New-Look Slam Aiming for Third Straight IBL Championship
April 25, 2014 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam embark on their ninth season this weekend with one goal in mind - claiming an unprecedented third straight International Basketball League championship.
The team that attempts that feat will have a decidedly different look, starting on the sidelines with former player and assistant coach Tyler Amaya taking over the reins from Rob Ridnour, who had served as the team's only head coach since the organization was founded in 2005.
Amaya has put together what on paper appears to be a championship-caliber squad with a healthy mix of veterans and impact rookies, and once again will be relying on a number of former standouts from Western Washington University.
Perhaps the biggest asset for the Slam will be its talented post players, anchored by three-time IBL All-Star Blake Poole, who has just returned from his third straight season in Germany, and rookie Austin Bragg, who wrapped up an outstanding career at WWU last month.
Poole, heading into his fourth season with Bellingham, has been nothing short of brilliant on the court. He averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, and picked up game MVP honors in last year's championship game. Bragg, on the other hand, will be making the jump from the college ranks eager to prove he can maintain the big numbers he put up at Western, where he led the team in both scoring and rebounding with 17 points and 9 rebounds per contest.
IBL all-time leading scorer Jacob Stevenson, back for his ninth season, highlights a solid corps of guards that includes one of the league's top distributors, Morris Anderson, and lightning-quick Rico Wilkins, who is back in Bellingham following a brief stint in Morocco. The trio combined to average just over 50 points per game in 2013. Wilkins, in particular, will be looking to keep up the hot streak he enjoyed at the end of last season when he scored over 20 points in each of his final four games.
Three-point shooting will likely be a focal point of the Slam's offense, thanks mostly to a bevy of strong long-range specialists on this year's squad. Several players average over 40 percent shooting from downtown, including incoming rookie guards Sam Freeman, from Fraser Valley, and Richard Woodworth, from WWU.
Both players are undoubtedly excited to showcase their offensive skills in the up-tempo IBL.
A pair expected to provide key contributions off the bench will be 6-foot-7 forward Nick Moore, a four year veteran of the IBL who returns to Bellingham for his second season, and Lynden product Chas Kok, who enjoyed a breakout season for the Slam last year with a 14 points per game average.
Rounding out the Slam's 12 man roster is forward Darius Alo, a former high school teammate of Morris Anderson at Federal Way, and guards Chris Ferguson and Kosei Ban.
The talented newcomers will help mitigate the impact of departures by several important pieces to the Slam's title win in 2013, including center Evan Matteson and guard Drew Ready, who combined for averages of 28 points and 13 rebounds per game last year.
The Slam has a busy weekend to kick off the 2014 season, starting on Friday, April 25 with their home opener against the Seattle Flight at 7 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion. The Slam then head south to face the Vancouver Volcanoes in a title game rematch on the road on April 26.
At Friday's home opener, the Slam will be celebrating their latest championship win in style, starting with free cake and Mallard ice cream before the game.
Then, at halftime, one fan will be selected to participate in a shooting contest sponsored by the Silver Reef Casino with a chance to win $25,000.
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International Basketball League Stories from April 25, 2014
- Season 10 Tips off this Weekend - IBL
- New-Look Slam Aiming for Third Straight IBL Championship - Bellingham Slam
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