Blue Ducks schedule set for 2004 season
February 6, 2004 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Brevard Blue Ducks News Release
Melbourne, Florida – The Brevard Blue Ducks announced today that they will be returning to Brevard for another season beginning in April and that they’ll also be returning to the Clemente Center at Florida Tech in Melbourne for their Brevard home games.
“We were very pleased with the venue last year,” remarked Mike Richman, Blue Ducks owner. “It’s the nicest facility in Brevard and our fans really enjoyed attending our games there last season. We’re happy to be back and we’re looking forward to an exciting 2004 season in Brevard.”
The 2004 USBL season begins April 16th and runs through June 20th. During that time, each team will play a total of 30 games. A post-season festival to determine the league champion will run from June 25th through the 27th. A location for the tournament has not yet been awarded.
The Blue Ducks home season will be highlighted by visits from Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins and the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs on May 5th and 7th and former New York Knick, John Starks and his Westchester Wildfire on May 26th and 28th. There will also be home games against two new expansion teams. The Florence Flyers will visit Brevard on April 22nd and May 4th. The Cedar Rapids River Raiders will come to Brevard on May 30th.
“The two new teams will be very tough,” commented Richman. “Florence is in NBDL territory and will consist of a lot of the NBA developmental players and Cedar Rapids comes in from the CBA and will bring with them a lot of the talent from that league, including their head coach, Dave Joerger, who currently coaches the Dakota Wizards who are in first place in the CBA, so they’ll both be strong out of the gate their first year.”
Season and individual game tickets for Blue Ducks games are on sale now, with mezzanine level season tickets priced from under $100 for all home games. New this year will be 5-game “Flex Packs” that will allow fans to attend any five Blue Ducks home games for as low as $35. Individual game tickets start at $8.00. Season ticket holders will receive complimentary tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters game to be held March 8th at the Clemente Center. Tickets are available by calling (321) 751-BLUE (2583) or by visiting the Blue Ducks website at www.BrevardBlueDucks.com. A seating chart for the Clemente Center is also available on the site.
The Blue Ducks are a member of the United States Basketball League (USBL), which serves as a minor league to the NBA. The USBL is the oldest continuously running minor league in the United States and has sent over 140 players to the NBA in its 19-year existence.
NBA stars such as Anthony Mason, Chris Childs, Mugsy Bogues, Spud Webb, Charlie Ward, Avery Johnson and Darrell Armstrong all got their start in the USBL. Ex-NBA players have coached many of the teams in the league, such as notables Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who led the Oklahoma Storm to the 2002 USBL Championship and Harvey Grant, who led the Blue Ducks to the USBL Eastern Conference Championship the same season.
Following, is the Brevard Blue Ducks 2004 Season Schedule:
DATE OPPONENT TIME
1. April 16 @ Adirondack 7:05
2. April 17 @ Adirondack 7:05
3. April 19 @ Brooklyn 7:00
4. April 22 vs. Florence 7:00
5. April 23 @ Florence 7:30
6. April 27 vs. Adirondack 7:00
7. May 4 vs. Florence 7:00
8. May 5 vs. Pennsylvania 7:00
9. May 7 vs. Pennsylvania 7:00
10. May 9 @ Cedar Rapids 7:15
11. May 11 @ St. Louis 7:10
12. May 13 @ Kansas 7:00
13. May 15 @ Oklahoma 7:00
14. May 16 @ Dodge City 7:00
15. May 19 @ Dodge City 7:00
16. May 21 vs. Brooklyn 7:00
17. May 23 vs. Brooklyn 7:00
18. May 26 vs. Westchester 7:00
19. May 28 vs. Westchester 7:00
20. May 29 vs. Kansas 7:00
21. May 30 vs. Cedar Rapids 5:00
22. June 2 @ Florence 7:30
23. June 3 @ Westchester 7:00
24. June 5 vs. Adirondack 7:00
25. June 6 vs. Oklahoma 5:00
26. June 13 vs. St. Louis 5:00
27. June 15 @ Brooklyn 7:00
28. June 17 @ Pennsylvania 7:00
29. June 18 @ Pennsylvania 7:00
30. June 19 @ Westchester 7:00
Duck Notes:
Each team’s protected player list had to be submitted to the USBL by today. USBL teams are allowed to “protect” up to 8 players from the previous season. Protecting a player gives the teams exclusive negotiating rights with that individual. All unprotected players immediately become free agents and can negotiate with any team.
The Blue Ducks protected players are:
Tony Harris – 6-0 Guard – Tennessee – Mid-season acquisition, played in 10 games (started 8). Led team in scoring average with a 18.5 PPG average, including a team season-high 37 points against Westchester on 6/21/03. Also had a league-high eight 3-point field goals that game. Averaged 21 PPG in playoffs.
Ousmane Cisse – 6-9 Forward – St. Jude HS – Made jump straight from high school to the pros. Mid-season acquisition from Adirondack, played in 10 games (8 as starter). Averaged 12.8 PPG and led team with 8.2 RPG, including a league-high 12 vs. Adirondack on 6/18/03. Averaged 19.0 PPG/13.0 RPG in playoffs. Played for the Orlando Magic in the Pepsi Pro Summer League and was subsequently signed to a one-year contract with the Magic, but was cut before the start of the NBA regular season.
Nat Burton – 6-5 Guard – Georgetown – Played 23 games for Blue Ducks (16 as starter). Averaged 13.3 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Averaged 15.0 PPG/5.0 RPG in playoffs.
Roy Jones, Jr. – 5-10 Guard – Current light-heavyweight and heavyweight boxing champion of the world and best pound-for-pound player in the game. 3.0 PPG/1.3 RPG.
Adam Hall – 6-5 Guard – Virginia – USBL Rookie of the Week the first week of 2003 season. Played in 25 games (15 as starter). Averaged 11.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG.
Ike Spencer – 6-6 Forward – Murray State – Solid post-up player appeared in all 30 Blue Ducks games last season (22 as a starter). Averaged 13.8 PPG and 6.1 RPG. Led team in minutes played (1020). Also had team-highs for single game assists (14 vs. Westchester on 6/21/03) and field goals made (13 vs. Brooklyn on 6/17/03). Averaged 17.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in playoffs.
Darryl Hardy – 6-7 Forward – Winston Salem – Appeared in 20 games (12 as starter) averaging 12.4 PPG and 8.4 RPG. Played with Blue Ducks since inaugural season in 2002. Had team season-high 18 rebounds vs. Westchester on 6/11/03.
Brian Taylor – 6-1 Guard – South Florida – Explosive guard with 41” vertical leap, played in 14 games (5 as starter) and averaged 10.7 PPG.
League Notes:
The USBL had itÂ’s fifth player move on to the NBA this season as former Texas Rim Rockers star Maurice Carter made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night. Carter took Kobe BryantÂ’s spot on the roster. Bryant has been put on the injured list after suffering a laceration on his right index finger.
Carter, who scored four points in his Laker debut, averaged 28.0 PPG for the Rim Rockers last season. He joins Keith McLeod, Olden Polynice, Oliver Miller, and Ime Udoka as 2003 USBL players now playing in the NBA.
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United States Basketball League Stories from February 6, 2004
- Oliver to Suit up for River Raiders Coach in Dakota - Cedar Rapids River Raiders
- Blue Ducks schedule set for 2004 season - Brevard Blue Ducks
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