Veterans McLeish, Crain re-sign with Miners
September 25, 2008 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1)
East Kentucky Miners News Release
PIKEVILLE, KY. - Two familiar faces are headed back to the East Kentucky Expo Center for a second stint with the East Kentucky Miners. Guards Jason McLeish and Mike Crain have both re-signed with the Miners for the 2008-09 season. Miners Coach Kevin Keathley was eager to re-sign two of the key players from last season.
McLeish averaged 15.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Miners during the 2007-08 season. A proven playmaker, McLeish averaged 4.4 assists per game for the Miners, sharing the team-high mark with Syracuse alum Josh Pace. The former Eastern Kentucky University standout earned a CBA Player of the Week honor during the Miners' debut season. McLeish, a native of Queens, N.Y., became an immediate fan favorite for the Pikeville, Ky.-based professional basketball team.
"Jason is the perfect example of a player excelling in a system that fits their style," said Keathley. "We emphasize outlet break basketball and Jason has the ability to keep the tempo where we like to have it. With his ability to get to the rim and knock down the mid-range jumper, Jason is perfect for our high spread offense.
"Jason also was a fan favorite for us, so I'm happy that we could bring back one of our more popular players from last season. I'm expecting big things out of Jason this year and look forward to putting a proven winner back in a Miners uniform."
Crain earned a spot on the 2007-08 All-CBA Rookie Team. He joined the Miners following an exceptional career at Valdosta State University. Crain averaged 10 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season for the Miners. He returned to Eastern Kentucky earlier in the month, participating in the Miners free agent camp. Crain was also a fan favorite.
"Mike had an excellent season last year in his rookie debut," said Keathley. "He was named an All-CBA rookie and started for most of the season. The biggest thing Mike brings to the table for us is his ability to blend in to a team concept. He has the ability to contribute in a variety of ways. Both Jason and Mike will help mold these new guys we get in. It's always a plus when you have returning players from last year. I'm excited about both of these players returning for the upcoming season."
The youngest team in the CBA during the 2007-08 season, East Kentucky won with a stable roster. Eight of the 10 players on the team's opening day roster finished the season in a Miners uniform.
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Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from September 25, 2008
- Veterans McLeish, Crain re-sign with Miners - East Kentucky Miners
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