Anthony Anderson and PJ Young Named to All Star Game
March 18, 2008 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Saint John Riptide News Release
March 17, 2008 Indianapolis, IN: The American Basketball Association announced the participants for ABA All Star Weekend, which will be held March 21st and 22nd at the Barre (Vt.) Municipal Auditorium.
Among the selections were two Manchester Millrats: guard Anthony Anderson and forward PJ Young. Newcomer Cedric McGinnis was named as an alternate.
Anderson, who leads the Millrats in scoring and FG%, was also nominated as the #1 player in the ABA by ProBasketballnews.com earlier this month.
Young has been Manchester's most consistent performer this season, having played in all 38 games. Young is averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds per game over the last 16 games, in which the Millrats have gone 14-2. But his biggest contribution to date just might have been an "assist". In the locker room before Manchester's blow out victory over the Beijing Aoshen, Young offered his starting position to 6'9 forward Ronald Wright. He said he made the offer to help Wright's confidence. Wright retuned the vote of confidence with a 21 point, 8 rebound performance that was the catalyst for the victory.
It is this kind of selflessness that Millrats Coach Larry Lessett hopes will propel his team to the ABA Championship this season, "during our last road trip our guys really came together and learned what it will take to win the championship, and that's self sacrifice for the betterment of the team."
Manchester was awarded a bye into the Final 8 Tournament in Quebec City as a the #2 seed. They are currently awaiting who their opponent will be. One thing is certain however, the Vermont Frost Heaves, the #1 seed, will be on the opposite side of the tournament bracket. That means the two rivals could only meet in the championship game. Manchester is 4-2 against Vermont this season, and responsible for all of Vermont's losses.
ABA All Star Weekend kicks off this Friday night at 7 pm with the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three Point Shootout. Rashid Al-Kaleem and Charles Mason, both Manchester Millrats, will participate in both contests. Then the ABA All Star Classic presented by the Vermont State Employees Credit Union will tip off at 1:05 pm on Saturday.
The complete ABA All Star team rosters are:
EAST:
Anthony Anderson 5'11 G Manchester Millrats
PJ Young 6'6 F Manchester Millrats
Samuel Audet Sow 6'6 F Quebec Kebekwa
Tommy Mitchell 6'3 G Montreal Royal
Eric Crookshank 6'8 F Halifax Rainmen
Issa Konare 6'8 F Vermont Frost Heaves
Antonio Burks 6'6 F Vermont Frost Heaves
Joe Britto 6'5 G-F Jersey Express
Charles Fortier 6'4 G Quebec Kebekwa
Cordell Jeanty 6'6 F Montreal Royal
WEST:
Kenny Wright 6'2 G Long Beach Breakers
Charncey Ephraim 6'5 F West Texas Whirlwinds
Robin Kennedy 5'10 G Orange County Gladiators
Sean Dixon 6'2 G Atlanta Vision
BJ Puckett 6'9 F Atlanta Vision
Mario Kinsey 6'2 G Texas Tycoons
Randall Williams 6'8 F Texas Tycoons
Jerome Habel 6'10 F San Diego Wildcats
Cardell Butler 6'4 G San Diego Wildcats
John Smith 6'2 G Maywood Buzz
Tickets for All-Star Weekend are available for in-person purchase at Allen Lumber in Barre; First in Fitness in Montpelier; and the Flynn Regional Box Office at 153 Main Street in Burlington. Fans may also call 802 86 FLYNN or go to www.flynntix.org. Tickets are available for each individual session or in special packages that include both day's events.
Team practices at the Barre Aud will be free and open to the public on Friday afternoon between 1 and 4pm, while DMS Machining and Fabrication will present the All-Star Community Breakfast on Saturday morning at the American Legion Post 10 on North Main Street in Barre, with seatings at 9 and 10am. A limited number of tickets for the breakfast, which will benefit Spaulding High School's Project Graduation, will be on sale at the Aud on Friday night.
Fans may go to central-vt.com/abaallstars for information on dining and lodging options in Central Vermont. The Manchester Millrats are lending logistical support to the Frost Heaves for All-Star Weekend.
The ABA All-Star Classic will be Webcast free at www.vermontfrostheaves.com for viewing live and in archived re-broadcast, with www.vermontvacation.com the presenting sponsor. The radio call will be carried over the Vermont Frost Heaves Radio Network which originates with WSNO AM 1450 in Barre and includes WJOH AM 1230 in Burlington and WLVB FM 93.9 in Lamoille County. For more information, contact the Frost Heaves at 802 860 0082 or email info@vermontfrosthaves.com or visit www.abalive.com.
Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.
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American Basketball Association Stories from March 18, 2008
- 2008 Memorial Weekend Basketball Tournament - Maywood Buzz
- Maywood Buzz Announce Open Team Tryouts For 2008 Roster - ABA
- All-Star Weekend To Be Featured On Black Athlete Sports Network - ABA
- Playoff Bound San Francisco Rumble Featured On Inside The ABA - ABA
- Vermont High School Seniors to Get In on All-Star Weekend - Vermont Frost Heaves
- Vermont High School Seniors to Get In on All-Star Weekend - Vermont Frost Heaves
- Anthony Anderson and PJ Young Named to All Star Game - Saint John Riptide
- ABA Super Savings Store Offers Specials - ABA
- Royal take game one - Montreal Royal
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