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NBA D-League Update

January 24, 2012 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


AHEARN TAKES AIM AT CENTURY MARK

Blake Ahearn can really shoot.

He's currently on a streak of 99 consecutive free throws made for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League. With the streak, Ahearn now holds the top two marks for consecutive made free throws in NBA D-League history, also making 79 straight free throws during the 2007-08 season.

This current streak, which began on Dec. 21, surpasses the NBA record of 97 set by Michael Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993. The generally-recognized professional record is 138 straight free throws made by the legendary John Wooden of the independent Indianapolis Kautskys from 1934-36.

This is familiar terrain for the NBA D-League's leading scorer (24.6 ppg). Ahearn is the NCAA Division I career leader in free throw accuracy, making 435 of 460 (.946) free throws for Missouri State from 2003-07. He made 60 consecutive free throws twice at MSU, which is a school and Missouri Valley Conference record.

Ahearn will go for the century mark Saturday when the Bighorns travel to Springfield to take on the Armor. Could an NBA call-up be on the horizon? Ahearn has appeared in 15 NBA games with Miami (2007-08) and San Antonio (2008-09), scoring 78 points and making 32-of-33 (.970) free throws. Over the past few seasons, the NBA interest has waned.

This season, however, Ahearn has really elevated his play. Not the most aesthetically appealing prospect from a physical standpoint, Ahearn has an advanced feel for the game, and plays faster than he looks. A team in the market for an extra guard who can run an offense, make an open shot and never misses a free throw might want to take a closer look.

PROSPECT REPORT

Orien Greene, Los Angeles D-Fenders -- The appeal of a player like Greene in today's NBA is not hard to discern. At 6-5, he can play the point, defend both guard spots and some small forwards, and has an NBA body. Drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, Greene appeared in 80 games with the Celtics during the 2005-06 season, and seemed to be on his way to a long NBA career. After being waived that summer by Boston, he spent the 2006-07 season with the Indiana Pacers, and has had two other short stints with the Sacramento Kings (2007-08) and New Jersey Nets (2010-11). Greene, who turns 30 on Feb. 4, has always struggled as a perimeter shooter, but does enough other things well to keep his name on the radar. In 15 games this season with the D-Fenders, he's averaging 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

NEWS & NOTES

Rio Grande Valley's Ben Uzoh Named NBA D-League Performer of the Week

Ben Uzoh of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Jan. 16-22. Uzoh, a 6-3, 205-pound guard out of Tulsa, averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 37.0 minutes, shooting 66 percent from the floor. He scored a season-high 31 points to go with 10 assists for his first double-double of the season in a 116-104 road win over the Reno Bighorns on Jan. 21 as the Vipers went 3-0 last week. For the season, Uzoh is averaging 20.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 37.8 minutes.

Ubiles Primed to Make NBA Leap

Right around the time Edwin Ubiles and his Siena teammates were busy shattering your bracket, he was doing the same thing to his right leg. The pain started in his junior year, a month or so before the Saints pulled off their second straight upset in the NCAA Tournament. The lump in his leg followed soon after. Then, during his senior year at Siena, Ubiles noticed he wasn?t getting as much lift as he used to. So while the Saints kept winning, Ubiles kept scoring and his draft stock went higher and higher, the third-leading scorer in school history kept going lower and lower. NBA D-League.com's Kevin Scheitrum takes a closer look at Dakota's star swingman.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Bakersfield Jam has acquired forward/center Jamie Vanderbeken . Most recently, Vanderbeken (6-11, 240) played overseas in Greece. During his senior year at Iowa State, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 29 games. Vanderbeken was a member of the Canadian National Team in 2011 ... The Dallas Mavericks recalled guard Dominique Jones from the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. Jones (6-5, 215) has seen action in nine games for the Mavericks and was assigned to the Legends on Jan. 15. He played in three games while in Frisco and averaged 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21.7 minutes ... The New York Knicks recalled center Jerome Jordan and guard Jeremy Lin from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League. Jordan (7-0, 240) appeared in two games for Erie, averaging 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.00 blocks over 32.5 minutes. For the Knicks, he has scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds over 29 minutes in six games. Lin (6-3, 200) posted a triple-double in his lone game with Erie, recording 28 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and two steals over 44 minutes in the Jan. 20 win at Maine ... The Reno Bighorns have acquired guard Eric Devendorf from the Idaho Stampede in exchange guard Chris Davis . Devendorf (6-4, 180) averaged 8.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13 games with the Stampede this season. Davis (6-3, 185) has played 88 games with the Bighorns over a three-year span, averaging 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds. In 15 games with the team this season, Davis averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds.

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS

Cleveland's Alonzo Gee scored 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 28 minutes in a loss to the Toronto Raptors last night. Not drafted by an NBA franchise in 2009, Gee signed with the Austin Toros, and was named the 2009-10 NBA D-League Rookie of the Year, averaging 21.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in 36 games with the Toros. After spending time with the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs at the end of the 2009-10 season, Gee was signed by the Cavaliers in December 2010, and went on to average 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 40 games.-->

GATORADE CALL-UP BOARD

Boston's Ray Allen needs 28 threes to pass Reggie Miller (2,560) for first on the all-time list ... Boston's Kevin Garnett needs 60 rebounds to pass Charles Barkley (12,546) for 16th on the all-time list ... The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant needs 52 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for eighth on the all-time list. Bryant needs seven steals to pass Rod Strickland (1,616) for 22nd on the all-time list.

ASSIGNMENT BOARD

NBA Players Currently on Assignment in the NBA D-League:

Player NBA Team NBA D-League Team Assignment Date G PPG RPG APG

Hassan Whiteside Sacramento Reno 11/29/10 7 5.1 3.2 0.1

DeMarre Carroll Memphis Dakota 12/14/10 6 35.7 18.3 6.8

Pape Sy Atlanta Utah 12/27/10 6 24.0 5.5 5.0

Devin Ebanks L.A. Lakers Bakersfield 12/27/10 6 26.5 12.0 8.0

Garret Siler Phoenix Iowa 1/4/10 16.0 4.0 7.0

Cole Aldrich Oklahoma City Tulsa 12/30/10 28.8 7.3 8.1

Today's Quote

Canton Charge coach ALEX JENSEN, on Christian Eyenga, who was recalled by the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday: "He had a tremendous attitude. A lot of guys come down like, 'Hey, I'm an NBA guy.' But he fit in well and wanted to get better. It was good for him to get minutes." The Independent, Jan. 24, 2012

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