Blue Ducks set to submit protected list to USBL
January 29, 2003 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Brevard Blue Ducks News Release
Melbourne, Florida – The Brevard Blue Ducks are readying an important list for submission to the USBL this week.
“It’s the ‘Protected Player List’ and it must be in by Friday, January 31st,” said Mike Richman, Blue Ducks owner.
Each team in the USBL has the ability to protect up to eight players on its roster from the previous season. After February 1st, all unprotected players become free agents.
“There’s a lot of thought and strategy that goes into that list,” commented Richman. “It’s not as easy as picking your best eight players from last season. We have to take into account our strengths and weaknesses, whether or not we feel that the player will want to return, what he or his agent demands are and what our salary cap constraints are. We also have to consider whether it’s even necessary to protect certain players who may not be on other team’s radar screens. It’s not an easy decision. Derek (Howard) and I talk every night about it.”
As it stands, the players the Blue Ducks are going to be protecting right now are:
1) Toshiro Germany – A 6’8” – 260 lb. power forward, he is one of the league’s top defenders. Averaged 10.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG last season.
2) Kwan Johnson – The league’s top scorer and MVP, this 6’4” guard averaged 25.8 PPG, including 30 points in the Blue Ducks last game of the season, a 96-95 loss to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Oklahoma Storm in the semifinal round of the post season tournament.
3) Ricky Moore – Brevard’s 6th man, Ricky came off the bench to average 7.1 PPG/3.0 RPG. Came close to making it into the NBA, playing with the Detroit Pistons summer team before getting cut two days before the season.
4) Darryl Hardy – A muscular 6’8” 240-pound power forward. Saw limited action last season before injuring his foot and undergoing “Grant Hill” surgery. The Blue Ducks are hoping for a full recovery. In their first 5 games before going down, Hardy averaged almost a double-double, registering 12.2 PPG/9.8 RPG.
5) Earl “Pep” Tyson – Starting point guard. This 6’1” point man averaged 9.9 PPG/ 3.9 RPG and was third in the league in assists with 5.2 APG
6) J.B. Reafsnyder – A 6’10” 270 pound product from the University of Syracuse. Split time at center with Simeon Haley and power forward position. Averaged 8.0 PPG/5.4 RPG.
7) Brian Taylor – An explosive 6’0” point guard with a 42” vertical leap. Saw limited minutes in 19 games, but came on late, coming off the bench to score 20 points to lead the Ducks to a 117-101 first round win against St. Louis. That performance may have been enough to convince the Ducks to protect him.
8) ????
When the decisions are done here, more will be due on other dates as well.
On March 29th, the Blue Ducks will host an open tryout at the Clemente Center at Florida Tech. They hope to find a few “diamonds in the rough” that can be added to their team.
Then on April 8th, at 6:00 PM, the USBL will hold its annual college draft. All the teams in the league will get eight rounds of draft picks, searching for top college players who can make a difference to their teams. The Blue Ducks get nine picks this year, thanks to a last-minute trade Ducks owner, Mike Richman made with the St. Joseph Express last year. The team will make it a public event, allowing fans to see the action. “Last year we held it at Meg O’Malley’s in downtown Melbourne. It was a lot of fun. We had our fans there, some players there, the Blue Chicks. It was a great evening.”
The fun won’t last long as veteran’s camp opens up the next morning – April 9th, at 9:00 AM.
Ten days later – April 19th at 7:00PM, the Blue Ducks tip off their second season at the Clemente Center at Florida Tech against the Texas Rim Rockers.
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United States Basketball League Stories from January 29, 2003
- Blue Chicks set new tryout date - Brevard Blue Ducks
- Blue Ducks set to submit protected list to USBL - Brevard Blue Ducks
- Blue Ducks shooting for former NBA star Gerald Wilkins - Brevard Blue Ducks
- Blue Ducks announce 2003 coaching staff - Brevard Blue Ducks
- Blue Ducks announce open tryouts - Brevard Blue Ducks
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- Blue Ducks release season schedule - Brevard Blue Ducks
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