Slam Returns Seven from 2012 Title Team
March 25, 2013 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam's 2013 roster is beginning to take shape as the team announced the return of seven players from the team that captured the 2012 International Basketball League championship last July. Headlining the group is guard Morris Anderson and center Blake Poole, both IBL All-Stars last season.
For the Slam, Anderson ranked second in scoring with 21.4 points per game and first in assists with 6.4. He captured the league's Defensive Player of the Year award thanks in part to a league-leading 58 steals and was also named Most Valuable Player of the IBL title game after scoring 29 points in the team's win over Portland.
Poole, who is currently competing in Germany, will return to Bellingham in April looking to lead the team in rebounding for the third straight season. In 2012, his average of 13.4 boards per game ranked first in the IBL and his 18.8 points per game placed him third on the Slam's list of scoring leaders.
Joining Anderson and Poole as returning veterans in 2013 will be center Evan Matteson, forwards Jeremy Green and Chas Kok, and guards Drew Ready and Jacob Stevenson.
Matteson, who appeared in three mid-season games with the Slam in 2012, will bolster a frontcourt that already features one of the league's most dominant big men in Poole. Matteson averaged 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his limited action for Bellingham and became the team's first player to be selected in the NBA Development League draft last fall. He was picked by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and appeared in two NBDL pre-season games before being released.
Green proved to be a fine addition to the Slam roster after coming off his senior season at Saint Martin's University in 2012. He averaged 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Slam last season, with season highs of 28 points and 12 rebounds coming in a road win in Olympia last May. Green became known for his outstanding ball control as he committed the fewest turnovers, just ten all season, of any player who saw significant minutes.
Kok will look to expand his role with the team after the Lynden native got just a taste of pro hoops with the Slam last season. He saw limited action and averaged 6.4 points per game, but did come up big when he did see the court. Known for his offensive prowess in college, his breakout performance for the Slam came last June when he poured in 22 points in just 12 minutes against the Yamhill Highflyers.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2012 season was the performance of Ready, who took full advantage of an increase in minutes coming off his rookie season in 2011. His scoring average ballooned to 13.8 points per game and he was the Slam's most efficient shooter, connecting on 55 percent of his shots from the floor. He was also an asset defensively, racking up 31 steals and 15 blocked shots.
Rounding out the list of returnees is veteran guard Jacob Stevenson, who will be back for his eighth season for the Slam. The franchise's career leader in scoring, assists and steals, Stevenson kept up his strong output in 2012 with averages of 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and finished the season by posting a double-double of 27 points and 11 assists in the title game against Portland.
Notable players not returning to the Slam in 2013 include forwards Michael Duty and Zack Henifin, as well as guard Paul Hafford.
Duty and Henifin are both playing professionally this spring in Australia with the Mackay Meteors and Brisbane Spartans, respectively. Meanwhile, Hafford has moved away from Bellingham to the Portland area and will not be able to compete with the Slam. Hafford's departure ends an impressive run of five seasons and two championship wins since joining the Slam in 2008.
The remainder of open roster spots will likely be filled with college seniors from the region who have completed their eligibility, as selected by Slam general manager Kip Leonetti.
The Slam tip-off the 2013 season at home on April 19 as they face the Vancouver Volcanoes. A 7 p.m. start time is scheduled at Whatcom Pavilion.
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