SB Nation - Marcus Campbell

Expansion Draft Results & Analysis

Jon L — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:17 -0000

After cutting down the nets in Colorado, Billy Thomas will be playing for the Maine Red Claws this season.

While RU had its mock draft on Tuesday, yesterday was the actual expansion draft with the Springfield Armor and Maine Red Claws picking from among the guys who finished last season with either Colorado or Anaheim, both of which are now no more (though Springfield is kinda-sorta the new Anaheim). The teams were actually drafting the D-League rights to these players, not the players themselves, so in some cases the teams were drafting guys who have already signed elsewhere, in the hopes that they're either cut by the NBA or come back from overseas during the season, in which cases the players would join whoever drafted them. A round-by-round list of the picks can be found here, but since there were only two teams drafting I'll just list the final "rosters":

Springfield	Maine
Marcus Campbell	James White
James Mays	Trey Gilder
Eddie Gill	Billy Thomas
Kentrell Gransberry	Noel Felix
Cedric Bozeman	John Lucas III
Jamar Brown	Kedrick Brown
Malick Badiane	Dominique Coleman
Marcus Taylor	Joe Dabbert
Cameron Bennerman	Josh Davis
Kirk Walters	Andre Patterson

Overall, the Red Claws bet heavily on the players I was talking about above, taking James White and Trey Gilder (who both have at least partially-guaranteed NBA contracts) with their first two picks, then followed up later in the draft by taking Dominique Coleman, who's going to play in Belgium, and Joe Dabbert, who's going to be in Korea. If these work out it was a good draft for them, but if not then they'd better hope to get some NBA assignees this season. The Red Claws also were able to pick up Josh Davis in the ninth round, though, which is crazily low, so that was definitely a good pickup.

I really like what Springfield did in the draft, taking up the best center in the draft with the first pick (Campbell*) then surrounding him guys who can score like Bozeman and Mays. They also seemed to have cornered the market on available big men. Felix and Davis are the only two players Maine has right now who can play in the middle. There really were two different philosophies at work here, with the Armor taking guys who can contribute immediately and maybe keep fans coming to games once the novelty of having a new team wears off. Both teams will be filling out their rosters with players from local tryouts, of course, but at this point Springfield seems more ready to start the season.

* Thanks to an alert reader for reminding me that it was Marcus Campbell who was drafted, not Hubbard.

But that's just one man's opinion. What do you, the viewers at home, think?

D-League Expansion Draft Tomorrow; RU Mock Draft Today

Jon L — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:00:15 -0000

The D-League rights of John Lucas III are available in tomorrow's expansion draft.

View full size photo »

In case you haven't heard, the D-League's Expansion Draft will be held tomorrow, September 2, at 2 p.m. ET. There are only two teams participating, the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor (even though I didn't think the Armor were an expansion team, since they're just the new Anaheim Arsenal), and the list of players available can be found here. It's basically just the players from last year's Anaheim and Colorado rosters. The draft will be done snake-style, where the team with the first pick in the first round has the last pick in the second round, etc., which seems a bit silly with just two teams, but I'm not the one in charge here. The draft will last ten rounds, and Springfield won the coin toss so they're going first.

We thought it would be fun to run a mock draft, so Aisander and I drafted players we thought would be good for the D-League's two newest teams. He had Springfield, I had Maine. At least, he had Springfield until he stopped e-mailing me his picks. We limited our player list to only those who haven't already signed contracts in Europe or the NBA (except in a few instances I'll mention when we get to them) - even though the D-League teams are drafting a player's D-League rights, so for instance if Maine drafts Joe Dabbert he could join the team once the South Korean season ends or he doesn't feel like playing over there anymore. But, we thought this would be a little more interesting, and it also gives us a chance to comment in players who don't get a lot of mentions around here.

Check out the RU Expansion Mock Draft after the jump. All the player comments are mine except where noted.

Round 1

1. Springfield - James Mays, 6'8" F

If I'm Springfield (or any franchise for that matter), I want to make sure I'm getting a quality big man who scores efficiently and can rebound. Mays fits that bill perfectly. He was an absolute beast for the 14ers last year, averaging 19.0 points and just shy of 9.0 rebounds a game. He was one of the more dominant players in the D-League up until he was injured mid-season. And really, his ACL is the only thing that gives me pause. But if James Mays is healthy, then I'm taking him first. -- AD

2. Maine - Cedric Bozeman, 6'6" G/F

I had planned on drafting Mays, who went to Clemson, to try and get Maine's affiliate the Charlotte Bobcats to pay attention to the team even though we're so closely tied with the Celtics. But Bozeman's a good consolation prize. He's a versatile swingman who rebounds well for his position and can distribute the ball a little bit as well, so he's the Maine Red Claws' first pick.

Round 2

3. Maine - Josh Davis, 6'8" F

The versatility theme continues, plus Scott would have a fit if Davis fell any lower than this. Davis is a really solid frontcourt player who can shoot threes, defend, pass and rebound, and he even played some center in Colorado's fast-paced offense last year. With Bozeman and Davis on board, I'm liking the roster already.

4. Springfield - Kedrick Brown, 6'6" G/F

Well I was dying to pick Josh Davis, aka Scott Schroeder's man crush, but lo and behold you've snapped him up. So instead I'm going with a solid NBA-caliber swingman. Brown was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics, but has played the last two seasons with the Arsenal. He's been a solid player, averaging around 15 points and 6 boards a game. Brown is capable of scoring big numbers when he's hot, blowing up for over 30 a few times last season. He's a seasoned vet at this point in his career, which is something any new franchise/coach could use. -- AD

*It should be noted that Brown has signed a contract to play overseas this season, which I didn't realize until I was putting this post together. I'll leave him on Ais's roster as a penalty for his not finishing this thing. I also should tell you that Aisander was responsible for cutting out all of the players who had already signed elsewhere, so it's possible that he was trying to pull a fast one on me.

Round 3

5. Springfield - John Lucas III, 5'11" G

I was going to go with Eddie Gill here, but John Lucas really was solid off the bench for the 14ers last season, stepping it up when Gill was struggling. I like Lucas primarily because he's younger and a little bit quicker. As a point guard, he is a good, not great floor leader, who runs the offense smoothly and shot a blistering 45% from three last year. He's solid as a scoring and passing PG, averaging about 15 points and 4.5 assists last season. I also like Lucas because his assist-to-turnover ratio was 4:1, because hanging onto the ball is an important part of the game, no matter what Will Conroy might tell you. -- AD

6. Maine - Eddie Gill, 6'1" G

Lucas may be younger and quicker, but I like Gill to run the point for my team. It's true that he's had some stints with the New Jersey Nets, who the Armor are affiliated with this year, but I think first-year head coach Austin Ainge will appreciate having a savvy veteran running his offense and getting everyone in the right place. Gill sometimes settles for three-pointers a little too often, but he finished third in the D-League in assists last season both on a per-game and per-season basis, and there's the added bonus of him being a decent midseason call-up option for the Celtics should their search for a backup point guard prove fruitless.

Round 4

7. Maine - Marcus Campbell, 7'0" C

Marcus Campbell, 7'0" C - I guess someone has to draft a center, and Campbell's the best available. He was third in the D-League last year in rebounds per minute (just ahead of Kentrell Gransberry) and he's a decent shotblocker as well. He's 27, so this is probably as good as it gets for Campbell, and he doesn't get to the line quite as often as you'd like your big man to, but he'd give the Red Claws a solid inside game to go with their skilled perimeter players.

8. Springfield - Kentrell Gransberry, 6'9" F/C

Well it's official, the pickings are getting slightly slim. But I'll go ahead and take Gransberry, who is your typically undersized center with some weight issues. But there is some upside with Gransberry. If he can shed some weight and work on his footwork I think he's got a shot at being a decent bench rebounder/garbage scorer. He did not exactly light up the D-League last year, but he's a solid rotation player at this point. -- AD

Round 5

9. Springfield - Billy Thomas, 6'5" G

Thomas is a vet, and will give you some solid play as either a starter or off the bench. And it can never hurt to have a guy with NBA experience and a nice shooting touch. Thomas is not always a consistent scoring threat, but when he's on he can be a great asset to any team. I think he's a nice catch at this point in the draft. -- AD

10. Maine - Marcus Taylor, 6'3" G

Taylor was a high school All-American; that's how far back we have to go with some of the players left in the draft. Taylor played only three games with the Arsenal after signing with them in February, but he scored 28 points in those three games and had some decent per-minute numbers. Hopefully with some more playing time he can serve as a solid 2-guard.

Round 6

11. Maine - Ray Reed, 5'11" G

Reed was a combo guard at Cal State-Fullerton, and while he's been transitioning to more of a straight point guard that versatility may come in handy. He was also supposedly the Titans' best backcourt defender (according to the team's website, which is why I say "supposedly"), which is nice, though with his size I don't expect a ton of that in the D-League. Reed led the Arsenal in assists on a per-minute basis and doesn't turn the ball over too much, so I think he'll be a nice bench player for my Red Claws team. I have to say, I'm really starting to like this team I'm putting together.

12. Springfield - Malick Badiane, 6'10 C

This is where Ais dropped out. Badiane still has a lot of work to do on his game, but I'm not sold on Gransberry as a player who can give a lot of minutes at this point so Springfield needs another center to share time. Hopefully Badiane can continue to develop his athleticism (he'll occasionally spring for double-digit rebounds) into consistent production.

Round 7

13. Springfield - Noel Felix, 6'8" F

In case Badiane doesn't work out or Gransberry can't stay out of foul trouble, Noel Felix should step in as a solid interior defender. He's not a great rebounder, but he can block some shots and his scoring has improved over the last two seasons.

14. Maine - Jamar Brown, 6'9" F

Jamar Brown was the third-string center for the 14ers last season (or maybe fourth-string, depending on whether you call Josh Davis the backup), and he has as much propensity for foul trouble as Gransberry does, but Brown also grabbed more rebounds per-minute last season than guys like Erik Daniels or Jasper Johnson, and the fact that I can draft that kind of rebounding ability this late in the draft shows how much I'm dominating this thing.

Round 8

15. Maine - Andre Patterson, 6'8" F

I was trying to decide between Patterson and Ronald Allen, since the Red Claws as I've drafted them could use someone to fill in at small forward, and their stats are pretty similar. Eerily similar, in fact, at least on a per-minute basis. Patterson has a better field goal shooting percentage, though, so I'll take him. It looks like I win this round as well.

16. Springfield - Geno Carlisle, 6'3" G

Springfield needs a bench scorer and a backup shooting guard, so this is an easy pick. Carlisle doesn't do much besides shoot, and while his .375 three-point shooting percentage is good but not great, it's still pretty decent for the eighth round of an expansion draft.

Round 9

17. Springfield - Ronald Allen, 6'9" F

While I made it seem like taking Patterson over Allen is a big victory, I should reiterate that they're very similar numbers-wise, and Allen got more starts last year. He's inconsistent, but still solid enough to be a contributor for this Springfield team.

18. Maine - Dabo Kabov, 6'5" F

I have no idea what kind of player Kabov is. He played in 10 games for the Arsenal last year and never made more than one field goal, and shot only five total free throws. If there's an upside he also never turned the ball over more than once in a game. But, it was around this time that I realized there weren't enough players to fill out ten rounds, so while Kabov doesn't look like a contributor at this point, I'm sure that Austin Ainge's legendary teaching skills can mold him into a useful player.

Round 10

19. Maine - Dominique Coleman, 6'3" G

Yep, I went ahead and did it. Like I said, I needed to find a few more players, and Ais drafted a guy headed overseas a lot earlier. So the Red Claws will draft Coleman's rights as a longshot in hopes that he doesn't take a liking to Belgium and comes on back to the US. My crush on Coleman's game is well-documented at this point, but in short he can rebound, shoot threes, distribute the ball as needed, pick up some steals, and he made RU's All-Defensive team last year to boot.

20. Springfield - Kirk Walters, 6'11" C

Walters is a center who doesn't rebound particularly well, but Springfield needed another backup big and this is the last pick. Walters has decent size for a center, so despite the fact that he wasn't much of a rebounder at the University of Arizona either, perhaps there's some potential in there that just needs to be tapped into.

Let's review the draft:

Aisander Arsenal	Jon Red Claws
James Mays	Cedric Bozeman
Kedrick Brown	Josh Davis
John Lucas III	Eddie Gill
Kentrell Gransberry	Marcus Campbell
Billy Thomas	Marcus Taylor
Malick Badiane	Ray Reed
Noel Felix	Jamar Brown
Geno Carlisle	Andre Patterson
Ronald Allen	Dabo Kabov
Kirk Walters	Dominique Coleman

I think it's pretty clear who "won" this draft (hint: me). The Arsenal ended up with some talented players like Mays and Lucas and Badiane, but even without Dominique Coleman, I think the Red Claws ended up with a really solid roster, one that would have a chance at seriously competing in the Eastern conference. But we'll see how the real teams do tomorrow.

D-League Bloggers: RU Needs One. Who to Target?

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:00:17 -0000

No, not someone that blogs about the D-League (unless they're really good...)

Looking around the blogosphere, I've decided that my new goal is to recruit a D-Leaguer to blog about his summer, his D-League experience and whatever else he has on his mind.

Why?

Because, for whatever reason, minor league basketball players are good at writing as well as playing basketball. They seem to believe that this is because they have a lot of time to practice this, but so do NBA players, and I don't think I'd find enjoyment reading a book by Eddie House nearly as much as I'm enjoying reading the life and times of Lance Allred (on sale tomorrow!)

Of the players I've spoken with and writings I've read, they've all been thoughtful, intelligent, and telling a story worth listening (save for the brilliance that is Danny Artest.. he's a whole 'nother breed!)

Among those that I read as often as possible:

Rodrique Zsorryon Benson - he's ridiculous, but he'll make you chuckle. Occasionally a little more free-speaking on his personal site, but hasn't updated over there in a minute.
Kasib Powell - He has NBA experience, he's a stud, and he's intelligent. Former D-League MVP as well.
Richard Hendrix - Rich does his thing. Doesn't blog often, but keeps things in perspective.
Coleman Collins - Just started blogging on TrueHoop. Intelligent, obviously. (Bit disappointed he didn't correct Abbott when he said in the opening line: The NBA does a lot to promote the D-League. Really, Mr. Abbott?
Lance Allred - His blog just launched last night, so it's not so much something I read often. However, if our previous dealings give me any insight, his blog will be intelligent and make you think about everything - just an interesting guy.

Don't worry - D-Leaguer's are on Twitter as well. Among those I follow: Lanny Smith, Will Frisby, Lance Allred, Brent Petway, Marcus Campbell, and of course Boom Tho.

Anyway, this brings me back around to my final point. Who should I target? Obviously Benson, Collins, and Allred are more than likely off-limits. Anyone else you'd be interesting in hearing from throughout the Summer? Let me know. Kthxbai!

Around the D-League

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:15:08 -0000

Last night in the D-League, we learned that Springfield, Massachusetts is definitely the newest D-League team. This more than likely doesn't affect the Celtics affiliation with Portland, but with a D-League team in an NBA teams state, it made me wonder none the less.

I've also learned that either there are a lot of Dakota fans that check this site out or Dakota should be really good, as Blake Ahearn and Richard Hendrix have 22 of the 56 votes in the most recent poll. In a related note, Josh Davis has only two votes. Disappointing.

Speaking of Dakota fans, and speaking to even non-Dakota fans, I'd like to direct you to this site. Three Wizards (well, two current, Richard Hendrix and Renaldo Major, and one former, Rod Benson) are participating in this years "Brave The Shave" event. This is an event that entails that the three players will be shaving their heads to raise money for childrens cancer research. The thing is, they're looking for pledges to help out the research, with just a small $1,000 goal. If you can, go donate to a worthwhile cause. Even a small donation will do!

The Vipers have a little TV show on their website you can check out if you'd like, featuring interviews with Jared Jordan and Jawad Williams. Nothing groundbreaking, but interesting nonetheless.

There were also a couple of good, close games in the D-League last night, with Idaho barely beating a James White-less Arsenal squad, 91-90, and Reno upset Bakersfield, 116-110.

What was interesting about those games? Glad you asked! Not much from a viewers standpoint, so we'll get straight into the standout players after the jump. Spoiler: they include RU's favorite ref and Patrick Ewing Jr!

Marat Kogut reffed the first game, and thus, a technical foul was called that I considered questionable from my spot at home on the couch. Nate Jawai was putting together a huge, momentum filled string of plays, capped off with a big dunk over an Anaheim player, looked at the Anaheim player, got to half court, and Kogut's whistle blew. End of momentum for the home team. Good job Marat!

Luke Jackson started out hot for Idaho, but cooled down quickly. After 10 points in the first quarter, he finished with 23, though rounded his game out with nine assists, eight boards, and six turnovers. Watching Luke play, his body language does not impress me. Just always seems to have something wrong with him, possibly gas.

Marcus Campbell had a good game, despite battling foul trouble right out of the gate. Campbell is a dude that should probably go overseas and make a lot of money, as I like him a lot and don't believe he's got an NBA career ahead of him, but he'll more than likely stick around, maybe catch on with a Summer League team, and come back and enjoy life in the D-League. After all, he played for the Arkansas Rim Rockers way back when. If you're willing to come back to the D-League after playing in Arkansas, you like the D-League.

Patrick Ewing Jr., thanks for finally looking like you deserve a call-up. Not sure what Jay Humphries was doing with him on the bench for so long. Why start drug kingpin Damone Brown or Jesse Smith (who made his Dakota debut with one point, two fouls, a turnover, and making none of his three shots from the field the other day) when you have this ball of energy on the bench? Watching him and Rod Benson on the court is fun. Anyway, PEJr finished with 22 points, 15 boards, multiple alley-oops, and some AGGHHHS after and-ones.

Trey Johnson was Trey Johnson for Bakersfield. Point guard Mateen Cleaves was subbed out with Bakersfield losing 81-67 in the third, and was brought back with Bakersfield down 99-95 in the fourth. While Terrell (I'm kind of a point guard) Everett was subbed in for Cleaves, I'm giving Johnson the credit for bringing the Jam back. Johnson ran the offense, scoring 24 points, grabbing five boards, and dishing four assists.

Others for Idaho: Lance Allred had 18 points, 14 boards, and showed off a decent mid-range game at the end. Nate Jawai finally seemed to have settled in, though struggled with turnovers. Jawai finished with 15 points, six boards, five blocks, and five turnovers. Looked impressive from what I watched.

Others for Anaheim: Kedrick Brown had a clutch 3-pointer that kept Anaheim in the game, and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Good, not great. Cedric Bozeman had 23 points before fouling out. Also, I should probably give a shoutout to Cameron Bennerman, who mysteriously showed up on Anaheim's roster tonight without myself ever hearing of him before, playing 28 minutes and shooting 7-for-11 from the field. Good job, guy!

Others for Reno: David Noel had 23, Richie Frahm had 20, Russell Robinson had 18 points, seven assists, and Rod "Boom Tho" Benson remembered how to block shots. Benson finished with 10 points, seven boards, and five blocks off the bench. Would love to see him start over Alton Ford next time out.

Others for Bakersfield: Justin Reed had a big game, but once again, I just can't find myself to like him. Have fun out there, please, J-Reed. Reed finished with 19 points and 14 boards, six on the offensive end. Considering he missed 12 shots, I'm going to go ahead and say his boards are inflated. Nothing else impressed me in the box score.

Recapping last night in the D-League

Scott Schroeder — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:31:47 -0000

As a precursor, since Ben missed recaps yesterday, I'd like to commend Erik Daniels on his triple double a couple days ago. Daniels had 30 points, 23 boards, and 10 assists. No joke. True, the opposing 66ers had no player taller than 6'8", but still. Impressive.

Anaheim lost to Los Angeles, 108-103. It went to overtime. The crowd wasn't into it however, as of the 30 or so fans, most of them there to see Sun Yue it seemed, they focused on a guy sleeping, wearing a tie twice in overtime. Sun Yue's big debut wasn't good. First, in the original box score, he was referenced as Brandan Wright. Now, in the post-game box score, it shows he started, but got a DNP. Perfect reasoning as to why this hybrid model will work out perfect. LA just doesn't care enough about their D-League team. Yue's DNP might look better than his actual line, as he scored 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting. Ouch. Joe Crawford had 19 points before fouling out. For Anaheim, Cedric Bozeman had 22 points and 14 assists - I'm falling in love with his game. Marcus Campbell also had a great game, with 17 points, 18 rebounds, and seven assists. I've been the president of his fan club since last season, when I said he should have been the sixth overall pick (Disclaimer, I liked Jesse Smith as a 6th round steal last year as well, so maybe the Dakota trade will work out). Don't worry, though, it's not too late to join Campbell's fan club, as I'm still looking for a treasurer. Kedrick Brown added 24 points and five fouls.

Erie beat Sioux Falls, 122-113. This game didn't go into overtime. The Bayhawks were led by Tony Bethel. I have no idea who he is or where he came from, but he had 32 points. Maureece Rice stayed hot, flirting with a triple double with 24 points, 12 boards, and nine assists. Erik Daniels did his usual damage, racking up another double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. Sioux Falls was led by Frank Williams, who scored 23 points and Kasib Powell with 22. Big Chris Ellis, who is growing on me, had 11 rebounds. This was a high scoring game, which is rare when the teams combine for 54 fouls.

Utah defeated Albuquerque, 102-94. Ronald Dupree, who should be talked about more here at RU, scored 19 points, had 11 boards, and seven assists. He's due for his yearly call-up soon. For Albuquerque, 6'6" 260 pound Jasper Johnson continued his torrid pace, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 boards. He's due to head overseas and make a lot of money. A lot. The matchup I was focused on however was Will Conroy vs. Dontell Jefferson. I don't believe DJ gets enough credit, and tonight, it showed. He held the league's leading scorer to 18 points on 6-for-15 shooting, six turnovers compared to just four assists, and Conroy fouled out to boot. Jefferson, meanwhile, scored 19 points, dished nine assists with three turnovers, and led his team to a victory over the recently red hot Thunderbirds.

Fort Wayne lost to Reno, 101-92. Reno was led by David Noel, who had 23 points and six boards in his Reno debut against his former teammates. Patrick Ewing Jr. was impressive, with 21 points, 13 boards, and six (eek!) turnovers in his fifth start of the season. "Too Much Number 17" Rod Benson also made his debut, scoring 11 points, grabbing eight boards, and swatting four shots, off the bench. Fort Wayne was led by Chris Hunter, who scored 24 points and grabbed 10 boards. Walker Russell had 12 points, five assists, and seven turnovers. Seems that while they have near-identical records with 14 wins and 20/21 losses, these two teams are quickly headed in opposite directions. Fort Wayne needs some help. Fast. Luckily, I hear Mohammed Sene, Shaun Livingston, and Quincy Douby are all entering the D-League pool soon. Jeff, pick one of these guys up, or take the bench, or hire me, or something. Yes we can!

NOTES: While I didn't watch the whole Reno-Fort Wayne game (tried, but Reno's otherwise wonderful futurecast has freezing issues every five minutes), I, as usual, didn't understand Jaren Jackson's substition system. Taj (or Ty, then later Chainsaw (seriously) by the announcers) McCullough played just 21 minutes, Anthony Kent got his second start in 30 games (and played 37(!) minutes), and their best perimeter player, Ron Howard, had his minutes decreased to 32 after averaging 43 over the past four games.

In the League: March 5, 2009

ben.renz — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:38:24 -0000

Colorado 113, Austin 106 - This was a goody. Two of the top teams in the league grinding it out and it didn't disappoint, but in the end Colorado managed to capitalize off the 22 Toros turnovers (that has a nice ring to it). I'm giving one Dominique Coleman my NOD OF THE NIGHT. Coleman had 17 points (7 for 10 shooting), 7 boards, 10 dimes, 2 steals, and just one turnover in 36 minutes. I've been really impressed with this guy lately. He's becoming the go-to guy for the 14ers and there aren't many leaders more able in this league. Josh Davis had a usual impressive game with 29 minutes and 7 rebounds and Trey Gilder came off the bench for the 14ers to add 10 boards and 2 blocks (his 3 for 11 shooting isn't quite as positive, however). The Toros did put up a fight though. Marcus Williams was just as brilliant as ever with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks (tell me why this guy is still in the D-League). Despite his 7 turnovers (funny), Ezra Williams looked good with 23 and 11 boards and Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson had a solid night with 19 points, 6 dimes and 4 nice robberies. I'd love to see more matchups like this one. Both teams came to play, but Austin could have easily won this one if they had just toned down the turnovers.
Anaheim 112, Fort Wayne 107 - Fort Wayne continues their losing ways, and to a team they have the talent to beat no less (the "Flight"-less Arsenal). The Ants shot a paltry 42% and were outrebounded 57-35 along with not being able to capitalize on the 17 Anaheim TO's. Cedric Bozeman had a near trip-dub with 22 points, 16 boards and 8 assists. Kedrick Brown was close as well with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 6 dimes. The Arsenal's Marcus Campbell also had 20 and 9 boards in the win. Chris Hunter had a decent game for the Ants, with 32 points (14 from FT, perfect from the line - nice to see from the big guy) but Bozeman bossed him around on the glass and he only picked up half of what Bozey pulled down. Carl Elliott was a mess. This kid's in a slump and it's a damn shame. It took Elliott 7 shots to get 2 points and this performance didn't get coach Jaren Jackson to pull him out and stick in seldom used guard Jarred Axon. Jackson needs to shake up this rotation (I think he's been shaking it up plenty already! No one seems to even have an idea of how many minutes they'll get each night... Interesting coaching strategy from JJ -- Scott). Walker Russell was his normal self with 18 points and 8 assists, but it wasn't enough, and the Ants lost yet another one to a mediocre team.