Baller Bio: Kenny Satterfield

Kenny Satterfield is 31 years old. He only played a few seasons in the NBA, but he's been able to make a career out of professional basketball.

Satterfield was born on April 10, 1981 in New York City. He played at Rice High School in the Big Apple. He was named a 1999 McDonald's All-American in his senior year. In that same year, he was also named to the Parade All-American Third Team and USA TODAY's All-USA Third Team. He was also named the 1999 New York City Player of the Year.

He committed to Cincinnati and joined the Bearcats as a freshman in 1999 and put up averages of 9.2 points and 5.4 assists in 33 games. That season, he helped them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was an early entry in the 2000 NBA Draft, but withdrew before the deadline. In his sophomore season, Satterfield received more minutes and saw most of his averages and percentages go up. He played 35 games and averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. Satterfield shined in his second season with the Bearcats and helped lead Cincinnati to the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA Tournament before losing to Stanford.

Satterfield's draft stock was as high as ever and he decided to apply for the 2001 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 53rd pick of the draft in the second round. After being drafted, he played in the Rocky Mountain Summer League with the Mavs. Later, on September 25, 2001, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a future second round draft pick before the season started.

As a rookie with the pre-Melo Nuggets, Satterfield mostly played a back-up role, but saw his minutes steadily increase over the course of the season. He was hit with a few injuries, left knee patella tendinitis and a sprained left thumb, and missed more games than he would have liked to.

In his first career start (on March 30th, 2002), he took advantage of the opportunity and finished with 12 points and 11 assists, the first and only double-double of his NBA career, in a win vs. the Bulls in Chicago. He made a statement and proved that he could be trusted with a starting role. He started the next game and scored 17 points and dished out 7 assists in a loss in Detroit. He wouldn't start again until the second-to-last game of the season in which he scored only 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting, but finished with a career-high 12 assists. In the last game of the season, he scored a career-high 21 points and dished out 6 assists as the Nuggets lost to the playoff-bound Timberwolves on the road.

After gaining momentum at the end of his rookie campaign, Satterfield re-signed with Denver and received solid minutes at the beginning of his second season as a Nugget. However, as the season went on, his minutes and stats went up and down until he was waived by the team on December 18, 2002.

His NBA career was in jeopardy, but he bounced back and was picked up by the Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers less than a week later on December 23rd. Satterfield played 19 minutes off-the-bench in his first game as a Sixer, a blowout loss to the Jazz, but that ended up being the last game that he would ever play more than 10 minutes. Coach Larry Brown gave Satterfield only limited minutes and not enough time to prove that he could help the team. In his last NBA game, Satterfield went scoreless and finished with 2 assists in a bittersweet win against his former team, the Nuggets. It marked nine wins in a row for the 76ers, but Satterfield played in less than 10 minutes or didn't play at all in each game during the winning streak.

He was placed on waivers by the the Sixers before the regular season ended as they signed free agent Tyrone Hill. He probably hoped to be claimed, but wasn't and officially became a free agent on March 5, 2003.  In his 17-game stint with Philly, he had produced only 9 points and 15 assists. As the playoffs eventually started and ended (with the Spurs winning the title), Satterfield was hoping to get another chance to play in the NBA.

He got that chance later that year and signed a contract with the Washington Wizards in September. He was named to their training camp roster and hoped to become a member of their team for the upcoming season. This post-Jordan Wizards squad included a newly-signed Gilbert Arenas, a struggling, young Kwame Brown, Jerry Stackhouse in the prime of his career, and others. However, the Wizards didn't see Satterfield in their future and waived him in October of 2003 before the season started.

Satterfield decided to go overseas and sign with a team in France (Limoges) in November. He was waived in January of 2004.

He later brought his talents back to the U.S. and signed with the now-defunct Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League on February 18th. He emerged as their starting point guard and averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 18 games with the team. Satterfield hoped to be called up by an NBA team, but he wasn't and the Patriots lost in the semifinals of the playoffs to the Asheville Attitude, despite a great game from Satterfield in which he scored 33 points, dished out 6 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 6 steals, blocked 5 shots, shot perfect from the free-throw line, and made six 3-pointers in 44 minutes. A bright spot was that he led his team in points per game and finished second in the D-League in assists per game behind Omar Cook.

For the next years, after his stint in the NBA's official minor league, Satterfield played professionally all over the world in foreign countries like Greece, Venezuela, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Argentina. He even played for the Brooklyn Comets of the ABA from 2006-2007. During the summers he would come back to the states and play in NYC, his old stomping grounds. He played in the Rucker Park Summer League, the Hoops in the Sun Summer League, and the Dyckman League. He became known on the streetball circuit as "Serious Satellite."

He received an opportunity for an NBA comeback and played in the Reebok Las Vegas Summer League with the Chicago Bulls in 2005. He played okay and averaged 5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2 rebounds in 19.6 minutes over the course of 5 games, but didn't play well enough to separate himself from the rest of the players on the team and score an invitation to training camp. He was not signed by the Bulls.

In 2010, he returned to New York again, but traveled upstate to the capital region to join the Albany Legends of the IBL for their inaugural season. He quickly emerged as a team leader and had some great games: 13 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Tacoma Tide on April 30th and 31 points and 18 assists in a win against the Holland Blast on May 22nd.

He helped lead the Legends to the 2010 IBL Championship and led them to victory over the Bellingham Slam. He led the team in points, assists, and free throws made that game (30 points, 7 assists, 8-17 field goals, 12-for-12 free throws, 2-for-2 three-pointers), but was snubbed as big-man Deandre Thomas, who finished with 21 points, 10-of-14 field goals, and 19 rebounds, was named the Championship MVP instead of Satterfield. I was on the court at the Washington Avenue Armory during the celebration and remember seeing Satterfield after Thomas was named the MVP. From what I could tell, there wasn't a look of disappointment on his face. He just casually walked off the court, probably thinking about what his next basketball-playing gig would be.

He went off to Japan to play more pro ball later that year and is still on the grind today. He's 31 years old and another shot at the NBA is too unlikely to consider, but Satterfield will be remembered as a local legend in New York. In my opinion, he had the talent to be productive in the league, but got a bit unlucky, lost in the shuffle, and the NBA just didn't work out for him. Here's a short promo video of him for Team NIKE back in 2011:



While Sattterfield's stint in the NBA wasn't as long as he would have wanted it to be, his legacy could live through his daughter, Kaelynn. Earlier this year, she won top honors among 9 and 10 year old girls at the NBA/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish competition in Orlando, Florida during the 2012 All-Star weekend. Kaelynn said she hopes to play in the WNBA with the New York Liberty or become a doctor.

As the years go by, Kenny Satterfield will continue to age and eventually retire, maybe even trying a run at coaching, but his daughter may just be beginning a career in basketball.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Satterfield
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kenny_satterfield/printable_player_files.html
http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/player/cincinnati/kenny-satterfield/game_stats
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenny_Satterfield/Summary/675
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/satteke01.html
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/transactions/league/2003
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Washington_Wizards/30/Rosters/Training_Camp/2004
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/s/satteke01d.html
http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/transactions_03-04.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/years/2004.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/teams/FAY/2004.html
http://www.streetbasketballassociation.net/management/proplayer/index.html?player_id=15
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-01/news/31112047_1_girls-basketball-dish-swish-basketball-court
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Chicago_Bulls/4/Rosters/Summer_League/2005

Have any thoughts on Kenny Satterfield or any suggestions for who I should do a Baller Bio on next? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose in Championship to Soldiers 150-116 in Blowout

(Photo Courtesy: Kankakee County Soldiers - Facebook)

The Albany Legends lost today to the Kankakee County Soldiers 150-116 in the 2012 IBA Spring Championship. It was a blowout loss as the Legends struggled and the Soldiers dominated.

A play-by-play recap of this game isn't necessary. I listened to the game live and the Soldiers just kept developing their lead after gaining an early advantage in the first quarter. The Soldiers led 39-26 at the end of the first quarter. They developed their lead even more in the second period and led 70-51 at the half. The Soldiers pulled ahead even more in the third quarter and led 110-83 at the start of the fourth. The Soldiers didn't let up in the final quarter and won 150-116. The Soldiers won every quarter of the game and are now the back-to-back champions of the IBA.

I feel that breaking down the keys to the game would be pessimistic and obvious. To sum it up quickly, the Legends struggled, missed a lot of shots, gave up offensive rebounds, turned the ball over, and didn't play a good game.

Also, the championship was the 6th game in 7 days for the Legends. I think their chances against the Soldiers would have been higher if the players had been better rested.

Player of the Game: Tie between Ryan Edwards (33 points, 10 rebounds) and Stan Chismark (34 points)

Lloyd Johnson led the Legends with 31 points in the losing effort. Josh Jones finished with 19 points and E.J. Gallup had 16 points. Brian Hanuschak scored 13 points and Zach Bye scored 10 in the loss.

Though their season ended in a somewhat embarrassing fashion, Legends fans and players should keep their heads up, and here's why:

-They made it to the championship. That's something to be proud of, especially since they got there without Tadre Sheppard and Tiki Mayben.

-Lloyd Johnson had a breakout season and emerged as one of the best players in the IBA and the leader of the team.

-The future is bright. The Legends had a bunch of rookies on their roster this season (T.J. Czeski, Zach Bye, Brian Hanuschak, Shea Bromirski, and Kyle Downey). If they're on the team next season, they should only get better. Though E.J. Gallup is getting older as he progresses into his 30's, shooting is the main facet of his game and that usually isn't worsened with age. I think the Legends will be better next season and will be championship contenders if their roster isn't shaken up in a bad way.

-The Legends have had a winning record and have made the playoffs in every season since their establishment, so even if the team becomes worse next season, we should still be good.

-The Albany Legends recently announced that John Coffino has signed a one-year contract with the team and will return next season as head coach. I think this is a good move. Coffino did his best at coaching the Legends while being their 3rd coach in the 2012 season alone. I like Coffino. I think he's a pretty chill dude and a good coach too. I think that part of the reason that the Legends came up short was because Coffino had never coached in the IBA before and had to adjust to the speed and different rules of the league. That being said, I think this move gives the team some more stability which I think will be good for next season.

Source(s): Matt Schulz

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing in the championship to the Soldiers? Were you there? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Ballers in Comeback Win, Advance to Finals

The Albany Legends defeated the Kenosha Ballers yesterday 136-134 and will advance to the IBA Championship.

Although the Legends were down by 7 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, they came back and gained the lead. Late in the game, with about a second and a half left in the game, the Legends were up by 2 and Kyle Downey was at the line to shoot two free throws. He could have iced up the game, but missed both of them. Luckily, Lloyd Johnson grabbed the rebound at the buzzer and the Legends held on to win the game. The final score was 136-134.

Now that the Legends have won in the semifinals, they will be playing in the IBA Championship today. Their season all comes down to this last game. The Albany Legends (12-5) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (14-3) today at 5:00 pm Eastern time.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (a game-high 43 points to lead the Legends to the championship)

E.J. Gallup scored 34 points in the win. Josh Jones helped out with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

For the Ballers, Tim Baines scored 27 points. Damon Osbourne finished with 25 points.

Today's final game should prove to be tough for the Legends. The Soldiers beat the Legends in their season series so far 2-1. Plus, the Soldiers also won the IBA Championship last season and Ryan Edwards is the league's leading scorer and reigning MVP. I've seen Edwards play and the dude's a beast. The Legends are gonna have their hands full with him.

But there still is a good chance that the Legends can beat the Soldiers today in what I would call an upset. Here's how: Lloyd Johnson needs to keep up his level of play and try to outplay Edwards. The Legends need to stay focused on defense and on the boards. I would suggest giving more minutes to Zach Bye because of his rebounding skills for his size. I think that Lloyd Johnson will get his numbers as usual, but the x-factor could be E.J. Gallup vs. Ryan Edwards. If Gallup can hit his three's and Edwards can be harassed defensively into having a bad night, the Legends will have a better chance of winning.

I think (and hope) that the Legends will win today and be the 2012 IBA Spring Champions.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Ballers and advancing to the championship? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Capitals 135-105, Advance to Semifinals

The 3rd-seeded Albany Legends beat the 6th-seeded Lansing Capitals in the first round of the IBA playoffs yesterday and the final score was 135-105.

Lloyd Johnson led the Legends with a team-high 33 points. Kyle Downey chipped in with 24 points and Shea Bromirski finished with 20 points. Adam Abdourahamane scored 18 points and E.J. Gallup scored 16 points in the win.

For the Capitals, Terrance Shaw scored 33 points in the loss. David Williams finished with 19 points. Though their season is over, their fans have to be happy with Shaw's play over the course of the season. In my opinion, he was one of the best players in the IBA this season.

I think the key to the Legends winning this game (which could have gone either way) was Downey, Bromirski, and Abdourahmane stepping up in the absence of Tadre Sheppard and Tiki Mayben. Downey and Bromirski combined for 44 points to make up for the loss of Mayben. Abdourahmane, who usually just plays the role of rebounder and post-defender, scored more than usual to help make up for the abscence of Sheppard.

I predicted in my last article on the Legends that they would lose in the semifinals, which will take place later tonight. I'm not so sure anymore though because the Legends will be playing the 7th-seeded Kenosha Ballers who upset the 2nd-seeded Los Angeles Lightning who had a 12-2 regular season record before losing in the first round of the playoffs yesterday. Considering that the Ballers had a losing record during the regular season, I think that the Legends will beat them in the semifinals tonight.

The Albany Legends (11-5) will play the Kenosha Ballers (8-8) at 10 pm tonight. One of the keys to the game for the Legends will be defending Devron Bostick. As of June 13th, Bostick was ranked third in the IBA in points per game behind Lloyd Johnson and the league's reigning MVP, Ryan Edwards. If the Legends can step up their defense and lock Bostick down, they'll have a better chance of winning. Other keys for the Legends include Johnson keeping up his high level of play, Gallup's 3-point shooting, rebounding, and making up for the losses of Mayben and Sheppard.

I think the Legends will win. If they do, they'll play either the Gary Splash or the 1st-seeded Kankakee County Soldiers. If they play the Splash in the championship, I think that they'll win, but if they play the Soldiers instead, it will be much tougher for them. But it's a bit early for talking about the championship right now because the Legends need to win in the semifinals first.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs? Think the Legends will go all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose 2 Out Of 3 Road Games To End Regular Season

The Albany Legends finished out the 2012 regular season with three road games in a row on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They lost the first two, and then won their regular season finale in a blowout.

Before they left on the road, the Legends switched up their roster a bit. Tadre Sheppard, Shagari Alleyne, Tiki Mayben, and T.J. Czeski were gone while Shea Bromirski, Brian Hanuschak, and Brian Ormon were added to the roster.

This proved to be key for the Legends. I wasn't too worried about Alleyne and Czeski not being with the team anymore. They are both serviceable and helpful players, but are replaceable. However, the losses of Mayben and Sheppard, both starters this season, would prove to be significant in the fate of the Legends during their three road games. Sheppard is a crazy-athletic double-double machine with a field-goal percentage that's off the charts. Mayben is a talented point guard who can distribute the ball and have scoring outbursts as well (He scored 50 points in a loss to the Soldiers this season).

Bromirski and Hanuschak are both from Saint Rose and were presumably college teammates of Zach Bye. Bromirski is a 6-0 guard who can score and pass the ball well. Hanuschak is a 6-7 forward who can score and rebound well. Both of them played well in college, but seem undersized on the pro-level.

Ormon is a 6-7 forward like Hanuschak except Ormon is older. He was born in 1984 while Hanuschak and Bromirski should both be about 22 years old. I couldn't find too much info on Ormon, but it seems like he is a scorer and a rebounder. Ormon played high school basketball at Schenectady High School.

Game 1: Monday, June 18, 2012 - Lansing Capitals 147, Legends 132 (LOSS)

The Legends lost their first road game of the season to the Capitals, who had been swept in a 3-game series vs. the Legends earlier this season.

Lloyd Johnson scored 43 points and E.J. Gallup scored 30, but it wasn't enough. In their professional debuts, Bromirski scored 11 points and Hanuschak had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Adam Abdourahamane had 13 points and Kenny Tribbett scored 10 in the loss.

For the Capitals, Derick Nelson scored a team-high 28 points. Terrance Shaw had a double-double with 27 points and 20 rebounds. Dave Williams also had a double-double and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Terrance Shaw (27 points, 20 rebounds, 1 assist)

Game 2: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - Battle Creek Knights 119, Legends 109 (LOSS)

The Legends should have won this game, considering that the Knights had a 2-11 record before the game and the Legends had swept them in a 2-game series earlier this season, but they didn't. Lloyd Johnson had another Lloyd-Johnson-like game and scored a game-high 32 points, but the Legends lost again. Josh Jones scored 24 in the losing effort.

Game 3: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - Legends 150, Battle Creek Knights 99 (WIN)

The Legends must have been fired up before this game. They were on a 3-game losing streak, their longest of the season, and didn't want to end the regular season by getting swept by one of the worst teams in the IBA.

Albany went on to beat the Knights by 51 points in a blowout win. Lloyd Johnson had a triple-double and finished with a game-high 45 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 44 points and made 12 three-pointers in the win. Zach Bye had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Star of the Series: Lloyd Johnson (averaged 38.5 points in the 2-game series against the Knights)

I think that the key to the Legends losing to the majority of their road games was the absence of Tadre Sheppard. He was one of the most important players on the team this season. Tiki Mayben is not as important because Lloyd Johnson can fill his role.

The 2012 IBA Playoffs start tomorrow. The Albany Legends (10-5) will play the Lansing Capitals at 3:00 pm on Friday in the first round. I'm predicting that the Legends will beat the Capitals and advance to the semi-finals, but will lose and not advance to the championship.. I think that Johnson's leadership, Gallup's 3-pointers, and Bye's deceptive rebounding skills will be enough to take them to the semi-finals, but they will miss Sheppard and won't be able to win it all. I could be wrong, but if the Legends want to win the championship this year, then somebody should buy Tadre a plane ticket to Gary, Indiana, and fast!

Sources:
http://ibaball.net/news-scores
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Legends-regular-season-finale-a-laugher-3650635.php
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=923
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1280
http://www.usbasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=USA&PlayerID=144764
http://wasc.pointloma.edu/Content/Athletics/MensBasketball/Roster/Brian_Ormon.htm

Have any thoughts on the Albany Legends finished out their regular season on the road? Can the Legends win the championship without Tiki Mayben and Tadre Sheppard? Can Lloyd Johnson carry the Legends all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose to Redline in Home Finale

The Albany Legends lost to the Chicago Redline 133-132 yesterday in their final home game of the 2012 season.

Whoever sang the national anthem before the game should do it before every Legends game. It was the best version of the national anthem that I've ever heard. Tadre Sheppard, E.J. Gallup, Tiki Mayben, Lloyd Johnson, and Kenny Tribbett were the starters for Albany.

The Redline scored the first 4 points of the game, but the Legends then scored the next 5 points to go up 5-4. Both teams were tied 8-8 with 8:47 left in the quarter. Free throws by Sheppard put the Legends up 17-14 with 4:44 left, but the Redline went on a 14-7 run to end the period and were up 28-24 at the end of the first.

The Legends came out hot and started the second quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 31-28. Free throws by Mayben put Albany up 55-52 with 2:30 left, but Chicago went on a 8-2 run to end the quarter and were up 60-57 at halftime.

A 2-point basket by Mayben put the Legends up 62-61 early in the third quarter, but the Redline responded with a 9-0 run and went up 70-62 after a dunk by Tony Bennett with 9:24 left. However, the Legends came back and pulled away. Albany led 101-92 at the end of the third.

The Legends started the fourth quarter on a 13-7 run and went up 114-99 after two 3-pointers by Gallup. However, the Redline didn't give up and started to mount a comeback. They gradually cut the lead during the fourth quarter and tied the game up at 130-130 late in the game. Tadre Sheppard and Andre Tyler traded baskets and the game was tied 132-132 with 5.1 seconds left. Antwan Ware was fouled by Johnson with 3.6 seconds left and made 1 out of 2 free throws to put the Redline up 133-132. With 3.6 seconds left in the game, Gallup imbounded the ball to Mayben who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer (It looked like he was fouled, but it wasn't called). The Redline came out with a comeback win and won 133-132.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (42 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 three-pointers)

Tiki Mayben had a great statistical performance and finished with 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Tadre Sheppard had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers.

Tony Bennett led the Redline with 33 points. Antwan Ware scored 29 points and grabbed a game-high 20 rebounds.

Random Highlight of the Game: Shagari Alleyne grabs an offensive rebound after a miss by Lloyd Johnson and dunks it. Adam Abdourahmane's (#32 on the bench) reaction makes it even better. (I'm so glad I got this on video! - Definitely the best highlight I filmed all season)



I was disappointed that the Legends blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost at the buzzer, but the Legends had a good season this year. I think the franchise has made some strides forward and I'm happy with what the team has done so far. I will continue to cover the Legends' road and playoff games this season. I might even do some opinion entries: "What Legends Should Be Re-Signed Next Season," "Who Should Coach the Legends Next Season," and "The Top 10 Legends Players of All-Time." I'm also finishing up a Baller Bio on former Albany Legend and NBA player Kenny Satterfield.

Next, the Albany Legends (9-3) will play the Lansing Capitals (5-6) on June 18th and then the Battle Creek Knights (2-10) on June 19th and June 20th. The Legends are 5-0 against the Capitals and the Knights this season. I'll be surprised if the Legends don't win at least 2 out of those 3 games. After those 3 games, the Legends will compete in the 2012 IBA Playoffs and hopefully win the championship.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing to the Redline? How do you think the Legends will do in their road games and in the playoffs? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Redline 143-137 in Shagari Alleyne's Debut

Yesterday, the Albany Legends defeated the Chicago Redline 143-137 on "Legends Love Lewie Night."

I was hyped up for this game. First off, Lloyd Johnson was 18 points away from scoring 1,000 career points as a Legend. The Legends also had two new players, Adam Abdourahmane and Shagari Alleyne. Abdourahmane played with the Albany last season as a role-playing big-man. Alleyne is a 7-3 center from Kentucky, and is now the tallest player to ever play on the Legends (beating out 6-11 center Neil Edwards who played with the Legends in 2010). 

Marcus Snipes and Evan Lane weren't with the team last night. Abdourahmane was wearing Lane's number so I'm assuming that Snipes and Lane were waived. It safe to say that they are being replaced by Abdourahmane and Alleyne. I think that this is a good move because the Legends struggled with rebounding against the Kankakee County Soldiers last series - Alleyne is 7'3" and Abdourahmane was a solid contributor on the boards last season for the Legends. Also, Lane struggled in his return to the Legends and Snipes didn't play as well after getting injured early in the season.

CBA was packed on Friday and there was a much larger crowd than usual. In attendance were Jimmer Fredette's parents and former Albany Legends coach Derrick Rowland.

Tadre Sheppard, Kenny Tribbett, E.J. Gallup, Tiki Mayben, and Lloyd Johnson were the starters for the Legends. Johnson made a 3-pointer as the first basket of the game to put the Legends up 3-0, but the Redline came out strong and developed an early lead. Chicago led 15-9 in the first quarter before Mayben made four 3-pointers in a row and tied the game up at 21-21. However, the Redline went on an 18-5 run to end the quarter and were up 43-29 at the end of the first. 

The Redline continued to pull away in the beginning of the second quarter and led 55-35 when Legends coach John Coffino called a timeout with 8:31 left. A big reason that Albany was down was lack of rebounding and bad defense. The Legends then went on a 36-8 run to end the first half and led 71-63 at halftime.

The first basket of the second half was a 3-pointer by Lloyd Johnson that was his 1,000th point as an Albany Legend. The game was stopped and the crowd applauded and gave him a standing ovation. It was a proud moment in Albany Legends history. Later in the 3rd, the Legends went on a 9-0 run and an alley-oop from Gallup to Sheppard put the Legends up 85-66. Midway through the period, the Legends led 92-75. The Redline cut the lead and the Legends were up 103-97 at the end of the third quarter.

The Legends and the Redline went head-to-head in the fourth quarter, but the Legends had the advantage because they were leading already. The game became close in the end and a Redline layup off a turnover by Gallup cut the Legends' lead to 3 and Albany was up 138-135 with 33.8 seconds left in the game. An off-balance shot by Mayben served as the dagger and put the Legends up by 5 with less than 20 seconds left. After a few free throws by Johnson and Gallup, the Legends won 143-137.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (36 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) - He put up another triple-double and became the first Albany Legends players ever to surpass 1,000 points.

Tiki Mayben had a team-high 39 points and made six 3-pointers. E.J. Gallup made only 5 out of 15 field goal attempts, but finished with 19 points in the win. Tadre Sheppard chipped in with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and Kyle Downey helped out with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Shagari Alleyne scored 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field in his debut with the Legends. He also grabbed some rebounds and had some good blocks.

Tony Bennett of the Redline scored a game-high 43 points in the loss. Antwon Ware finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Terry Williams scored 33 points.

Random Highlight of the Game: Shagari Alleyne scores (He is my new favorite player on the Legends now that Guy Dupuy is gone.)



Next, the Albany Legends (9-2) will play the Chicago Redline (7-3) again today at CBA to end their 2-game series.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Redline? Do you think Albany will sweep Chicago? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Chris Grant: "(Albany Legends) Told Me They Didn't Need My Services"

(Photo Courtesy: The Record - troyrecord.com)

Back in March on opening night this season, the Albany Legends debuted an all-new squad, with only three returning players from the season before (Gallup, Mayben, & Morton) and no players from the 2010 title team (Lloyd Johnson returned to the team later). I didn't know what to expect from this team without the core of players that led Albany to IBL championship glory just two years earlier.

Fast-forward two months, I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with former Albany Legends player Chris Grant. I commented on one of his pictures and casually suggested that he should come back to the Legends. I said in the comment, "Come back to the Legends, we could use you up in Albany!"

Grant and I then exchanged a few messages that I'm very grateful he is letting me disclose. Here's what he told me:

"I wanted to come back. They (asked me several times) to come to the tryout and I did, then they hit me with the head fake and told me they didn't need my services."

"Like I said I wish the legends nothing but the best and I wish things would have turned out different but thats the nature of the business."

"So no more Albany for me."

If you don't remember Chris Grant, he played for the Legends in 2010 and 2011. He was a key player on their inaugural squad led by Kenny Satterfield and Gordon Klaiber that won the IBL Championship. He was a multidimensional player who couldn't be labeled as a scorer, a distributor, a rebounder, or a defender. He did everything and utilized himself well. He wasn't the best Legends player ever, but (in my opinion) he was their most versatile player. He could play point guard, shooting guard, and small forward well. Here are some highlights of Chris Grant when he was with the Legends:



It would be one thing if the Legends had a lot more talent this season, but no. No offense to any of the following players, but Grant is better than T.J. Czeski and Guy Dupuy. He was a glue guy who went out to help the team and never played for stats.

It would be another thing if the Legends did this with someone like Charles Henson (if you actually remember him, then good for you - I don't remember ever seeing him without his warmups on, but I digress), but Grant was a good player who would help the team. Sure, the Legends went 7-0 without him to start the season, but they could be 10-0 right now instead of 8-2 if he was still on the team.

Maybe there is more to this story that I don't know about, but I think the Legends made a bad decision to leave Grant in the dust. This is right up there with the Legends waiving Toby Smith back in 2010 (I'm never gonna let that one go).

Hopefully this isn't the same reason that Lloyd Clinton, Scott McRae, Damone Morris, and Deandre Thomas aren't on the team this season.

Have any thoughts on Chris Grant's comments on his departure from the Albany Legends? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Guy Dupuy Leaves Albany Legends for China

The Albany Legends announced yesterday via Facebook that guard Guy Dupuy is "headed for China" and will be playing on "the Chinese Mainland Tour of the SKY 'Street Ball' Syndicate sponsored by SHEMGOD & VOIT."

Guy Dupuy confirmed this, also via Facebook. He thanked his fans and his teammates on the Legends.

Dupuy played in 8 games with the Legends this season. The Legends were 6-2 when he played and 2-0 without him. His highlights included scoring 13 points in a game on April 13th against the Lansing Capitals, getting ejected and then suspended a game because of an altercation with an opposing player, and doing an off-the-bounce, between-the-legs dunk over a girl at halftime during a game:



He left the Legends on odd terms. During Saturday's loss to the Soldiers, he left the bench during the 3rd quarter and changed into street clothes after exchanging words with head coach John Coffino. He was later seen talking to General Manager Nick Dean outside the gym and spent the rest of the game sitting in the bleachers with Dean. Dupuy was not at Sunday's game and the Legends announced his departure from the team on Tuesday.

Albany Legends head coach John Coffino (left) and Guy Dupuy (right)

My theory is that he was going to leave the team anyway. I sit behind the Legends' bench at games and on Saturday, I heard Dupuy say to Coffino that it was his "last game." I think that whatever Coffino said to Dupuy set him off and provoked him to go back to the locker room and change out of his uniform mid-game. From what I heard, Coffino said something about to Dupuy dunking during halftime and said, "now everyone's fooling around." Dupuy took offense to his remarks and talked back. Coffino told him he could leave and Dupuy left after saying a few words (One of them was the f-word).

Dupuy didn't play overly well during his stint with the team and even had a few scoreless games. However, he was never given enough playing time, in my opinion, to show what he was made of.

Dupuy was one of my favorite players on the Legends. I thought he was cool and he is the best dunker that I have ever seen. Although his contributions to the team were sporadic (He was about as good at shooting as I am, and that's not saying much for either of us), I'm still sad to see him go.

Now that Dupuy is gone, the Legends could add another player to their roster if they want to. I would suggest that they bring back Scott Morton. He is a very energetic athlete who would help the Legends on both sides of the floor. Or the Legends can bring back Toby Smith!

Have any thoughts on Guy Dupuy leaving the Legends? Who do you think the Legends should sign, if anyone? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Soldiers 126-107 and Avoid Getting Swept

The Albany Legends defeated the Kankakee County Soldiers 126-107 on Sunday.

E.J. Gallup, Lloyd Johnson, Kyle Downey, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett started for the Legends while Billy Rush, Anthony Kyle, Ryan Edwards, Stan Chismark, and CeCe Malone were the starters for the Soldiers. Tiki Mayben suited up, but didn't play and Guy Dupuy was nowhere to be found. I'm assuming he was waived by the team after what happened the night before.

Gallup and Chismark traded 3-pointers to start the game. The Legends later went on a 10-2 run and were up 16-9 midway through the 1st. The Soldiers responded with a 9-0 run before John Coffino called a timeout. After a last-second layup by Sheppard, the Legends were up 28-21 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Soldiers went on a 13-1 run and went up 36-33. Coffino later got a technical foul with 4:13 left and almost got another after telling the ref to "stop having rabbit ears." Later, a 2-point basket by Johnson tied the game at 41-41. The Soldiers led 54-52 at the end of the first half.

The Legends went on a 23-8 run to start the second half and went up 75-62 after an alley-oop dunk by Sheppard off a lob from Gallup. Albany led 86-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Legends continued to pull away in the fourth quarter and went on a 12-0 run midway through the period. The Soldiers were unable to come back and the Legends won 126-107.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (32 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds)

E.J. Gallup and Tadre Sheppard each had 27 points. Kyle Downey finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Ryan Edwards struggled on offense and that was a big reason why the Legends won. He finished with only 21 points and made only 6 out 22 field goal attempts. Billy Rush also had 21 points and also shot less than 50 percent from the field.

Highlight of the Game: Josh Jones hits a 3-pointer off an assist from Lloyd Johnson



Next, the 2nd-place Albany Legends (8-2) will play the 1st-place Chicago Redline (7-1) at home on Friday, May 18th. It will be the first of two games in the Legends' last home series of the 2012 season.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Soldiers? Are the Legends better without Tiki Mayben? Will Guy Dupuy's departure haunt the Legends later on? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Edwards Scores 51 as Soldiers Beat Legends 144-140

The Albany Legends have lost their second game in a row to the Kankakee County Soldiers in overtime. The final score was 144-140.

The Legends were looking to avenge their overtime loss the night before. E.J. Gallup, Lloyd Johnson, Tiki Mayben, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett were the team's starters.

The Legends started the game off hot and were up 9-0 with 10 minutes left in the quarter. They continued to dominate and went up 19-2 with 8:10 left. A 3-pointer by Gallup put the Legends up 32-20, but the Soldiers came back and ended the quarter on a 12-3 run. The Legends were up 35-32 at the end of the 1st.

The Soldiers and the the Legends went head-to-head in the second quarter. A dunk by Billy Rush put the Soldiers up 36-35. Midway through the period, Marcus Snipes and John Coffino had a verbal confrontation on the bench. After taking him out of the game, Coffino said to Snipes, "Where were you on that play?" After Snipes talked back, Coffino said, "Take your uniform off" twice. They both cooled off and seemed cool with each other later in the game.

Later in the second quarter, when the game was tied 46-46, Mayben was fouled while going up for a layup and rolled around on the floor in pain. It looked like he hurt his back. He left the gym for the locker room, but checked back in the second half and was productive. The Legends were up 70-60 at the end of the first half.

The Legends maintained their lead in the third quarter, but I didn't pay much attention because I was too busy watching Guy Dupuy. Coffino and Dupuy started arguing on the bench shortly after the second half started. Dupuy left the gym after more unfriendly words were exchanged between them, including Dupuy saying something about it being his "last game." He walked back through the gym a few minutes later in street clothes and talked to Nick Dean, the General Manager of the Legends, in the lobby. Dupuy later returned to the gym carrying a baby and spent the rest of the game in the bleachers with Dean.

The Legends were up 95-86 at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Soldiers jumped out and went on a 7-0 run to start the period. Later, two free throws by Ryan Edwards tied the game at 99-99. The Soldiers went up 107-102 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Edwards had the ball at the top of the key and was being guarded tight by Kyle Downey when I yelled, "Yo Edwards, you got nothing!" He responded by missing an off-balance mid-range jumper.....Yeah, I totally psyched him out.

The game went down to the wire and was tied 115-115 with 1:32 left. A layup by Johnson put the Legends up 119-118 with less than a minute left. Two free throws by Rush after an odd intentional foul by Mayben put the Soldiers up 122-119 with 20.5 seconds left. Johnson tied the game with a clutch 3-pointer and the Soldiers took a timeout with 11.5 seconds left. Edwards missed a long shot off the backboard and the Legends took a timeout with 3 seconds left. Johnson missed a long three at the buzzer and the game went into overtime with the score at 122-122.

Edwards made a 3-pointer to start overtime and put the Soldiers up 125-122. A free throw by Sheppard cut the lead to 1 and the Legends were down 133-132 with less than 2 minutes left in overtime. A free throw by Mayben with 1:10 left put the Legends up 134-133. However, Edwards responded by making a 3-pointer with 57.7 seconds left and putting the Soldiers up 136-134. A free throw by Mayben tied the game at 136-136 with 44.5 seconds left. Anthony Kyle made a pair of free throws with 17.1 left and put the Soldiers up 141-138. Sheppard missed a 3-pointer and Edwards made a pair a free throws with 7.8 seconds left, putting the Soldiers up 143-138. The Legends were unable to come back and lost 144-140.

The Soldiers out-rebounded the Legends by a noticeable margin again (59-40). In a blog entry before the season started, I predicted that lack of size would be a problem for the Legends. These last two games have proved my point. The Legends are really missing Scott Morton right now. Also, the Legends couldn't get defensive stops when they needed them again.

Player of the Game: Ryan Edwards (51 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists)

Anthony Kyle helped out with 35 points and 8 assists and Stan Chismark chipped in with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Billy Rush finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Legend of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (40 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists)

Tiki Mayben also had a great game and finished with 31 points and 7 assists. Tadre Sheppard had a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 22 points in the game, but was a non-factor in the second half and overtime.

Random Highlight of the Game: Anthony Kyle to Ryan Edwards for alley-oop dunk



The Albany Legends (7-2) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (7-1) today at 6 pm at CBA to end the series. The Legends need to win this game to avoid getting swept.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing their second straight game to the Soldiers? Has Albany seen the last of Guy Dupuy? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Mayben's 50 Not Enough as Legends Lose to Soliders

The Kankakee County Soldiers have handed the Albany Legends their first loss of the season in an overtime thriller.

The first thing I noticed was that Marcus Snipes was back in uniform and was rockin' orange sneakers. I also saw that Evan Lane was back with the team. Lane, who won a championship with the Legends in 2010, is the only Legends player besides Lloyd Johnson to play in all three seasons with the team. Albany had 12 players in uniform - the most all season for them.

Kenny Tribbett, Tadre Sheppard, E.J. Gallup, Kyle Downey, and Tiki Mayben started for the Legends. Johnson wasn't there when the game started and arrived at halftime.

Ryan Edwards scored the first points of the game and the Soldiers went up 2-0. They ended up scoring the first 6 points of the game and led 18-8 with 5:56 left in the first quarter. Mayben then went on an 8-0 run all by himself in a series of plays that included consecutive 3-pointers, a block, and two free throws. That cut the lead to 2 and the Legends were down 18-16. Another 5 points in a row by Mayben put the Legends up 21-20. Another 3-pointer by Mayben put the Legends up 28-26, but the Soldiers led 29-28 at the end of the 1st.

Both teams went head-to-head in the second quarter. The game was tied 31-31 with 10:51 left and then tied again 39-39. The game was tied up again 50-50, but them the Soldiers went on a 10-0 run to go up 60-50 and John Coffino called a time-out with 2:52 left in the quarter. The first half ended with the Soldiers up 63-60.

The Legends and Soldiers continued to battle in the second half. A breakaway dunk by Mayben cut the Soldiers' lead to 1 and the score was 78-77. At the end of the 3rd, the Soldiers were up 99-94.

The game went down to the wire in the 4th. The Soldiers were leading 129-127 with less than a minute left in regulation. The Legends were still down by 2 after a layup by Johnson with 30.3 seconds left. The Soldiers then turned the ball over with 19.2 left. In the clutch, Mayben made a floater and the game was tied 131-131 with 11.6 seconds left. Edwards missed a shot that probably would have won it for the Soldiers and the Legends couldn't get a shot off before time expired. The game went into overtime.



The Soldiers went on a 12-5 run to start overtime and were up 143-136 with 1:46 left in OT. A dunk by Sheppard cut the lead to 3 and the Legends were down 145-142 with 1:10 left. Later, a 3-pointer by Mayben cut the lead to 2 and the Legends were down 147-145. Late in the game, a 3-point play by Sheppard cut the lead to 1 and the Legends were down 149-148. However, the Legends would never come any closer and a highlight dunk by Edwards with seconds left in OT served as the dagger. The Soliders won 153-148 as Mayben missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that wouldn't have mattered.

One of the big differences in the game was rebounding. Kankakee out-rebounded Albany 55-39. Another big factor was that the Legends couldn't get defensive stops when they needed them. Also, the Legends only shot 11 of 39 from 3-point range.

Player of the Game: Tiki Mayben - He scored 50 points (2nd most in Albany Legends history), dished out 14 or 7 assists (Times Union said he had 7 assists, the Albany Legends website said he had 14 assists), and grabbed 6 rebounds on his 25th birthday, but the Legends still lost to the Soldiers in a heart-breaker. He shot 19 of 39 from the field and hit 6 out of 7 free throws.

Tadre Sheppard and Kyle Downey also had great games. Sheppard scored 42 points off of 18-23 field goals and Downey finished with 25 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. E.J. Gallup and Lloyd Johnson also gave solid efforts. Gallup had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists and Johnson (who fouled out) finished with 11 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Zach Bye, Marcus Snipes, and Kenny Tribbett combined for 10 points while T.J. Czeski, Guy Dupuy, Josh Jones, and Evan Lane  (who all received limited playing time) went scoreless. I'm not sure Jones even played at all. Lane struggled in his return to Albany and will be looking to bounce back later today.

Ryan Edwards finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists (This should come as a surprise to no one who has ever seen him play or follows the IBA). Billy Rush had an even better game and finished with 52 points and 12 rebounds. Stan Chismark, Anthony Kyle, and CeCe Malone also had productive games and all finished with double-doubles.

Random Highlight of the Game: Tiki Mayben throws an alley-oop to Tadre Sheppard.



Next, the Albany Legends (7-1) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (6-1) today at 7 pm at CBA. The Legends need to win this game in order to keep first place. However, keep in mind that the Legends have never lost a home series before.

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing for the first time this season. Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Gallup Drops 45 as Legends Beat Splash in Comeback Win

Last night, the Albany Legends completed a sweep of the second-place Gary Splash behind 45 points by E.J. Gallup.

Lloyd Johnson, Emanuel Mayben, E.J. Gallup, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett were the starters for the Legends. Meanwhile, the Splash only had 7 players in uniform. The first basket of the game was a layup by Mayben, but the Splash responded with a 6-0 run to go up 6-2. Later, a 3-point play by Mayben put the Legends up 13-12, but the Splash regained the lead. Gary pulled away and led 29-20 at the end of the quarter.

The Splash continued to pull away in the 2nd quarter. They led by 14, but a 3-pointer by Gallup later cut the lead to 10. Then, the Splash went up by 19 for their biggest lead of the game. However, the Legends ended the first half with a bang and cut the lead to 9 and were down 58-49 at halftime.

During halftime, Guy Dupuy did an off-the-bounce, between-the-legs dunk over an intern:



The Legends started the second half with a 14-0 run and went up 63-58. Later, an alley-oop from Gallup to Sheppard put the Legends up 77-67. A 3-pointer by Gallup during the next possession put the Legends up 80-69 and another three by Gallup put the Legends up 83-71. At the end of the 3rd, a Splash player heaved a halfcourt shot that he released after the buzzer and made it. Much to the dismay of the fans and Legends coach John Coffino, the referees counted it and Albany led 85-80 at the start of the fourth.

The Splash tied the game 95-95, but a 4-point play by Gallup but the Legends up 99-95. Another 4-point play by Gallup served as the dagger and put Albany up 115-104. The Legends won 118-108.

Player of the Game: E.J. Gallup (45 points, 12-of-17 from 3-point range)

Lloyd Johnson scored 22 points, dished out 6 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds in the win. Emaunel Mayben helped out with 21 points and 7 assists. Tadre Sheppard finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 7 rebounds.

Star of the Series: Lloyd Johnson (averaged 29.5 points, 6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in series)

Next, the Albany Legends (7-0) will play the Kankakee County Soliders (5-1), the 2011 Winter IBA Champions, on April 27th.. Their star player, Ryan Edwards, is a scoring machine and scored 57 points in a win against the Springfield Express this season.

Sources: Times Union, http://ibaball.net/kankakee-soldiers, http://ibaball.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4-20-2012-soldiers-vs-express-box-score.pdf)

Have any thoughts on the Legends sweeping the Splash? Was E.J. Gallup's 45 points last night more impressive than Lloyd Johnson's 51-point performance against the Capitals? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Splash in Coffino's First Game as Head Coach

The Albany Legends are still in first place after beating the Gary Splash 127-114 at CBA on Friday night in John Coffino's first game as head coach of the team.

The undefeated Legends faced up against the Splash, who had the second best record in the IBA behind Albany. Lloyd Johnson, Kyle Downey, E.J. Gallup, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett were the starters for the Legends. A jumpshot by Tribbett, a layup by Johnson, and a 3-pointer by Kyle Downey put the legends up 7-0 to start the game. However, the Splash went on a 17-6 run and were up by 4 with three minutes left in the 1st quarter. A layup by Sheppard tied the game at 17-17 with a 1:30 left and the quarter ended with the game tied 21-21.

The Legends and the Splash continued to go head-to-head in the 2nd quarter. Midway through the period, the Legends led 43-40, but the Splash came back and went up 56-53 at halftime.

The second half started with a 5-0 run by the Splash, but the Legends responded with an 11-2 run and went up 64-63 after a 3-pointer by Johnson. Later, back-to-back baskets by Gallup put the Legends up 77-73. Albany led 89-80 at the end of the 3rd.

The Legends continued to pull away in the 4th quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Gallup put the Legends up 110-93 and they never looked back. Late in the game, an alley-oop from Zachary Bye to Guy Dupuy left a Splash player posterized and the crowd going crazy (Unfortunately, it happened when I wasn't filming). The Legends ended up winning 127-114.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (37 points, 8 steals, 6 assists, 4 rebounds). He has emerged as the team's leader and go-to guy.

Tadre Sheppard also had a great game and scored 33 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. He also made 14 out of 22 field goals and shot over 60% from the field. E.J. Gallup finished with 15 points and led the Legends with 7 assists. Kyle Downey had a good all-around game and finished with 16 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Marcus Snipes and Emanuel Mayben were in street clothes and didn't play. Snipes is probably still recovering from whatever injury caused him to miss last series. Mayben was suspended.

I like John Coffino. He seems like a cool guy and I'll think he's going to do well as head coach of the Legends. He's gotten off on the right start by winning his first game with the team. Then again, the Legends have won every game with every coach they've had this season.

Random Highlight of the Game: A missed dunk by the Gary Splash leads to an alley-oop from Lloyd Johnson to Tadre Sheppard.



The Legends (6-0) will play the Splash (8-2) again today at 7:00 pm at CBA to conclude the series. Regardless on whether the Legends win or lose, they will stay in first place.

(Sources: Times Union, http://ibaball.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4-20-2012-legends-vs-splash.pdf)

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Splash? What do you think of John Coffino? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

(100th post!!!) IBA: John Coffino Replaces Ben Smith as Head Coach of Albany Legends

The Albany Legends announced yesterday that Ben Smith has resigned as head coach. John Coffino will be replacing him.

According to Legends owner Steve Miller, Smith is stepping down to "devote more time to his family and teaching career at Niskayuna High School." Smith wasn't even at the last three games. Nick Dean was calling the shots.

John Coffino has served as an assistant coach at Iona, Niagara, and Saint Peter's. He has also served as head coach of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the D-League from 2008-2010.

I thought that Ben Smith was a pretty good coach and he had a winning record as head coach of the Legends. John Coffino has a solid resume and I think he will do a fine job as head coach. Coffino will be the Legends' fourth head coach after Derrick Rowland, who coached the Legends' championship team in 2010, Ben Smith, and Nick Dean.

Here is the complete history of all the Albany Legends coaches:

Derrick Rowland (2010)________Record: 19-3_________.864 winning percentage

Ben Smith (2011-2012)________Record: 17-7__________.708 winning percentage

Nick Dean (2012)_____________Record: 3-0_________1.000 winning percentage

John Coffino (2012-present)______Record: 0-0_________.000 winning percentage

Sources: Times Union, http://www.voy.com/29890/5/21910.html, http://cache.nba.com/dleague/albuquerque/john_coffino_bio.html

Have any comments on John Coffino replacing Ben Smith as head coach of the Legends? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Johnson Dominates as Legends Sweep Capitals and Stay Undefeated

The Albany Legends defeated the Lansing Capitals in all 3 games this past weekend at CBA and are now 5-0.

Game 1 - April 13th, 2012:

I wasn't at this game because I was in New York City watching the Knicks crush the Wizards at Madison Square Garden. However, the Legends continued their undefeated season in my absence and beat the Lansing Capitals 133-126 and improved their record to 3-0.

Kyle Downey played in his first game as a pro. Lloyd Johnson led all scorers with 35 points in his season debut with the Legends. Josh Jones chipped in with 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds while Tadre Sheppard also helped out with 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Terrance Shaw led the Capitals in scoring and rebounds with 26 points and 18 boards in the loss.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (35 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds)

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Game 2 - April 14th, 2012:

The Legends beat the Capitals again on Saturday 140-132 this time. E.J. Gallup led the Legends with 25 points. Lloyd Johnson scored 21 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out a game-high 6 assists. Emanuel Mayben chipped in with 17 points and 5 assists while Josh Jones also helped out with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Terrance Shaw had another great night and led the Capitals in scoring and rebounding again. He finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

Towards the end of the game, Guy Dupuy got in a physical altercation with Will Wright of the Capitals and was ejected from the game. Wright received a technical foul.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (21 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists)

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Game 3 - April 15th, 2012:

Sunday's game was by far the most exciting game of the series and one of the most memorable Legends games of all-time.

The Legends only had 9 players in uniform. Marcus Snipes and Guy Dupuy were in street clothes. Snipes was on crutches and Dupuy was probably serving a suspension for getting thrown out of the game the night before. I walked into the building at the same time he did, 19 minutes before tip-off at 5:41. He had on a Jordan jumpsuit and a backwards Raiders hat. He was showin' some swag:

The Legends led for most of the game until the Capitals went on a run in the 3rd quarter. At the start of the 4th quarter, the Legends were down 93-91 despite leading by 20 points earlier in the game.

Both teams played hard in the 4th and battled until the end. A short jumper by Lloyd Johnson put the Legends up 128-125 with 21.4 seconds left in regulation.


The Capitals answered back with a 3-pointer by Ty Motley and Emanuel Mayben missed a long jumpshot at the buzzer. The game went into overtime with the game tied 128-128.

The Legends and the Capitals went head-to-head in overtime, but a few altercations by Legends players were key. Lloyd Johnson started arguing with the coaching staff after being replaced in the game by Kyle Downey. He exchanged some tense words with both coaches because he didn't want to be taken out of the game.

Almost directly after that, Mayben got in the face of a Capitals player and was issued a technical foul. He responded by storming off the court, taking off his jersey, and throwing it on the ground in Andrew Bynum-like fashion (Think of Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Western Conference Semi-Finals). He stayed in the locker room for the rest of the game. Despite leaving the game in disappointing fashion, Mayben finished with 27 points and 9 assists. Ironically, Lloyd Johnson was put in the game to replace him.

The Legends were up 148-146 with not much time left in OT and E.J. Gallup was intentionally fouled by the Capitals. He could have iced the game up, but made only one of two free throws. The Capitals were down 3 with a few seconds left. They brought the ball up from their backcourt and Ty Motley nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to double overtime.

Lloyd Johnson heated up in the second overtime period and rained 3-pointers. The Legends pulled away and won 173-159 in 2OT.

Terrance Shaw had a phenomenal game (47 points and 18 rebounds), but was unable to prevent the Capitals from getting swept. The Capitals are now 3-5.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (Legends franchise high 51 points, 17-28 field goals, 8 3-pointers

Star of the Series: Lloyd Johnson - He is now the only Legends player to have played in all 3 seasons and wowed the fans at CBA in his first 3 games back with the Legends after playing overseas in Italy.

Tadre Sheppard had a lesser role in these past 3 games than the first 2 games of the season. The return of Lloyd Johnson had a lot to do with it. Johnson carried the scoring burden and indirectly limited Sheppard on offense. However, Sheppard still played an important role in each of the past three wins for Albany and finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday. He should continue to be a key player this season for the Legends.

Kyle Downey played his first three games this weekend with the Legends. He didn't put up overwhelming stats, but helped the team and utilized himself well. Downey is replacing Scott Morton on the roster and I think the team will break even with that move. Morton's height, defense, athleticism, and energy will be missed, but I think the Legends should play just as well without him.

Zachary Bye and T.J. Czeski gave solid contributions off the bench in the series. Bye rebounds very well for his size and plays solid on offense and defense. He got some questionable fouls called on him and fouled out in Sunday's game. Czeski will be battling for minutes now that the Legends are stacked at the point guard spot, but distributed the ball and scored well in the series.

Marcus Snipes was on crutches and didn't play in the series. Josh Jones stepped up in his absence and played well.

Next, the Albany Legends (5-0) will play the Gary Splash (8-1) in a two-game series starting on Friday, April 20th. The Legends and the Splash have the two best records in the IBA so far this season.

Sources:
http://ibaball.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4-13-12-box-score-ny-vs-lansing1.pdf
http://ibaball.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4-14-2012-box-score-albany-vs-lansing.pdf
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Legends-get-sweep-3484076.php

Have any thoughts on the Legends sweeping the Capitals? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Sheppard's 25 Helps Legends Sweep Knights

The Albany Legends have completed a sweep of the Battle Creek Knights behind Tadre Sheppard's 25 points and won 113-93. The Legends improve to 2-0 while the Knights are now 0-3.

I wasn't at this game because I was too busy helping my rec basketball team win a playoff game and advance to the championship, which will take place later today (I digress).

However, stats don't lie. Sheppard led all scorers with 25 points off of 9-11 field goals. He now averages 24 points per game and is shooting 62.5% from the field in his first two games with the Legends. Can he keep this level of play up? I don't know, but it is clear that he will be a go-to guy and will continue to play a major role on the team.

Zach Bye scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. He doesn't seem like the type to grab 12 rebounds, but I think that he is doing a great job this season. Bye is trying his best, shooting at a good field goal percentage, and is obviously exerting a lot of effort on the boards.

Scott Morton is a great role player. He led the Legends with 5 assists yesterday, scored 4 points, and shot 100 percent from the field. I imagine that he would be a shoe-in starter if Sheppard or Tribbett got injured.

Emanuel Mayben scored 22 points and made 10-of-19 field goals in the win. I like Mayben and I think that he will continue to do a great job as floor general for the Legends this season.

Kenny Tribbett played a good game and scored 16 points. He shot 6-for-12 from the field and made 4 out of 4 free throws.

Josh Jones and Marcus Snipes struggled last night. They both shot under 34 percent from the field and combined for only 11 points. They both played well in the first game, so I'm not sure why they didn't play as well yesterday.

E.J. Gallup scored 16 points, shot 7-for-15 from the field, and made two 3-pointers. That's about an average game for him.

Guy Dupuy was a non-factor and scored only 2 points. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that his only basket was a dunk.

T.J. Czeski scored 6 points off of 3-of-5 shooting. I still think that he will be a good second-string point guard for the Legends behind Mayben.

Kyle Downey still has yet to play for the Legends and I don't think Will Pratt is on the team anymore.

Player of the Game: Tadre Sheppard. He led the Legends in scoring in both games and was played a large role in sweeping the Knights.

Since I wasn't at yesterday's game, I didn't film any clips or take any pictures, but I can show you a highlight from the Legends' game on Friday. In it, Tadre Sheppard grabs an offensive rebound off of a missed 3-pointer by E.J. Gallup and lays it in for 2 points. Enjoy!



The Legends (2-0) next play a three-game series at home against the Lansing Capitals (2-1) from April 13-15. I will miss the first game of the series because I will be at Madison Square Garden seeing the Knicks play the Wizards, but I should be at the other two games.

Sources:
http://ucasports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=190&path=mbball
http://www.albany.com/byesline/2012/03/albany-legends.html
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Legends-win-again-3450350.php

Have any thoughts on the Legends sweeping the Knights and improving to 2-0? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Knights in Season Opener 129-102

The Albany Legends won their first game of the 2012 season last night against the Battle Creek Knights 129-102.

The first thing I noticed was that Will Pratt and Kyle Downey weren't there and Pratt wasn't listed on the roster. According to timesunion.com, Downey had a prior commitment and might not play with the team until their game on April 13th. I still don't have any word on Pratt. I also noticed that Scott Morton, who played with the Legends last season, was with the team and was listed on the roster.

I predicted the starting lineup almost all right with the exclusion of Josh Jones. Emanuel Mayben, Jones, EJ Gallup, Tadre Sheppard, and Kenny Tribbett started for the Legends. The Legends won the tip and a short jumper by Mayben and a 3-pointer by Gallup put Albany up 5-0. A dunk by Tribbett put the Legends up 17-6 and another 3-pointer by Gallup put the team up 20-8. The first quarter ended with the Legends up 22-14.

The Legends kept their level of play up in the second quarter. One highlight play was when Mayben threw an off-the-backboard alley-oop to Marcus Snipes. The score at the end of the first half was 57-47.

Albany continued to dominate in the second half and started out the third quarter with a 15-5 run. The Legends kept pulling away and led 98-72 at the end of the 3rd.

The Legends came out hot in the 4th and led 113-83 with 6:15 left in the game. The Knights were unable to make a comeback and the Legends won 129-102.

Here are some observations I had:

-The Legends led the entire game and didn't look back. It was a very comfortable win for the team.

-During a dead ball in the first, Courtney Smith of the Knights noticeably shoved Mayben and it wasn't called.

-I love Scott Morton's game. He is always taking charges on defense and diving for loose balls. There was also a specific play in which Morton really impressed me. He was hard-fouled by a player on the Knights and didn't try to retaliate or anything. He just got up and shot his free throws. That's good sportsmanship.

-Guy Dupuy doesn't do much else besides dunking. He threw down some good dunks in warmups and in the game, but didn't do much else noteworthy besides making a 3-pointer in the game.

-EJ Gallup's game hasn't changed a bit. He jacked up 12 3-pointers made 5 of them. He finished with 19 points.

-TJ Czeski and Zachary Bye served as good role players off the bench. Neither of them played overly well, but they're both young and should improve over the course of the season. Czeski had a good dunk during the game and I think he will serve as a good back-up point guard to Mayben.

-Josh Jones and Marcus Snipes both scored the ball well and helped the team. I think Ben Smith should start 2 out of these 3 players at shooting guard and small forward: Jones, Snipes, and Gallup.

-Kenny Tribbett, who started for the Legends, played fairly well, but didn't seem to be overly aggressive on either side of the court. He did make a few shots from inside.

Player of the Game: Tadre Sheppard. Sheppard scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Random Highlight of the Game: EJ Gallup hits a 3-pointer off an assist from TJ Czeski.



The Legends play the Knights again today at 1:00 pm at CBA.

Sources:
http://www.fox23news.com/sports/custom/localsports/story/Albany-Legends-Win-Season-Opener-129-102/InXeEl93QUKprJ6xiK-MXw.cspx
http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Legends-open-with-a-victory-3448976.php

Have any thoughts on the Legends winning their first game of the season. Do you think they can go all the way this year? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.