CBA 1 Continental Basketball Association 1

Coaches encouraged by draft results

Published on September 22, 2004 under Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release


Boise, ID (September 22, 2004) — Forty-eight players were selected over six rounds in Tuesday night's 19th Annual Continental Basketball Association College Draft, as teams started piecing together their prospects for the upcoming 2004-05 season. The Big 12 conference produced the most draft picks with eight players selected, while the SEC was second with six players taken. Seven NBA second-round draft selections were also picked (players listed in bold below), while three teammates from the University of Texas were selected (James Thomas, Brandon Mouton, Brian Boddicker), and a Second-Team AP All-American (Blake Stepp – Idaho Stampede) was taken in the first round.

"Coaches in the CBA have one of the most important responsibilities in the league because they determine the quality of our product on the court," stated CBA Deputy Commissioner Wade Morehead. "Our League is, and always has been, very fortunate to have the high quality of coaches who dedicate a great deal of time to scouting, researching, and recruiting players to play in the CBA."

Third-year Gary Steelheads Head Coach Duane Ticknor had eight draft selections at his disposal, using his first-round pick to nab University of Iowa center Jared Reiner (6-11, 255). In the third-round the Steelheads selected another big man in Marcus Douthit (6-11, 233), who was a second-round selection of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Draft. Gary then selected guards with their next two picks by taking Matt Lottich (6-4, 250) of Stanford, and Torrian Jones (6-4, 205) from Notre Dame.

"We targeted big men and shooters and we got what we wanted," remarked Ticknor, who led the Steelheads to their first postseason appearance last season. "They are all hard workers. I am very happy with this draft and I can not wait to get the season started."

Rockford Lightning Head Coach Chris Daleo also targeted big men when making his draft selections, as he took University of Oklahoma center Jabahri Brown (6-11, 215) with his first pick. The Lightning's next two picks were also centers as the team selected Anwar Ferguson (7-0, 210) from the University of Houston, and Kendall Dartez (6-11, 232) from the University of Louisville.

"I had a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C," said Daleo, who was the 2002-03 CBA Coach of the Year. "They all came together and I am very happy with the results. We are looking forward to another winning season of Lightning Basketball."

The Sioux Falls Skyforce, now under the direction of 2003-04 CBA Coach of the Year Dave Joerger, had three picks in the draft, using their first-round selection to take forward Richard Melzer (6-8, 225) from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, a Division III school. The team's second pick came in the fourth round when they took center Jackie Butler (6-10, 250) from Coastal Christian Academy. They then selected forward Chris Booker (6-10, 247) from Purdue, before trading him and a 2005 third-round selection to the Michigan Mayhem for their third-round pick, guard David Hawkins (6-4, 215) out of Temple.

"I thought the draft was one of the more talented drafts of the last three years," said Joerger, who begins his first season in Sioux Falls. "I think there were a lot of good players that will be good CBA players, and will grow into NBA players. There are a lot of guys that, despite being rookies, will play a lot and make an impact in our league this year."

Other notables from the draft include the number one overall selection, guard Desmon Farmer (6-5, 220) from USC, who became the first player in Michigan Mayhem franchise history. Cal-State Fullerton forward Pape Sow (6-10, 250), a second-round draft pick of the Miami Heat, went to the Dakota Wizards in the first round, while Second-Team AP All-American guard Blake Stepp (6-4, 194), from Gonzaga, was taken by the Idaho Stampede with the 7th overall pick. The Great Lakes Storm grabbed guard Rashad Wright (6-2, 190) out of Georgia, who was the last selection in the NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, while the Yakima Sun Kings took an NBA second-round pick of their own when they selected guard Tim Pickett (6-7, 207) from Florida State. The New Orleans Hornets drafted Pickett with the 44th selection in the NBA Draft.

2004 CBA DRAFT

Round-by-Round

FIRST ROUND

1. Michigan Mayhem – DESMON FARMER (G, 6-5, 220) University of Southern California

2. Yakima Sun Kings – JAMES THOMAS (F, 6-8, 235) University of Texas

3. Great Lakes Storm – ANDRE BROWN (F, 6-9, 245) DePaul

4. Sioux Falls Skyforce – RICHARD MELZER (F, 6-8, 225) University Wisconsin-River Falls

5. Rockford Lightning – JABAHRI BROWN (C, 6-11, 215) University of Oklahoma

6. Gary Steelheads – JARED REINER (C, 6-11, 255) University of Iowa

7. Idaho Stampede – BLAKE STEPP (G, 6-4, 194) Gonzaga University

8. Dakota Wizards – PAPE SOW (F, 6-10, 250) Cal-State Fullerton

SECOND ROUND

9. Michigan Mayhem – ARTHUR JOHNSON (F, 6-9, 255) University of Missouri

10. Yakima Sun Kings – KYLE DAVIS (C, 6-10, 235) Auburn University

11. Great Lakes Storm – BRANDON MOUTON (G, 6-4, 205) University of Texas

12. Great Lakes Storm – RASHAD WRIGHT (G, 6-2, 190) University of Georgia

13. Rockford Lightning – ANWAR FERGUSON (C, 7-0, 210) University of Houston

14. Gary Steelheads – AARON HARPER (G, 6-7, 218) University of Mississippi

15. Idaho Stampede – ALVIN SNOW (G, 6-2, 215) Eastern Washington University

16. Dakota Wizards – MARCUS MELVIN (F, 6-8, 230) North Carolina State University

THIRD ROUND

17. Michigan Mayhem – DAVID HAWKINS (G, 6-4, 215) Temple

18. Yakima Sun Kings – TIM PICKETT (G, 6-7, 207) Florida State University

19. Gary Steelheads – MARCUS DOUTHIT (C, 6-11, 233) Providence

20. Yakima Sun Kings – TONY DOBBINS (G, 6-4, 190) Richmond

21. Rockford Lightning – KENDALL DARTEZ (C, 6-11, 232) University of Louisville

22. Gary Steelheads – MATT LOTTICH (G, 6-4, 205) Stanford University

23. Dakota Wizards – TONY BOBBITT (G, 6-4, 190) University of Cincinnati

24. Dakota Wizards – ODELL BRADLEY (F, 6-4, 240) IUPUI

FOURTH ROUND

25. Michigan Mayhem – SHAWNSON JOHNSON (F, 6-9, 250) North Texas

26. Yakima Sun Kings – DAMIEN WILKINS (F, 6-6, 222) University of Georgia

27. Great Lakes Storm – ERIK DANIELS (F, 6-8, 214) Kentucky

28. Sioux Falls Skyforce – JACKIE BUTLER (C, 6-10, 250) Coastal Christian Academy

29. Rockford Lightning – SIDNEY HOLMES (F, 6-6, 230) Lewis University

30. Gary Steelheads – TORRIAN JONES (G, 6-4, 205) Notre Dame

31. Idaho Stampede – CORY VIOLETTE (F, 6-8, 265) Gonzaga

32. Dakota Wizards – BRYANT MATTHEWS (F, 6-7, 215) Virginia Tech

FIFTH ROUND

33. Michigan Mayhem – JASON ANDREAS (C, 6-10, 250) Michigan State University

34. Yakima Sun Kings – JACKSON VROMAN (F, 6-10, 220) Iowa State University

35. Great Lakes Storm – PAUL HAYNES (F, 6-8, 215) Grambling

36. Yakima Sun Kings – TIM ELLIS (G, 6-6, 190) Kansas State University

37. Rockford Lightning – ABRAHAM KEITA (C, 6-11, 230) St. John's University

38. Gary Steelheads – DARIUS RICE (F, 6-10, 222) Miami

39. Idaho Stampede – BRIAN BODDICKER (F, 6-8, 228) University of Texas

40. Dakota Wizards – R.T.GUINN (C, 6-10, 245) Baylor

SIXTH ROUND

41. Michigan Mayhem – MIKE WILLIAMS (F, 6-8, 190) Western Michigan

42. Yakima Sun Kings – DAVID YOUNG (G, 6-5, 205) North Carolina Central University

43. Gary Steelheads – MARVIN BLACK (F, 6-7, 223) Marshall

44. Sioux Falls Skyforce – CHRIS BOOKER (F, 6-10, 247) Purdue University

45. Rockford Lightning – JERRICK OLIVER (F, 6-7, 220) McNeese State

46. Gary Steelheads – JOHN EDWARDS (C, 7-0, 270) Kent State University

47. Idaho Stampede – ANTOINE PETTWAY (G, 6-0, 170) Alabama

48. Dakota Wizards – BRAD LECHTENBERG (G, 6-2, 185) San Diego



Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from September 22, 2004


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