Team Thread- Dakota Wizards

[mzracing76]

Where do you find the NBDL Attendance...i know sioux falls skyforce avg 3824 fans per game, where do i find the rankings?

[jjbballfan]

Where do you find the NBDL Attendance...i know sioux falls skyforce avg 3824 fans per game, where do i find the rankings?

its under the attendance thread.....

[TheWiz104]

It's better to have a cohesive team than a team full of talent in the D-League. Last year, we weren't very talented, but we played well as a team. This year, we've got 3 guys that thought they would head to the NBA in Powell, Benson, and Jefferson, and you can tell on the court that they're playing for themselves... It's bad right now for Wizards fans, though I don't agree that the Force will be in the championship..

I am glad someone else sees this point. I feel that most times sitting at the game that team ball isn't on these three players priority list. If we don't play as a team we lose.

[JMarch]

Blake had 35 today - being new to this, is there much chance he'll get any attention? Just a guess, but I'd expect that he'd need another year of stellar performances. Thoughts?

[DakotaWiz]

I would say he's got a chance...

http://www.draftexpress.com/rankings/Call-up-Candidates

If you look at that, he's 9th of 10 for most likely to get called up.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Blake had 35 today - being new to this, is there much chance he'll get any attention? Just a guess, but I'd expect that he'd need another year of stellar performances. Thoughts?

Well, he's catching a bit of attention. Ticknor said on Wizards Watch a few weeks back that he should have a Summer League spot locked up. Blake's got some things to work on for sure, but he's definitely got a chance to make it one day if he can transition to PG.

Blake had two costly turnovers down the stretch, but luckily we were still able to pull it out. And Perrin.. ah.. he almost lost the game for us.

And does anyone know what was up with that Tony Gipson ejection? That whole thing was just plain dumb. What did he actually do?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Looks like the stupid D-League screwed us again. We just moved up to #2 in the player pool order thing, but as of tomorrow, we drop back to the bottom. What kind of league switches their rules (TWICE!) during the season? That's kind of sounding ABA-ish. This is the D-League, not the ABA! Come on!

But on a much more positive note, it was nice to see Renaldo back. But hopefully he'll be back in uniform soon. I miss seeing him out there.

[USBasket_EricE]

Was that on Wizards Watch tonight? I forgot to watch it. I even forgot to check the score to tonight's game until later this evening. Glad they won.

They'll drop to the bottom of the player pool? How the hell do they figure that? The Wizards just lost Dontell and haven't had any help from the NBA. They should remain way up there until they sign someone. I wish the league would post a rule book on their web site so everyone can see how often they bend their rules.

[DakotaWiz]

Renaldo's more than likely not playing this season. Also, the league didn't change the rule again. It's the same rule, they just re-seed the teams periodically. We will be seeded 8th.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Okay, I guess I understood Ticknor wrong on Wizards Watch because he sure made it sound like the rule was being switched again and that we moved to the very bottom. But it's still stupid that they re-seed the teams like this and that we're only 8th when we just lost Dontell. I wonder what kind of player we'll actually be able to pick up. At least Tony was a pretty good acquisition, but will we be able to pick up something that good again from such a low position in the player pool?

And yeah, the Tribune made it clear that Renaldo probably won't be back this year, but it's not completely out yet. Too bad. Like I said, I'd love to see him back on the court again. Well, wouldn't we all?

[DakotaWiz]

The thing is, if you're not top 3 or 4, the player that you're going to be able to get isn't really going to be worth getting.. I wonder if we don't bring back David Bell or Donta Richardson from preseason.. Seems to me that would be the easiest route short term, as it doesn't hurt our waiver number and fills a need at guard..

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I couldn't resist:
http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/bhba2fUIQzvlIfustj6eV693

[USBasket_EricE]

I couldn't resist:
http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/bhba2fUIQzvlIfustj6eV693

That's awesome!

http://content.ytmnd.com/content/e/2/1/e21a1a7124e7a4cc1c63d7fed84433f8.gif

[USBasket_EricE]

Well, I couldn't make it to the game today, but it looks like it was an exciting one. Blake Ahearn broke Miles Simon's free throw shooting streak. In 2001-2002, Simon hit 60 in a row and held that record for the past six seasons until Ahearn went 14-14 tonight to shatter the old record and bringing his current streak to 67. As much as I wanted Miles to hold that Wizards record forever, I'm glad Blake was the guy to break it. He's gotta be the best free throw shooter in D-League history... I wish I knew where to find old D-League stats to compare! And since moving to the starting line-up, Blake is nearly averaging 30 points a game. Hey NBA, give this guy a chance sometime!!!

[JMarch]

Couldn't watch today, but Blake had 45 points (13-17 and 5-7 behind the arc) and 9 assists to go with the free throw record? Amazing stats.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I'm starting to notice a pattern:

D-League Performer of the Week: February 4, 2008 (http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080204.html)
Honorable Mention:
Blake Ahearn, Dakota - Ahearn averaged 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in two games, and shot 8-20 on three-pointers.

D-League Performer of the Week: February 11, 2008 (http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080211.html)
Other Top D-League Performances:
Blake Ahearn, Dakota - 38 points, four rebounds, and seven assists in Tuesday's loss to Austin.

(http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080225.html) D-League Performer of the Week: February 25, 2008 (http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080225.html)
Honorable Mention:
Blake Ahearn, Dakota - Ahearn averaged 28.0 points, 4.6 assists and shot 12-24 on three-pointers for the Wizards.

D-League Performer of the Week: March 3, 2008 (http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080303.html)
Honorable Mention:
Blake Ahearn, Dakota - Ahearn averaged 29.0 points, 4.3 assists and shot 10-23 on three-pointers for the Wizards.

D-League Performer of the Week: March 10, 2008 (http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/performer_080310.html)
Honorable Mention:
Blake Ahearn, Dakota - Ahearn scored 45 points with 9 assists and shot 5-7 from three-point range in Sunday's win over Fort Wayne.

He's just got to actually win Performer of the Week now.

[DakotaWiz]

I think if he ever gets a double double and keeps putting up the points, he's going to get it...

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Does Blake have any shot at Rookie of the Year? Who are the other top rookies?

[bdyer]

I suppose Marcus Williams is up there as far as rookies go. Is this Kasib Powell's first season?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I suppose Marcus Williams is up there as far as rookies go. Is this Kasib Powell's first season?

No, Kasib has been playing for a while. He was a Wizard two seasons ago and I know he wasn't a rookie that year so he has to be at least 3 seasons removed from college.
(EDIT: I think Kasib's last season at Texas Tech was 2002-2003.)

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Okay, I've got some really good news and some really bad news at the same time.. Blake Ahearn got called up to the Miami Heat. I'm extremely happy for Blake of course, but ouch, this is going to hurt our team badly. Not to be pessimistic or anything, but we might miss the playoffs now. But anyways, a big congratulations to Blake!

And does anyone know if this brings us to the top of the pool now? I hope it does. Hopefully the stupid D-League doesn't switch the order AGAIN.

[bdyer]

but I think the D-League did switch the order again to worst record first.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

but I think the D-League did switch the order again to worst record first.

Yeah, but don't we move to the top because of Blake being called up?

And I'm confused now. At the season ticket holder shootaround, they said that Blake was called up. Blake himself said that he has a 10-day contract. I found an article online that said the same. However, the local news just said that he has a tryout and he might get signed..

[DakotaWiz]

Don't know if you noticed, but we picked up David Bell from training camp... He's a good shooter, good defender... Also, Coach said tonight that Darius Rice went to the Phillipines Friday after his other contract ended.

[TheWiz104]

Ahearn's first game if he gets in is again the Wasington Wizards....talk about irony.

[DakotaWiz]

Also, we are currently at the top of the pool. Not because Blake called up, but everybody else picked someone up.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Blake had five points in his NBA debut. Not bad.

[JMarch]

Five points, four assists, seven minutes. He was 1-4 but the nerves must have been outrageous. Go Blake.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Here's a pretty good article that I just found about Blake:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/72F771D253A70DDF8625741900121893?OpenDocument

[USBasket_EricE]

What a game for Blake tonight! 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He led the team in scoring and tied Maxiell and Afflalo as the game leaders. I bet that'll get him another 10-day. Too bad the final score was depressing.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Ah.. I've been loving the past few days of being a Wizards fan.
1. Blake and Rod are named to the Second Team and Carlos to the Third Team.
2. Blake is named Rookie of the Year.
3. We clinched a playoff spot with our 104-96 win over Fort Wayne tonight.
4. We win our division if we win tomorrow against Fort Wayne because of our win and Sioux Falls' 110-94 loss to Colorado tonight.
And I forgot another good one.
5. We're back at a 10-man roster finally.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

YES!!!

We're Central Division champs and... we've got a home game! (vs. Sioux Falls though)

[DWizards]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VBE5jAp2Ek

Found a video on Youtube that some longtime fans might like.

[DakotaWiz]

I wonder if he's still playing.. Would have been nice to find a point guard from years past instead of finishing out the year with 2 guards... One of whom couldn't make a jumpshot to save his life..

[DWizards]

Hey Malik is still playing. I think he played in Isreal this year.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

That was an awesome move. I really miss Malik.. and Billy Keys, Maurice Baker, Eddie Gill, etc.

David Bell can shoot actually, but Tony.. no. And Tony got far too many turnovers.

If we want to go deeper in the playoffs next year, we're going to need some guards. We never had a problem with posts, but after Maurice, Dontell, and Blake left, we had the weakest guard unit in probably the entire league. And it showed against Sioux Falls.

[DakotaWiz]

By far the weakest guards in the entire league. I would say we honestly overachieved the last month of the season. Bell is a good shooter, but Gipson got more minutes, and did a lot less. He was a good energy player, but not someone to start, and definitely not one to shoot...

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I wonder what this is about:

– Timberwolves Media Advisory and Photo Opportunity–
Minnesota Timberwolves and U.S. Bank to Hold Press Conference in Bismarck

What: The Minnesota Timberwolves and U.S. Bank Bismarck will be hosting a joint press conference to make a major announcement. Timberwolves VP of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale and U.S. Bank Bismarck President Tim Hennessey will address the media and be available for questions.

When: TOMORROW, Thursday, August 14

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Where: U.S. Bank - Bismarck Main Office
200 N. Third St.
Bismarck, ND 58501


Unfortunately, I'm leaving town tomorrow morning so I can't attend or even hear what this is about until I get back in a week.

[USBasket_EricE]

Hmmm... could it be a preseason game? Or possibly...dare I say it...the Timberwolves might buy the Wizards...I doubt it, they've always been connected to the Skyforce. I'm working 12:00-8:00 tomorrow, so needless to say I won't make it either.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Shortly after I got that email from Mike, Tom sent this:

Wizards Fans,

What a week! First the schedule is released yesterday (click here for a link http://www.nba.com/dleague/dakota/schedule/ (http://www.nba.com/dleague/dakota/schedule/)) but now more great news tomorrow.

Some of you may have already heard, but tomorrow at 2pm there is a press conference to announce that the Minnesota Timberwolves will play the Denver Nuggets in a pre-season game on October 19, 2008 at the Bismarck Civic Center. The press conference will be held at U.S. Banks’ downtown main branch and former NBA great and T'Wolves GM Kevin McHale is scheduled to attend. So not only is everyone invited to the press conference to get autographs, but Wizard season ticket holders can purchase tickets before the general public!

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday at 10am CST, but all Dakota Wizards season ticket holders can purchase seats beginning at 10am Thursday. If you have already renewed your seats for next season, you should be receiving a letter in the mail that explains the process and provides you with the password necessary for the pre-sale. If you did not get the letter and would like to take advantage of this special offer, please let me know via email or contact the Wizards office ASAP.

If you have not purchased your seats for next season, tickets are still available starting at only $99 for all 24 home games and then you too can take advantage of this special offer!

Thanks again for your interest in the Dakota Wizards and the NBA Development League and I look forward to seeing you at the Civic Center this winter!

GO WIZARDS!!!!


Tom

[USBasket_EricE]

Now the question is "Should I wear a T-Wolves shirt or my Nuggets shirt?" Maybe I'll flip a coin. And I really wish I didn't have to work tomorrow!!!

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I have a Nets jersey, Magic jersey, and Wolves T-shirt (that I bought last time they played here) so if I go, my choice is easy.

..and I wish I wasn't leaving tomorrow. I'd love to get McHale's autograph.

[USBasket_EricE]

I'd love to get McHale's autograph.

Yeah, me too...hmmm, I could tell my manager that I'm gonna take an extra long smoke break around 2:00...wait, that wouldn't be believable...I'm the only one there that doesn't smoke...umm...oh, maybe I could say that I'm gonna go to the other side of the mall to find another pop machine because the one nearby is out of AMP...crap, scratch that idea too, I still have two of them in the cooler and it's highly unlikely that I'll drink both between 12:00 and 2:00...uhhh...I'll go get Little Caesar's for everyone? Maybe that would work...but then again, it doesn't take an hour to go get pizza...looks like I'm out of luck...&#%(&$&$

[DakotaWizardsFan]

My parents surprised my brother and I last night with tickets for some pretty good seats close to the bench. Hopefully the Nuggets will use that bench so I could snap some pics of Melo and AI with my new Canon Powershot, but the Wolves will probably use that bench.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Can't wait to see Blake again tomorrow. I hope he does well. It's almost time for final cuts and he's competing with NBA veteran Kevin Ollie for the third point guard spot.

[USBasket_EricE]

I got my tickets finally. Section 120, the lower seats on the south side. Gotta get there early to try and get some good pictures and maybe some autographs if I'm lucky! Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony in Bismarck...not something that happens everyday. Hope Blake continues to play well and earn that spot.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Wow, 4 1/2 minutes of playing time for Blake.. how stupid.

Great game, though. I think the Wolves might have a chance this year.

I've got a bunch of pictures; maybe I'll upload them during my four-day weekend this week.

[USBasket_EricE]

At least he hit one of the biggest shots of the game. Hopefully the coaches will see that he is great under pressure and decide to keep him with the team.

I was shocked at how low the attendance was. 6081? Last time the Wolves were here, it was a sellout if I remember right (9000+).

[DakotaWiz]

Here are my thoughts from the game...

http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2008/10/19/638453/ahearn-wins-games-period

[USBasket_EricE]

Nice blog.

I attempted to take some pictures during the game (108 to be exact), but I ended up deleting half of them, and maybe a third of the ones I didn't delete were actually decent. Here's my favorite:

http://content.ytmnd.com/content/e/e/b/eebd1fceebd91a7d4bf054eec676ac3d.png

[DakotaWizardsFan]

First signings:
Blake Ahearn
Renaldo Major
Will Frisby
David Bell
Maurice Baker

What do you think?

I'm really excited about the signings. Hopefully Renaldo Major can finally make his comeback.

I also heard a rumor about another potential signing, but I'm not going to announce it.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I saw in the Tribune that we also signed Dontell Jefferson.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

And I just saw at Ridiculous Upside that we were also allocated Quemont Greer.

So we have:
Blake Ahearn
Maurice Baker
David Bell
Will Frisby
Dontell Jefferson
Quemont Greer
Renaldo Major

[USBasket_EricE]

So...do they have these guys signed for sure? Or are they just possibilities (no guarantees)? I wonder how many players they'll sign from the draft.

[DakotaWiz]

All 7 of those guys will be in camp, along with the ten guys the Wizards draft. From there, 10 will make the final roster. Same as the last two years....

[USBasket_EricE]

Ok, that's what I was wondering. I just remember when Maurice Carter was an allocated player, but was never in town. Glad Major and Greer are coming back.

[DakotaWiz]

yeah, we were allocated him, but he was never healthy from what I understand so he never came.

[USBasket_EricE]

Marcus Hubbard...

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Marcus Hubbard...

..I'm slightly confused. We draft a Division II player who is a couple inches undersized for a center (6'9") with our first pick when Smush Parker and several other good players were still available.

This is all I've got on him so far:
http://www.angelosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12200&ATCLID=669879

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Marcus Hubbard (http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=99999999&page=inline&catid=124&id=436&limit=1&limitstart=1) – Angelo State - 6'9 230 - DIV II –PF/SF
45FG% 38 3PT% 79FT% 1.0SPG 1.1BPG 8.9RPG 1.3APG 21.7PPG
“Intriguing” may the word that best describes Marcus Hubbard. Despite his 6-9 stature he really can’t be classified as a power forward. His body type doesn’t suggest he’ll be able to add serious weight necessary for post play, but what does makes Hubbard a standout is his perimeter shooting. He owns solid range 17 feet from the basket and has developed into a more reliable shooter from three point range. Hubbard’s downside revolves around inconsistencies in play and aggressiveness when attacking the basket. He’s a year older than most college seniors, and although it’s not damaging, it may cause observers to question his potential. Ball handling and improved defensive play from the premier is a must for Hubbard to play the small forward position on the pro level, whether in the NBA or NBDL.


http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3501


Well, that said he's a small forward/power forward..

[USBasket_EricE]

The problem is that the Wizards already have plenty of talented guards on their roster and no centers.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Yeah, I know. But you have to believe there was someone better out there. But Ticknor knows what he's doing more than I do.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Like David Noel, for example. He's a 6'8" forward. He played at North Carolina. He averaged 20-something PPG for Tulsa last year.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Aaron Spears
6'10" Forward
St. John's

http://www.redstormsports.com/men/basketball/roster/bi_basketball_spears_aaron.sju

[USBasket_EricE]

I wouldn't mind seeing Alpha Bangura on the team. I wonder how long he'll last...

[DakotaWizardsFan]

That would definitely be interesting. I would think he'd go soon. The D-League had him as one of the top prospects.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Unless my source is wrong, Spears only averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds as a senior.

[USBasket_EricE]

The Vipers read my post...

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Lol, yep.

But I'm still happy about our 4th round pick. We got former Arizona Wildcat Jawaan McClellan. I'm a Wildcat fan.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

First 6 Rounds:
1. Marcus Hubbard (6'9", C, Angelo State)
http://www.angelosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12200&ATCLID=669879
2. Aaron Spears (6'10", F, St. John's)
http://www.redstormsports.com/men/basketball/roster/bi_basketball_spears_aaron.sju
3. Tony Murphy (6'4", G, Norfolk St.)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/tony_murphy.pdf
4. Jawaan McClellan (6'4", G, Arizona)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/jawaan_mcclellan.pdf
5. Brad Stricker (6'11", C, Georgia St.)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/brad_stricker.pdf
6. Tim Drisdom (6'3", G, Utah)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/tim_drisdom.pdf

[USBasket_EricE]

After searching 3 possible spellings for McClellan's first name, "Jawann" turned in 15,000+ results, compared to "Jawan" at 1,000+ and "Jawaan" at 752...so I think it's safe to say that the D-League got the spelling wrong.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I noticed a lot of misspellings.. well, maybe not a lot, but a few. Plus, a lot of their links don't work and the "Remaining Players" PDF only has players with last names up to "LaFayette".

[DakotaWizardsFan]

We got Darius Mattear from the Minot Skyrockets! I saw him three times last season and he looked pretty good.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Draft Picks:
1. Marcus Hubbard (6'9", C, Angelo State)
http://www.angelosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12200&ATCLID=669879
2. Aaron Spears (6'10", F, St. John's)
http://www.redstormsports.com/men/basketball/roster/bi_basketball_spears_aaron.sju
3. Tony Murphy (6'4", G, Norfolk St.)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/tony_murphy.pdf
4. Jawaan McClellan (6'4", G, Arizona)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/jawaan_mcclellan.pdf
5. Brad Stricker (6'11", C, Georgia St.)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/brad_stricker.pdf
6. Tim Drisdom (6'3", G, Utah)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/tim_drisdom.pdf
7. Darius Mattear (6'6", F, UTEP)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/darius_mattear.pdf
8. Tim Blackwell (6'4", G, Missouri-Kansas City)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/remaining_bios.pdf (Top of pg. 5)
9. Mike Peeples (6'7", F, Farleigh Dickinson)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/mike_peeples.pdf
10. Carlos English (5'9", G, Cleveland St.)
http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/carlos_english.pdf

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Guards:
Blake Ahearn (6'2", 190, Missouri St.)
Maurice Baker (6'1", 185, Oklahoma St.)
David Bell (6'0", 195, Montana)
Tim Blackwell (6'4", 195, Missouri-Kansas City)
Tim Drisdom (6'3", 215, Utah)
Carlos English (5'9", 165, Cleveland St.)
Dontell Jefferson (6'4", 195, Arkansas)
Jawann McClellan (6'4", 204, Arizona)
Tony Murphy (6'4", 220, Norfolk St.)

Forwards:
Will Frisby (6'8", 235, Miami)
Quemont Greer (6'7", 240, DePaul)
Renaldo Major (6'7", 190, Fresno St.)
Darius Mattear (6'6", 225, UTEP)
Michael Peeples (6'7", F, Farleigh Dickinson)
Aaron Spears (6'10", 245, St. John's)

Centers:
Marcus Hubbard (6'9", 230, Angelo St.)
Brad Stricker (6'11", 260, Georgia St.)

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I've posted the last 4 posts, but I've got a couple more things to say that I found on Lou Babiarz's blog (http://www.bismarcktribune.com/blog/?w=sportsdesk&e_id=4399/)

The Wizards take Marcus Hubbard, a 6-9, 230-pound rookie power forward out of Angelo State. He was the last cut of the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 15.4 points per game last season.
Maybe I was wrong when I said he was a bad first pick. If he was the final cut of the Hawks, he's got to be good. And since he's a rookie and a big man, we'll probably be keeping him.

Though it's not official until approved by the league, the Wizards have made a trade, sending Dontell Jefferson to Utah for the ninth pick, Denham Brown of U-Conn.
Interesting move. As much as I'd love having Dontell back, I think I might actually like this trade. Denham is very talented (there's probably no need for me to state the obvious, but oh well).

[USBasket_EricE]

The trade for Denham Brown was an excellent move...he was the sixth man of the year in 2006-07, wasn't he? I was surprised that he wasn't chosen until the 9th round.

[USBasket_EricE]

Wait...there isn't a D-League Sixth Man of the Year Award... this is what I was thinking of:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/DraftExpress-2006-2007-D-League-Awards-2041/nba.php

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I was surprised that he wasn't chosen until the 9th round.

He wasn't chosen in the 9th round; he was chosen as the 9th pick.

[DWizards]

I really like how our team is shaping up:

We have two solid guards (Mo Baker and Blake Ahearn)
Solid wings (Denham Brown, Renaldo Major)
then throw in Quemont, Will Frisby, and Marcus Hubbard.

I think we will actually get some NBA assigned players this year too. I would like to see Hamed Haddai get some time in Bismarck. He is pretty raw, but I watched him dominate the Olympics. I think he is big enough to help us out a lot. Also if the Wizards can keep their team healthy, I would like to see them send 1 or 2 guys down for a while (maybe Dominic McGuire or Oleksiy Pecherov). We are a little thin with our big guys, but if the Grizz or Wash. Wizards could help us out that would be great!

[DakotaWizardsFan]

After looking over some stats and other things about these players and thinking about our roster for a bit, I think we've got a great team also. I'm not sure how good we are in relation to the other teams (I haven't looked closely at their rosters yet), but, on paper, I'm really liking our chances.

I think the big question mark is obviously whether or not Renaldo Major will get back to where he was before his surgery. If he's entirely (or very close) back to where he was, then that will be a huge help. We need his experience, leadership, defense, and hustle. If he's not close to 100%, then that leaves a hole that hopefully one of our other players can fill.

[DakotaWiz]

Just did my review of the draft over at RidiculousUpside. I rank the Wizards as probably the number one team... Even if Renaldo isn't healthy Denham Brown can fill that spot pretty well. I believe Haddadi will be with the Wizards at the beginning of the season.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

The preseason game is in SD. :(

I was hoping it would be close to here again, but I thought this might happen since we had the game last year.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Blake Ahearn just received the first call-up of the season. Awesome for Blake. I wish it wasn't to the Spurs because they're my least favorite team for really no good reason at all. I'll be cheering for them for at least 10 days now, though.

Now our backcourt suddenly doesn't look as strong at all. Dontell Jefferson sure looks good now.

[DakotaWiz]

10 days don't start until January.

[DWizards]

well Blake is gone for now. Also there was a rumor on in the New York Dailey News that the Kings were thinking about signing Denham Brown. Does anyone know if the DLeague still has the rule that if a team has a call up that they are first on the waiver wire?

[DakotaWiz]

Fairly certain they did away with that rule... I'll do some checking...

[USBasket_EricE]

Wonder if this year will be more successful than 2003-2004... 6 Dakota players received call-ups that season. Sean Lampley, Oliver Miller, Kaniel Dickens, Maurice Carter (twice), Eddie Gill, and Rodney Buford. I really do hope Ahearn gets to stay with the Spurs. He got screwed over by the Wolves. I still can't believe they kept Kevin Ollie over him.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

10 days don't start until January.

Then how does it work? I forgot.

[bdyer]

Ten days don't start until January. Ahearn is probably just playing on a nonguaranteed one year deal so he could be cut at any time.

I assume he'll be kept only until Tony Parker comes back unless he really knocks the socks off the coaching staff.

[USBasket_EricE]

Say they want to keep him...it would be possible for him to be assigned to the Toros this season, right?

[DakotaWiz]

It would be possible, but highly unlikely. They would be much better off cutting him and obtaining his D-League rights in a trade. This would save over $400,000 for the club if he stayed in the D-League all season. If the Wizards were to take such a trade however is another story.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Blake had 3 points on 1-2 shooting and 1 turnover in 4 minutes last night.

I read that Gregg Popovich thinks Ginobili and Parker will both be back sometime in December so I'm guessing that's probably how long Blake will stay with the Spurs.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

First cuts:
Tim Drisdom, Tony Murphy, Tim Blackwell and Darius Mattear (I really wanted him to make the team. I saw him play for the Skyrockets and I liked him)

That leaves us with 12 players:

Guards:
Maurice Baker (6'1", 185, Oklahoma St.)
David Bell (6'0", 195, Montana)
Carlos English (5'9", 165, Cleveland St.)
Jawann McClellan (6'4", 204, Arizona)

Forwards:
Denham Brown (6'6", 220, UConn)
Will Frisby (6'8", 235, Miami)
Quemont Greer (6'7", 240, DePaul)
Marcus Hubbard (6'9", 230, Angelo St.)
Renaldo Major (6'7", 190, Fresno St.)
Michael Peeples (6'7", F, Farleigh Dickinson)

Centers:
Aaron Spears (6'10", 245, St. John's)
Brad Stricker (6'11", 260, Georgia St.)

[DakotaWiz]

I would switch your positions around. Spears and Stricker are centers, and Hubbard is a power forward who can also play small forward.

You also forgot about the Dontell trade.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Oops, I didn't realize that the roster I pasted from a few pages back was one with Dontell still on the team.

And the sources (their college websites I believe) I looked at called Spears a center and Hubbard and power forward so that's why that's like that.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

So are some of my positions wrong up there or do we only have 4 guards remaining? Denham Brown is listed as a Forward/Guard on his D-League bio so he could go either way, but he's more of a forward.

[DakotaWiz]

Denham can play the 2-guard. In reality, so could Renaldo depending. I'm fairly certain that Hubbard will be a forward, and Spears will be a center.. We'll see what happens!

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Well, good news and bad news tonight.

Bad news, we lost 103-99. Good news, Renaldo Major seems like he's back. He scored 22 points and had 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 steals.

Was anyone at the game?

[USBasket_EricE]

I don't even know where Tea, SD is. Never heard of it before. Glad to see Renaldo had a good game. I hope I'll be able to make it to the home opener. Not 100% sure yet.

[USBasket_EricE]

So, after the incident two years ago, the NBA finally decided it was safe to send the Wizards another player.

http://www.nba.com/dleague/dakota/haddadi_081125.html

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I'm totally excited to have Haddadi. It should be an interesting 2-3 weeks.

Anyone know who made our final roster? I thought we had to have it finalized by today, but there's nothing on the D-League site and I didn't get an email about it yet.

[DakotaWiz]

D-League is terrible about updating Transactions. Peeples and Spears were cut, so the fringe guy to make the team was Carlos English.

PG -- Baker, English, Bell
SG -- McClellan, Brown
SF -- Major, Hubbard
PF -- Frisby, Greer
C -- Haddadi, Stricker

[DakotaWizardsFan]

So what are everyone's first impressions of the team? I'd type something up, but I've got to get off the computer now.

It was great seeing Renaldo back, though. I really missed seeing him play. We've had great players throughout the team's history, but Renaldo is my #1, hands down.

[DWizards]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/55738/20081130/spurs_assign_blake_ahearn_to_austin/

Man I do not like the Spurs/Austin. Well at least Blake is earning big bucks to play in the DLeague. This isn't nearly as shady as last year when they kept calling up their own players to get 1st on the waiver wire.

[USBasket_EricE]

I called it. I hated the Spurs before and I hate them even more now.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I've always hated the Spurs, but for virtually no reason whatsoever. Now I have a reason.

Hypothetical situation here that probably won't happen.. if the Spurs would bring Blake back up and then release him, could we pick him up? Or would Austin have his rights?

[USBasket_EricE]

If he's released, I would think that the Wizards would have his rights, since they are the team that originally had him. But the Spurs have managed to buy their little pampered D-League team early Christmas gifts in the past... Remember Roy Rogers? Mo McHone?

[USBasket_EricE]

And apparently 5 seconds in normal time is equal to 2 seconds in the Austin Convention Center.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Looks like Blake will probably be coming back.. well, if no other NBA team picks him up, that is.

Anyone know where Stricker was last night?

[USBasket_EricE]

Anyone know where Stricker was last night?

Wouldn't know. Paper never even mentioned it. That's usually how I get my news about the Wizards now, having only gone to the opener so far. (Hoping to make it to the 28th and 31st games)

It sucks for Blake being cut. He really wasn't even given a chance. I hope he gets signed by a team that will actually let him play. (And I am also waiting and hoping to see if the Toros begin a losing streak)

[bdyer]

Ahearn got the same six-game Toros audition that Darius Washington had last season. He just can't defend well enough to stick on the Spurs, especially since George Hill has worked out so well. The Spurs already have five guys who can play the point and their big men outside of Duncan have been inconsistent, so keeping Ahearn this season just didn't make any sense.

The Toros are pretty boned though. They've been killing teams because of their three point shooting, and Ahearn was a big part of that. None of their new point guards are working out, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some losses followed by some roster moves.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee139/tasteoflog/08-12-12%20Toros-14ers/P1040099.jpg

[DakotaWizardsFan]

DAKOTA WIZARDS BLAKE AHEARN RETURNS TO LINEUP

Wizards Guard Returns With NBA Experience

Bismarck, N.D., December 19, 2008 –The two-time defending NBA Development League Central Division Champion Dakota Wizards announced that they have reacquired Dakota Wizards guard Blake Ahearn following a month long stint with the San Antonio Spurs. Ahearn will join the Wizards this weekend in Bismarck, as they take on the LA D-fenders on Saturday and the Reno BigHorns on Sunday.

Ahearn played in three games as a member of the silver and black and averaged 2.7 points in 6.3 minutes. Ahearn was also the first player in D-League history to be called up to an NBA team and Assigned to their D-League affiliate in the same year. While with the Spurs affiliate the Austin Toros Ahearn averaged nearly 19 points and over 6 assists in six games.

A 6-2, 190-pound sophomore in the league, Ahearn went undrafted out of Missouri State in the 2006 NBA Draft. He played the last season (2006-07) with the Dakota Wizards before being called-up to the Miami Heat for the last month of the season. Ahearn finished off his first year in the D-League with the Rookie of the Year honors.

Ahearn, 23, will wear uniform #6.
The Wizards also announced today that they have injury waived guard Denham Brown.

-------------------------------------------

Anyone know what happened to Denham?

[DWizards]

http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/40584/180/item

Any chance Rod Benson comes back to Bismarck? Would we still have his rights if he were to sign with the DLeauge or does he get picked up by whoever is first in the player pool?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

From what I understand..

An article in the Bismarck Tribune quoted Mo (I think) saying that he spoke to Rod and he might come back.

Rod has been mentioned by Ticknor on Wizards Watch. He's currently weighing his options.

We have his rights so we would get him if we wanted him and we would still remain first on the waiver list.

[USBasket_EricE]

So, how did the Wizards beat the Skyforce with six players??? Looks like Baker, Major, and Bell were out with injuries/illnesses. And I just noticed that Stricker left the team. Any ideas who they might bring in?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

It's even crazier when you think about who the six players were: McClellan, English, Frisby, Greer, Hubbard, and Ahearn.

I don't see how we could lose to the Force at full strength and then beat them with six players, excluding three of our best.

I think we're still waiting on a specific sort of player to enter the player pool. I'm guessing that would definitely be a big man since we are lacking horribly down there with Stricker and Haddadi gone. Justin Williams and Rod Benson have been thrown around, but last I heard, they were still weighing their options. So I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen.

[DakotaWiz]

Justin Williams signed overseas the other day.

Rod Benson wouldn't be counted as our pick since he's a returner.

I think a guy like Richard Hendrix would be a good possibility if he hurries up. They are certainly waiting on a big man. If they were looking for a guard, I think they would've grabbed David Bailey.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Ah.. too bad about Justin. I was really hoping he'd return.

By the way, since you usually know more about the team than me, DakotaWiz, any specifics on why Baker, Bell, and Major didn't play? The press release here on OSC said injuries/illnesses, but that's as specific as it got. I'm guessing Baker's DNP was probably injury-related since he hurt himself on Monday, but what about Major and Bell?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

To answer my own question:

I was way off. Bell was the injured one. The other two were sick.

[DakotaWiz]

Actually, you were off on that.

Bell was sick. Major had a stinger. Mo had a wrist injury.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Oh. Well, that's what I heard on the news.

[DWizards]

We got Richard Hendrix! Also according to Rod Benson's blog he is either going to go to the DLeague or go back to Europe (he said he would know soon).

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Hendrix was a brilliant pickup. Impressive debut tonight!

If Benson would return, we would suddenly be very strong with bigs.

[USBasket_EricE]

Sometimes it's nice to see a blowout...the NYE game was just that. Great game from Ahearn, Baker, and Hendrix.

Hope no one saw my 3-pointer attempt during halftime...a horrible, off-the-shotclock, off-the-top-of-the-backboard, and gone behind the hoop. 7 months away from the court does that to a person.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

The blowout was nice, but a little boring. I'll definitely take it, though.

Hendrix is a beast. I don't foresee him being here much longer.

Luckily for you, I didn't see it. I was getting ice cream during halftime. I did see you in the food court, though, I think.

At least you tried it. I let my brother tell me it's a waste of money. I want to go out there and try it again. I made one once, but I wasn't selected to shoot the half-court shot.

[USBasket_EricE]

Just noticed tonight (a few minutes ago actually) that Rod Benson is back. I looked at the boxscore from yesterday's game last night and didn't even notice it! I did notice that Stricker was back and thought it was odd that the Wizards had 12 players listed. I guess seeing "R. Benson" was so common the past couple of seasons that it didn't even strike me as "Oh, he's back! Glad to see they won tonight. Coach Ticknor must have gotten himself ejected in the third quarter because they have two technicals listed 44 seconds apart.

[stathunter04]

I'm currently working on the Wizards IBA Roster and would like to know if somebody got information from game programs or guides about a player named "Marc/Mark Harris" (size, position, college)? He played five games for the Wiz during the 1995-96 season.

Any help would be really appreciated.

[DakotaWiz]

I know the Bismarck Tribune didn't keep a roster around that first season, and the programs didn't have rosters in them, so I'm not sure how much help you'll get on this. I do believe that it was Marc Harris though.
Next time I'm in Bismarck I'll see if I can look in the archives, but this is all I see on the Trib's website:

New bodies arrived and they provided more than the needed depth for the Dakota Wizards. Newcomers Ken Conley and Mark Harris contributed experience, scoring and playmaking to lead the Wizards to an impressive 99-93 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead Beez.

[stathunter04]

I know the Bismarck Tribune didn't keep a roster around that first season, and the programs didn't have rosters in them, so I'm not sure how much help you'll get on this. I do believe that it was Marc Harris though.
Next time I'm in Bismarck I'll see if I can look in the archives, but this is all I see on the Trib's website.

Well, it's a start. Thank you. I hope your search will be successful.

[USBasket_EricE]

Say good-bye to second place, Skyforce...w00t

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Yeah! Watch out Iowa-- we're coming for you!

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Iowa lost today on a buzzer-beater alley-oop layup, so we're tied for first place!

[USBasket_EricE]

Wow, tonight must have been a complete Wizards domination...wish I could have been there! I drove by the CC shortly after work and saw that the parking lot was packed. Must have been a good crowd.

Baker had NO points, but 14 rebounds and 11 assists...do they have that correct in the box score? I don't remember the last time that Moe went scoreless in a game. But it looks like he did everything else!

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Yeah, we absolutely dominated. Fort Wayne's only lead was at 2-0.

Attendance was 2871. That's a bit more than we've been getting lately, but nowhere near what we used to get.

Yes, the box score was correct. Mo only shot two shots and missed both. I definitely give Mo props for what he did last night. He played completely unselfishly.

I'm sure someone will get called up or go overseas, but if somehow this lineup were to stay together, we've got definite championship potential. I don't think any team in the league can stop us when Blake and David are hot (which seems to be most of the time, especially lately). And if Blake and David aren't hot, you've got Will, Richard, Mo, Renaldo, and Rod to deal with.

Does anyone know if Denham Brown is ever coming back? He was supposed to be back in 2-3 weeks, but it's been almost 2 months.

[DWizards]

I was thinking the same thing about Denham Brown. We did just get Romel Beck, who looked great tonight. I watched the game online. Also found some nice hightlights of Beck online, had a nice 4-pt play over Kobe in the fiba games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy_Vzm41JsU

[DakotaWizardsFan]

I didn't watch the game tonight, but his stat line looked good (in regards to points) and I watched highlights of him on YouTube (including the 4-point play on Kobe) and he looks pretty good.

It's too bad we didn't win tonight. Instead of:
Iowa 19-12
Dakota 20-14 (0.5 back)
Erie 19-16 (2.0 back)
Sioux Falls 18-16 (2.5 back)

The standings could have been:
Dakota 21-13
Iowa 19-12 (0.5 back)
Sioux Falls 18-16 (3.0 back)
Erie 18-17 (3.5 back)

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Here's the video I watched of Beck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EEViVtW-i0

[DakotaWiz]

I believe that Denham took too long to get healthy and the Wizards relinquished his rights.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Okay, thanks for the info.

Ah man.. every single time we can take over first from Iowa, we lose. What's up with that?

[DWizards]

wow, I just saw we traded Benson. Sad to see him go, but he didn't fit in too well this year. I also saw that Iowa just signed Denham Brown, that sucks. We would have we got rid of his rights? makes no sense to me. Couldn't we have kept his rights since he was waived due to injury?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

We got Jesse Smith from Reno in the trade. He's a 6'11" center from Idaho State who is averaging 9.6 PPG and 6.8 RPG.

Anyone know anything about this guy besides that?

---

That Denham Brown thing absolutely sucks.. not quite sure how that works. I hate Iowa. They're absolutely stacked now (as if they weren't before) with the additions of Brown and JamesOn Curry. I read over at the Energy message board that a player was going to be called up today, but that the details couldn't be disclosed. I'm hoping it's Courtney Sims.

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Well, I guess Scott beat me to it.. it's Demetris Nichols.
http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2009/3/4/781286/demetris-nichols-knickels

[USBasket_EricE]

wow, I just saw we traded Benson

WTF??? NO!!!!!!!!!! Well, hopefully he gets more playing time in Reno. Sucks to see a fan favorite go to a different team. At least he's in a warmer state. The winter here has been never-ending!

[USBasket_EricE]

Sounds like congratulations are in order to OSC poster DakotaWiz, who is now the Wizards' director of media and public relations, replacing Mike Offerdahl, who recently resigned. Just heard the news on the radio this morning and thought the name "Scott Schroeder" sounded familiar.

[DakotaWiz]

Ha. Appreciate it! Get your season tickets yet?

[USBasket_EricE]

Wish I could. I'm moving to Fargo in August. But I'll try not to miss the opener if I can make it home for Thanksgiving.

[USBasket_EricE]

So, Rory White is getting the coaching position?

[DakotaWizardsFan]

Yep. Do you like the decision? I'm kinda mixed about it. Over at the Tribune's site, negative comments are rampant. People saying that they're done watching the Wizards now because we hired Coach White. Wow, talk about immature.

[USBasket_EricE]

I think more people are looking at his bad records. He had an excellent FM-Beez team in 2001-02. The Wizards did sweep them 3-0 in the conference finals, but two of those games were decided by one point, one a buzzer beater, the other in the closing seconds. And the Stampede's record in 2000-01 was the best in the league at the time when it suspended operations. Back then, the CBA was the top minor league because the D-League did not exist. His 2002-03 Stampede team was not impressive, but every coach has their ups and downs. Look at Paul Woolpert's 2004-05 Sun Kings team compared to his next three seasons:
http://www.usbasket.com/CBA/basketball_2004-2005.asp
http://www.usbasket.com/CBA/basketball_2005-2006.asp
http://www.usbasket.com/CBA/basketball_2006-2007.asp
http://www.usbasket.com/CBA/basketball_2007-2008.asp

I know Woolpert's first year in the D-League was a slump. But you never know what can happen. Dave Joerger adjusted to the D-League without a problem, so I don't see why Rory White can't.

Casey Owens was who I was hoping for, but White was my second choice. I hope he does well.

[USBasket_EricE]

Wow, this thread has been dry for two years.

Anyone who still visits this place has probably already heard that the Wizards have been sold to the Golden State Warriors. My immediate thought? "This sucks."

I've only made it to maybe 7 or 8 games in the past three seasons, but a lot of it had to do with living 200 miles to the east during the season. Now that I'm back in Bismarck, the news that the Wizards may only have one season left in their home for the past 16 years is a hard one to swallow. These new owners didn't even keep it a secret that they want to move the Wizards to California (most likely San Jose), as it was mentioned in the press release as a possibility. I doubt they give a crap about the history here -- 4 championships in three leagues, a dedicated fan base, their presence within the community, the fact that it's the only pro basketball team remaining in North Dakota... I just don't see those Californians wanting to deal with operating a franchise in one of the coldest cities in the nation during the season, especially since it's over 1000 miles away. I can only hope there's a way to promote this news to the city, that it could be the end. But if the Warriors are behind everything, they'll do whatever they can to find a reason to move out.

A question to those who followed the ABA -- why did the San Jose Skyrockets move to Minot and what was the fan support like for the team while it was in San Jose? Can San Jose support a D-League team? Would the Warriors be better off leaving the Wizards in Bismarck?

[wellington]

Can San Jose support a D-League team? Would the Warriors be better off leaving the Wizards in Bismarck?

Probably not much of an issue. Even if the Warriors lose money on a team in San Jose, the logistics of having a farm team so close geographically trumps everything. If the San Jose D-League teams is successful off the court then it would be a win-win -- I just do not think it is the highest priority.

It would be unfortunate for Bismarck if the relocation becomes a reality. However, they are out in no mans land -- they would make a decent fit for Minnesota, but the T-Wolves are already affiliated with Sioux Falls (which is closer).

[DFWCC]

That's a big problem in all minor league sports.
If you don't have a local owner your team is always
subject to a midnight move. Out of town owners just
don't care about local fans and how they may have
poured their hearts and pocketbooks out for years.

[jjbballfan]

That's a big problem in all minor league sports.
If you don't have a local owner your team is always
subject to a midnight move. Out of town owners just
don't care about local fans and how they may have
poured their hearts and pocketbooks out for years.

Heck sometimes it doesn't even matter if they are local or not. The truth of the matter is money talks and at the end of the day the ownership wants to make money and sometimes moving a team is/looks to be the best option.

[DFWCC]

Bottom line. You are right.
Money talks and BullS... walks.
With local ownership there always seems to be
a little more reluctance to move than from a cold
hearted corp far away in some Ivory tower.
Hell we all know than from seeing longtime local
bus sell out to some National firm only to be
closed in a yr or two.
Really HATE that.