Steelheads Poised for Big Splash in USBL, Sign Jamario Moon
April 12, 2007 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Gary Steelheads News Release
GARY, Indiana (April 12, 2007) - The Gary Steelheads dive into USBL basketball on Friday night, April 13th, when they host the Jackson Wildcats at the Genesis Center in downtown Gary. Game time is 7:05 PM CDT.
In advance of the season opener, the Steelheads announced the signing of high-flying forward Jamario Moon for the 2007 USBL season. To make room on the roster, Gary placed forward James Booyer on the team's Injured Reserve List.
Moon has been a CBA All Star the past two seasons with the Albany Patroons and was a finalist in the league's Slam Dunk competition in 2007. During the recently-completed CBA season, Moon finished 7th in the CBA in scoring with an 18.8 ppg average. He ranked 5th in the league in rebounding at 7.5 rpg, while ranking 3rd in steals (2.0), 5th in three point shooting (.401) and 2nd in blocked shots (2.4). His 9 blocks against Pittsburgh on January 26th was a league best. Moon's strong performance over the season helped lead the Patroons to the CBA Finals.
Moon was a standout for the Patroons during the 2005-2006 season, when the franchise returned to the CBA. He averaged 18.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.8 bpg, while hitting at a .403 percentage on three point shooting.
Moon has played with Rome and Marietta in the WBA, as well as Kentucky in the ABA, Ft. Worth in the NBDL and Dodge City in the USBL. He also attended the pre-season camp with the Oklahoma Storm prior to the 2004 USBL season.
A native of Goodwater, Alabama, Moon was an honorable mention high school All-American at Coosa Central High School in Rockford, Alabama. He played his college ball at Meridian Community College in Mississippi, where coach George Brooks said Moon was the best player he had ever coached.
With Moon as the team's latest addition, the Steelheads stand ready for their inaugural voyage in the United States Basketball League. Head coach Cliff Levingston has assembled a blend of franchise veterans and talented newcomers.
Steelheads fans will certainly remember the contributions of center Chris Alexander, swingman Rob Griffin, guard Lonnie Randolph and forward Marlowe Currie on the 2005-2006 Gary CBA Finalists. That team came within one game of winning the CBA title.
Three of the players had solid winter basketball campaigns. Alexander anchored the center spot for the CBA champion Yakama Sun Kings, while Griffin finished third in CBA scoring with the Pittsburgh Xplosion. He was among the last cuts with the Detroit Pistons of the NBA that Fall. Randolph, a Merrillville High School product and rookie with the Steelheads during their CBA Finals season, blossomed into a solid guard prospect with the Quad City Riverhawks of the ABA. For Marlowe Currie, it's a return to action in a Gary uniform. Currie provided inside and outside firepower for the Steelheads during their last CBA season.
The new faces on the Steelheads' roster include guard Eddy Barlowe, a member of this year's CBA champion Yakama Sun Kings and the MVP of the CBA Finals. Joining him on the back line will be guards Ray Cunningham, Louis White and Steve Lepore. Up front, the Steelheads will look to CBA veteran forward Jermaine Blackburn, along with power forwards/centers Adam Schaper and Chris Garnett.
The Jackson Wildcats return to action Friday night following three seasons of dormancy. The team was based in Glen Falls, New York, but moved to Jackson, Mississippi during the winter. The team is coached by Gary native and former NBA center Wallace Bryant.
The season opener will air through the SportsJuice web site (www.sportsjuice.com), with Bill Hazen calling his seventh season of Steelheads' games. Airtime will be 6:50PM CDT. For ticket information, contact the Steelheads office at (219) 883-3000.
United States Basketball League Stories from April 12, 2007
- Steelheads Poised for Big Splash in USBL, Sign Jamario Moon - Gary Steelheads
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