CBA weekly

Published on February 24, 2004 under Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release

CBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Yakima Sun Kings All-Star guard Anthony Goldwire was named the League Player of the Week for the week of February 15 – 21.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard averaged 32.5 points and 7.8 assists per game in four games for the Sun Kings last week. He also added 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest while shooting 54.2 percent (45 of 83) from the floor, 48.3 percent (14 of 29) from the three-point line, and 96.2 percent (26 of 27) from the free-throw line.

In a 143-137 loss to Great Lakes on February 15, the University of Houston alum posted 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three steals. Five nights later in a 110-105 victory over Gary, he added 33 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.

Goldwire currently ranks 2nd in the League in scoring (23.3 ppg), 5th in assists (6.0 apg), 7th in steals (1.6 spg), 4th in free-throw percentage (.882, 209 of 237), and 1st in three-point field goal percentage (.477, 82 of 172). He was selected to the 2004 CBA National All-Star Team, but did not play in the game due to signing the first of two consecutive 10-day call-ups to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves on January 7.

Other players receiving consideration were Gary's Immanuel McElroy (25.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Great Lakes' Jimmy King (35.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg), and Idaho's David Bailey (20.6 ppg, 9.3 apg).

THE PLAYOFF PUSH

With two weeks left in the regular season, the playoff picture remains as confusing as college football's BCS system. The Dakota Wizards and Idaho Stampede are in a battle for the #1 seed, while the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Rockford Lightning, and Gary Steelheads are all fighting for the third and fourth playoff positions.

The Wizards (4.41 quarter-point average) currently hold a .10 lead over the Stampede (4.31) with seven games remaining for Dakota and five games left on the schedule for Idaho. The two teams squared off this past weekend with a two-game series in Dakota, which saw the Wizards, who had briefly fallen out of first place, regain the top spot after a 134-122 (6,1) victory on Friday night and a 107-104 (5,2) overtime win over Idaho on Saturday night. The two teams go head-to-head one more time during the regular season when the Stampede travels to Bismarck on Wednesday, March 3.

The Lightning (3.573), Skyforce (3.5), and Steelheads (3.476) are all separated by .097 points, with Rockford having seven games remaining, Sioux Falls having five, and Gary having six contests left.

CBA-TO-NBA CALL-UPS

Dakota Wizards guard/forward Rodney Buford received a call-up to the Sacramento Kings late Saturday night, it was announced Sunday by the Continental Basketball Association League Office and the Kings front office. The CBA-to-NBA call-up is the tenth overall league call-up, and the sixth call-up of a player from the Wizards (Sean Lampley, Oliver Miller, Kaniel Dickens, Maurice Carter, Eddie Gill), since the 2003-04 season began on November 14.

In four games (all started) with the Wizards, Buford posted 26.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. He also added 3.0 assists and 2.25 steals per game while shooting 53.2 percent (42 of 79) from the floor, 42.9 percent (six of 14) from the three-point line, and 93.8 percent (15 of 16) from the free-throw line.

The Creighton alum returns to Sacramento where he began the season, averaging 1.7 points in 5.8 minutes per game with the Kings in six games played. He signed with the Wizards on February 11, and played in four games for Dakota before receiving the promotion. On February 20, he posted 37 points and nine rebounds in a 134-122 victory over the Idaho Stampede, returning the Wizards to first place in the league standings.

Buford, who joined the Kings in time for Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors, is filling the roster spot left vacant when Sacramento placed guard Bobby Jackson on the Injured List.

CLIMBING THE RANKS

Sioux Falls forward Leonard White began the season ranked 24th all-time in rebounding in the CBA with 1,623. With 426 rebounds this season, White has moved into 14th place at 2,049, and is 21 rebounds away from moving ahead of Kevin Graham (2,069) into 13th place.

Idaho Stampede guard Randy Livingston has notched 303 assists this season, moving him into 17th place all-time with 1,280. He is 38 behind Lowes Moore in 16th place with 1,318, and 81 away from cracking into the top 15 all-time at 1,361.

Dakota Wizards Head Coach Dave Joerger has moved into 4th place in All-Time CBA Coaches Winning Percentages this season, with a career regular season winning percentage of .659 (85-44). With a current 28-13 record, Joerger has vaulted ahead of coaches like Flip Saunders (253-137, .649), Dan Panaggio (313-191, .621) and Phil Jackson (117-90, .565). Due to a minimum of 100 regular-season games needed, Joerger did not qualify to be ranked prior to the 2003-04 season beginning.

Rockford guard Ronnie Fields is 11 steals away from breaking in to the top 20 all-time. He has 120 this season for a total of 416.

CBA TRANSACTIONS

02/23/04
-Idaho placed DeSean Hadley on the Inactive (NBA) Reserve List.
-Yakima placed Anthony Miller on the Active Roster; and placed Ricky Price on the Inactive Reserve List.
-Dakota placed Chris Porter on the Active Roster.

02/22/04
-Dakota placed Rodney Buford on the Inactive (NBA) Reserve List.

02/21/04
-Dakota placed Kaniel Dickens on the Active Roster; and placed Chad Prewitt on the Injured Reserve List.
-Sioux Falls placed Darrick Martin on the Active Roster; and placed Claude Davis on the Injured Reserve List.

02/20/04
-Dakota placed Maurice Carter on the Active Roster.
-Idaho placed Josh Davis on the Active Roster.

02/19/04
-Idaho placed Mario Woodson on the Injured Reserve List.

02/18/04
-Dakota placed Kaniel Dickens on the Inactive Reserve List (NBA 48-hour tryout).
-Idaho placed Josh Davis on the Inactive Reserve List (NBA 48-hour tryout).
-The CBA League Office approved the contractual buyout of Galen Young (Gary).

02/17/04
-Sioux Falls placed Damian Owens on the Active Roster and waived Steve Woodberry.
-Yakima waived Cory Hightower.
-Dakota placed Chris Porter on the Inactive Reserve List.

PRIMETIME PERFORMANCES

Sioux Falls Skyforce guard Michael Hawkins posted 26 points and 12 assists in a 131-123 loss to the Idaho Stampede on February 17. Hawkins shot 55.6 percent (5 of 9) from the three-point line.

Fellow Skyforce guard David Jackson posted 41 points while making 10 of 17 three-point attempts in a 119-118 victory over the Dakota Wizards on February 19. The 41 points is the second-highest point total in the league this season, behind Maurice Carter's 44 on January 27.

Gary Steelheads forward Shelly Clark posted 28 points and 20 rebounds in a 121-110 victory over the Yakima Sun Kings on February 21.

Idaho Stampede guard David Bailey posted a triple-double in a 107-104 overtime loss to Dakota on February 21. Bailey had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. The next night, in a 121-106 victory over Sioux Falls, Bailey posted 25 points and 17 assists.

THIS WEEK IN CBA HISTORY

On February 25, 1992 La Crosse Catbirds point guard David Rivers dished a CBA record 27 assists in a 142-120 (7-0) win over the Columbus Horizon, breaking the old mark of 26 shared by Mark Wade (Pensacola, 1988) and Bryan Warrick (Wisconsin, 1986). Rivers averaged a CBA season record 12.9 apg that season, and with head coach Flip Saunders led the Catbirds to a CBA championship. The Notre Dame ('88) product earned 1992 All-League First Team and 1992 Playoff MVP honors.

Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from February 24, 2004

• CBA weekly - CBA 1
• CBA Transactions - CBA 1
• McDonald's nominees to be recognized at Stampede game - Idaho Stampede
• Steelheads to host Mascot Olympics - Gary Steelheads
• One Throwback Jersey Remaining - Sioux Falls Skyforce

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