SB Nation - Dwayne Mitchell

Ridiculous Transactions: 8/22-8/30

Jon L — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:17 -0000

The big news this week was Trey Gilder signing a partially-guaranteed contract with the Memphis Grizzlies

If you were wondering where Ridiculous Transactions went this weekend (and I'm sure you could think of nothing else for the last two days), we decided to give it a trial run on Mondays. The reason is that the last few weeks some big transactions happened over the weekend and I had to wait a week to write about it. Of course now that I switched the days all the big transactions will happen on Tuesdays or something. If you haven't been a regular RU weekend reader (and you really should be), the first transactions post has a good explanation of what we're looking at here.

August 24: Kevin Kruger - signed with Basket Napoli (Italy)

Europe is probably a good move for Kruger, as he's a good-but-not-great-point guard even by minor league basketball standards. He has a habit of dribbling the ball too much, but Kruger does a pretty good job running an offense and played decently in Summer League. The Jazz were the team most likely to bring him to training camp out of anyone, though, and they're pretty set at point guard.

August 25: Gary Wilkinson - signed with Dongbu Promy (South Korea); Josh Heytvelt - signed with Oyak Renault Bursa (Turkey); Will Frisby - signed with Benfica (Portugal)

Wilkinson is a 26 year old undrafted rookie who managed to grab two rebounds in 36 minutes for Utah's Summer League team, which would be poor for a guard but is especially so for a 6'9" power forward. Heytvelt didn't get a whole lot of run for Washington's Summer League team, playing double digit minutes only once, but he apparently defended the pick and roll pretty well. He was fairly athletic in college, but he bulked up a little bit after his suspension and he'll likely need to shed a few pounds in order to get the NBA's attention again. Udonis Haslem did it in Europe, so maybe Heytvelt can too. Will Frisby was a really solid big man for the Dakota Wizards last year, and it's too bad his role on this year's D-League Select Summer League team couldn't turn into at least a training camp invite.

August 26: Albuquerque Thunderbirds - signed head coach John Coffino to another one-year contract

The Thunderbirds were caught in the middle of their division last year, better than Rio Grande Valley and Tulsa but stuck behind Colorado and Austin who had the two best records in the league. They had some talented players but also had to handle injuries in addition to some trades and call-ups. It remains to be seen how they'll do now that the divisions have been abolished, but Coffino's a solid coach and he should have them in a position to make the playoffs

August 28: Trey Gilder - signed with the Memphis Grizzlies

This is great for Gilder, obviously, but it's also a solid move for Memphis in that Gilder provides some insurance in case rookies DeMarre Carrol and Sam Young struggle (if Hasheem Thabeet struggles, well, good luck with that). That's not to say that Gilder himself still isn't a little on the raw side. As I noted in my offseason profile of Gilder (remember when we were doing those?), he still relies on his athleticism more than a solid shot, and he could stand to bulk up a little. He worked hard last year, though, and in addition to being a solid bench scorer he doesn't turn the ball over a whole lot. He played solidly in Summer League and apparently made an impression on the Grizzlies. The one concern I have is that if Memphis does sign Allen Iverson, they'll have 14 players on their roster. They were one team I had assumed would carry only the minimum 13 players, and Gilder's contract is only partially guaranteed, so his spot may be in danger should it come down to that. But, this is a move that could pay off really well for the Grizzlies down the line if they see it through.

August 29: DeMarcus Nelson - signed with Air Avellino (Italy); Dwayne Mitchell - signed with Hapoel Holon (Israel)

Mitchell spent last year with the LA D-Fenders, and he's a solid scoring guard even though he doesn't shoot a ton of three-pointers. He does a good job of getting to the line, and he can also give a team some occasional rebounding and assists. DeMarcus Nelson's shooting has been steadily improving, though it's still not great, and he had some turnover problems in Austin, but he's really good at getting to the rim and finishing around the basket, and he's a solid floor leader.

NBA Summer League Rosters Taking Shape

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:00:21 -0000

UPDATED - check after the jump for everything updated in the past three days.

Alright, we got all of the personal mumbo-jumbo out of the way - let's begin with the Summer League coverage!

The Orlando of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 6-10) is here, the Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 10-19) is here and the NBA Summer League roster of your favorite team (so far) is... After the jump!

I was all drafted out, so sorry for the lack of posting going on this weekend - I sincerely apologize to all thirteen of you that were disappointed. As a show of goodwill, I worked feverishly throughout the weekend to scour my sources, google the news, and do anything and everything I could to start piecing together an accurate view of what your team will look like this Summer.

Granted, it's probably not likely to expect much out of some of these players, but each year there are players that pop up from nowhere in Summer League and impress enough to earn a spot on an NBA roster. The most recent example would be Bobby Brown from last season, though there are plenty more (and we'll look at them throughout the next week heading into the Orlando portion of NBA Summer League's).

After the jump, I've put together a list of which players I've (all but) confirmed. If you're aware of anymore, let me know in the comments! If you're unsure of one of the players, click on the link - it'll either take you to their SBNation page or, if they're a bit more obscure, whichever source linked them to said Summer League team.

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:21 AM CDT ] Added Wink Adams to New York

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 11:15 AM CDT ] Added Daniel Artest to Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:34 PM CDT ] Added Paul Harris to Minnesota, from Cleveland

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:02 AM CDT ] Added Kevin Kruger to Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:48 AM CDT ] Added Acie Law to Golden State

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:58 AM CDT ] Added Lee Cummard to Phoenix, Luke Nevill to New Orleans

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 10:27 AM CDT ] Added Alex Ruoff to Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:59 PM CDT ] Added Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber and Matt Freije to Detroit

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 1:42 PM CDT ] Added Mohamed Tangara to Milwaukee

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:50 PM CDT ] Added Rod Benson to Houston, Demetris Nichols to Toronto

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 12:19 AM CDT ] Added Dar Tucker and Kevin Rogers to Dallas; Jaycee Carroll to New Orleans; completed Minnesota, Golden State and Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 11:54 AM CDT ] Completed San Antonio, Orlando and Boston roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 2:08 PM CDT ] Added Phoenix roster, Robert Swift to Boston

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 2:50 PM CDT] Added Jim Baron to Washington

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 5:00 PM CDT] Completed Chicago, Sacramento and New Orleans rosters

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 6:40 PM CDT ] Completed Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 8:02 PM CDT ] Completed Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 4:05 PM CDT ] Completed Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 5:31 PM CDT ] Completed Portland, Memphis

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/02/09 8:10 CDT ] Completed Philadelphia/N.J. roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/03/09 11:12 AM CDT ] Completed (?) Denver roster

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/07/09 7:45 PM CDT ] Completed Dallas, Detroit and D-League Select rosters

2009 ORLANDO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Boston Celtics

Bryan Mullins, Lester Hudson, Chris Lofton, Gabe Pruitt, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens, Michael Sweetney, Coby Karl, Darius Washington, Bryce Taylor, Kevin Rogers, Robert Swift,

Indiana Pacers

Aaron Jackson, Leo Lyons, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, Josh McRoberts, A.J. Price, Roy Hibbert, Will Blalock, Trey Johnson, Anthony Smith, Derrick Byars, Courtney Sims, Scott Vander Meer,

Philadelphia 76ers/ New Jersey Nets

Blake Ahearn, Jrue Holiday, Marreese Speights, Dionte Christmas, Chris Johnson, Rob Kurz, Gary Forbes, Marcus Slaughter, Terrence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, AJ Abrams, Jeff Adrien, Jason Ellis,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Serge Ibaka, Shaun Livingston, BJ Mullens, James Harden, Robert Vaden, DeVon Hardin, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, D.J. White, Marcus Dove, Moses Ehambe, DeAngelo Alexander, Richard Roby, Kyle Hines, Doug Thomas, Keith McLeod,

Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson, Levance Fields, Richard Hendrix, Russell Robinson, Darian Townes, Maurice Ager, Lance Allred, Brian Chase, Ronald Dupree, Courtney Fells, C.J. Giles, Steven Milosevic, Jeremy Pargo, Milovan Rakovic, Jeremy Richardson

Utah Jazz

Eric Maynor, Gary Wilkinson, Goran Suton, Kosta Koufos, Kyrylo Fesenko, Wesley Matthews, Kevin Kruger, Kevin Lyde, Andre Ingram, James Augustine, Cedric Bozeman, Justin Reed, Josh Duncan, Jim Baron, Reyshawn Terry and Larry Turner

2009 VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Chicago Bulls

Luke Zeller, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Bryan Mullins, Tyrell Biggs, Mario Austin, AD Vasallo, Anthony Roberson, Linton Johnson, Chris Davis, Taurean Green, Lorenzo Mata-Real, DeMarcus Nelson, Julius Hodge, Brandon Costner, James Augustine, Nick Lewis

Cleveland Cavaliers

Maureece Rice, Christian Eyenga, Danny Green, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson, Tarence Kinsey,

Dallas Mavericks

Aaron Miles, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ahmad Nivins, Curtis Jerrells, Dar Tucker, Kevin Rogers, Quinton Hosley, Damjan Rudez, Luke Jackson, Henry Dugat, Nick Calathes, Mickael Gelabale, Herbert Hill, Shan Foster, Trent Strickland, Andre Owens, Alfred Aboya, Moussa Seck, Bryson McKenzie

Detroit Pistons

Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko, Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber, Michael Bramos, Andre Owens

Denver Nuggets

Richard Hendrix, Ty Lawson, Derrick Byars, Ronald Dupree, CJ Giles, Coby Karl, Kareem Rush, Cedric Simmons, Sonny Weems

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Jermareo Davidson, Acie Law, Connor Atchley, Lawrence Hill, Joe Ingles, Jared Jordan, Cartier Martin, Quan Prowell, Lawrence Roberts, Jamal Sampson

Houston Rockets

Garrett Temple, Will Conroy, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Rod Benson, Hassan Adams, Marcus Cousin, Joey Dorsey, Charles Gaines, Mike Green, Brad Newley, Maarty Leunen, Darryl Watkins, James White

Los Angeles Clippers

Kyle McAlarney, Kevinn Pinkney, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor, Sean Banks, Dionte Christmas, Marcellus Kemp, Nik Caner-Medley,

Los Angeles Lakers

Tony Gaffney, Chinemelu Elonu, Alan Anderson, Aron Bynes, Dominique Coleman, Terrel Harris, Justin Hawkins, Ben McCauley, David Monds, Adam Morrison, Taylor Rochestie, Luke Schenscher, Mustafa Shakur,

Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Jennings, Salim Stoudamire, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Joe Alexander, Jodie Meeks, Dominic James,Mohamed Tangara, Will McDonald, Juan Palacios, Chris Richard, Szymon Szewczyk, Lorrenzo Wade

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ben Woodside, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Paul Harris, Oleksiy Pecherov, Bobby Brown, Pat Carroll, Devin Green, Gerald Henderson, Steven Hill, Rob Kurz, Garrett Siler,

Memphis Grizzlies

Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur, Hamed Haddadi, Daniel Ewing, Greg Stiemsma, Erik Daniels, Trey Gilder, Longar Longar, Brion Rush, Donta Smith, Marcus Williams

New Orleans Hornets

Marcus Thornton, Terry Martin, Darren Collison, Julian Wright, Luke Nevill, Jaycee Carroll, Earl Barron, Earl Calloway, Bryan Cusworth, Larry Owens, Marc Salyers, Courtney Sims, Anthony Tolliver, Quinton Watkins

New York Knicks

Jordan Hill, Blake Ahearn, Toney Douglas, Alex Acker, Wink Adams, Morris Almond, Warren Carter, Joe Crawford, Patrick Ewing Jr., Ron Howard, Yaroslav Korolev, David Noel, Mouhamed Sene, Rashaad Singleton, Nikoloz Tskitishvili,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix Suns

Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Lee Cummard, Alando Tucker, Micah Downs, Zabian Dowdell, Josh Carter, Kaspars Berzins, Jiri Hubalek, Geary Claxton, Chris Rodgers, Carlos Powell

Portland Trail Blazers

Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Jerryd Bayless, Patrick Mills, Thomas Gardner, Pooh Jeter, Bobby Jones, David Padgett, Deji Akindele, Matt Freije, Dwayne Mitchell, David Moss

Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Donté Greene, Jason Thompson, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, Spencer Hawes, Robert Battle, John Bryant, Pat Calathes, Marcus Landry, Brian Roberts, Victor Stowes, Ryan Toolson

San Antonio Spurs

James Gist, Jack McClinton, DeJuan Blair, Eric Dawson, Malik Hairston, George Hill, Romel Beck, Nando de Colo, Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson, Antonio Anderson, Marcus Vinicius, Ian Mahinmi, Alonzo Gee,

Toronto Raptors

Brent Petway, DeMar DeRozan, Nathan Jawai, Demetris Nichols, Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, Patrick O'Bryant, Carl English, Ekene Ibekwe, David Doublas, Paul Davis, Smush Parker

Washington Wizards

Tyrese Rice, Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton, JaVale McGee, Alex Ruoff, Jim(my) Baron, Alade Aminu, Ryan Ayers, Jon Edwards, Josh Heytvelt, James Lang, Dominic McGuire, Tywain McKie, Jason Rich, Diamon Simpson, Kyle Spain, Brandon Wallace

NBA D-League Select

Coleman Collins, Walker Russell, Will Frisby, Gary Forbes, Marcus Hubbard, Othyus Jeffers, Jasper Johnson, Trey Johnson, Kurt Looby, Curtis Stinson

Memphis Grizzlies Holding D-League Workouts; D-League Has A Summer League Team

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:34:21 -0000

We've been short on any major announcements since the D-League season ended other than the Bakersfield situation. Two decent sized announcements tonight, however.

The Memphis Grizzlies are apparently hosting a large D-League audition, and it seems to be focusing mainly on defense. Confirmed players there are Othyus Jeffers, Brent Petway, Dwayne Mitchell, Darius Washington Jr., Walker Russell Jr., Jelani McCoy, Marcus Hubbard, Brian Hamilton, Rodney White and Leon Jones for workouts starting tomorrow. Don't be surprised if three or four of these guys play for Memphis in Vegas this summer at Summer League. UPDATE: More players at the workout - Will Conroy, Trey Gilder, Eddie Gill, Stanley Burrell, Longar Longar, Tim Pickett, Michael Dickerson, Desmon Farmer and Mustafa Shakur.

Speaking of the D-League, they'll apparently have a Summer League team in Vegas, along with 21 NBA teams. The D-League fielded a team at the Rocky Mountain Revue last season, but with that folding, I assumed that this idea would be swept under the rug as well. It wasn't. It should be interesting to see who makes this team, as it'll be everyone that doesn't make an actual NBA team's Summer League roster. My first pick: Dakota's Will Frisby.

After the jump, small bullets on each player that we know that are at this workout.

The D-League Defensive Player of the Year, Idaho's Brent Petway, and the D-League's Rookie of the Year Othyus Jeffers, were two of the best defenders in the D-League last season. They also were both in the D-League Dunk Contest this season. (We'll have more on both of these guys tomorrow, as I feel they're the top two players at this tryout)
Dwayne Mitchell is a high-scoring lefty who played with the LA D-Fenders last season after not making the Lakers in the preseason.
Walker Russell Jr. led the league in assists with Fort Wayne, smashing the season assist record in the process.
Marcus Hubbard was in camp last season with the Atlanta Hawks and was the first round pick of the Dakota Wizards this season before being released and picked up by Rio Grande Valley.
Jelani McCoy is a big that played in China this season after not making the Clippers out of camp. If you're American and you play in China, you're going to put up big numbers. McCoy was no exception: 42.7 min 25.4 pt 67% 2P 57% FT 11.8 RB (8.3D - 3.5O) 1.6 blocks 2.3 assist. 1.5 steals
Brian Hamilton was in camp with New Jersey this season after a good campaign with the Utah Flash last season when he led the D-League in steals.
Darius Washington is a point guard that had a short stint with San Antonio last season. He was with the Bulls this preseason, and according to Jefe53, he played in Russia for a bit this season.
Rodney White has played in 218 NBA games, but none since 2005.
Will Conroy is a stud. Finished the season first in scoring and averaged eight assists.
Trey Gilder played his rookie season with the Colorado 14ers. Really impressed us off the bench.
Eddie Gill has plenty of experience playing the point in the NBA.
Tim Pickett is an interesting guy to put on this list. Has had some previous bouts with cannabis, apparently, but was a second round pick out of Florida State in 2004.
Michael Dickerson is the guy everyone is talking about at this workout. After not making it in Cleveland last season though, I'm just not sure how ready he is to endure another NBA season.
Desmon Farmer is a former D-League stud. He was last in the NBA with the Spurs (as he played for Austin in the D-League, meaning this was all but a lock)
Stanley Burrell played defense pretty well for the Toros this season, though we didn't expect any NBA looks
Longar Longar came into the D-League this season, but suffered with some injury problems. He played with Minnesota in Vegas last season.
Mustafa Shakur has a sweet name and stroke.
Last, but not least, Leon Jones went to Michigan. I have no idea what he's done since 2002.

I miss Sun Yue and other thoughts from last night in the D-League

Scott Schroeder — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:40:28 -0000

Yes, that is Sun Yue being dunked on by Cedric Bozeman

First off, I usually write my blogs late at night, after I've finished responding to my fan mail (Thanks Uncle Marv!) and before Red Eye on Fox News. Why does this matter to you? It doesn't. Just figured I'd let you know. WAIT! It does! When I'm writing, I usually just put a chill song on repeat and use it as background noise. Last night? Matchbox 20 - 3 AM. Tonight, John Mayer - Waitin' on the World to Change. Weak, I know, but they're good enough to put on in the background. Here's where you can help. Suggest something new, any genre (I listen to an odd mixture of country and rap, normally).

Alright, now on to the important stuff. What happened in the D-League yesterday? Well, two big things - Joe Crawford (not Joey) was called-up to the Knicks (should come official this morning) and Kosta Koufos was sent down, trading spots with Kyrylo Fesenko. The Jazz were apparently overloaded by Koufos' decent play and over abundance of vowels/letter in his name. Also, in non-D-League related news, Memphis lost, thus killing my chances of winning the SB Nation Bracket Challenge. Who do I blame? The state of Utah. If the rest of my picks are right (UNC beating Oklahoma, Pitt over Nova, Louisville over Kansas, UNC beating Lousville in the championship),I'll finish in second place. If all three colleges in Utah wouldn't have lost, I'd finish in first. %#$# Utah. If you're wondering, Graham Filler from The Rivalry, Esq. or California Golden Blogs will take first, depending on UCONN vs. Mizzou.

Continue on to see why I miss Sun Yue and other brilliant points from the two games in the D-League last night. Bare with me though, as it's been awhile since we've done this. If fierce D-League reporting were bran muffins, after reading this, you'd all be regular.

Fort Wayne 110, LOS ANGELES 99

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants defeated the LA D-Fender's, 110-99, due to Sun Yue being out for the season with an ankle injury. I can't be certain, as there was some other basketball going on last night that I watched, but I'm under the assumption that Sun Yue has to be what hurt the D-Fender's so much. Sun Yue certainly was a bigger loss than some dude named Joe Crawford who apparently got an NBA call-up or something. Sun Yue.

For the Mad Ants, it was a pretty balanced effort, so I'm going to give the game ball to Anthony Kent. Yep, that Anthony Kent. From Ball State, remember? You don't? Neither do I, that's why we're taking a closer look at the big man that came into the game averaging three points and three boards on 41% shooting through 35 games. He was also recruited by Southern Indiana, Youngstown, and Akron, so I'm assuming he's a local. He's a terrible interview. He was with the East Kentucky Miners of the CBA at the beginning of the season, from what I remember. Basically, I have no clue how he had 11 points, 15 boards, and two blocks. Maybe he was a "Mad Ant"hony?

Other notables for Fort Wayne include Taj (not Todd) McCullough, who scored 25 points and did nothing else; Chris Hunter, who had 22 points, six boards, five assists and three blocks; Ron Howard, who also scored 22 points; and Walker Russell, who scored 14 points and dished 12 assists while turning it over just once, but shot just 5-for-17 from the field.

For the D-Fenders, Dwayne Mitchell stood out. I'm sure he caught the ball, put his head down, drove to the left, and scored a lot. He finished with 25 points, shooting 11-of-17 from the field.

Other notables for Los Angeles include Charlie Parker, the best player ever (out of Millersville University, PA), who scored 16 points, but turned the ball over five times; big ol' Gabriel Hughes, who scored 10 points and grabbed nine boards; Ryan Forehan-Kelly, who had 16 points before fouling out; and Brandon Heath, who scored 11 points, had six asssists, and five boards.

RENO 131, Iowa 109

In the second game of the night, the Reno Bighorns dismantled a team that called themselves the Iowa Energy (couldn't tell) with a final score of 131-109.

Reno was led by Richie Frahm. I've waited a long time to talk about Richie in a public forum - ever since last summer while interning with the Vegas Summer League and I was running down the stairs to get the upcoming officials names while was running up the stairs after peeing. He said "what's up" and I said "Good luck, Richie!" This may or may not have been the highlight of my Summer League experience. Anyway, Richie made NINE OF HIS FOURTEEN 3-POINTERS. Blake Ahearn who? He finished with 31 points and not much else.

Other notables include David Noel, who may have had a more impressive box score, but we've never talked - Noel finished with 17 points, 13 assists, and 10 boards from the small forward spot; Rod Benson, who scored 17 points, grabbed 11 boards, and swatted FIVE shots in 30 minutes of action (call-up, please); and Garry "Two R's, Two Last Names" Hill-Thomas. The Notorious GHT finished with 24 points, 20 points above his season average.

Iowa was led, unsurprisingly, by Othyus Jeffers. I've talked about Jeffers pretty much daily for quite awhile, so I won't bore you with my thoughts once again on how he's an amazing defender, tough, has a nice stroke, and rebounds exceptionally well for a 6'5" dude that's been shot multiple times and deserves a call-up soon.

Iowa was not led by the Big Ostrich, Aristide Sawadogo. I have never seen a worse box score from a 28-year old over seven-foot, whose a second year pro from Clayton State in my life. Ever. The Dawg, as I call him, is a nice dude. Basketball is just not his thing. In 16:29 off the bench, he made one of his seven shots from the field, had four fouls, three turnovers, and two points. Yikes.

Other notable Iowan's include JamesOn Curry, who scored 24 points and added seven assists; Curtis Stinson, who had a good game with 23 points, six boards, and six assists; and somebody named Mark Tyndale, who scored 20 points and grabbed five boards.

In other news from Iowa, I found Steve Newman's Twitter and John Edwards is on his way to shore up the big man situation. Demetris Nichols will also probably be back soon. Anyway, Newman got the start last night and scored five points in 22:22. Post game comment?

Loss the game now im just hoping that not a sign of what the casino is going to do to me tonight

Also, Marty Tirrell will be doing the Iowa broadcast Saturday, even after his profanity-laced tirade the other day. Thanks KCCI, who emailed me that link out of the blue!

Happy Friday!

Rod Benson, now with Reno, can score, drive a nice car. Plus, D-League Results from Selection Sunday!

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:30:07 -0000

Yesterday there were five games in the D-League, all with their own random results, some not anything indicative of D-League.com's Matthew Brennan (we'll get to that in a post soon)!

The biggest news, however, came out of Reno. No, not that Cezary Trybanski is back in the league (huge news though? Yes). Bigger than that! No, not that preliminary reports are that Patrick Ewing Jr. just ended up with a strained ACL (FYI, his Georgetown Hoyas drew a six seed in the used-to-be-prestigous-but now-definitely-isn't NIT). Bigger than that, even. No, not even that Rod Benson has remembered how to score. Getting warmer! Benson bought a new car! Thanks to his shrewd negotiating, Boom Tho is now rolling around Reno in a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG that was listed at for over double what his D-League salary will be this season. Do I know what all those numbers and letters mean? No. Do I know that if he's able to buy a Mercedes and play in the D-League simultaneously, that all players should go overseas until Christmas time and come back loaded? Yes. Here's a picture:

Continue on for coverage of all the games last night in the D-League. Who's hot, Who's not, Who's who?

Also, if you've got connections, and I know most of you do, to arrange a way for me to get a couple tickets for the Minneapolis Regional of the NCAA's, let me know.

Erie 89 @ IOWA 101

Iowa was led by Othyus Jeffers, who is quickly becoming my favorite player in the D-League. He's aggressive, he's got swagger, he locks down on defense, and he rebounds amazingly well for a 6'5" player. I'd put his position (2?3?4?), but I'm not sure what it is. He's basically a 6'5" slashing power forward that guards the opposition's best player under 6'9". Since the beginning of February, Jeffers is averaging 21.5 points, 9.5 boards, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 steals, shooting 51% from the field. This game, however, against one of the hottest teams in the D-League, he stepped his game up one more notch. Jeffers notched 28 points and 11 boards this game, leading his team to the victory.

Other notable players for the Energy include Courtney Sims with 19 points, 14 boards, and point guard Curtis Stinson, with 19 points, nine boards, and four assists.

The Erie Bayhawks were led by Erik Daniels. Ugh. 22 points, 20 boards, 8-of-26 from the field. I just have not got close to falling in love with his game yet. I apologize. His defense is nothing to write home about, his 45% shooting playing the low post is gross, and in this game, he had 10 offensive rebounds. Five were off his own misses. Not sure if he was pulling a Ricky Davis to get up to 20 boards and increase those statistics, but he'll have to show he can play as a 3 and defend much better before those numbers impress NBA GM's.

Other notable players for the Bayhawks were Maureece Rice, who scored 17 points, dished six assists, and grabbed five boards; Ivan Harris, who scored 14 points and shot 4-for-10 from 3; and Quincy Douby, who should soon be inserted into the starting lineup. While I'm not sure there's enough shots to go around for him, he's a great scorer (at least at this level), scoring 14 points in 19 minutes yesterday afternoon.

TULSA 100, Albuquerque 97

Gary Forbes led the way for Tulsa. This should have been happening nightly. Unfortunately, it just started recently. Forbes was traded to Tulsa earlier this season, presumably so that Oklahoma City could get a better look at one of the better D-League prospects. Only recently has the rookie out of UMass blossomed, though. He ocassionally plays the point, has furthered his range, and can get to the rim with ease (Not LeBron James easy, more with Blake Ahearn awkward-ease). Over his last five games, he's averaging 22.4 points, 7.8 boards, and 4.8 assists. I'd have to get WelcomeToLoudCity's opinion, but I don't think it's all that far-fetched to take a look at Forbes, and soon. This game, he had 26 points, six boards, and four assists.

Other notables for Tulsa include Herbert Hill (former Sixer), who had a monster 18 points, 17 boards, and three blocks; and Shaun Livingston, who didn't play great, scoring eight points and grabbing five boards.

Albuquerque was led by Antoine Agudio. Since I profiled Agudio over the weekend, I'll use that same info today. Enjoy! Agudio is the all-time leading scorer from Hofstra, which boasts such luminaries as Speedy Claxton and Norm Richardson! Agudio is a lights out shooter (Blake Ahearn-esque) that's recently been given an opportunity since Keith McLeod went down with an unknown injury three four games ago. Since that injury, Agudio's killing it. Tonight was no different, as he finished with 23 points on 11 shots and had five steals 30 points on 15 shots, six-of-8 from beyond the arc, five boards, four assists and two steasl. As a bonus, his name is fun to say.

The other notable Thunderbird was Will Conroy. While he also finished with 30 points, it took him 12 more shots from the field and an extra six from the free-throw line compared to Agudio. He did add eight boards and seven assists, for positives.

DAKOTA 100 @ Fort Wayne 97

Dakota wasn't really led. Kind of a team effort, with no one really standing out. No clue how they won. Fort Wayne crumbled multiple times. For a Wizards standout, I'll go with Richard Hendrix. Really, he never stood out other than a minute and a half stretch when Fort Wayne decided it was a smart idea to put Anthony (Who?) Kent on him, but he did finish with 17 points and 10 boards, so we'll give it to the big man. Hendrix is battling a leg injury, but played alright in 27 minutes this game. On the season, he's averaging 13.9 points, 11.5 boards, and 1.6 blocks, shooting 55% from the field and just 60% from the free-throw line.

Other notables for Dakota include Mo Baker with 16 points, eight boards, and six assists (but five turnovers); and David Bell with 18 points and six boards (plus he drove and didn't turn it over every time. Bonus!).

Fort Wayne was led by Taj McCullough. After Renaldo Major went to the bench with a back injury early in the game, Dakota didn't really have anyone to guard him, as they either went with three guards (none of which could guard the 6'7" McCullough) or Romel Beck (who is a black hole on offense and not impressive on defense). McCullough did put up good numbers, as he should have, scoring 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and grabbing four steals.

Other notables for Fort Wayne include Chris Hunter, who finished with 12 points and 10 bords; Ron Howard, who finished with 21 points and shut down Ahearn early on defense; and Walker Russell, who finished with 17 points and 10 assists.

RENO 113, Anaheim 105

Reno was led by "Too Much" Rod Benson. I got confirmation from Mike Offerdahl, Wizards PR guru (Reno doesn't read RU or what!?), that Benson's 30 points last game (For fun,read this recap via Reno here) were a career high. Too Much followed that performance up with something nearly as impressive, scoring 25 points and grabbing seven boards last night. Benson apparently just needed to get back to the west coast to re-blossom, as he's averaging 16 points, 6.3 boards, and 3.2 blocks in 29 minutes, starting his first game last night.

Other notables for Reno include David Noel who scored 22 points; Richie Frahm with 19 points and 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc; and Lamar Butler (who?) with 21 points, five-of-six from deep, off the bench.

Anaheim was led by Cedric Bozeman, who scored 24 points, grabbed five boards, and dished seven assists, but then countered them with five turnovers. On the season, the former Hawk is averaging 18 points, 6.8 boards, and 3.8 assists, shooting 30% from beyond the arc (that % is bad, FYI).

Other notables for Anaheim include Ronald Allen with 21 points and Cameron Bennerman (Who?) with 17 points off the bench.

LOS ANGELES 111 @ Colorado 107

Los Angeles was led by Ryan Forehan-Kelly, who wins tonights Who of the Night! Forehan-Kelly is one of those random help-out players the D-League gave to LA to begin the season, after trying out for LA. This doesn't seem fair to me, as he should have already been on the D-League radar, having been in the draft last season. Regardless, Forehan-Kelly came out firing off the bench, scoring 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and grabbing nine boards. RFK's season averages are a little more modest - 10.4 points and 3.9 boards.

Nobody else had great games for LA, yet they were somehow able to go on a 15-0 run in the second quarter. Joe Crawford had 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting; Dwayne Mitchell came out hot, scoring 10 points in the first stanza (enough to make me email 14ers Mr. Everything Chad Andrus to tell him to "suit up, stop him from putting his head down and driving left"), but Mitchell finished with just 13 points and nine boards, clearly fearful of Andrus defensive prowess. Sun Yue, the most overhyped player ever to be assisgned to the D-League (including Martynas Andriuskevicius) got dunked on twice, hard. Sonny Weems once, Trey Gilder the other time. I loved it. He also contributed 11 points, six boards, and four assists, shooting 4-of-12 from the field. Dear LA, bring him back up. I think the over-promotion of him is hurting him.

The 14ers were led by Dominique Coleman according to the box score, but his numbers, minus the six big steals, came very quietly. Thus, I don't have much for anecdotes of him this game. He finished with 20 points, eight boards, five assists, and four turnovers.

Other notables for Colorado include Josh Davis, who seemed to be the only player on the court for the majority of the game, finishing with 19 points and and six boards and Sonny Weems, who scored 16 points in 17 minutes. Eddie Gill stunk it up, shooting 1-for-8 from the field, finishing with four points, six assists, and four turnovers, including a terrible decision on a shot in the last minute of action.

Blake Ahearn is Better than You - Last Night In The D-League

Scott Schroeder — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:30:08 -0000

Big news in Wizards world last night, as Blake Ahearn broke the career record for 3-pointer's made with 202 in just 75 games so far with Dakota. Considering next year is the 15th season of basketball, this is pretty cool. Congrats Blake!

Kinda like Marat Kogut and his magic, Ahearn can twist his body while shooting!

Continue on for highlights, lowlights and anything else I noticed in last nights D-League games! With five games, there was a lot!

Dakota 123 @ Erie 117

Dakota's best player, as we've already touched on, was Blake Ahearn. Not much I can say about Ahearn that everyone hasn't heard, so we'll just get to his line. In 40 minutees, he scored 35 points on 16 shots, hitting seven of his 10 3-point attempts. Blake Ahearn is a man. He's got the chest hair to prove it.

Other notables for Dakota include Mo Baker, who finished with 20 points, 10 boards and six assists from the point guard spot. This was Baker's seventh game this season with double-digit rebounds, and he's a 6'1" guard. Romel Beck, while starting to look like a black hole on offense, did have a clutch 3-pointer, so I've got to give him props on that. He finished with 15 points. Usually a Wizard big man would be in this space at all, but unfortunately, this game was officiated by Ben Taylor and Nick Buchert, who are fast becoming the worst refs in the D-League Congrats Marat. Still the D-League has them work together every game I see them. Dear D-League, please put a stop to this. For the good of D-League basketball.

Erie was led by Maureece Rice, who has been a man on a mission lately. His mission, apparently, has been making Erie win games, as they came in winning nine of their last ten. This game, Rice had 24 at the half, and somehow was open for every shot attempt. While I predicted a shootout between Ahearn and Quincy Douby, Rice really stole the show for Erie. Rice finished this game with 36 points, nine assists, and just one turnover. Great game from the rookie.

Other notables for Erie included Douby, who made his Erie debut. In 16 minutes off the bench, he had 16 points, jawed with Ahearn to the point where I figured they'd get double-technicals, and thoroughly impressed me with his defense. Possibly this years version of Dahntay Jones? According to Matt Brennan (I know - I'm popular), probably. Erik Daniels was a bit of a non-factor, scoring 17 points and grabbing just five boards. Not used to that. Nor am I used to the fact that he started the game guarding Ahearn. Awkward!

Austin 111 @ Tulsa 108 - Overtime

WTLC liveblogged this one, so I'm going to direct you over there. I've got nothing to include that they didn't, save for the fact that this was mentioned in the comments: "A 66er girl had a wardrobe malfunction…a la Janet Jackson." Plenty of pictures over there, but none of this. Sorry fellas.

Los Angeles 100 @ Idaho 111

This game wasn't futurecasted. Second night in a row that a game wasn't. First night was when Carmelo Anthony was going to do play-by-play at a 14ers game. Tonight, when Sun Yue was playing, the most marketable D-Leaguer worldwide. This is, as they say, not really good at all.

Idaho outrebounded LA by 24. That's a lot.

Stud for Idaho was Lance Allred. Wow. I don't have any analysis on this since I couldn't watch any of it, so here's his line: 29 points, 5 boards, 30 minutes.

Other notables for Idaho were Kevin Burleson with 14 points and 10 assists and Jason Ellis off the bench with 11 points and 15 boards. Nate Jawai had 15 points and nine boards before fouling out in 27 minutes. Needless to say, he has to calm that down a bit. Regardless, Idaho is 4-1 with Jawai in the lineup, Toronto is 0-6 with Jawai in the D-League. Coincidence? They doubt it.

Los Angeles was led by Dwayne Mitchell with 34 points. I have a feeling this team has chemistry issues. As per no futurecast, I have no other outlook on his stats.

Other notables for LA were Brandon Heath with 20 points, six boards, and five assists. Sun Yue is terrible. Case closed. I will not listen to any arguments. We've given him three games. He is not the guy I thought was coming over. This game, he had seven points, shooting 3-for-10 from the field.

Utah 108, Bakersfield 96

I didn't watch the majority of this game either, due to my frustration with the above. I'm really glad it's tournament time! Locally and nationally!

For Utah, as I assumed, Mo Almond beasted. This line shouldn't surprise you - 29 minutes, 29 points, 10-of-14 from the field. Unless he has a bad attitude, I can't understand why Utah wouldn't want to bring him back next year.

It seems Utah was pretty much a one man show, so I'll just mention Utah coach Brad Jones' rotation in this spot: Jones suited up eleven guys and ten played more than a quarter of action. Kevin Kruger had the most minutes, but still under 36.

Bakersfield was led by Trey Johnson. Johnson went off as usual, scoring 28 points on 16 shots. NBA teams, call him up. K? Thanks! Bye!

Nothing else too notable for Bakersfield, so we'll go with a former March Madness star: Mateen Cleaves had six points, six assists, and four turnovers. Not quite his Michigan State numbers.

Reno 118, Sioux Falls 116

The Boom Tho Movement is once again, well, a movement. After becoming stagnant overseas and then in Dakota, it appears Rod Benson, AKA Boom Tho, has found his mojo in Reno. Coming off the bench in 32 minutes, Benson scored 30 points (possibly a career high? Rod, let me know), grabbed seven boards, and swatted three shots. Since getting to Reno fives games ago, Benson is averaging 14.2 points, 6.2 boards, and THREE POINT SIX blocks per game, all off the bench. I like this.

Benson got the opportunity to go off due to a knee injury to Patrick Ewing Jr (Sorry Chris). The announcers speculated everything from a torn ACL to a knee sprain. I'll get the official report this morning. Ewing finished with 19 points in 22 minutes. Russell Robinson played well, even though his Kansas Jayhawks aren't, much to the chagrin of some D-League GM's. Robinson had 20 points, shooting 8-for-15 from the field. David Noel also had a solid game with 19 points, eight boards and eight assists.

Sioux Falls was led by Frank Williams, so R-Rob probably wasn't that great on the defensive end. Williams finished 31 points, two assists and five turnovers. Ouch. This just in: don't leave him open.

Other notables include David Bailey, who was injured mid-game, got blocked by Benson on Sioux Falls second to last possession, and then dribbled the ball off his foot as time expired. He finished with 11 points and six boards in 24 minutes. The Charlotte Bobcats assignees played well, although in limited minutes. Sean Singletary finished with 12 points and seven assists in 23 minutes and Alexis Ajinca had 12 points and six boards in 22 minutes. Bobby Jones was relegated to starting the game in the bench. I'd move Michael Joiner or one of the point guards to the bench instead.

In the League: March 4, 2009

ben.renz — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:05:35 -0000

Los Angeles 123, Fort Wayne 116 - If Fort Wayne wants to get out of the bottom of the barrel, losing to teams with a worse record isn't a good start. Granted though, the D-Fenders are the best awful team in the D-League. Joe Crawford is a star and Dwayne Mitchell had a monster game last night with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Brandon Heath is continuing his tear with 25 of his own and 9 dimes to boot. Fort Wayne lost this one by allowing LA to net 43 in the 2nd quarter alone. The lack of Coleman Collins sure didn't help the Ants, and Chris Hunter being held to 21 minutes is a shame. Walker Russell continues impressing however, with 24 points, 14 assists and 7 boards. LA shot 59% in the win and I've come to like this team, and come to dislike the Ants more.
Iowa 100, Sioux Falls 95 - Here we had my game of the night, and I was actually right in guessing the outcome! So I celebrated this morning with some fruit snacks. JamesOn Curry got 26 minutes off the bench in his first game back with the Energy, and boy oh boy was he a non-factor. 8 points, 3 fouls, 2 steals. JamesOff. Courtney Sims sent a message with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Cheikh Samb to the Knicks? No fellas. Courtney Sims is the better big man. Othyus Jeffers was a beast with 28 points and the little guy grabbed 12 boards while he was at it. Sioux Falls' Kasib Powell had 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 dimes in the loss and Chris Ellis pulled down 10 boards, but shot an unfortunate 2 for 9 from the field. The Skyforce played good team ball in this one, but were outscored by 10 in the 3rd and never really recovered.
Rio Grande Valley 133, Albuquerque 119 - The Vipes never trailed in this one and Kurt Looby is getting my NOD OF THE NIGHT with his 11 points, 17 rebounds 5 blocks. Loob's got talent. I've been impressed with his play for a long time. Great game from him. Trent Strickland also had a brilliant game for Rio with 27 and 9 boards to add. The Thunderbirds' just couldn't execute in this one despite Keith McLeod's 34 points, but Mark Walters did have a solid individual game with 15 points, 10 boards and 6 robberies. Too bad it wasn't enough. Albuquerque drops a winnable one to the underachieving Vipers. I feel like this has happened before...

Recapping a Busy Night In The D-League

Scott Schroeder — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:00:11 -0000

Just my thoughts as I peruse the box scores with close attention to potential NBA Gatorade Call-ups. I mean, seriously, there's like 40 former NBAer's with in the D-League with RidiculousUpside. Here's a rundown

Reno 102, Idaho 91 -- Reno was led by Richie Frahm, who scored 25 points, but contributed nothing else to the box score. Patrick Ewing Jr. came off the bench to score 20 points, had eight boards, and swatted four shots, though shot just 4-for-13 from the field. Gerry McNamara had 15 points and five assists off the bench, including 4-for-6 from 3-point territory. For the Stampede, Former Cav Lance Allred had 20 points and five boards, former Bobcat Kevin Burleson had 10 points, six assists, and former a-lot-of-teams Luke Jackson had 15 points, seven assists, and five turnovers.
Erie 98, Sioux Falls 96 -- Erie had four players in double figures, led by Erik Daniels, who scored 21 points, had seven assists, and six rebounds. For Sioux Falls, Bobby Jones had 22 points andd 1 boards. John Edwards had 15 points, eight rebounds. Kasib Powell missed his second straight game.
Albuquerque 120, Tulsa 114 -- For Albuquerque, 6'8", 320 pound Jasper Johnson dominated. He had 42 points and 19 rebounds. Keith McLeod had a career game, scoring 29 points and dishing 11 assists, somehow getting to the line TWENTY times. Will Conroy was a DNP, presumably with an eye injury. Tulsa was led by former Jazz first round pick Ryan Humphrey, who put up 42 points and 11 rebounds. Draft eligible Keith Clark scored 20 points and had eight rebounds.
Iowa 107, Utah 96 -- Iowa was led by 6'5" guard Othyus Jeffers, who scored 27 points and added nine rebounds. Demetris Nichols had 25 points, but turned the ball over five times. The Flash were led by Ronald Dupree with 22 points, five boards, five assists. Dontell Jefferson added 19 points.
Los Angeles 116, Anaheim 104 -- The D-Fender's were led by Gabriel Hughes, who I have no clue about. He finished with 22 points and 15 boards off the bench. Lakers' second round pick Joe Crawford had 20 points. CJ Giles, Dwayne Mitchell, and Longar Longar all didn't play. Anaheim was led by James White, who had a great all-around game. He scored 33 points, had 11 boards, and seven assists. Hawks send-down Othello Hunter had 10 points and 11 rebounds and teammate Thomas Gardner had 26 points and seven boards.
The Bakersfield Jam snuck by RGV, with a 107-106 victory. Derrick Byars led Bakersfield with 24 points and seven boards. Mateen Cleaves added 13 points and 14 assists. RGV was led by former Cav Jawad Williams, who had 24 points. Jared Jordan also had a good game, best in the D-League by far, with 23 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.

Tuesday Night Tidbits

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:49:22 -0000

Three games last night: all exemplify the reasons I love the D-League, and all featured hopeful NBA call-ups!

Colorado 141, Iowa 118 -- Well, I'm finally sold that Courtney Sims is really good. Without him, the Energy were outrebounded 53-37, leading to the 14ers new franchise record for points in a game. Being outrebounded wasn't the only problem for Iowa however, as starting point guard Curtis Stinson picked up two technical fouls and Energy trainer Tim Moran(!?) picked one up as well. Colorado was led by former Cavs call-up Billy Thomas, who scored 30 points, seven assists, seven steals, and six boards, along with converting SIX of his 10 3-pointers. Cleveland might want a looksie again this year after this one! Dominique Coleman scored 23, had 14 boards, and added six assists, while Josh Davis had 21 points and 13 boards in 33 minutes. Iowa had six player in double figures, led by Brian Evans with 21 points. The "Big Dawg from Clayton State", Aristide Sawadago, had two rebounds and just one turnover in over five minutes of action

Austin 110, Los Angeles 108 -- After the previous nights Nancy Lieberman controversy, the problem followed the Toros to California, as this time, Austin started just four players. Lucky for them, two of those players include Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Marcus Williams. Pops did his thing, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and swatting two shots, along with hitting a jumper as time expired to win the game. Clutch! Williams had 23 points and six assists. For the D-Fenders, former Laker second round pick Joe Crawford led both teams with 32 points and Dwayne Mitchell, who was in camp with the Lakers, added 25 points, seven boards, and six assists.

Sioux Falls 116, Fort Wayne 114 -- There were only two officials in this game (Don't ask why.. I don't know), but don't you worry. They made up for it by calling six technical fouls and a 3-second violation on Sean Sonderleiter with 24 seconds left in overtime and the Mad Ants with a one point lead. Keith Brumbaugh made a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the rest is history. Four Sioux Falls, 5'8" David Bailey scored 32 points and 10 rebounds, playing all 53 minutes, the 1,000 call-up man Bobby Jones had 18 points, 10 boards and five turnovers before fouling out, while Frank Williams came off the bench to jack up ten 3-point attempts and and score 24 points. The Mad Ants were led by Carl Elliott, who was traded earlier in the season for Bailey, putting in 31 points and grabbing 11 boards, playing all 53 minutes. Walker Russell, the D-League assist leader, returned to form, scoring 15 points and dishing 12 assists, though he did turn the ball over four times. Potential call-up Chris Hunter did not play, and I don't know why, but Sonderleiter got the start over Coleman Collins. There's also a fan post up from webby356 who was at the game. Sioux Falls Glen McGowan signed overseas earlier in the day as well, but was still in the box score.

Things Like This Happen All the Time

ben.renz — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:00:13 -0000

Los Angeles beat Idaho, huh? I really didn't see that one coming. Iowa cruised to an easy win against Tulsa to win their fourth straight, and Erie have lost straight with their defeat at the hands of Colorado last night. The D-League is alive, and we have a new five inches of snow on the ground here in Fort Wayne. Boomshakalaka.

Recaps of each game; just click right down there. Ya know you wanna.

Los Angeles Defenders (6-18) 106 Idaho Stampede (17-8) 103

I, like everyone else, declined to watch this game. Usually when the best team recordwise, plays the worst one, you can pretty much guarantee the outcome. Well not in this league, folks. The D-Fenders clawed their way back from a 17 point deficit for the in overtime. LA's Longar Longar (yeah, I never heard of him either) came off the bench and had quite a night. 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks. Keep an eye on him; plus, he has a name you aren't going to forget anytime soon. Idaho's Lance Allred was ejected late in the fourth. Classy. Idaho shot 38% as a team on the night. You really gotta expect better from these guys, even without Coby Karl in the lineup (however they did assist on 26 of their 35 buckets). Idaho's Brent Petway had 17 points and 6 rejections in his 28 minutes before he fouled out and Luke Jackson went 5 for 8 from behind the arc for 31 points. Dwayne Jones is worth noting as well. Dude had 18 points and 14 boards. Everyone loves a good double-double. Los Angeles fought hard for this one and Dwayne Mitchell had 23 points in the win. Brandon Heath, though? Seven turnovers. Seven.

Iowa Energy (15-6) 91 Tulsa 66ers (6-17) 78

This is another game you could pretty much count on; and this one happened to actually turn out the way we thought. Iowa led by as many as 29 and outrebounded the 66ers 52-39. Without Courtney Sims. Tulsa's 18 turnovers didn't help either. What a mess. Not to mention both teams were mediocre offensively; Tulsa was 39% and Iowa was 41% from the field. Ew. The Energy's Curtis Stinson didn't help matters with his 3 for 15 shooting and Brian Evans made things harder than they should have been with his seven turnovers (come on Brian, I vouched for you last week; why show me up like this?). Iowa had their bright spots though (plus, ya know, they won the damn game) with Cartier Martin erupting for 31 points and 11 boards, which were lovely packaged up with Othyus Jeffers' 19 points and 9 rebounds. Though, it needs to be noted that Tulsa's Moses Ehambe came off the bench last night to score 21 in 25 minutes. Ridiculous.

Colorado 14ers (14-7) 114 Erie Bayhawks (11-15) 110

Erie's just not getting it done lately. 7 straight losses? That would get anyone down. The Bayhawks shot the ball better but lost the battle of the glass 46-34. Erie's Clifford Clinkscales (another guy with an awesome name; we may have less talent but the D-League has much better names than the NBA) had 11 dimes and Erik Daniels had 33 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in the loss. But that can be ruined when you miss two important treys at the end of the game and turn the ball over five times. But still. The kid is good. Colorado won this one with two starters out (Billy Thomas and Josh Davis - the latter of which isn't helping my "better names than the NBA" argument. I mean, I just did some research and there are 29 guys named Josh Davis who work in the local mall. Billy Thomas isn't much better. Essentially what I'm saying here: You have very, very common names) and while shooting an ugly 7 for 30 from Treytah. Colorado rookie Trey Gilder had a career night with 33 points, 5 steals, and 3 blocks. You can thank him for the win. Eddie Gill also had 9 dimes as a side to his 24 points and Jamar Brown had 14 monster boards with his 17 points. And yes, guard Dominique Coleman also had a double-double for the 14ers with his 22 and 11. Colorado's looking good. Vernon Hamilton saw his first action in a 14ers uniform, playing 6 minutes, grabbing two boards, and turning the ball over once. He'll be okay though.

My girlfriend's cats are really good at opening doors. They've managed to scare me half to death twice just this morning. So, if I've been scared half to death TWICE...what does that mean? The Stampede take on the Bayhawks tonight for our only game of the night, and both teams are hungry for a win. Idaho dropped one they should have had, and Erie needs to stop their losing ways. This should be a good one. Ah, now her dog just walked in here. That scared me too. It's like the zoo.