Match Made in Hoops Heaven
January 17, 2003 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
What a difference two weeks makes. As the NBDL entered the first weekend of play in the New Year, the Roanoke Dazzle was mired in last place in the league standings, four games behind league-leading Fayetteville. The Patriots still lead the league, but the Dazzle are far from the bottom thanks to a current five-game winning streak. With a victory on Saturday, Coach Kent Davison's team can pull to within one-half game of Fayetteville.
Match Made in Hoops Heaven
Trying to gauge the impact forward Gabe Muoneke has had since signing on to as a NBA farmhand with Roanoke four games ago? Knew you were, so try this. The Dazzle is currently on a five-game winning streak and the former Texas Longhorn is one rebound short of averaging a double-double over the four games he has played (18.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg). Over that time Roanoke has climbed from the NBDL cellar to one-half game out of first place.
Celebrating MLK Day
The NBDL will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with more than just a trio of games on Jan. 20. The Columbus Riverdragons are celebrating with the Alpha Club, which will bring a shortened version of the play "Coretta: The Other Side of the Dream" for fans to enjoy at halftime of the game. The Mobile Revelers are sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate and will also erect a mural at courtside where all fans will be encouraged to write, paint or draw what peace means to them. The Asheville Altitude will host a Read to Achieve and will participate in Asheville's Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.
What Can Brown Do For You?
If you are North Charleston's Ime Udoka, he can get called up to the NBA. In his first start of the season, coincidentally the first game after teammate Damone Brown was called up by the Toronto Raptors, Udoka scored a season-high 20 points, shot 7-of-12 from the field and collected eight rebounds.
Going Up?
Six NBDL players have already headed in that direction this season. Following are the list of 2002-03 NBDL to NBA callups.
Player NBDL Team NBA Team
Devin Brown Fayetteville Patriots San Antonio Spurs
Mike Wilks* Huntsville Flight Atlanta Hawks
Bobby Simmons* Mobile Revelers Washington Wizards
Mikki Moore Roanoke Dazzle Boston Celtics
Rafer Alston* Mobile Revelers Toronto Raptors
Damone Brown* North Charleston Lowgators Toronto Raptors
*Currently in NBA
Air Date Change
Saturday's Roanoke at Fayetteville game, slated to be televised on a tape-delayed basis by ESPN2 on Monday (1/20) at 4 p.m. ET will now be aired on Tuesday (1/21) at the same time. A conflict with the TNT Monday window to air the Memphis at Portland NBA game prompted the shift.
Collecting NBDL Gear
Young NBDL fans in Mobile, Columbus and Roanoke have the opportunity to add to their collection of NBDL gear this weekend when the Year of the Uniform promotion continues. The Revelers and Riverdragons will be giving caps to the first 2,000 fans 12-and-under at the their respective Friday games against Huntsville and North Charleston. The Dazzle will be handing out headbands to the first 2,000 kids on Sunday when the Greenville Groove comes to the Roanoke Civic Center.
Halfway Home With Hoops Hysteria Record Crowd
When the final buzzer sounds Saturday at the Von Braun Center following North Charleston's visit to Huntsville, the 2002-03 NBDL season will officially be half over. The game between the Flight and the Lowgators will not only be part of a huge basketball triple-header that day at the VBC, it will also mark the 100th game of the league's second season. An NBDL record for attendance is expected to be set as the Alabama A&M and Alabama State men's and women's games are sandwiched around the NBDL contest that day..
Slamming For All-Star Tickets
The finals of the Columbus Riverdragons Slam Dunk Contest will take place on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 20 during halftime of the Riverdragons game against Huntsville. The winner will earn two tickets to the 2003 NBA All-Star Weekend, including passes to the NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Saturday Night, the Rookies and Sophomore game, Jam Session and more February 7-9 at Philips Arena.
On the Road Again
Country music legend Willie Nelson doesn't have a thing on the North Charleston Lowgators. Coach Doug Marty's troops are the poster boys for Nelson's classic tune, playing game two of 10 consecutive road games Friday at Columbus.
Donald Hands Off to Nate
Greenville Groove point guard Donald Hand had his NBDL record consecutive free throw streak snapped at 37 in a Wednesday win over Fayetteville. Now the onus falls on Columbus point guard Nate Green, who has converted 18 straight free tosses. Green hasn't had a problem scoring from behind any basketball court boundary lately, having also made nine of his last 16 three point attempts.
Tough Climb
Huntsville spent a majority of the NBDL early season at the top of the league standings. Heading into this weekend's play, the Flight is currently fighting to stay in the league's top half at 13-12. Climbing back to the summit won't be easy for Huntsville, however. Thirteen of the Flight's final 25 games are against teams with .500 records or better.
All-Time NBDL Team Records
As the halfway point of year two in the NBDL approaches, the two teams that played for the inaugural NBDL title still sit atop the leader board for all-time NBDL records. Both the Greenville Groove (which won last year's championship) and the North Charleston Lowgators have 49-31 all-time records.
Team Record Pct
Greenville Groove 49-31 .613
North Charleston Lowgators 49-31 .613
Columbus Riverdragons 42-38 .525
Mobile Revelers 41-38 .519
Huntsville Flight 39-42 .481
Fayetteville Patriots 35-45 .438
Asheville Altitude 35-46 .432
Roanoke Dazzle 30-49 .380
Coaching Records
Following is the list of all-time NBDL Coaching Records
Coach Team Games Record Pct.
Milton Barnes Greenville Groove 56 36-20 .642
Alex English North Charleston Lowgators 56 36-20 .642
Doug Marty North Charleston Lowgators 24 13-11 .541
Tree Rollins Greenville Groove 24 13-11 .541
Jeff Malone Columbus Riverdragons 80 42-38 .525
Ralph Lewis Huntsville Flight 25 13-12 .520
Sam Vincent Mobile Revelers 79 41-38 .519
Jeff Capel Fayetteville Patriots 59 30-29 .508
Bob Thornton Huntsville Flight 56 26-30 .464
Joe Meyer Asheville Altitude 81 35-46 .432
Kent Davison Roanoke Dazzle 79 30-49 .380
Nate Archibald Fayetteville Patriots 21 5-16 .238
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NBA G League Stories from January 17, 2003
- Johnson Leads Riverdragons over Lowgators - Columbus Riverdragons
- Flight Falls Friday Night at Mobile 81-74 - Huntsville Flight
- Poole Contract Terminated - G League
- Match Made in Hoops Heaven - G League
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