Steelheads game notes

April 20, 2007 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Gary Steelheads News Release


Fish Hooks

- THE SERIES: This is the first USBL meeting between the Steelheads and the Albany Patroons. The teams met ten times during the 2005-2006 CBA season, with the Steelheads winning seven of them. The last meeting between the two teams in the CBA occurred on March 3rd, 2006, when the Steelheads defeated the Patroons 115-109. This was the second of back-to-back games in Albany, and the loss ended a six-game winning streak for the Patroons. Former Patroons forward Carl Mitchell paced the Steelheads' attack with 24 points.

- REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: The Kansas Cagerz used solid execution and a physical defense to throttle the Steelheads last night, 86-78. The 14 points scored by the Steelheads in the second quarter of that game was a season low. Gary's .329 field goal shooting was a season low as well.

- MISSING IN ACTION: The loss to the Cagerz last night constituted the first time that the Steelheads suffered due to the loss of three of their key players. Guard Rob Griffin was the second leading scorer in the USBL at the time of his injury, while forward Jamario Moon was among the league leaders in six different categories. Moon left the team due to a death in the family. Center Chris Alexander, a strong rebounder and defensive presence, was also missed against the Cagerz. The Kansas game was the second for the Steelheads without these players.

- TALE OF THE NUMBERS BEFORE CAGERZ LOSS: Prior to the loss to Kansas last night, the Gary Steelheads had overwhelmed their first three opponents in the young USBL season. Through the first three games, the Steelheads had outscored their opponents by an average of 24.4 ppg. They had outrebounded their opponents by 10 rpg and outshot their opponents from the field by 13.4%. They had nearly three times as many blocked shots as their opponents.

- BALANCED ATTACK BEFORE CAGERZ LOSS: The Gary Steelheads placed only three players in double figures in the loss to the Kansas Cagerz. In the three prior games, Gary had shown tremendous balance in their offensive attack. The Steelheads had no fewer than seven players averaging in double figures. In victories over Jackson and Delaware, the Steelheads had seven players in double figures. In a second victory over Jackson, Gary had placed six players in double figures.

- BLOCK PARTY GROWS AGAIN: Add yet another name to the Steelheads' Block Party. Jamario Moon leads the USBL in blocked shots (3.5 bpg), with Adam Schaper 3rd (1.7 bpg) and Chris Alexander 3rd (1.5 bpg) and Adam Schaper 4th. Ray Cunningham joined the Block Party two games ago and is now tied for 4th in the league with 1.3 blocked shots. The newest member is point guard Louis White, who ranks an incredible 6th in the USBL at 1.0 bpg. That gives the Steelheads five of the top six shot blockers in the league.

- SHOOTING STARS: Forward Jamario Moon continues to lead the USBL in foul shooting, having connected on all 12 of his free throw attempts without a miss. Guard Louis White has now connected on 23-of-24 free throw attempts (.958).

- BLACKBURN STANDS OUT: There were few bright spots in the Kansas loss, but the performance of forward Jermaine Blackburn stood out. Not only did he pace the Steelheads with 24 points, he also added 7 rebounds to his performance. He also hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts.

- LEPORE FINDS THE RANGE: After struggling with his shot the first three games (.188 from the field), guard Steve Lepore got on track against the Cagerz. The Wake Forest product hit 4-of-7 from the field, and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc for 11 points. He also added 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

- A SPECIAL ROOKIE: Bethel College product Adam Schaper isn't playing like a rookie in the USBL. The Kansas game was the fourth consecutive double-digit scoring performance, and his first USBL double-double. Schaper (pronounced "Shopper") scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while picking up 2 steals against the Cagerz. The 13 rebounds ties teammate Jermaine Blackburn for the best performance in the USBL this year.

- IT'S SHOWTIME: You'll hear the phrase, "It's Showtime" a great deal at Steelheads games. That's because the team is now owned and operated by a new ownership group, Showtime Sports and Entertainment. The following principals compose this group: Jewell Harris Jr., Esq., Darnail Lyles, Esq., Dr. Adolphus Anekwe, Dr. Olusegun Ishmael, Dr. Paul Okolocha, Dr. Basil Ubanwa and Ben Richmond (owner of Family Mobile Medical and the Beach Café Restaurant). Jewell Harris Jr. is President, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. Showtime Sports and Entertainment came about in an effort to better diversify ownership of the franchise, to assure its long term stability and viability. The company also will be involved in other entertainment promotion.

- FROM CBA WORST TO CBA FIRST: The regular season performance of the Gary Steelheads during the 2005-2006 season constitutee one of the great single-season turnarounds in CBA history. During 2004-2005, the Steelheads finished at the bottom of the league with a 17-31 record and 135½ quarter points (2.8 QPA). In 2005-2006, Gary improved a net total of 24 games from 14 games under .500 to 10 games over .500 at 29-19. They raised their quarter point average to 4.10, an increase of 1.3 quarter points per game over the previous year. And the Steelheads won an incredible 25½ more quarters of basketball than the previous year.

- WATCH OUT FOR THAT CLIFF: The Steelheads named former Chicago Bulls forward Cliff Levingston to succeed Jaren Jackson as head coach on November 21st, 2006. He joined the Steelheads as an assistant on February 8th. Levingston played on the Chicago Bulls' first two championship teams and was a fan favorite. He was originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 NBA Draft, going ninth in the first round. He retired from the game in 1995. In 2000, Levingston began his coaching career as an assistant coach in the CBA with the Ft. Wayne Fury. In 2001, he served as an assistant coach with the Dodge City Legend of the USBL. After a year as a college assistant at St. Francis, he returned to Dodge City as head coach. His Legend team won the USBL title, and Levingston was named USBL Coach of the Year. During 2003-04, Levingston served as an assistant for the Harlem Globe Trotters. Two years ago, he coached the St. Louis Flight of the ABA.

- HOW THE STEELHEADS WON IN THE CBA: The Gary Steelheads finished their last CBA season with a best-ever franchise record of 29-19. But this alone did not deliver the top seed in the playoffs. Yakama, Sioux Falls and Rockford all had more wins. But Gary was more efficient than any other team in winning quarters. The Steelheads won 110 quarters of basketball, six more quarters than any other team in the league. With each quarter having a value of one quarter point, this surplus of quarter victories made the difference. The USBL does not use a quarter point system.

- A DAY TO REMEMBER FROM 2005-2006: Success over the length of a professional basketball season requires that a number of diverse elements come together. Timing and talent are key ingredients, and the Steelheads had both in abundance during 2005-2006. But, arguably, one moment may stand out among many as the key to the team's success that year. The date was December 21st, 2005, when the Gary Steelheads acquired center Chris Alexander from the Dakota Wizards and signed power forward Edmund Saunders. At that time, the Steelheads were being outrebounded by a whopping 9.8 rebounds per game. Alexander and Saunders cut into that deficit immediately, and Gary's winning percentage began to climb. Saunders played well enough that the Steelheads were able to trade him to Albany for all star forward Carl Mitchell, who has continued to anchor the power forward spot. By the end of the season, the Steelheads had shaved the rebound deficit down to 1.9 rpg. And Gary's regular season record since these roster moves was an excellent 22-11.



United States Basketball League Stories from April 20, 2007


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