Trio Of Miners Named All-CBA
April 10, 2008 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
East Kentucky Miners News Release
PIKEVILLE, KY. - Three East Kentucky Miners earned a spot on the annual All-CBA teams. The league announced the teams Tuesday. To be eligible, players had to have played in 24 games (one-half of the league's 48-game regular-season schedule) and be in good standing with the CBA. Coaches could not vote for their own players. CBA Newcomer of the Year James "Boo" Jackson was named to the First Team. The forward was the only East Kentucky player on the First Team. East Kentucky guard Josh Pace and center Steve Thomas were All-CBA Second Team selections.
"This is a very proud moment for the East Kentucky Miners organization," East Kentucky Coach Kevin Keathley commented. "To have three players named to the All-CBA first and second teams is an honor for this franchise. More specifically, it's rewarding for the basketball operations side of the team. Myself and Brandon Paquin spent the latter part of the year working all angles on the player personnel front. After many man hours put in to scouting, recruiting and watching video tape, we ended up signing 10 CBA rookies. Two of those rookies are now All-CBA Performers."
Jackson finished East Kentucky's inaugural season as the league's sixth-leading scorer, averaging 21.4 points per game. The Eastern Michigan product was the CBA's second leading rebounder, pulling down 10.4 boards per game. Jackson led the CBA in offensive rebounds (3.9 rpg) and shooting from the field (53.2 percent). He had a 40-point scoring outburst against Great Falls in a road game played February 13.
"There were a lot of unknowns with Boo Jackson when I first began recruiting him in early July," Keathley commented. "Boo had very little playing experience outside of college - so there was very little information to go on. There was no video tape or references to get a good idea of what to expect for an entire season. All I had to go on was an old college tape of his and an individual workout I had with him in late August. I felt confident, though, that Boo would be able to contribute immediately for us. I just didn't know how much. He quickly proved that he was going to be a force in the CBA.
Outside of Amal McCaskill for Albany, I felt Boo was the most offensively dominant bigman in the CBA. I think all Boo needed was an opportunity to prove himself and we provided him that. I'm very happy for Boo Jackson. Boo only missed one game and that was the last game of the regular-season. His consistency is one of the reasons for our success this year. Boo and Josh Pace became the cornerstones of this basketball team and I'm very grateful to them for wearing the Miners uniform with class."
The All-CBA First Team also included CBA Player of the Year Daryan Selvy (Oklahoma), Desmond Ferguson (Yakama), Ronnie Fields (Minot) and Moochie Norris (Yakama).
Pace, a Syracuse University graduate, led the CBA in scoring during the 2007-08 season, averaging 23 points per game. A former New Zealand Player of the Year, Pace helped the Miners to a 26-22 regular-season record. Pace was also a member of the CBA American Conference All-Star team. During East Kentucky's debut season, Pace turned in back-to-back triple-double performances. He ended the season with a league-high three triple-doubles.
"Josh Pace was the first player to ever sign a contract with us and we felt confident that he was going to fit well into my system," Keathley acknowledged. "Josh far surpassed all my expectations and had a MVP type of year. What many people don't know is he was battling injuries for the better half of the year. Most players wouldn't have played, but Josh showed his dedication to the Miners organization and his teammates. The only surprise is Josh making the second team. I thought he should have been a first team selection. I'm very proud of Josh and expect him to get better and better with each year."
Thomas started the 2007-08 campaign in Atlanta before moving to East Kentucky in the middle of the season. He averaged 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Thomas was one of three CBA players to average a double-double during the tradition-rich league's most recent season. A defensive presence, Thomas pulled down 21 rebounds in a January contest against Minot. Thomas, who earned a spot on the league's all-defensive team, set a season-high total for the most rebounds by a player in a single game.
"Steve Thomas was a player that became a free-agent late in the CBA season," Keathley recalled. "He was playing for Atlanta at the time and was averaging almost 12 points and 11 rebounds. When the opportunity came to acquire Steve's rights from Atlanta, we quickly moved on it. From the first game, Steve gave us a much-needed physical presence on the inside. Steve is the ultimate warrior and doesn't take a basketball possession off. He gave us that extra inside post threat we needed. I couldn't be happier for Steve."
The All-CBA Second Team also included Nat Burton (Albany), John DeGroat (Pittsburgh) and Marvin Phillips (Oklahoma).
Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from April 10, 2008
- Trio Of Miners Named All-CBA - East Kentucky Miners
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