IBL names Terrance Dickens as Deputy Commissioner and names Don Sims as Director of Overseas Placeme

Published on February 22, 2009 under International Basketball League (IBL) News Release

The International Basketball League-a fifth year minor basketball league with play from mid April 2009 through July 3rd, 2009-names Terrance Dickens as deputy commissioner and also names Don Sims as director of overseas placement.

About Terrance Dickens and the deputy commissioner position-Dickens was involved in the IBL since November of 2003; Dickens was involved putting on the eleven test games that occurred from November of ‘03 through January of ‘05. Two rules were designed in this time frame; the two rules were and are still the following: 1) the basketball being immediately inbounded and 2) teams only allowed one timeout per 12-minute quarter. The inaugural IBL season tipped off on April 7, 2005; the result was that IBL teams averaged 127 points per game and the game occurred in just under two hours. The second season for the IBL was completed in July of 2006 and after 249 games, that season also had a scoring average of 127 points per game. Dickens will assist the IBL commissioner in various duties including scheduling, tryouts and general operations. In 2005, Dickens started the Vancouver Volcanoes with IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio; they sold the team after the two seasons to current owner Bryan Hunter of Vancouver Washington. The Volcanoes are now heading into their fifth year of existence (2009) having completed a 2008 season wining 18 games and losing only 7 games. Terrance Dickens also has a two-year history as a head coach for the Portland Chinooks where his 2007 Chinooks (owned by Terry Emmert) went to the IBL Championship and lost 113-109 to the Elkhart Express in front of 3,300 fans (video of this game is found on the IBL web site-main page-scroll to video called ‘Elkhart wins').

About overseas placement and about Don Sims-after the 2007 International Basketball League season, 102 IBL players went on to play overseas-this established the IBL as the ‘place to play' to get an overseas job or to maintain an overseas job. Playing in the IBL (April through early July) is a great way for players to get in shape and sharpen their skills so that a player is in the best position (video, stats and being in shape) to get or maintain an overseas job. Don Sims position/duty will be to maintain and strengthen the number of players who go from the IBL to overseas. About Sims-Sims has a B.A. from Central Connecticut State University. Sims has been a teacher and head coach from the high school level to the college level. Don's collegiate coaching career highlight-was during the 1989-1990 season when he coached Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to a 39 win and 4 loss season (that 89/90 team lost the Canadian National Championship game in overtime). Sims has coached for various overseas teams and continues to do so in the off-season of the IBL (recently Don coached for the Otago Nuggets in New Zealand). Sims coaches his own IBL team-the Seattle Mountaineers-and in two years Sims has amassed a 25 win to 19 loss record. After the ‘06 season-Sims helped placed these (former Seattle Mountaineers) overseas: Greg Hendricks 6-2 (Placed) Mexico Rashaad Powell 6-6 (referral) Chile Justin Murray 6-6 (referral) UAE Donald Watts 6-4 (referral) Belgium Troy Gwynn 6-5 (referral) Germany Marcus Jacobs 5-9 (placed) Chile/Indonesia Antoine Tisby 6-9 (placed) Chile/Saudi Arabia/New Zealand/Mexico Barson Collins 6-8 (referral) Romania Aleksey Adediran 6-9 (placed) Russia Lemar Gayle 6-6 (placed) New Zealand Lynell Ingram 6-5 (placed) Germany Marques Hayden 6-7 (placed) Chile Terrence Woodyard 6-9 (placed) England/Japan Daniel McFaul 6-5 (placed) New Zealand/Chile Tony Champion 6-10 (placed) Germany Marco Morgan 6-8 (placed) Indonesia Jay Anderson 6-9 (placed) New Zealand (Eugene Charger player)

### INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE LOOKS FORWARD TO FIFTH SEASON

Portland, OR-The International Basketball League is expecting 18 teams to play in the 2009 season. The 2009 season, which starts on Friday April 3rd and runs through and including Friday night July 3rd, 2009 is the league's fifth season. Two unique features have distinguished the IBL from other professional basketball leagues-

Feature #1: an entertaining fast paced game The original goal: IBL founder Mikal Duilio's venture into minor league basketball was born out of a passionate belief that basketball was meant to be athletic and fun for players and spectators alike. Duilio's vision is that every game, not just most games, is fun to watch; his ideal style of play was the 1980's Lakers and in particular Magic Johnson. IBL Founder Mikal Duilio-"Basketball should be an athletic game that ebbs and flows rather than tiptoes along in unnatural stops and starts." Two rules were designed to force every IBL game to be athletic in nature and exciting to watch. The two rules were tested and approved-in 11 exhibition games between Seattle and Portland starting in November of 2003 and played into mid-year 2004. The two rules were and are the following: 1) the basketball being immediately inbounded and 2) teams only allowed one timeout per twelve-minute quarter. Result after 4 years: The inaugural IBL season tipped off on April 7, 2005; the result was that IBL teams averaged 127 points per game and the games occurred in just under two hours. The second season (2006 season) for the IBL was completed in July of 2006 and after 249 games, that season also had a scoring average of 127 points per game. The formula worked.

Feature #2: extremely low travel costs A basketball team has to make financial sense for an owner, so the IBL created the ‘one flight guarantee' to reduce costs. Extremely expensive travel costs drive other minor league teams out of business within a few years; however, an alternative- a local league with no travel would not be intriguing... so the question is-how do you have an intriguing national or international league- without breaking the backs of the owners with too much travel? This question was answered with the IBL ‘one flight guarantee'. The IBL recruits teams in geographical clusters; a ‘cluster' is defined as two to three teams within driving distance-with the result of these clusters being a schedule with tremendous variety-opponents from all over the nation (and world)-but with owners only having to fly one time per year.

Additional feature: Asian expansion The International Basketball league began its campaign in 2007 to expand into several Asian markets including China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. In the two years following the stated goal, four IBL teams went to China and multiple Asian teams have played in America; one team (Shanxi Zhongyu) even played a regular season within the IBL 2008 season... and in 2009 a team from Japan (Nippon Tornadoes) will play an official season in the IBL as well. The IBL is uniquely able to accommodate a team from Asia-because the IBL has ten teams all within a driving distance of Portland, Oregon; so when an Asian team joins the IBL, they can locate in Oregon and play all of their games out of one location (an Oregon basketball facility east of Springfield, Oregon-called the United States Basketball Academy).

Additional feature: Player development The IBL did not start out with a goal to develop players; however, the fast paced play of the IBL produced great players who would then leave the IBL to go overseas after the season expired. IBL players are international in their destinations; after the 2007 IBL season, 102 IBL players went on to play overseas; that 2007 season established the IBL as the league to participate in-for players to get an overseas job and/or for players to maintain an overseas job.

Other highlights from the IBL Ten Asian teams have exchanged games with the International Basketball League.

Fourteen former NBA players have appeared in the IBL including former NBA All Stars Tim Hardaway, Dennis Rodman and Shawn Kemp. Two former NBA all stars have coached in the IBL-Terry Mills (full season) and Slick Watts (All Star game).

An impressive attendance was garnered at an IBL game played in 2006 in Portland Oregon (at the Rose Garden) where 4,400 fans watched the Portland Chinooks beat the Vancouver Volcanoes-video available on the IBL web site; a year later, that attendance record was eclipsed when 6,000 fans saw the Elkhart Express (IN) beat the Grand Rapids Flight (MI)-that video also can be found on IBL web site (http://www.iblhoopsonline.com/teamGrandRapids.asp).

For more info, photos & videos about IBL teams and/or the IBL, visit www.iblhoopsonline.com

International Basketball League Stories from February 22, 2009

• IBL names Terrance Dickens as Deputy Commissioner and names Don Sims as Director of Overseas Placeme - IBL
• IBL welcomes Oregon Wave - IBL

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