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.

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: 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.

Albany Legends to Start Season on Friday

The Albany Legends are back for their third season as a franchise and there are some notable changes with the team as they start the season on Friday.

The Legends have switched leagues. They are now playing in the IBA instead of the IBL. I don't think it will be a big factor.

There are also a lot of roster changes. There are only two returning players from last season:

-Emanuel Mayben is a talented point guard who should get more minutes now that Lloyd Johnson is not with the team. He ranked third in the IBL last season with 7.3 assists per game.

-EJ Gallup is a sharp-shooting guard-forward who can make it rain from 3-point range and should continue to get a lot of minutes this season. He averaged 16.1 points in 22 games for the Legends last year.

New additions to the team include:

-Zachary Bye: I couldn't find much information on this guy, so here's everything I know: He's from Scotia, New York, he went to Saint Rose, and is 25 years old. He could be a good 3-pointer shooter like Gallup.

-TJ Czeski: This 6-2 guard from Amsterdam, New York played college ball at Wagner College. In 100 games with the Seahawks, Czeski averaged 2.3 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. He is 24 years old.

-Kyle Downey: Downey is a rookie out of Siena College. He averaged 13.5 points per game with the Saints in his senior season that ended this year. He is a 6-2 guard and is 22 years old.

-Guy Dupuy: I had heard of Dupuy before he signed with the Legends. He is a tremendous dunker, has been featured on TeamFlightBrothers, and is well known on YouTube. Besides dunking, I don't know anything about his game.

-Josh Jones: Jones is a 6-4 shooting guard out of Husson College who was waived by the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League in November of last year.

-Will Pratt: Pratt is a 6-5 forward who played two seasons of D1 college basketball for Northwestern State. In his senior season (2010-2011), he averaged 17.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 assists in 32 games and shot 50.8 percent from the field. He played 11 games this season in the D-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and put up averages of 8.6 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field. Pratt sounds very talented and I wouldn't be surprised if he leads the Legends in scoring this season.

-Tadre Sheppard: This 6-7 forward from Texas played 2 seasons of college ball at Central Arkansas and put up averages of 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 52 games while shooting 53.5 percent from the field. I have never seen Sheppard play, but I imagine that he will show a lot of energy on both ends of the court.

-Marcus Snipes: Snipes played with the Legends back in April of 2010. He averaged 1.3 points and 0.5 rebounds in 4 games with the team. He is a 6-4 guard.

-Kenny Tribbett: Tribbett played in 5 seasons at Drexel University from 2005-2010 and averaged 2 points and 2 blocks in 94 games with the Dragons. He is 6-9 and from New Jersey. I expect him to be a rebounder and a presence in the post.

Here is what I think the starting lineup will be for the Legends:

PG: Emanuel Mayben
SG: EJ Gallup
SF: Will Pratt
PF: Tadre Sheppard
C: Kenny Tribbett

Key Players NOT Returning to the Legends this year:

-Deandre Thomas: Thomas helped lead the Legends to the championship in 2010 was named the Championship MVP. He was a dominant post player and his size and post-presence will be missed this season.

-Lloyd Johnson: Johnson was a key player with the Legends during their title run in 2010 and led the team in scoring last season with 19.9 points per game. However, I think that Mayben will fill the void at point guard.

-Damone Morris: Morris was an athletic shooting guard and an integral part of the championship Legends squad in 2010 who could get above the rim and make jumpshots. The Legends will miss his scoring this year.

The big problem with the Legends this season is size. Most of the players on this team are guards and it looks like some players will have to play out of position to make up for it. I think that the Legends will finish the season with a winning record like they did their first two seasons. This team could win the championship, but its too early to tell.

The Legends will play their first game of the 2012 season on Friday, March 30th at 7:00 pm against the Battle Creek Knights at home (Christian Brothers Academy). I will be in attendance and will post a blog entry on the game.

Sources:
http://ibaball.net/nyalbanylegends
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000641411096
http://www.sienasaints.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/downey_kyle00.html
http://www.sienasaints.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031612aaa.html
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/local-sports/2011/11/15/jones-one-maines-own-red-claws-training-camp/1115480
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/89052
http://www.kjonline.com/sports/claws-cut-jones_2011-11-21.html
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenny_Tribbett/NCAA/18543/2010
http://www.drexeldragons.com/news/2011/3/25/MBB_0325112133.aspx
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=209804514
http://www.albany.com/byesline/2012/03/albany-legends.html
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/32860/tj-czeski
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/61381
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Will_Pratt/Summary/21726
http://www.ibl.com/player_profile.php?playerid=908
http://www.ibl.com/stats.php?year=2011

Have any thoughts on the Legends this year? Think they have what it takes to go all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.