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River Rapids Grab Playoff Spot

June 11, 2004 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Cedar Rapids River Raiders News Release


Cedar Rapids, IA- The Cedar Rapids River Raiders clinched a United States Basketball League playoff spot Thursday night.

The top eight of the 11 USBL teams qualify for the single-elimination Post-Season Festival in Salina, Kan., June 25-27. Since three USBL teams have records ranging from 8-16 to 4-20, making the playoffs isn't exactly scaling Mount Kilimanjaro.

What Raiders Coach Dave Joerger reveled in after his team's 96-84 U.S. Cellular Center win over the Adirondack Wildcats before 2,033 fans was something else.

"That was our best defensive effort of the year," Joerger said.

Cedar Rapids improved to 15-10, the same mark as Adirondack. The Raiders' final five games are about trying to get seeded as high as possible for the playoff tourney.

"We were sixth, and now we're fifth," Joerger said. "We want to keep climbing the ladder."

USBL players are trying to do some climbing of their own. Like Cedar Rapids forward Bryan Bracey. The 6-foot-7 forward from Oregon joined the Raiders a day before the season started and has become a mainstay. He poured in 25 points Thursday. He has played every game and averaged 19.1 points.

Bracey has a tattoo running down the back of his left arm that says "Mister." He has a tattoo running down the back of his right arm that says "Bracey." He truly was "Mister Bracey" Thursday.

Cedar Rapids led 43-30 in the second when Joerger gave Bracey the final 2 minutes of the first half off. The halftime score was 43-38.

"When I took him out I said 'Hey, you're going to lead us out of the gate in the third-quarter,' " Joerger said.

That's just what happened. Bracey scored 12 points in the third. The Raiders never relinquished the lead in the second half, though it was an 84-79 game with 2:30 left.

NBA teams have summer-leagues for free agents and rookies in July. USBL players are angling for invitations. Bracey craves one.

"I know my agent's fighting for me," he said. "I'm ready. I've just got to get a good opportunity."

Bracey had a shot three years ago, but a long shot it was. After being the Pac-10's second-leading scorer in 2001, he was the final pick of the '01 NBA draft, going 58th to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs wanted someone who had played nothing but power forward at Oregon to move to small forward and defend quick players away from the basket. "It was a great experience and a blessing being drafted," Bracey said. "I just wasn't ready. I had no experience on the perimeter. It's tough to make that adjustment."

It's three years later. Bracey has played in Israel, Italy and Spain. He has been at small forward all season long for Cedar Rapids, and has shown a lot of game.

"Coach tells me to keep working on my footwork," Bracey said. "I have to get a little quicker and defend a two (shooting guard) on the perimeter. My offense, he said, is already where it needs to be."

"It's been tremendous to have him here all year," Joerger said.



United States Basketball League Stories from June 11, 2004


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