Post by mmetcalf on May 13, 2010 20:10:10 GMT -5
PBL ANNOUNCES POSTSEASON AWARDS
After the completion of their third and most successful year to date, the Premier Basketball League is pleased to recognize those individuals who excelled during the 2009-10 season.
In his first year with the PBL, guard DeAnthony Bowden of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Bowden, a 6’1 guard from Creighton, was the Cavs’ leader both on and off the court.\\During the regular season, Bowden averaged 17.2 points per game, and led the balanced Cavalry in field goals completed (114), assists (112) and steals (45); he also scored 37 3-point baskets.
“DeAnthony Bowden has been with our franchise for many years, even before we joined the PBL,” said Mike Brown, Managing Partner of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. “DeAnthony is one of those players that not only do his teammates enjoy playing alongside, he’s also someone that our fans appreciate, especially his exciting style of play.”
Bowden’s head coach, Micheal Ray Richardson, has been named the 2010 PBL Coach of the Year. Richardson’s Cavs compiled an 18-2 regular season record, and followed that up with a championship victory against the two-time PBL champion Rochester RazorSharks. Richardson, a former NBA All-Star player, ha now won three consecutive minor league basketball championships, including two with the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry when that team was in the Continental Basketball Association. In fact, Richardson is the first coach to win three consecutive minor league hoops titles since Bill Musselman won four consecutive CBA championships from 1984 to 1988 (coincidentally, Richardson also played on Musselman's 1988 CBA championship team).
"Micheal Ray Richardson is the heartbeat of the team,” said Brown. “The man has just set the standard so high for minor league basketball. Three championships in a row, two different leagues, it's pretty obvious that Micheal Ray's figured out how to motivate these guys and keep an expectation of winning games to the floor, and he's been able to attract great talent and great players, and he's proven it on the court, where it matters."
The PBL recognizes Eric Crookshank of the Halifax Rainmen as the 2010 PBL Defensive Player of the Year. Crookshank, in his second year with the PBL, has improved his game tremendously. The 6’8” forward from Dominguez Hills CC averaged a double-double in the 2009-10 season, amassing 14.5 points per game while pulling down 13 rebounds per match. He also led the Rainmen in blocked shots (30) and in thunderous dunks.
“Eric Crookshank has done a tremendous job for us all year,” says Andre Levingston, President/CEO of the Halifax Rainmen. “Eric’s a walking double double, and he kept us in some games from his rebounding. There are several guys in our league who can score at will, but there’s not many people in our league that takes rebounding personally, and Crookshank does. He’s had games with 20 rebounds per night. He’s worked extremely hard to become the #1 rebounder in the PBL this season, and we’re extremely proud of him.”
Eric Gilchrese joined the Rainmen in mid-season, after spending the first half of the 2009-10 season with the Manchester Millrats. For his efforts this season, Gilchrese has been named the 2010 PBL Rookie of the Year. The 6’0” guard from New Hampshire University was a first-round draft pick of the Manchester Millrats in the 2010 PBL Entry Draft (8th pick overall), and from the first game on, Gilchrese has paid dividends. He averaged 18.2 points per game for the Millrats, and achieved a strong 83% free throw accuracy. He was later traded to the Halifax Rainmen, where he continued as a role player and dependable bench spark plug.
“First and foremost,” said Gilchrese upon hearing of receiving this award, “I have to give thanks to God, without Him, none of this is possible. I want to give thanks to Ian McCarthy and the Manchester Millrats, they gave me the opportunity to be seen in the PBL. I also want to give thanks to Andre Levingston and the Halifax Rainmen family for bringing me in, I appreciate that. I also want to thank my trainer, George Milsap, from Indiana. He trained me and took me to some of the camps, so I couldn’t have been part of the PBL without his help as well.”
The Newcomer Award is presented to a player who is in the PBL for the first time, but has amassed prior professional experience. The 2010 Newcomer of the Year award is given to the Maryland GreenHawks’ Scooter Sherrill. Sherrill, a 6’3” shooting guard from North Carolina State, put together a strong season with 21.0 points per game; he also had 34 3-pointers and 75 assists.
“When we signed Scooter back before training camp,” said Adam Dantus, General Manager of the Maryland GreenHawks, “we knew he was a good player, being what he accomplished at NC State and overseas, but we didn’t know he was going to be this good. At the end of the year, he’s leading the league in scoring. The award is definitely well-deserved, he was one of the top performers in the court, but off the court he was a mentor to our younger guys, and overall a great person in the community.”
The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the best PBL bench player. This year, the PBL honors the Rochester RazorSharks’ Melvin Council as the 2010 Sixth Man of the Year. Council, a 6’3” point guard from Robert Morris (IL), earned his stripes every night during the season. He averaged 10.7 points per game, and also handed out 54 assists and amassed 30 steals.
“Melvin Council started out as a practice player for us last season,” said Rod Baker, Rochester RazorSharks head coach. “This has been a two-year process for Melvin, and through his hard work and diligence, he worked his way to the point where he was an important part of our success this season."
The Premier Basketball League congratulates these men on their awards. The League will issue the rosters for its All-League teams, as well as its All-Rookie, All-Defensive and All-Playoff teams, very soon.
After the completion of their third and most successful year to date, the Premier Basketball League is pleased to recognize those individuals who excelled during the 2009-10 season.
In his first year with the PBL, guard DeAnthony Bowden of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Bowden, a 6’1 guard from Creighton, was the Cavs’ leader both on and off the court.\\During the regular season, Bowden averaged 17.2 points per game, and led the balanced Cavalry in field goals completed (114), assists (112) and steals (45); he also scored 37 3-point baskets.
“DeAnthony Bowden has been with our franchise for many years, even before we joined the PBL,” said Mike Brown, Managing Partner of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. “DeAnthony is one of those players that not only do his teammates enjoy playing alongside, he’s also someone that our fans appreciate, especially his exciting style of play.”
Bowden’s head coach, Micheal Ray Richardson, has been named the 2010 PBL Coach of the Year. Richardson’s Cavs compiled an 18-2 regular season record, and followed that up with a championship victory against the two-time PBL champion Rochester RazorSharks. Richardson, a former NBA All-Star player, ha now won three consecutive minor league basketball championships, including two with the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry when that team was in the Continental Basketball Association. In fact, Richardson is the first coach to win three consecutive minor league hoops titles since Bill Musselman won four consecutive CBA championships from 1984 to 1988 (coincidentally, Richardson also played on Musselman's 1988 CBA championship team).
"Micheal Ray Richardson is the heartbeat of the team,” said Brown. “The man has just set the standard so high for minor league basketball. Three championships in a row, two different leagues, it's pretty obvious that Micheal Ray's figured out how to motivate these guys and keep an expectation of winning games to the floor, and he's been able to attract great talent and great players, and he's proven it on the court, where it matters."
The PBL recognizes Eric Crookshank of the Halifax Rainmen as the 2010 PBL Defensive Player of the Year. Crookshank, in his second year with the PBL, has improved his game tremendously. The 6’8” forward from Dominguez Hills CC averaged a double-double in the 2009-10 season, amassing 14.5 points per game while pulling down 13 rebounds per match. He also led the Rainmen in blocked shots (30) and in thunderous dunks.
“Eric Crookshank has done a tremendous job for us all year,” says Andre Levingston, President/CEO of the Halifax Rainmen. “Eric’s a walking double double, and he kept us in some games from his rebounding. There are several guys in our league who can score at will, but there’s not many people in our league that takes rebounding personally, and Crookshank does. He’s had games with 20 rebounds per night. He’s worked extremely hard to become the #1 rebounder in the PBL this season, and we’re extremely proud of him.”
Eric Gilchrese joined the Rainmen in mid-season, after spending the first half of the 2009-10 season with the Manchester Millrats. For his efforts this season, Gilchrese has been named the 2010 PBL Rookie of the Year. The 6’0” guard from New Hampshire University was a first-round draft pick of the Manchester Millrats in the 2010 PBL Entry Draft (8th pick overall), and from the first game on, Gilchrese has paid dividends. He averaged 18.2 points per game for the Millrats, and achieved a strong 83% free throw accuracy. He was later traded to the Halifax Rainmen, where he continued as a role player and dependable bench spark plug.
“First and foremost,” said Gilchrese upon hearing of receiving this award, “I have to give thanks to God, without Him, none of this is possible. I want to give thanks to Ian McCarthy and the Manchester Millrats, they gave me the opportunity to be seen in the PBL. I also want to give thanks to Andre Levingston and the Halifax Rainmen family for bringing me in, I appreciate that. I also want to thank my trainer, George Milsap, from Indiana. He trained me and took me to some of the camps, so I couldn’t have been part of the PBL without his help as well.”
The Newcomer Award is presented to a player who is in the PBL for the first time, but has amassed prior professional experience. The 2010 Newcomer of the Year award is given to the Maryland GreenHawks’ Scooter Sherrill. Sherrill, a 6’3” shooting guard from North Carolina State, put together a strong season with 21.0 points per game; he also had 34 3-pointers and 75 assists.
“When we signed Scooter back before training camp,” said Adam Dantus, General Manager of the Maryland GreenHawks, “we knew he was a good player, being what he accomplished at NC State and overseas, but we didn’t know he was going to be this good. At the end of the year, he’s leading the league in scoring. The award is definitely well-deserved, he was one of the top performers in the court, but off the court he was a mentor to our younger guys, and overall a great person in the community.”
The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the best PBL bench player. This year, the PBL honors the Rochester RazorSharks’ Melvin Council as the 2010 Sixth Man of the Year. Council, a 6’3” point guard from Robert Morris (IL), earned his stripes every night during the season. He averaged 10.7 points per game, and also handed out 54 assists and amassed 30 steals.
“Melvin Council started out as a practice player for us last season,” said Rod Baker, Rochester RazorSharks head coach. “This has been a two-year process for Melvin, and through his hard work and diligence, he worked his way to the point where he was an important part of our success this season."
The Premier Basketball League congratulates these men on their awards. The League will issue the rosters for its All-League teams, as well as its All-Rookie, All-Defensive and All-Playoff teams, very soon.