Grade: A-
PICK 13
-PG/SG Ryan Cuevas
Kevin: For some reason, Utah's owner was fixed on Cuevas. I recomend he receive a CAT scan ASAP. Cuevas might be the worst pick for the first round. Sure he is a good passer and rebounder, but cant shoot and will constantly be in foul trouble. Just a bad pick.
Grade: D-
Espo: Yeah, I don't know why Utah's owner was so fixated on Cuevas, but he was. He needed guards and I guess he thought Cuevas was the answer. Cuevas can rebound and might be a decent passer after downgrades with some good defense, but he can't score...at all and will foul a good amount. Questionable pick here.
Grade: D+
PICK 14
-SG Scott Currie, Omaha
Espo: Omaha is a little weak at the SG position. Currie won't have a great FG%, but he can score from the line and from 3-point range. While his defense is suspect, his rebounding ability is amazing and makes up for his defense. Add tot that the fact that he doesn't foul or turn the ball over and this is a solid pick.
Grade: B
Kevin: I like Currie's game alot. He might be a couple years of training away from a good shooter, but hes an awesome rebounder and will pick up any slack the frontcourt has on the boards. Great pick.
Grade: B+
PICK 15
-C John Devine, Gabon
Kevin: John devine will be a solid center for Gabon. The truth is, Gabon NEEDS him to. They have been in need of a center for quite some time and a good one would make them a contender and would likely help them get a first round home court advantage. John's a great rebounder with a knack for knowing how to react on defense.
Grade: B
Espo:Devine is only a Junior, but can rebound, play solid defense, doesn't foul or turn it over too much, and can even score a little. His FT% leaves something to be desired, but his 3P% is great for a center. Very solid pick here as he'll have an impact this season coming off the bench for Gabon.
Grade: B
PICK 16
-C Tyriq Lang, NY
Espo: Lang, another Junior, is another solid player. His FG% is great, he can rebound, and play defense. The only thing that worries me about him is his foul rating. If his foul rating stays in the C range, this could be a very good pick. Good move by New York to move up and get Lang here. They desperately needed a center after cutting Holt recently.
Grade: B+
Kevin: Lang is a great pick. He is a great rebounder and is a top-notch shot-blocker. He will be trained to control his fouls and could be a great player in a few years.
Grade: A
PICK 17
-PF/C Alexei Vasilev, Oregon
Kevin: Vasilev is a great all-around frontcourt player. He was drafted to replace Adam Birkett's backup PF and C job and may end up making a bigger impact than the solid, consistent play of Birkett. The only real knock on Alexei is his scoring ability. But, he is one of the best free throw shooters in the draft, a great rebounder, and a good defender. Most importantly, he dosent make mistakes.
Grade: A-
Espo: Vasilev, a PF/C, gives Oregon a solid backup at those positions. His FG% is bad, but he gets to the line a lot and makes them, can shoot the 3, can rebound the ball, and can play a little defense. While not the best player out there, he's still a pretty good backup big man.
Grade: B
PICK 18
-PF Abdiel Gordon, Capetown
Espo: Gordon will make a good backup to Fatafehi for Capetown. He can rebound, pass and play solid defense. He also doesn't foul or turn the ball over. His shooting is suspect, but C-Town won't need him to score. Only thing that I have a problem with is that they didn't draft a center. They have no real starting center and a guy like Meehan could have helped them a little. Still an okay pick.
Grade: B-
Kevin: Abdiel Gordon is a very smart pickup. Foul-prone Fatafehi needs a good backup to step in and get valuable minutes. He might be the best rebounder in the draft and has a very nice game outside of scoring. His shooting should be able to be coached around.
Grade:B+
PICK 19
-C Trenton Meehan, London
Kevin: This was a pretty good pickup, with London trying to strike gold by picking 2 well rated centers. Meehan specializes in his rebounding and shot blocking skills. He also shoots a high percentage.
Grade: B
Espo: Meehan and London's first pick, Sax are pretty similar players. Meehan can score, rebound, and play center. He's a nice addition and London picking up two centers in the draft could mean that they're still focused on moving Colbert. If London does, they have two pretty good centers from this draft to replace him.
Grade: B
PICK 20
-C Reed Moses, Washington
Espo: Washington needs a SG. Tristen Collins could be good one day, but I'm not sure about him starting yet. The thing is, there weren't many good SG's available at this point, so they went with who they thought was the best available. Moses is a solid player, but it's a good thing he'll only be a backup to Casey because his stamina could be bad after downgrades.
Grade: B-
Kevin: It seems to be there are quite a few centers in the same mold as Moses this year. Taking advantage of it might be a good idea. Moses could end up a bargain for 3 more years.
Grade: B
PICK 21
-PG Ray Estrada, Colorado
Kevin: Not too bad of a pickup. Estrade will be a decent backup to get anywhere from 5 to 15 min a game. Sitting behind a foul-prone Austyn Williams helps his chances.
Grade: C
Espo: Estrada is a decent player, but nothing more. He's a great rebounding PG, but is not a great passing PG. He's also not a great scorer and isn't the best defensive player, even though his int/har is pretty good. Okay player, but probably a career bench player.
Grade: C-
PICK 22
-PF Matt Archer, Baltimore
Espo: Baltimore needs some big man help, but I'm not sure that Archer is the answer. Downgrades will make him a very bad scorer, while his fouls and int/har will not be very good at all. At least he can rebound and score a little, but I don't necessarily like this pick.
Grade: D+
Kevin: Matt Archer might end up a decent backup PF. His rebounding and shotblocking ability are key. This late in the draft its not that bad of a pickup. Although, he could have done better.
Grade: C-
PICK 23
-SF Josiah Gillies, Capetown
Kevin: Not a bad player. Good pick this late in the draft. He will be a average shooter, good passing SF. He might be undersized when going for the boards. Should be an average player.
Grade: C
Espo: Gilles is okay, but I'm still clueless as to why they haven't drafted a center. There were still some good centers out there at this point and getting a backup to Mabruke. I don't know...
Grade: D
PICK 24
-PG Hank Pynn, Boston
Espo: Boston wanted guards and Pynn fits the description. Good rebounding PG, but he's not really starter worthy. His ratings are good enough that he could become a starter one day, though. He'll never be a scorer, but is a decent little player.
Grade: C+
Kevin: Pynn is not bad. He will make a good backup point, and in bostons case, a potential starter. It will be worth the gamble on him.
Grade: C
PICK 25
-SF Norm Axelrod, Rochester
Kevin: One of the best rebounders in the draft. Not the best shooter, but a good passer for a forward. He has to get some experience under his belt.
Grade: C-
Espo: Okay player, but he fouls a lot, his defense is nothing good, and he can't shoot. Other than that, he's a good rebounder and a decent passer. Nothing great or really even good, although he was a good college player.
Grade: D+
PICK 26
-PF Ezequiel Grunspan, Utah
Espo: Not a bad pick here at all. After trading away Leonel Coles, Grunspan will get some playing time and he can do just about everything well. His FG% might be low, but he won't be looked upon to score much. Pretty good pick actually.
Grade: B+
Kevin: Outstanding rebounder. Pretty smart player who can block shots. Will struggle with his jump shots untill he hires a shooting coach.
Grade: C+
PICK 27
-C Derek Witt, California
Kevin: Would be a very good player if it werent for his horrendus shooting. He does everything else pretty good. His shooting makes him almost useless for now.
Grade: D-
Espo: Kevin said it all. This guy looks like Helen Keller every time he shoots the ball from the field.
Grade: D-
PICK 28
-PG Ruben Schmidt, Budapest
Espo: Decent player. Budapest is always a good team and they know what they're doing, but I thinkt hey should've looked at a SF since they're losing Bruce Johnson. Other than that, Schmidt's an okay pick.
Grade: C
Kevin: Could be a very good pick when he improves his shooting touch. He looks like a SG who has to learn the WBA game some more. But he could make a serious impact in a couple seasons.
Grade: B-
Top 3 Team Drafts:
Oregon
#2 - Bishop Stein
#7 - Anthony Curtis
#17 - Alexi Vasilev
#54 - Issac Edmondson
Albacete
#1 - Tyler Kane
#4 - Juwan Bixby
#30 - Stan Lee
Omaha
#9 - Harry Kramer
#14 - Scott Currie
#35 - Lou-Kung Liu
Top 5 2nds (In order of position drafted)
#30 - Stan Lee - Albacete
#34 - Tom Kinsey - Cincinnati
#45 - Marques Feldman - Utah
#50 - Caden Whelan - Capetown
#55 - Alex Yura - Montana
Biggest Steal: Juwan Bixby #4 overall
Worst Pick: Ryan Cuevas #13 overall
March, 18, 2004
GSPN WBA Mock Draft
1. Albacete Burning Hell There are a couple options at the #1 pick. Edgar Kamara, out of Midwest State, lacks an offensive game, but makes the team much better with his outstanding all-around game. Bishop Stein is the possibly best guard coming out who has great intangibles, and everyone knows Albacete's GM has a liking for standout point guard Tyler Kane.
PICK: SG/SF Edgar Kamara (14.3pts, 7.3ast, 7.8reb, 2.9stl)
2. Oregon Bears Oregon will have some holes to fill this off-season, but are in good shape to improve from last season. They need a solid guard and Bishop Stein looks like the pick that makes the most sense. He is also a great rebounder for a guard.
PICK: PG/SG Bishop Stein (14.1pts, 7.3ast, 7.3reb, 2.3stl)
3. Colorado Pioneers After trading Heiko Van Brandt, they end up with another lottery pick. They appear to be giving the starting SF job to Mike Farrell next season after giving him a 4-year, No-Trade-Clause contract. Also, with Austyn Williams rumored to be seeking a trade, Tyler Kane would be a good move and is the best point guard on the board. He looks to have the most upside, too.
PICK: PG Tyler Kane (10.9pts, 8.2ast, 5.3reb, 3.1stl)
4. London Disco After trading Colbert, London will probably be looking to take a center in a draft heavy in that position. Arguably the best center in this draft is Juwan Bixby. He is a great scorer and rebounder. The next best center is Paul Spagnoli. Spagnoli is also a great talent and showed it by leading Paris University to a GCBA championship.
PICK: C Juwan Bixby (25.0pts, 10.0reb, 1.9blk, 57.0fg%)
5. Colorado Pioneers After grabbing Kane at #3, Colorado will look to strengthen their front court. They need another center besides Sean Ashman. The likely pick is either Paul Spagnoli, or PF/C Harry Kramer. Spagnoli appears to be more WBA-ready and should make a more immediate impact.
PICK: C Paul Spagnoli (25.2pts, 8.1reb, 1.6stl, 2.3ast)
6. Sacramento Stallions With a new owner focused on turning this franchise (formerly Roswell) around, the Stallions will be less looking for a certain position and more for simply who he thinks is the best player on the board. A top option here is Maury Coleman. He is a great scorer at the SG. Anthony Curtis is another possibility, but they don't need him as much as he wouldn't see many minutes with Greene or Dasher starting at power forward.
PICK: SG Maury Coleman (20.5pts, 6.2reb, 2.5stl)
7. Oregon Bears Having picked up the guard they wanted at #2, they will be looking for a SF. With this draft not having much talent at the SF, and Oregon needing a scorer, Anthony Curtis is a good target. He might have some trouble learning the position, like Tony Dimateo did a season ago, but he could be a nice addition to a young Oregon team.
PICK: PF Anthony Curtis (18.9pts, 8.2reb, 1.4blk)
8. Nebraska Sun Warriors Nebraska has one of the best teams in the league…on paper. But postseason success hasn't followed. Roy Base is an inconsistent power forward and needs depth behind him. A smart move would be to take a big man here to be sure they have a PF that helps the team. A couple options would be Harry Kramer, Alexsei Vasilev, and Joe Cochran. Kramer will probably fit into the Nebraska lineup better and give Base a run for his job.
PICK: PF/C Harry Kramer (18.6pts, 7.3reb, 3.9ast, 2.7stl, 1.6blk)
9. Omaha Wild
Omaha has a few big needs, but the biggest is at center. Their best center on roster is foreigner Gerhold Verholm, who is still a few years away from being WBA-ready. He will probably end up being a PF before he sees much court time. So with center an open wound for this team, Alexsei Vasilev would make the best Band-Aid. He is tough on the boards, gets to the line, and is a pesky defender in the post.
PICK: PF/C Alexei Vasilev (12.7pts, 8.8reb, 2.3stl)
10. Carolina Storm In order for Carolina to start competing, they need a good point guard. With the top 2 gone, Ryan Cuevas and Ray Estrada are the best available. With the 10th pick being a stretch for either of these guys, Carolina should look to fill a hole at SF. Josiah Gillies is a standout player with an all around game that benefits his teammates.
PICK: SF Josiah Gillies (15.6pts, 5.8reb, 4.7ast, 1.8stl)
11. Montana Knights They will be looking to acquire another big man to shore up their front court. The two top candidates for this pick are PF Abdeil Gordon and C Joe Cochran. Cochran being the better shooter and rebounder would nudge him over Gordon.
PICK: C Joe Cochran (18.1pts, 10.5reb, 2.0stl, 2.1blk)
12. Albacete Burning Hell After taking Kamara, Albacete still needs a point guard. They are also still shallow at the center position, only having foul-prone Bobby Cress. Without a real quality point guard left in the draft, it's likely they will take a center, as there are still a few left that will be impact players. Junior John Devine, out of Langepas University, would probably be the top choice here. An average shooter who is excellent on the boards and is capable of swatting a few shots a game.
PICK: C John Devine (15.1pts, 8.3reb, 2.8ast)
13. Andorra Highlanders This team has a very good frontcourt, headed by young star Devonta Corrigan, but really lacks a backcourt. The PG job looks to be wide open since trading Alvin Simpson.
The best point guards available look to be Ryan Cuevas and Ray Estrada. Cuevas has the better all around game, but will be a bad shooter in the WBA. Estrada would be a safer pick as he makes the shots he takes and doesn't make many mistakes.
PICK: PG Ray Estrada (12.3pts, 6.0ast, 6.4reb, 52.0fg%)
14. Montana Knights After picking up one of the top centers in the draft, Montana is still looking for a frontcourt player to play either SF or PF alongside new acquisition Hieko Van Brandt. Maurice Evers looks like a nice fit here. He plays both the 2 and 3 positions, which is another benefit.
PICK: SG/SF Maurice Evers (19.0pts, 5.3reb, 3.2ast)
15. Gabon Giants Gabon is a good center away from being a great team. Luckily there are still a few good ones left at the 15th. Tyriq Lang, Rueben Sax, and Vance Clopp would go here. I'd put Clopp over the others just on the fact that he will make more of his shots. Lang is a good shooter also, but will have foul problems.
PICK: C Vance Clopp (12.7pts, 10.9reb, 2.0blk, 56.9fg%)
16. Boston Massacre
Boston's obvious need is a passing PG that doesn't make mistakes. Al Harvey isn't a big-name player, but he does his job and does it well. In the process he doesn't take many shots. He is also an above average rebounder for a point guard.
PICK: PG Al Harvey (6.5pts, 6.7ast, 4.8reb)
17. Capetown Bandits Capetown has a strong need for a SG. They made good moves by strengthening their center corps and acquiring All-WBA point guard Chuck Henderson. But, Bucky McCarty is not the answer and should be expecting a bus ticket soon. Since there is not a SG worthy of being taken here, C'Town will just take the best player available.. Norm Axelrod, Reuben Sax, and Abdeil Gordon are likely choices.
PICK: PF Abdiel Gordon (16.0pts, 9.6reb, 3.8ast)
18. Oregon Bears Oregon is in position to pick up a possible steal in the draft with Reed Moses. Oregon is a bad blocking team, despite having Lou Gonzales, the best shot blocker in WBA history.
PICK: C Reed Moses (9.9pts, 7.2reb, 2.8ast, 1.5blk)
19. Albacete Burning Hell Albacete will just look to take the best player available here. Ryan Cuevas would be a solid pick here at 19. He will have to learn how to adjust his jump shot, but he has promise because of his great all-around game.
PICK: PG/SG Ryan Cuevas (13.2pts, 7.3reb, 5.2ast, 2.3stl)
20. Washington Monuments A smart idea would be to look for a young center to be mentored by the aging veteran Boom-Boom Casey. Trenton Meehan and Tyriq Lang are top possibilities. Lang is younger, but also has foul trouble. Lang gets the nudge because he won't get immediate playing time.
PICK: C Tyriq Lang (9.1pts, 5.4reb, 1.5blk)
21. Colorado Pioneers This late in the first round, Any team should draft for best talent. Colorado could go with C Trenton Meehan, who has the tools to be a productive player in the league. He hits the boards and can swat shots in the post.
PICK: C Trenton Meehan (14.4pts, 8.7reb, 2.2blk)
22. Texas Juggers A great fit here would be SG Scott Currie. He might be one of the best rebounding PICK: SG Scott Currie (14.8pts, 10.2reb, 3.2ast, 1.7stl)
23. SLC Fanatics SLC could have a nice pickup here with great rebounder Norm Axelrod. He can't shoot very good but he has a good all around game.
PICK: SF Norm Axelrod (12.4pts, 10.1reb, 3.1ast)
24. SLC Fanatics Assuming SLC will look to add talent over need here, Matt Archer looks like he has potential to be a good role-player. He can rebound and block shots exceptionally well.
PICK: PF Matt Archer(12.2pts, 9.0reb, 2.0blk)
25. Rochester Blaze A good pickup for a rebuilding team would be SF Al Dudley. Hes not going to be great, but will be a good role player to get 10 or 15 minutes a game.
PICK: Al Dudley (13.3pts, 6.0reb, 3.7ast)
26. Andorra Highlanders
Alex Yura is a good offensive player who doesn't make many mistakes. He would be a good fit and is worth a late round pick.
PICK: SF Alex Yura (13.6pts, 5.1reb, 1.7stl)
27. California Hellcats A very nice pickup here would be Rueben Sax. He is a very good center who rebounds, blocks shots, and good awareness on the court. He'd give this franchise much-needed inside help.
PICK: C Reuben Sax (14.4pts, 10.7reb, 2.7blk)
28. Budapest Tigers Ezequiel Grunspan is a good PF and when he learns to shoot better he could make a big impact.
PICK: PF Ezequiel Grunspan (15.6pts, 10.1reb, 3.0ast)
EDITED BY: Kevin Harper
March 13, 2004
Retirements Announced
Roswell's Jesse Bradley is the only player who ended the regular season on a roster who has decided to retire this year but there are several players who aren't just no names and actually have made WBA contributions such as Alonzo Hatfield, Nick Bavos, Johm Stewart, Jarrod Edwards and Eddie Jacobson.
World Basketball Association
============================
1. 30 year-old, Jesse Bradley of Roswell, has decided to retire.
2. 27 year-old, Shawn Newman, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
3. 27 year-old, Alonzo Hatfield, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
4. 22 year-old, Andy Biaweis, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
5. 22 year-old, Angelo Bacchi, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
6. 25 year-old, Anne Vondeling, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
7. 23 year-old, Bill Odd, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
8. 26 year-old, Bill Reynolds, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
9. 24 year-old, Bob Towe, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
10. 23 year-old, Bobby Dermer, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
11. 25 year-old, Justyn Grimes, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
12. 26 year-old, Brad Anderson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
13. 25 year-old, Brett Moyer, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
14. 23 year-old, Brick Robertson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
15. 22 year-old, Stan Marino, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
16. 23 year-old, Al Watson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
17. 21 year-old, Confucius Jackson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
18. 26 year-old, Nick Bavos, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
19. 28 year-old, Darby Terry, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
20. 28 year-old, Dave O'Dea, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
21. 26 year-old, Davonte Gonzalez, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
22. 23 year-old, DeeDee Rodman, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
23. 22 year-old, Demarcus Bell, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
24. 23 year-old, Dennis Jackson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
25. 25 year-old, Donte Lord, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
26. 23 year-old, Evan Franklin, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
27. 25 year-old, Everett Kubey, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
28. 22 year-old, Franz Kohler, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
29. 23 year-old, Coco Richmond, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
30. 28 year-old, Fred Hartman, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
31. 23 year-old, George McDowell, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
32. 22 year-old, J.J. Paladin, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
33. 23 year-old, Jack Sanders, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
34. 27 year-old, Jamal Thorne, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
35. 23 year-old, Jed Hegyes, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
36. 25 year-old, Samson Gillespie, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
37. 25 year-old, Tyrell Hall, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
38. 24 year-old, Jonathan Booth, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
39. 26 year-old, Jim Mitchell, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
40. 25 year-old, Jo Jo Tchaikovsky, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
41. 23 year-old, Johan Vogel, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
42. 22 year-old, Johnnie Watson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
43. 23 year-old, Keyon Martin, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
44. 28 year-old, John Stewart, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
45. 21 year-old, Lee Balan, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
46. 30 year-old, Mike Mays, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
47. 28 year-old, Milos Tskitishvili, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
48. 27 year-old, Jarrod Edwards, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
49. 22 year-old, Paul Ray, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
50. 22 year-old, Don Ritter, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
51. 22 year-old, Ron Deva, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
52. 26 year-old, Ron Marlow, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
53. 23 year-old, Rudy Edwards, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
54. 24 year-old, Samson Reeves, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
55. 19 year-old, Sebastian Cole, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
56. 26 year-old, Sergey Ivanov, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
57. 23 year-old, Shareef Okobi, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
58. 22 year-old, Slick Blades, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
59. 26 year-old, Sonny Pittams, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
60. 22 year-old, Spanky McDougal, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
61. 25 year-old, Stevie Kerr, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
62. 27 year-old, Sven Anderson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
63. 22 year-old, Ted Pierson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
64. 25 year-old, Tony Alfonso, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
65. 23 year-old, Tony Carboni, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
66. 28 year-old, Tony Clark, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
67. 23 year-old, Tre Longley, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
68. 30 year-old, Eddie Jacobson, Free Agent, has decided to retire.
69. 20 year-old, Lyutfulo Sobirov, Free Agent, has decided to retire.