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February 13, 2007 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release


CBA ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO PLAYOFF FORMAT

Six teams will make finals, top teams in conference receive byes

The Continental Basketball Association has announced that there will be a modification to the playoff format this season, as six teams will qualify for the CBA playoffs and the right to play for the Jay Ramsdell Championship Trophy this spring.

The playoff qualifiers will consist of the three franchises in the American Conference who have earned the most quarter points; and the three franchises in the National Conference who have earned the most quarter points. The top team in each conference will receive a first-round bye, while the #2 and #3 seeds will face each other in a best-of-three matchup. Game 1 will be played at the #3 seed's home court, while the #2 seed will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary).

The second round of the playoffs will feature the winner of the #2-#3 seed playoff round facing the #1 seed in a best-of-three series. Game 1 will be played at the lower seed's home court, while Games #2 and #3 (if necessary) will be hosted by the #1 seed. Playoff advancement will be determined by wins and losses, not by quarter points won, as was the procedure last year.

The finals will feature the National Conference champion against the American Conference champion, and will consist of a best-of-five series. The first two games will be played at the arena of the team with the lower amount of quarter points earned in the regular season, while the other team will host Games #3, #4 (if necessary) and #5 (if necessary). The winner will receive the Jay Ramsdell Trophy, symbolic of the league's playoff champion.

If the season ended today, the playoff seedings would look like this:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Minot-Indiana (best of three; game 1 at Anderson Wigwam; games 2 and 3 at the Minot Municipal Auditorium)

The winner of that series would face the Albany Patroons; game 1 at either Minot or Indiana; games 2 and 3 at the Washington Avenue Armory, Albany

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Great Falls-Butte (best of three; game 1 at Butte Civic Center; games 2 and 3 at Four Seasons Arena, Great Falls)

The winner of that series would face the Yakama Sun Kings; game 1 at either Butte or Great Falls; games 2 and 3 at the Yakima SunDome

The winners of both conferences would then face each other in a best-of-five series.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bucknell University head coach Pat Flannery, who coached the Bison to upset victories over Kansas and Arkansas in consecutive NCAA basketball tournaments, is the son of Jack Flannery, who played for several years in the CBA's earlier incarnation as the Eastern League. The elder Flannery suited up for his hometown team, the Pottsville (Pa.) Packers, and won league championships in 1948 and 1952.

CBA ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE REVISIONS FOR SECOND HALF OF SEASON

The Continental Basketball Association announced today that it has released the updated schedule for the remainder of the season. These changes were necessitated by the recent folding of the Utah Eagles franchise and take place immediately. A full team-by-team schedule is available elsewhere in this issue of the CBA Weekly.

2/13 Pittsburgh @ Albany (Originally @ Pitt)

2/15 Albany @ Pittsburgh

2/17 Butte @ Indiana

2/18 Butte @ Indiana

2/25 Yakama (Forfeit)

3/2 Indiana @ Albany

3/3 Albany @ Pittsburgh (Originally @ Albany)

3/4 Indiana @ Pittsburgh (Originally @ Indiana)

3/7 Great Falls @ Yakama

3/9 Minot (Forfeit)

3/10 Butte @ Minot

3/12 Great Falls @ Yakama

3/14 Yakama @ Great Falls

3/15 Albany @ Minot (originally 2/14)

3/19 Pittsburgh @ Indiana (Originally @ Pittsburgh)

3/21 Yakama @ Butte

Full schedules for the rest of the season are posted in this edition of the CBA Weekly.

2007 CBA ALL-STAR CLASSIC ARCHIVED ON WEB TELEVISION NETWORK

Rebroadcasts available at cbahoopsonline.com

The CBA's 2007 All-Star Classic game, along with the pre-game skills competition, is available to watch on your personal computer through Web Television Network. Visit http://www.cbahoopsonline.com to watch the game and skills competitions in their entirety, or enter the following URL in your Internet Explorer or Firefox browser:

Skills competition, including 3-point shootout and Long Distance shootout:

http://208.109.51.111/video/CBA_Skills_Competition.wmv

First half, 2007 CBA All-Star Classic:

http://208.109.51.111/video/CBA_AllStarGame_FirstHalf.wmv

Second half and overtime, 2007 CBA All-Star Classic:

http://208.109.51.111/video/CBA_AllStarGame_SecondHalf.wmv

Web Television Network is also offering free online video streaming of Pittsburgh Xplosion home games, both from the Mellon Arena and from the Petersen Events Center.

MINOT SKYROCKETS' LENNY COOKE FEATURED IN SLAM MAGAZINE

Pick up this month's issue of SLAM Magazine, and you'll find a nice feature article on the Minot Skyrockets' forward Lenny Cooke. Lenny is currently on injured reserve and rehabbing at home in New York, but the article discusses his long and arduous career from New York youth leagues to the pro-leagues.

"Once upon a time, basketball made Cooke's name ring out with the best of them." The article discusses the hype that surrounded Lenny during his high school days when he was considered the number one player in the nation, when he beat out players like Carmelo Anthony and held his own against Lebron James.

It goes on to explore the course his career took, the ups and the downs, and shows how determined Lenny still is to make it to the big time. "I'm gonna work hard...Hopefully, one day I get there. I just hope it's not too late," says Cooke.

The article is featured in the April 2007 issue of SLAM Magazine and is currently available at newsstands. For more information, please contact the Skyrockets office at (701) 839-SLAM.

KWAN JOHNSON NAMED CBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Albany Patroons guard averaged 23.6 points, 9.6 boards in three games

The Continental Basketball Association is pleased to announce that Albany Patroons guard Kwan Johnson has been named the Player of the Week for the week ending February 12, 2007. Johnson is the third Patroon this season to earn Player of the Week honors, joining Jamario Moon and T.J. Thompson in this honor.

In the first game after the All-Star break, Johnson was one of four Patroons to surpass 20 points apiece, his 26 points were complimented with six assists, six rebounds and four steals. The next night, in a game against the Pittsburgh Xplosion, Johnson earned a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds. In the February 11th game against the Alley Cats, Johnson hit 31 points, including shooting 50% from the floor. Johnson finished the week with an average of 23.6 points and 9.6 rebounds on the week.

While this is Kwan Johnson's second year in the CBA, he has played in Israel and the Philippines, and also starred for two years with the Winnipeg Cyclone (IBA). Johnson played eight seasons and appeared in 177 games, the most ever in the USBL. Johnson led the USBL All-Time in Points (3,453), Steals (316), Field Goals Attempted (2,753), 3 Point Field Goals Attempted (765), Free Throws Made (905) and Attempted (1,286).

Other players receiving consideration for Player of the Week were:

David Bell, Butte Daredevils

Marlyn Bryant, Great Falls Explorers

Shaun Fountain, Indiana Alley Cats

Ray Cunningham, Minot Skyrockets

Robert Griffin, Pittsburgh Xplosion

Chris Alexander, Yakama Sun Kings

THE CBA ALL-TIME 5000-POINT CLUB

This is a list of all players in the 61-year history of the Continental Basketball Association, including those who played in the league's earlier incarnations as the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL, 1946-1970) or the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA, 1970-1978). Players in CAPITAL LETTERS are currently active.

1. Tico Brown 8,538

2. Willie Simms 8,320

3. Tom Hemans (EPBL) 7,821

4. Julius McCoy (EPBL) 7,782

5. Stacy Arceneaux (EPBL) 7,749

6. Hal Lear (EPBL) 6,915

7. Kenny Natt 6,281

8. Cedric Hunter 6,205

9. Derrick Rowland 5,783

10. Kermit Holmes 5,760

11. Stan Pawlak (EPBL, EBA) 5,729

12. Ron Davis 5,673

13. Tracy Moore 5,757

14. Tim Legler 5,604

15. Bill Spivey (EPBL) 5,510

16. Richard Gaines (EPBL) 5,484

17. Carl Thomas 5,479

18. Kelsey Weems 5,457

19. Rich Cornwall (EPBL, EBA) 5,260

20. Sherman White (EPBL) 5,117

21. Greg Jones 5,083

22. RONNIE FIELDS 5,039

23. Waite Bellamy (EPBL, EBA) 5,023

RECENT CBA TRANSACTIONS

February 10, 2007

Pittsburgh Xplosion signed G Lawrence Baker.

February 8, 2007

Indiana Alley Cats signed F Chandler Thompson. Waived G Ishmael Kamara and C Anton Currie at 3 PM EST.

Pittsburgh Xplosion waived C Tedric Hill, G Isaac Jefferson, and G Drew Schifino at 5 PM EST.

Albany Patroons signed F John Strickland. Waived G Lucious Jordan at 3 PM EST. Placed F Sean Higgins on Inactive Reserve.

CBA ALUMNI REPORT

Rufus Harris, who played for three seasons in the CBA, first with the Maine Lumberjacks (1980-82, 18 ppg) and the Lancaster Lightning (1982-83, 9 ppg), will have his #20 retired by the University of Maine on February 14, 2007.

The CBA mourns the passing of Don Shick of the Quad City Thunder. Shick, who died on February 10, 2007, was the long-time clock operator for the Thunder during their years at the Wharton Field House in the 1980's and early 1990's. Many CBA coaches remembered Shick as the person who might have manipulated the clock in favor of the home team. "He'd say the same thing to everybody," said Steve Eckert, a longtime friend. "'I started the clock when the referees told me to start the clock.'"

TEAM REPORTS

Albany Patroons (17-10, 110.0 QP, 4.07 AVG, 1st place, American Conference)

After the All-Star Break, the Albany Patroons regrouped for a three-game road trip, the first two without their all-star Jamario Moon, who twisted his ankle suffered at the All-Star Classic. First stop for the Pats was at the Anderson Wigwam on Thursday night, where the Patroons fought a close battle with the Indiana Alley Cats before losing 129-119 [5-2]. Four Patroons hit for 20 points or better, including T.J. Thompson (28), Kwan Johnson (26), Chris Sockwell (23) and Felipe Lopez (21); Reggie Jessie's 10 points were augmented with 9 rebounds on the night. Albany then journeyed to Pittsburgh to take on the Xplosion at the Petersen Events Center, but instead suffered a rare loss to the Xplosion 118-115 [4-3]. T.J. Thompson scored a season-high 45 points in the losing effort; Felipe Lopez (24 pts, 11 rebs) and Kwan Johnson (14 pts, 16 rebs) both had double-doubles for the undermanned Patroons. Albany's third game of the week, a return battle in the Wigwam against the Indiana Alley Cats, resulted in the Patroons' only win of the week, a 132-129 [5-2] victory. Felipe Lopez was high scorer for Albany, with 32 points and 14 rebounds; Kwan Johnson added 31 points, and newly-acquired John Strickland added 27 points of his own.

Butte Daredevils (14-14, 96.5 QP, 3.45 AVG, 3rd place, National Conference)

The Butte Daredevils did not have time to reflect on hosting the successful CBA All-Star Classic; they immediately hit the road for a game against the Great Falls Explorers on Wednesday night. Less than 24 hours after playing a thrilling overtime All-Star game, the Daredevils finished another overtime classic, winning 112-107 [5-2]. Ronald Ross scored 30 points on the night, while Nick VanderLaan continued his dominance of the boards, yanking down 15 of Butte's 44 total rebounds. Butte then split the next two games with the Yakama Sun Kings, winning the first game 96-95 [5-2] on February 9; but losing the second game 103-101 [5-2] on February 10. In the 96-95 victory, David Bell rang up 18 points, while Odartey Blankson pulled down 17 rebounds and notched 14 markers. After losing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter with seconds to go, David Bell became the hero, as he drove into the lane and, while being triple-teamed, launched a shot that bounced around the rim before falling through for the final go-ahead points for Butte. In the 103-101 loss, Odell Bradley's 38 points, including going 4-7 from 3-point range and 15-20 from the floor, were not enough to pull a third victory for the Daredevils.

Great Falls Explorers (16-12, 106.0 QP, 3.79 AVG, 2nd place, National Conference)

Less than 24 hours after the All-Star Classic, Great Falls hosted their in-state rivals, the Butte Daredevils, at the Four Seasons Center. The score remained close the entire contest, and at the end both teams were tied at 101 apiece; but in overtime, the Daredevils took a road victory from Great Falls 112-107 [5-2]. Marc Mazur had 21 points and 15 rebounds on the night; while Marlyn Bryant's 16 pounds and Jamar Howard's 15 notches helped round out the Explorers' scoring punch. Malik Moore helped win the second quarter for Great Falls in this game, as his 20-footer as time expired tied the game at halftime and gave the Explorers a 27-26 second quarter win. In the only other game on the Explorers' schedule this week, the Lewis and Clarks lost a rough game to the Minot Skyrockets, 116-101 [6-1]. Marlyn Bryant's 17 points led the team, while although Harold Arceneaux only scored 11 points on the night, 9 of those points were courtesy of going 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

Indiana Alley Cats (17-14, 114.0 QP, 3.68 AVG, 3rd place, American Conference)

The Indiana Alley Cats and Albany Patroons, who combined to send seven players to the All-Star Classic, put on a scoring clinic at the Anderson Wigwam on Wednesday night, with the Cats beating the Pats 129-119 [5-2]. Indiana had an eleven-point lead going into the fourth quarter, and held on for the victory despite Albany snatching the final quarter point away, 38-37. Erick Barkley had a team-high 41 points on the night, augmented with eight assists; Carl Edwards notched a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. J.J. Sullinger's 17 points included four 3-point shots. Indiana hosted the Patroons on Sunday night, but the Pats took home the 132-129 [5-2] win handily. J.J. Sullinger's 34 points led the Alley Cats, while Shaun Fountain added 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.

Minot Skyrockets (19-11, 121.0 QP, 4.03 AVG, 2nd place, American Conference)

The Skyrockets continued their torrid march to the top of the American Conference, wining a decisive 116-101 [6-1] road victory over the Great Falls Explorers. Fresh off his stint with the All-Star squad, Ray Cunningham dropped 25 points into the scoreboard tally; his nine rebounds led the team and was one shy of a double-double. Steve Castleberry also had a strong night, notching 21 points, while Ronnie Fields put 13 on the board, leaving him only 44 points shy of tying Greg Jones for 12th on the CBA modern era all-time scoring list.

Pittsburgh Xplosion (3-26, 53.0 QP, 1.83 AVG, 4th place, American Conference)

The Pittsburgh Xplosion played only one game this week, but it was an important one for the Black and Gold - their first home victory, a 118-115 [4-3] win over the Albany Patroons at the Petersen Events Center. Robert Griffin, playing his first home game for the Xplosion, scored 39 points on the night, including six 3-pointers. Dajuan Tate added 26 points and eight rebounds for Pittsburgh, including the final two free throws to seal the win. Despite being down 96-95 in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh's newly-acquired player Lawrence Baker hit a clutch bucket, while Griffin scored 10 of Pittsburgh's final 12 points down the stretch.

Yakama Sun Kings (22-9, 144.5 QP, 4.66 AVG, 1st place, National Conference)

The Sun Kings, playing without the weary and nicked-up Galen Young, lost a heartbreaker on February 9 to the Butte Daredevils, 96-95 [6-1], despite clawing back in the final minutes from an 18-point deficit. Elvin Mims was the high scorer for Yakama, putting up 22 points on the scoreboard and garnering three steals. The Sun Kings exacted revenge the next night, winning 103-101 [5-2] over Butte and staying atop the National Conference standings. Galen Young returned to the lineup and put up 27 points for the Sun Kings, to go with 7 assists and 6 rebounds; Chris Alexander's 10 points were augmented by his 14 rebounds.

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Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from February 13, 2007


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