| CITAZIONE South Burlington, VT – With the seventh overall pick in the 2009 Premier Basketball League draft, the Vermont Frost Heaves selected Ken Ottrix, a 6’9” 220 lb. Forward/Center from Slippery Rock University.
Ottrix, a native of Seattle Washington, began his college career at Ohio University before transferring to Slippery Rock. He graduated from Slippery Rock in 2008 and last spring was a member of the Seattle Mountaineers of the IBL.
Ottrix attracted the attention of Coach Strohm at the Premier Basketball combine held in Washington D.C. last month. “Ken has great athletic ability and he impressed me immensely in D.C. with his athleticism and ability to run the court. He has great leaping ability and his basketball skills and personality will fit quite nicely with what we are creating in Vermont,” stated Strohm.
Ottrix has signed a one-year contract and will report to Vermont in December. In the second round of the draft, the Frost Heaves selected Marcus Hall from Robert Morris College in Chicago.
Hall is a 6’5” guard and graduated from Robert Morris in 2009 and is a native of Buffalo, NY. The Frost Heaves have 10 days to sign Hall to a contract or he becomes a free agent and is eligible to sign with any other PBL team. CITAZIONE (Halifax, N.S.) The Halifax Rainmen took part in the 2009 Premier Basketball (PBL) League Draft today in Chicago, IL. Rainmen Team Owner, Andre Levingston represented the team.
The Rainmen selected Omar Weaver in the first round with the 7th pick, and former Dalhousie player Devon Norris in the second with the 17th pick.
Washington, DC native Omar Weaver is a 6’8” shooting guard who played his college ball at Riverside College in California. “We are very excited to have Omar as part of our organization,” said Levingston. “He has the ability to score in bunches and will cause matchup problems because of his size and ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot.”
Local player, Devon Norris, was scouted by the Rainmen at their open try-outs on October 25th. He is a 6’3” shooting guard who played with Dalhousie University. “Devon will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot this year at training camp,” said Levingston. CITAZIONE Chicago, IL…The Maryland GreenHawks selected Byron Mouton, a 6’6” 225lbs guard/forward from the University of Maryland with the third overall pick in Thursday’s 2009 PBL Draft.
The Premier Basketball League’s annual draft took place at the ESPN Zone in downtown Chicago, with the GreenHawks basketball operations staff led by General Manager Adam Dantus and Head Coach Ryan Krueger on hand representing the team.
“Byron brings a tremendous amount of experience and leadership to our team,” Dantus said. “We think that he is a tremendous well rounded player with a high basketball IQ and will fit in very well with our team.”
After two successful seasons at Tulane, Byron transferred to the University of Maryland during his junior year and worked his way into the starting line-up where he played alongside Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, Chris Wilcox and Lonny Baxter, helping lead Maryland to the NCAA Final Four.
During his senior year, Byron started 35 of 36 games and averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists while helping Maryland to the school’s first ever National Championship. That year he was named Honorable Mention All-ACC.
Over his college career, Byron scored a total of 1,473 career points at the NCAA Division I level and was named to the All-Consolation Team at the 2002 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament after averaging 22.0 points and 7.5 rebounds.
The GreenHawks used their second round pick (10th overall) to select Travis Lay, a 6’5” 215lbs forward from American University.
“Like Byron, Travis is another incredibly hard working player who well be a huge asset to our team,” said Dantus. “Our goal was to bring in players who are leaders that played at well renown collegiate programs and we feel like we accomplished these objectives with both of our selections.”
Travis played four years at American University in Washington DC, leading the Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history during his senior season.
In 2006-07, Travis played in 29 games shooting 49.3 percent from the field. He tallied a career-high 15 points, adding a then-career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double, in a win at Lafayette (1/27) and topped his career-high in rebounds with 13 versus Colgate in the Patriot League Quarterfinals (2/28) while playing a career-high 31 minutes. Travis majored in Political Science and Justice, finishing with a 3.9 grade point average, earning a bid on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.
Before American University, Travis was a four-year standout at Bullis High School where he was named First Team All- County his last two seasons and First Team All-Interstate Athletic Conference as a junior. As a senior, he averaged 17.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 47% from the floor. He led Bullis to the IAC championships in 2002 and 2003. CITAZIONE (Rochester, NY)…At the 2009 Premier Basketball League Draft held at the ESPN Zone in Chicago, the two-time defending PBL Champions, Rochester RazorSharks added size to their team with their first and second round picks, by taking 7’3” Jermaine Middleton in the first round (9th pick overall) and 6’8” David Bailey in the second round (18th pick overall).
The 25 year old Middleton, a 7’3” Center out of Northwood University (NAIA), originally from Los Angeles, CA will add both youth, and size to the RazorSharks frontcourt. Middleton finished his high school basketball career at South Kent School in Connecticut and played one year at Central Connecticut State before transferring to Northwood U. RazorSharks Head Coach, Rod Baker said, “We’re excited about Jermaine. He has a chance to be a great young talent.”
In the 2nd round, the RazorSharks selected David Bailey. Bailey is someone the ‘Sharks are familiar with since his PBL experience includes stints with the Maryland Nighthawks and Halifax Rainmen. Last season in the PBL, Bailey averaged 10.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 1.5 bpg for Halifax.
“Dave has experience and a work ethic that can only make us better,” said Baker.
Along with free agents, players became eligible for the Draft by attending one of the two National PBL Combines held in Chicago and Washington, DC this off-season. The PBL’s expansion team’s draft order was selected randomly then their order was reversed in the 2nd Round. The existing PBL team’s draft order was decided by how they finished the season last year. CITAZIONE (Chicago, IL): The Manchester Millrats selected two University of New Hampshire Wildcats in the Premier Basketball League draft, held today at the ESPNZone in Chicago.
With their first round selection, the Millrats chose 6'0 point guard Eric Gilchrese at 8th overall. And with their 2nd and final pick, the 17th overall selection, they chose 6'3 shooting guard Tyrece Gibbs. Both Gilchrese and Gibbs graduated from UNH this spring.
Gilchrese, a slick point guard from Springfield, Illinois with a penchant for defense and a deadly outside stroke (39% from three point range), should fit in well with the Millrats up and down style of play. During his junior campaign in Durham he averaged a solid 10.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.5 rpg, and 1.5 spg.
Gibbs, who hails from Brockton, Massachusetts, is a powerful wing player with great athletic ability and a solid outside shot (40% from three point range). Gibbs is only the 2nd player in UNH history to record at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists, 80 steals, and 45 blocks during his career. During his senior year at UNH, he averaged 14.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, and 4.5 rpg.
"We are escstatic to bring in two college teammates who played together at the division one level, here in the State," explained Millrats GM Ian McCarthy. "Eric is a heady guard and Tyrece brings tremendous aggressives and ability, and although they are both rookies we think they can compete at this level."
The Millrats will be hosting a veteran's invitation-only tryout camp in late November, followed by training camp which begins December 12th. The Premier Basketball League season opens January 1st. |
