World Basketball Association Exposure League Announces Draft Selections, ABOG Partnership
Published on March 29, 2010 under World Basketball Association (WBA) News Release
Over 30 aspiring basketball players showed up at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville, Georgia this past weekend to vie for a position with one of the seven teams representing the World Basketball Association Exposure League in 2010.
Players from as far as New York and Texas were in attendance seeking the type of exposure and development that helped launch the career of WBA Exposure League alum Jamario Moon. The camp was conducted by Lionel Garrett, who recently stepped down from his role as Commissioner of the league to accept the General Manager/Head Coach position with the Marietta Storm.
The league, approaching its 7th straight season, strengthened its commitment to exposure and development by partnering with Atlanta Basketball Officials Group (ABOG), a basketball officials training and development company. The ABOG was named the official provider of referees for the upcoming 2010 WBA season.
Garrett, who has committed to working closely with newly appointed League Commissioner William Slaton during the transition, expressed excitement about the partnership.
"Exposure and development is our niche," said Garrett. "Assisting referees with developing their craft is just as important to us as developing basketball players, and partnering with a quality group like the ABOG makes sense for both parties on all levels."
The ABOG Director of Officials and Training is veteran referee Anthony Jordan. Jordan brings 16-years of experience, 10 of which were at the NBA level. The ABOG utilized the 2010 WBA Exposure League Open Tryout Camp to train and develop the referees for the upcoming year.
"Our goal is to align ourselves with leagues that provide first class opportunities and high quality basketball talent for us to do what we do, which is train and develop the most proficient officials within the game of basketball," said Jordan.
The two-day camp concluded with a 2 round player draft. The results of the draft are as follows:
1st Round:
Franklin Knights - Anthony Bennett 5'9 PG
Florida Flight - Jacob Carver 5'11 PG
Marietta Storm - Scott Mennicke 5'11 PG
Jacksonville Bluewaves - Rodney Walker 6'6 SF
Gwinnett Majic - Will Lewis 6'6 SF
Tupelo Rock & Rollers - Brandon Hudson- 6'10 C
Decatur Courtkings - Derek Brooks 6'4 SG
2nd Round:
Decatur Courtkings - Robert Bankhead 5'11 PG
Tupelo Rock & Rollers - Andrew Martin 6'3 SG
Gwinnett Majic - Aramis phillips 6'4 SG
Jacksonville Bluewaves - Drey Wingate 6'2 SG
Marietta Storm - Tyler Simms 6'3 PG
Florida Flight - Ryen Phipps 6'0 PG
Franklin Knights - Derek George 6'5 PF
All draftees will be contacted by their respective teams and invited to pre-season camp to earn an active roster spot.
At the conclusion of the draft, the Florida Flight added an additional roster prospect by acquiring the rights to Tyler Simms from the Marietta Storm for a 2nd round pick in 2011.
The WBA Exposure League will play a 16-game season that will stretch from mid-May to mid July. The season will kick off on May 14th, 2010. An official finalized schedule will be released shortly.
The WBA Exposure League serves as a training ground to develop players on and off the court. Emphasis is placed on exposure, development, community involvement, and most importantly providing an exciting brand of basketball and entertainment. Hundreds of WBA Players have gone on to play professional basketball all over the world including the PBL, D-League, and the NBA.
World Basketball Association Stories from March 29, 2010
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