Season 10 Tips off this Weekend
Published on April 25, 2014 under International Basketball League (IBL) News Release
10 Players to Watch in Season 10
With the International Basketball League's tenth season tipping off this weekend, it is time to take a look at some of the talented individuals that will be making an impact for their teams this season:
1. 6'9" F Jared Cunningham (Portland Chinooks)
Arguably a candidate for the 2013 IBL MVP award, Cunningham was incredibly dominant once again for the Chinooks last season. In 20 games, Cunningham averaged 27.2 points and 7.9 rebounds.
2. 6'7" G Cory Largent (Vancouver Volcanoes)
Vancouver was able to nab Cory Largent away from the Salem Sabres where he averaged 22.6 points per game in 2013, and will now add scoring punch to an already impressive Volcanoes roster. He has been named an IBL All-Star the previous two seasons.
3. 6'5" C Blake Poole (Bellingham Slam)
Poole will be back in a Slam uniform after a strong third season in Germany's ProB league, where he was the league's leading rebounder for Hertnener with 12 per game. For the Slam, Poole averaged 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and will be looking to keep up those big numbers which helped him win the 2013 IBL Championship Game MVP award.
4. 6'4" G Jacob Stevenson (Bellingham Slam)
Jacob Stevenson is back for his ninth season with the Slam and can be counted upon to continue to put up the results which has helped make him the IBL's all-time leading scorer with 2,580 points.
5. 6'8" F David Lucas (Portland Chinooks)
Lucas averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 24.8 minutes for Portland last season. The son of NBA great Maurice Lucas will likely be at it again for the Chinooks this season.
6. 6'6" F Germain Jordan (Portland Chinooks)
Jordan garnered the league's Most Improved Player award after increasing his scoring output to 21.6 points per game in 2013.
7. 6'2" G Andre Murray (Vancouver Volcanoes)
The 2012 IBL MVP, Murray posted 21.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 16 games for Vancouver last season. With the departure of Chehales Tapscott and Paul Hafford, Murray will be relied upon in 2014 to keep up those scoring numbers.
8. 6'7" C Joe Burton (Salem Sabres)
The former Oregon State player who has been putting up impressive numbers in Denmark averaged 13.9 points and 14.8 rebounds in a stellar rookie season last year.
9. 6'8" F Daniel Deane (Salem Sabres)
The son of former Utah Jazz player Greg Deane, Daniel had an equally impressive season with the Sabres as teammate Joe Burton. He had 12 double-doubles and finished with averages of 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game (fourth best in the IBL).
10. 6'9" C Austin Bragg (Bellingham Slam)
The only rookie to crack the top ten, Bragg is coming off an outstanding senior season at Western Washington University where he was the team's leading scorer and rebounder (17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game). Along with teammate Blake Poole, Bragg will give Bellingham a talented low post presence.
Keep track of all these players at more all season long by visiting the IBL's website at www.ibl.com!
Portland and Santa Barbara match-up for first time since 2007
by Gino Pilato
Jared Cunningham and the Chinooks will face Santa Barbara this weekend
When the Portland Chinooks kick off their 2014 IBL season in Southern California this weekend, it will be a reunion of sorts. The last time the Santa Barbara Breakers played against IBL competition, it was against Portland. The Chinooks will take part in back-to-back games against West Coast Basketball League opponents (Santa Barbara Breakers and Santa Monica Jump) beginning Friday, April 25, and whenever a Pacific Northwest squad takes on a Southern Californian foe in professional hoops, fireworks are likely to happen.
The match-up will also mark the first time this season that an IBL team will face a squad from the WCBL, and surely, the match-up will provide a look at what lies ahead this season. According to Santa Barbara Head Coach and President Curt Pickering, "I'm looking forward to a renewed match-up against Portland this Friday. We are early into the season with two games under our belt (1-1), so this is not the finished product of what we anticipate for late June when we vie for the playoff finals."
The partnership between the IBL and WCBL this season will provide a number of intriguing matchups, and as the Chinooks and Breakers get things started this Friday, expect plenty of competitive battles between the teams from both leagues. "Overall, I think the partnership of the WCBL and the IBL will provide great, competitive action on the floor for the players, coaches and fans. Everyone wins in the participation and promotional aspect of this season," Pickering said.
Santa Barbara will look to rebound from a close loss at the hands of Los Angeles Team Macleem 94-88, and for the Chinooks, who enter this season with a strong roster yet again, Terry Emmert's team will hope to start off their 2014 IBL campaign with a win. It will be a battle in the Rancho Cienega Center this Friday.
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
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
