CBA ALL-LEAGUE TEAMS:THIRD STRING ALL-STARS
While many believe the CBA (Continental Basketball Association) perished after Isiah Thomas bought the league and then bolted to the NBA when he couldn't make things work. This is false! While the current CBA really has no connection to the "CBA" that had sixty years of history to leave behind, it is the reincarnation of the IBA, a league that existed between 1995 and 2001. While the IBA did draw a number of talented players like Garth Joseph and Damon Jones who went onto the NBA, it also featured cats like Arthur Agee, of HOOP DREAMS fame, and even Ed "Booger" Smith who never saw their pro basketball dreams fullfilled. The CBA is, in fact, still playing games. While the level of competition of this CBA has not reach that of it's predecessor (not one player was called up from the CBA to the NBA this year) it still features some of the better players outside the NBA and even an racial-slurring Michael Ray Richardson.
FROM CBA HOOPS ONLINE Albany, NY, April 11, 2007 – The Continental Basketball Association today announced their annual All-League selections. These selections are voted upon by the seven member head coaches.
To be eligible, players must have played in 24 games (1/2 of the 48 game schedule) and be in good standing with the CBA. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
FIRST TEAM Galen Young - Yakama Sun Kings Young has proved himself as the go-to guy for the CBA champion Yakama Sun Kings all season long. Young’s 6.6 assists per game led the CBA this season. He also averaged 15.6 points per game and 7.3 rebounds in 46 contests, and compiled a 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio. Young is the tallest player, 6-7, to ever lead the CBA in assists. For these accomplishments, Young was awarded the Most Valuable Player earlier in the post-season.
Young earned three of the CBA’s six triple-doubles this season, including back-to-back triple-doubles on December 8th and 10th that earned him Player of the Week Honors. This was the first time a player had back-to-back triple-doubles since former Sun King David Vanderpool achieved this in the 2001 season. Young was named to the 2007 CBA All-Star Team, and has proven to be a leader and role model both on and off the court for the Sun Kings.
Jamario Moon - Albany Patroons Moon averaged 2.4 blocks and 1.9 steals a game in his 44 games for the Patroons, finishing with 107 blocks and 86 steals on the season. The 2.4 blocks a game was good for second overall and the 1.9 steals a game was good for third in the CBA this season. The 6-8, 210-pound forward finished with the season with 18.8 points, and 7.5 rebounds per game for the American Conference Champions. Moon, an all-time crowd favorite in Albany for his amazing dunking ability, was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award for his steller play this season.
Shaun Fountain - Indiana Alleycats Fountain, a 2001 graduate from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, distinguished himself as the Alley Cats' top statistical powerhouse. He finished the season as the league's leading scorer, with 23.0 points per contest; he also led the CBA in steals (2.5 spg); only Galen Young surpassed Fountain's 5.9 assists per game this season.
A member of the 2007 American Conference CBA All-Star Team, Fountain had two season-high games of 8 steals, on December 10th and December 31st. He was also named Player of the Week on March 5th, 2007, averaging 33.3 points that week. Fountain was also awarded the Newcomer of the Year award.
Ralph Holmes - Yakama Sun Kings Holmes averaged 19.7 points, and 6.2 rebounds for the champion Sun Kings. Holmes was a member of the 2006 All-Rookie team and was named the 2007 CBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player for his 25 point perfromance in a 134-131 overtime victory. Holmes was also named to the All-Defensive squad, helping the Sun Kings in allowing a CBA low 94.4 points a game this season. Holmes had 1.8 steals a game, good for fourth in the CBA this season.
Desmond Ferguson - Minot Skyrockets Ferguson led the CBA in both free throw percentage (88.5%) and three point field goal percentage (47.7 %), the first time ever in CBA history that this was accomplished. Ferguson also led the CBA in three pointers made, 168, good for second all-time. Ferguson averaged 20.6 points a game for the Skyrockets as they finished with a 31-17 record, good for second in the American Conference. Ferguson was also a member of the 2007 American Conference All-Star team.
SECOND TEAM Ray Cunningham - Minot Skyrockets Cunningham made quite the impression on CBA head coaches in his inaugural season in the CBA. Cunningham averaged 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a game for the Skyrockets. Cunningham has a member of the 2007 American Conference All-Star team, who found himself guarding multiple positions every night for Minot. Cunningham also 2.5 offensive rebounds a game for the Skyrockets.
Nick VanderLaan - Butte Daredevils The Concordia-Irvine product led the CBA in rebounds this season, pulling down 11.7 a game. VanderLaan also led the league ion offensive rebounds with 3.6 a game. Known for his hustle and tenacity on both ends of the court, VanderLaan pulled down a league high 25 rebounds in a single game this season. VanderLaan was also a member of the National Conference All-Star team, where he pulled down 16 rebounds in the contest.
Odell Bradley - Butte Daredevils Bradley showed his unique game to the CBA fans for the first time and they were not disappointed. Bradley 18.9 points and 3.7 rebounds a game for the Daredevils. Bradley was able to score a majority of baskets on the block, different for a player only 6-4. Bradley also averaged a steal per game for Butte.
Carl Edwards - Indiana Alleycats Edwards was part of a dynamic duo of guards with first team selection Shaun Fountain. Edwards averaged 22.1 points a game, good for second overall in the CBA this season. The high flying Edwards twice made 17 field goals in a game, best in the CBA. Edwards started the season slowly as he was felled by various injuries, but over the last 20 games, he averaged 29 points a game.
Jamar Howard - Great Falls Explorers Howard was a steady hand all season long for the Explorers. Able to do all the little things that sometimes don't show up in a box score, Howard still managed to average 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a game in Great Falls. Howard was also considered one of the best on the ball defenders in the CBA this season.
