Better
Basketball Inc. (Long Island)
Where Can I See a Pro Game Without Traveling to NYC or New Jersey?
Long Island's only Professional Basketball Team, the New York Wizards, play all the home games of their EBA Schedule this season at Robert Frost Middle School at
450 Half Hollow Road in Deer Park.
The
Wizards have a unique promotion for the 2010 campaign - No child will
pay to see a Wizards game! Free youth and student tickets are
available by E-Mailing the Wizards atbetterball@optonline.net. Each youth ticket must be accompanied by a paid adult - What a Deal!
Ticket prices are $8 for adults!Come out and see Long Island's best players represent
Long Island professional basketball.
Wizards Win Matchup of Two
Undefeated New York Clubs
It was a showcase battle for the EBA as two of their undefeated Teams faced off in an epic battle with the New York Wizards prevailing over the Elmira Bulldogs 110-108.
The weather almost prevented this game from taking place, with a storm projected to hit Long Island on Saturday 2/6/10. "You can't say enough about James (Elmira Head CoachJames Schutz) and his Bulldog club" Stated Wizards Head Coach Greg Cerillo "With
some really questionable weather, they got in their cars and made the
trip. Truly the Bulldogs are a class act and they knew how
important this game was to both clubs. They put on some game in
particular when you consider their long travel."
The game was close throughout but the Bulldogs had no real answer for
Wizards power forward Mike McDuffie who finished the game
with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. "We have had a great
balanced attack all season" Stated Coach Cerillo "We attack the
basket as good as any club in our league and Mike is a big part of that
effort" The Wizards had 5 players finish in double figures.
In addition to McDuffie, forward Jerome Richardson finished
with 28 points, point guard Leon Pursoo added 15 points and 6
assists, shooting guard Nick Carter finished with 16 including a
perfect 8-8 from the free throw line, and Big Man (6'9") Anthony Cox
dominated inside scoring 18 points and led all rebounders with 15.
"There is very little time to enjoy this win (the Wizards
first against Elmira in 2 years) as we take on Westchester Sunday
2/7/10 and then travel to Elmira on Saturday 2/13 for a game which will
include having former NBA legend Dennis Rodman as Coach" Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo "We need to continue to work on the weak points of our game like our free throw shooting.
I like this team though because we are just a blue collar type
club. No nicknames, no egos, and we don't leave our best
performances in the warm up line."
Wizard's Win On The Road
122-102
With
most Wizards players traveling 6 hours or more from their Long Island
and NYC area homes, they stepped out of their vans and vehicles and put
on a show for the Virginia (Beltway Bombers) fans that came out to
see the game!
The Wizards have established an inside presence this season which is often difficult for their opponents to match. In an effort to counteract a virtual team type
attack on the paint, opponents often go into a zone, leaving quality
Wizards shooters open to shoot uncontested outside shots.
“Our recruiting this year was very specific. We wanted players who attack the rim. I think we have shooters who can shoot with anyone, but we need to work for easy shots before this happens” Stated Wizards Head Coach Greg Cerillo “We have 3 front line players averaging more than 20 points per game each. In Saturday’s Beltway contest Jerome Richardson had 27 points, Anthony Cox had 20, and Mike McDuffie had 19. These points included 7 game time, prime time dunks. The impact of these dunks is certainly fan appreciation, but for us the impact is more related to productive inside play. Anyone at this level can dunk in warm ups, a contest, or garbage time. When you dunk on the other teams best, it means so much more. When you combine this inside presence with one of the EBA’s leading scorers Nick Carter’s
26+ points per game (Nick had 26 on Saturday) and point guard Leon
Pursoo’s quality floor play, I think we are a difficult opponent for
many clubs.”
Yet even after getting off to a 4-0 start the Wizards refuse to rest on their laurels. “We
have at least 3 clubs right in our own Conference (Northern Conference)
who have won professional championships or multiple professional
championships at this or other levels. Delaware,
Harrisburg, and Elmira, and truly every team we face, continue to prove
night in and night out the quality of their teams and ownership” Stated
Coach Greg Cerillo “Don’t get me wrong being 4-0 is exactly where any
team in our league would want to be at this point” Stated Coach Cerillo
“But many teams in this league already own a professional championship. Until that happens for us, it’s back to work and hopefully we will be ready for a very, very difficult Newark squad on 1/30.”
The Wizards continue to count on their depth to challenge opponents in the league. In
addition to the players already mentioned the Wizards have
guard Brandon Butler who averages over 15 PPG off the bench
(challenging for 6th man
of the year), Lucius Savadel and Mike Session bringing size and
strength off the bench in case of foul trouble, and look forward to
having last years 1st Team
All EBA power forward Mike Mosby, and last seasons EBA's 3-pt shooting
percentage leader (55%) Greg Cerillo Jr. back in uniform
within the next two weeks.
Depth and Team Play Get Wizards
Off to Outstanding Start:
The
Wizards are off to a fast start in this their second season in the
EBA. Three games into this 2009/2010 season the Wizards are
3-0. Certainly the first two wins were attributed to big
efforts from Rookie guard Nick Carter averaging
35 PPG. Yet Coach Cerillo was most pleased with
Carter's third game of the season, an 11 point effort in a Wizards
win on Saturday 1/16/10 over the Garden State Rebels 104-97.
"There is no player of his ability more unselfish than Nick Carter" Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo Sr.
"In a league were players are attempting to accumulate great
stats to move up or to a perceived higher level, Nick only
takes 8 shots in the game on Saturday continually passing off the ball
to teammates with better shots. Certainly I want to give credit
to the Rebels defense, but Nick passed up opportunities for
others." Five Wizards players are averaging in double digitsthis
season. For Saturday's Rebels contest the Wizards were led by
Mike McDuffie's (Adelphi) 24 points and 10 rebounds.
With
a fan base of between 300-500 at every home game, the Wizards provide
quality entertainment at a more than affordable price. For the
entire 2009/2010 season the Wizards have a promotion which allows
children and students to attend Wizards home contests for free if
accompanied by an adult. "I think this may be our promotional
plan for years to come," stated General Manager Stephen Geick "Our
fan base is strong and when we get you into a game, we see you
again! Between our half time dance shows, our doubleheader
contests with youth teams, and our DJ (DJ Swing), it's just
great to be at our home games!
For
information about Wizards tickets, clinics, camps, private
instructions, fundraising games, and more call the Wizards hotline at 631-730-6347 or E-Mail - betterball@optonline.net!
Team Effort Leads Wizards to Second Straight Win 102-93:
In
a very difficult back to back scheduling situation, the New York
Wizards posted their second straight win, this one on the road Sunday
(1/10/10), with a 102-93 victory in Newark NJ over the Garden State
Rebels.
Nick Carter posted his second straight 30+ point game, finishing Sunday’s contest with 30 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Wizards Point Guard Leon Pursoo finished with 11 points and 11 assists playing almost 40 minutes with just 1 turnover.
Small Forward Jerome Richardson filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Wizards “big men” were led by Mike McDuffie who finished with 18 points (including 2 monster dunks) and 8 rebounds and Anthony Cox who posted 16 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 8 rebounds.
“Even though we won, we gave up 123 points on Saturday” Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo “The entire coaching staff challenged our team to do a better job defensively, and I think we did that.”
The Wizards defensive effort forced a game Rebels team into 18 turnovers and three 24-second clock violations.
Wizards stage incredible comeback for 130-123 Home Opener Win as Carter pours in 39 Points:
In front of a lively crowd of just over 300 people the New York Wizards treated their fans to a come from behind win after trailing in the third quarter by 19 points. After learning late in the week that they had lost one of the key pieces to their 2009/2010 campaign, when Wayne Nelson signed
an overseas contract, the Wizards put together a game plan that would
rely on an increased scoring from their backcourt, and that is what
they got! Nick Carter (C.W.
Post) proved to be just too much for whoever was in front of him.
In his first professional game Carter hit for 39 points including 15 in
the third quarter as the Wizards mounted their comeback. Brandon
Butler (C.W. Post), off the bench, added 14 third quarter points
and 18 in the second half. Starting point guard Leon
Pursoo (Southampton) added 18 for the game to go along with 9
assists, giving the Wizards 75 points out of this 3 guard set. The Wizards bigs were strong on the backboards with Mike Session (Dowling) and Anthony Cox (Farmingdale) cleaning
up missed shots and clogging the paint on defense. The Wizards
two starting forwards, Mike McDuffie (Adelphi) and Jerome
Richardson added 12 and 22 points respectively to give the
Wizards 6 players who scored in double figures (Anthony Cox added 10). "A home win is big for us and the Patrons gave us all we could handle" Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo Sr.
"But, we missed 20 free throws for the game and this can't happen
again. Overall I was pleased with our play, but I think we have
some areas we can address at practice." The win was only part of the show. The Wizards continue to give their Long Island audience a
team and entertainment package that is hard to match for the
price. Each child attending the Wizards game was admitted for
free, with a paid adult ticket. "No child on Long Island will pay
to attend a Wizards game this season, as long as they are accompanied
by an adult ticket" Stated General Manager Stephen Geick "
Our plan is to give every young basketball fan on Long Island no reason
not to come out to see us play. We will continue to build up a
fan base one fan at a time." The Wizards were part of a
DoubleHeader with 2 Long Island AAU Teams playing prior to
their tip off, in addition to having a DJ entertain the crowd all
game, and a dance team performance at halftime. Nick carter was
not the only one putting on a show! For information about attending a Wizards game or free youth tickets please call 631-730-6347 or E-Mail: betterball@optonline.net
2 Former Division I Stars
Join New York Wizards
General
Manager Stephen Geick announced today (Monday 12/14/09) the addition of
two former Division I standouts to the roster of the Eastern Basketball
Alliance New York Wizard squad.
“We are pleased to announce
that Nick Carter and Jerome Richardson have both agreed to join the New
York Wizards for the 2009/2010 season” Stated GM Stephen Geick
“Both players bring a wealth of experience on some of basketballs
biggest stages, and we look forward to what they can do to help the
Wizards compete with some of the elite teams in the EBA.”
Nick
Carter is a Long Island High School product out of Walt Whitman High
School in Huntington New York and considered one of the better guards
to ever come off Long Island. In High School Nick was named
all-county, all-state and all-Long Island as a senior. . . a two-time
second team all-conference selection and a two-time first team
all-conference pick. In High School Nick also lettered in track
for four years. Nick followed a brilliant scholastic career with
a Junior Collegiate career matched by few other players. At
Suffolk Community College in Selden Nick averaged 17.8 points, 6.7
assists, and 3.0 steal’s a game. In 2006 Nick led Suffolk CC to a
22-6 overall record, including the Region XV Regular Season
Championship ... was recognized for his outstanding play on the court
by being named a First Team Junior College All-American, Region XV
Player of the Year, and New York State Junior College Player of the
Year. Nick played 1 year at Division I Stony Brook University
before transferring to Division II C.W. Post. Nick helped lead
Division II post to their best season in Team History at 30-1. At
post Nick continued his incredible offensive displays by averaging over
17 PPG shooting 45% from the field and 83% from the free throw line.
Jerome
Richardson is a 6’4” swingman who honed his game in the tuff New York
City courts in and around his hometown Brooklyn New York. Jerome
went to Junior College at Frank Phillips Junior College in Texas.
At Frank Phillips Jerome was nothing short of legendary. In two
seasons of JuCo ball Jerome averaged over 20 PPG and received an array
of honors, which included being named First Team All Region and First
Team All Conference in 2004-2005. In 2005-2006 Jerome was named
First Team All American, JuCo player of the year state of Texas, WJCAC
Player of the Year, First Team All Region, First Team All
Conference. From Phillips Jerome received a full scholarship to
Division I Louisiana Tech University where he started along side Utah
Jazz's Paul Milsap and help lead the team to a 20 and 12 record and
also the first Playoff birth (NIT) in 7 years. “Jerome is another
player in our lineup who can play multiple positions for us from the
2-4” Stated Head coach Greg Cerillo Sr. “Jerome is one of the strongest
players with the ball that I have seen in my 30 years of
Coaching. Jerome is a rare two-way player who scores points in
many, many ways.”
DROP & SHOP BASKETBALL CLINIC:
Parents - How would you like to shop the Broadway Mall "child free?"
Join us Friday, November 27 from 9am-12pm for our
Drop and Shop Basketball Skills Clinic.
Click HERE for more more information!
Adelphi Graduate Wayne Nelson Set to Join The Wizards:
It is rare indeed that a player of Wayne
Nelson's stature and ability becomes available to help an
organization like the Wizards compete for a place among the EBA's elite
clubs. As a former standout player at Adelphi University in Garden City New York, Wayne
established himself on Long Island well before agreeing to join the
Wizards. Wayne finished as Adelphi's 3rd leading scorer all time, in
addition to receiving All American honors and Metropolitan Player of the
Year honors as a Senior. Wayne went on to play professional ball
overseas at multiple levels and played professionally in the US for
the Albany Patroons of
the USBL,
leading them in scoring in the 2003/2004 season, and the
Philadelphia Colonials of the ABA in 2006 where he earned a place on the
East All Star Team!
"When I heard personally from Wayne
expressing his desire to be a Wizard, I felt like Christmas had
come a few months early." Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo Sr. "What was
most important to me was Wayne's integrity, credibility, desire, and
belief in the foundation of our program, inclusive of our desire to be a 52
week a year basketball operation. If we are fortunate enough Wayne
will be part of our program for years to come and actively involved in our off
season camps, instruction, and games. I can't wait to see Wayne in a
Wizards uniform!"
Local Organizations Join
the Wizards Team:
For
2009 the Wizards have joined forces with several local business and
organizations to make it easier for basketball
activities, professional basketball, and professional
basketball players to be brought out to the local communities. The Wizards continue their long standing relationship with the Deer Park Community Center (DPCC) for the 2009/2010 season. Deer Park Community Center, located on 41 Homer Ave in Deer Park offers
activities to those in the local community which includes dances,
wrestling, sports programs, facility rentals, and
of course basketball. The Wizards, in conjunction with the Staff
at DPCC, run clinics, instructional lessons, team workouts, etc., all
in a centrally located facility in Suffolk County.
For more information about youth
basketball activities available at the Deer Park Community
center call Greg Stengel at 631-926-7532 For the 2009/2010 season the Wizards also welcome the New York Sports Club (NYSC)
into their basketball family. "Our relationship with an
organization with the reputation of the New York Sports Club just
solidifies our place into the community" Stated Steven
Geick General Manager of the New York Wizards. The Wizards will be conducting workouts, lessons, clinics, and personal training at multiple NYSC locations including Deer Park (631-242-4660), Hicksville (516-935-0622), or Dobbs Ferry (914-478-0944).
"The facilities at all the NYSC locations are out of this world
and state of the art" Stated Steven Geick general Manager
New York Wizards "Professional basketball and instruction by
professional basketball players will now be available to those at the
centers looking to enhance their own workouts or to get their children
involved in their daily or weekly workout routines" The Wizards encourage all those interested to contact their local centers or the New York Wizards for more details!
New York Wizards to Play at Madison Square Garden
with an Assist from the Elmira Bulldogs and a Slam Dunk for Entertainment
Director Sharon Kraemer:
For the first time ever in
the long and storied history of the EBA two of its teams will face off at
Madison Square Garden. On Sunday, Sept. 13 the Elmira Bulldogs will
tip off against the New York Wizards on one of basketballs biggest stages.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!
The Bulldogs vs. Wizards pre-season match
up will be the second game of a double header with the WNBA’s NY Liberty facing
off against the Washington Mystics in a regular season finale. The Liberty game
tips off at 4:00 while the Bulldogs and Wizards tip off at 6:30. All fans
must be in the Garden by no later than Halftime of the Liberty Game
(Approximately 5:00 PM) to qualify for the EBA discounted ticket price of $10
per person.
The Wizards originally scheduled opponent, the Garden
State Rebels also of the EBA, were unable to fulfill the requirement to
play at the Garden. Faced with a difficult situation the Wizards
management contacted the Elmira Bulldogs and after some quick work
the Bulldogs were able to contact all the players and fit the game into their
schedule.
Normally EBA Teams play in much smaller venues. This
contest of two of New York's EBA titans will really give both
teams a chance to shine on one of basketball’s biggest stages. “The
Bulldogs playing in Madison Square Garden is beyond my wildest dreams”!!
stated Bulldogs Co-Owner and Director of Operations Charles Berch. “When myself
and my partner/GM and head coach James Schutz brought the team to Elmira a few
years ago. We had very modest and realistic goals for the team. With Dennis
Rodman joining us for a few games in February and now playing in the Garden we
have definitely exceeded are expectations!! We only hope the city of Elmira is
as excited about the upcoming season as we are.”
“Not only for myself as a coach but this is the chance of a lifetime for
our players to play in Madison Square Garden. When I called the players to let
them know, their reaction was pure excitement.” Said James Schutz “Regardless
of our past record this will be a real tough game for us, getting a win is
going to take a total team effort. The Benefit the Wizards have is that they
all live in the same area and have been having practices and pick up games all
summer. We haven’t played as a team since losing the 2009 EBA Championship in
March. It will be really tough.”
Fans are encouraged to attend and Madison Square Garden has set up a
special group rate where fans can attend both games for a low price of $10.00
with open seating for the Bulldogs vs. Wizards game. To take advantage of the
special rate tickets must be purchased in advance and can be purchased by
calling Erin Dabe of Madison Square Garden at 212-465-6289. Fans
may also show up to the ticket window on game day and mention EBA to get their
special ticket rate!
The Eastern
Basketball Alliance New York Wizards were a Big Hit at the Little
People Of America 2009 National Conference held in Brooklyn New York
On Tuesday 7/7/09 5 members of the
Eastern Basketball Alliance New York Wizards including Gary
Williams,
Leon Pursoo, Greg Cerillo Jr., Anthony Cox, and Mike Session, put
on a show at the yearly conference. The Wizards participated at this
years conference by playing some full court basketball against 3 of the 4
Semi-Final Teams advancing to the final rounds at this years Little
Poeple's National Conference Basketball Tournament!
“It is not often that a Professional League and
Team make themselves available the way the Wizards did for us at this years
conference.” Stated Conference Co-Chair Person Clinton Brown III "The
players came to our conference in the middle of the day giving of their own
time and talent to make our event better. It was truly the hit of the
conference and a very emotional experience for those involved. The
Wizards are a true reflection of what Pro Sports should be all about.
After our event the players remained at the venue until each and every
person who wanted a photo or just to talk had their opportunity!
Thank You to the EBA and thank you to the New York
Wizards.”
Wizards receiving thanks from
Little People Of America Co-Chair Person Clinton Brown III
Wizards in Action
Little People of America
NEW YORK TOWERS
Sharon Kraemer Joins Wizards Staff
The New York Wizards are
pleased to announce the addition of Sharon Kraemer to their
Staff. Sharon will assume the role of Activities Director for the
New York Wizards. In addition to Sharon's work with the
Wizards she teaches and runs dance teams at two Long Island dance studios - Dance Elek-Tra and the Long Island Dance Force. "Sharon
worked with our Team last season on very short notice and was
virtually solely responsible for the Wizards averaging almost 300 fans
per game at our home games. This attendance figure was
tops in the league! In addition to Sharons outstanding half
time performances, she will also be helping us book additional talent
and events for our home games. With Sharon ,we know that
attendance at a Wizards game will be an exciting and fun event for
the entire family!" Stated Stephen Geick - General Manager New York
Wizards Sharon's Teams will be performing at Madison Square Garden on Sunday September 13th during Halftime of the Wizards Game against the Garden State Rebels - A Doubleheader conducted with the New York Liberty of the WNBA!
Wizards Attack the EBA Record Book
In their first season of
professional play your New York Wizards have established themselves in multiple
sections of theAlliance
Assists: Leon Leon
Mike Mosby led the
league with a 18 RPG average. Mike also recorded the top amount of
rebounds in a game for the 2009 season (26 against the Hampton
Roads Cardinals on 1/31/09). In addition the 26 rebounds recorded against
the Cardinals is the 4th highest total ever recorded in a game in league
history.
Steals: Greg Cerillo Jr.
averaged 2.2 SPG this season placing him 5th in the league in this
category. Greg recorded 5 steals in a game this season against the
Virginia Fast Break which was the 3rd highest number recorded in the league in
this category for 2009 and the 4th highest amount of steals recorded
in a game in league history.
Blocked Shots: Mike
Mosby and Anthony
Cox were 2nd and 3rd in the league in blocked shots per
game with a 2.7 BPG and 2.4 BPG average respectively. The 7
blocks in a game Mike Mosby recorded against the NovaHawks on 3/14
was the 3rd highest amount of blocks recorded in a game in 2009 and the 4th highest
total recorded in a game in league history.
3-PT Shots: Gary Williams, Greg Cerillo Jr., and Brandon Butler were all among the
league leaders in 3-pt shots per game this season. Each of the
before mentioned players recorded 5 3-pt shots in a game in 2009 (Williams
against the Washington Madness on 1/3/09 and Greg Cerillo Jr. &
Brandon Butler
Other Stats of Note:Double/Double: Both Mike Mosby and Anthony Cox
averaged a Double/Double in points and rebounds for the 2009 season
(Mosby - 19.6/18.0 Cox - 20.0/11.8)
Production: Gary Williams
proved to be one of the most productive Wizards players, if not one of the most
productive players in the league, with averages as follows: 21.2
PPG / 4.3
APG / 6.6 RPG. Gary
Shooting Accuracy:
Greg Cerillo Jr. shot an amazing 59% from
the floor and equally impressive 56% from the 3-PT line
Wizards Travel to Maryland, Nearly "Steal The Show":
A depleted New
York Wizards squad traveled to Maryland Butler
put on a shooting display the Maryland Butler
The Wizards finish their 2009 campaign with the
leagues top rebounder (Mike Mosby), the leagues top assist man (Leon Pursoo), one of the
leagues leading scorers (Gary Williams) and
a player in the top 5 in steals and leading percentage 3-pt shooter (Greg
Cerillo).
Where Can I See a Pro Game Without Traveling to NYC or New Jersey?
Long Island's only Professional Basketball Team, the New York Wizards, play all the home games of their EBA Schedule this season at Robert Frost Middle School at
450 Half Hollow Road in Deer Park.
Ticket prices are $8 for adults!
Long Island professional basketball.
Wizards Win Matchup of Two
Undefeated New York Clubs
It was a showcase battle for the EBA as two of their undefeated Teams faced off in an epic battle with the New York Wizards prevailing over the Elmira Bulldogs 110-108.
The weather almost prevented this game from taking place, with a storm projected to hit Long Island on Saturday 2/6/10. "You can't say enough about James (Elmira Head CoachJames Schutz) and his Bulldog club" Stated Wizards Head Coach Greg Cerillo "With some really questionable weather, they got in their cars and made the trip. Truly the Bulldogs are a class act and they knew how important this game was to both clubs. They put on some game in particular when you consider their long travel."
The game was close throughout but the Bulldogs had no real answer for Wizards power forward Mike McDuffie who finished the game with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. "We have had a great balanced attack all season" Stated Coach Cerillo "We attack the basket as good as any club in our league and Mike is a big part of that effort" The Wizards had 5 players finish in double figures. In addition to McDuffie, forward Jerome Richardson finished with 28 points, point guard Leon Pursoo added 15 points and 6 assists, shooting guard Nick Carter finished with 16 including a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line, and Big Man (6'9") Anthony Cox dominated inside scoring 18 points and led all rebounders with 15.
"There is very little time to enjoy this win (the Wizards first against Elmira in 2 years) as we take on Westchester Sunday 2/7/10 and then travel to Elmira on Saturday 2/13 for a game which will include having former NBA legend Dennis Rodman as Coach" Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo "We need to continue to work on the weak points of our game like our free throw shooting. I like this team though because we are just a blue collar type club. No nicknames, no egos, and we don't leave our best performances in the warm up line."
Wizard's Win On The Road
122-102
With most Wizards players traveling 6 hours or more from their Long Island and NYC area homes, they stepped out of their vans and vehicles and put on a show for the Virginia (Beltway Bombers) fans that came out to see the game!
The Wizards have established an inside presence this season which is often difficult for their opponents to match. In an effort to counteract a virtual team type attack on the paint, opponents often go into a zone, leaving quality Wizards shooters open to shoot uncontested outside shots.
“Our recruiting this year was very specific. We wanted players who attack the rim. I think we have shooters who can shoot with anyone, but we need to work for easy shots before this happens” Stated Wizards Head Coach Greg Cerillo “We have 3 front line players averaging more than 20 points per game each. In Saturday’s Beltway contest Jerome Richardson had 27 points, Anthony Cox had 20, and Mike McDuffie had 19. These points included 7 game time, prime time dunks. The impact of these dunks is certainly fan appreciation, but for us the impact is more related to productive inside play. Anyone at this level can dunk in warm ups, a contest, or garbage time. When you dunk on the other teams best, it means so much more. When you combine this inside presence with one of the EBA’s leading scorers Nick Carter’s
26+ points per game (Nick had 26 on Saturday) and point guard Leon
Pursoo’s quality floor play, I think we are a difficult opponent for
many clubs.”
Yet even after getting off to a 4-0 start the Wizards refuse to rest on their laurels. “We have at least 3 clubs right in our own Conference (Northern Conference) who have won professional championships or multiple professional championships at this or other levels. Delaware, Harrisburg, and Elmira, and truly every team we face, continue to prove night in and night out the quality of their teams and ownership” Stated Coach Greg Cerillo “Don’t get me wrong being 4-0 is exactly where any team in our league would want to be at this point” Stated Coach Cerillo “But many teams in this league already own a professional championship. Until that happens for us, it’s back to work and hopefully we will be ready for a very, very difficult Newark squad on 1/30.”
The Wizards continue to count on their depth to challenge opponents in the league. In addition to the players already mentioned the Wizards have guard Brandon Butler who averages over 15 PPG off the bench (challenging for 6th man of the year), Lucius Savadel and Mike Session bringing size and strength off the bench in case of foul trouble, and look forward to having last years 1st Team All EBA power forward Mike Mosby, and last seasons EBA's 3-pt shooting percentage leader (55%) Greg Cerillo Jr. back in uniform within the next two weeks.
Depth and Team Play Get Wizards
Off to Outstanding Start:
The Wizards are off to a fast start in this their second season in the EBA. Three games into this 2009/2010 season the Wizards are 3-0. Certainly the first two wins were attributed to big efforts from Rookie guard Nick Carter averaging 35 PPG. Yet Coach Cerillo was most pleased with Carter's third game of the season, an 11 point effort in a Wizards win on Saturday 1/16/10 over the Garden State Rebels 104-97. "There is no player of his ability more unselfish than Nick Carter" Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo Sr. "In a league were players are attempting to accumulate great stats to move up or to a perceived higher level, Nick only takes 8 shots in the game on Saturday continually passing off the ball to teammates with better shots. Certainly I want to give credit to the Rebels defense, but Nick passed up opportunities for others." Five Wizards players are averaging in double digitsthis season. For Saturday's Rebels contest the Wizards were led by Mike McDuffie's (Adelphi) 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Team Effort Leads Wizards to
Second Straight Win 102-93:
In a very difficult back to back scheduling situation, the New York Wizards posted their second straight win, this one on the road Sunday (1/10/10), with a 102-93 victory in Newark NJ over the Garden State Rebels.
Nick Carter posted his second straight 30+ point game, finishing Sunday’s contest with 30 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Wizards Point Guard Leon Pursoo finished with 11 points and 11 assists playing almost 40 minutes with just 1 turnover.
Small Forward Jerome Richardson filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Wizards “big men” were led by Mike McDuffie who finished with 18 points (including 2 monster dunks) and 8 rebounds and Anthony Cox who posted 16 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 8 rebounds.
“Even though we won, we gave up 123 points on Saturday” Stated Head Coach Greg Cerillo “The entire coaching staff challenged our team to do a better job defensively, and I think we did that.”
The Wizards defensive effort forced a game Rebels team into 18 turnovers and three 24-second clock violations.
Wizards stage incredible comeback for 130-123 Home Opener Win as Carter pours in 39 Points:
In front of a lively crowd of just over 300 people the New York Wizards treated their fans to a come from behind win after trailing in the third quarter by 19 points.
2 Former Division I Stars
Join New York Wizards
“We are pleased to announce
that Nick Carter and Jerome Richardson have both agreed to join the New
York Wizards for the 2009/2010 season” Stated GM Stephen Geick
“Both players bring a wealth of experience on some of basketballs
biggest stages, and we look forward to what they can do to help the
Wizards compete with some of the elite teams in the EBA.”
Nick
Carter is a Long Island High School product out of Walt Whitman High
School in Huntington New York and considered one of the better guards
to ever come off Long Island. In High School Nick was named
all-county, all-state and all-Long Island as a senior. . . a two-time
second team all-conference selection and a two-time first team
all-conference pick. In High School Nick also lettered in track
for four years. Nick followed a brilliant scholastic career with
a Junior Collegiate career matched by few other players. At
Suffolk Community College in Selden Nick averaged 17.8 points, 6.7
assists, and 3.0 steal’s a game. In 2006 Nick led Suffolk CC to a
22-6 overall record, including the Region XV Regular Season
Championship ... was recognized for his outstanding play on the court
by being named a First Team Junior College All-American, Region XV
Player of the Year, and New York State Junior College Player of the
Year. Nick played 1 year at Division I Stony Brook University
before transferring to Division II C.W. Post. Nick helped lead
Division II post to their best season in Team History at 30-1. At
post Nick continued his incredible offensive displays by averaging over
17 PPG shooting 45% from the field and 83% from the free throw line.
Jerome
Richardson is a 6’4” swingman who honed his game in the tuff New York
City courts in and around his hometown Brooklyn New York. Jerome
went to Junior College at Frank Phillips Junior College in Texas.
At Frank Phillips Jerome was nothing short of legendary. In two
seasons of JuCo ball Jerome averaged over 20 PPG and received an array
of honors, which included being named First Team All Region and First
Team All Conference in 2004-2005. In 2005-2006 Jerome was named
First Team All American, JuCo player of the year state of Texas, WJCAC
Player of the Year, First Team All Region, First Team All
Conference. From Phillips Jerome received a full scholarship to
Division I Louisiana Tech University where he started along side Utah
Jazz's Paul Milsap and help lead the team to a 20 and 12 record and
also the first Playoff birth (NIT) in 7 years. “Jerome is another
player in our lineup who can play multiple positions for us from the
2-4” Stated Head coach Greg Cerillo Sr. “Jerome is one of the strongest
players with the ball that I have seen in my 30 years of
Coaching. Jerome is a rare two-way player who scores points in
many, many ways.”DROP & SHOP BASKETBALL CLINIC:
Parents - How would you like to shop the Broadway Mall "child free?"
Join us Friday, November 27 from 9am-12pm for our
Drop and Shop Basketball Skills Clinic.
Click HERE for more more information!Adelphi Graduate Wayne Nelson Set to Join The Wizards:
It is rare indeed that a player of Wayne
Nelson's stature and ability becomes available to help an
organization like the Wizards compete for a place among the EBA's elite
clubs. As a former standout player at Adelphi University in Garden City New York, Wayne
established himself on Long Island well before agreeing to join the
Wizards. Wayne finished as Adelphi's 3rd leading scorer all time, in
addition to receiving All American honors and Metropolitan Player of the
Year honors as a Senior. Wayne went on to play professional ball
overseas at multiple levels and played professionally in the US for
the Albany Patroons of
the USBL,
leading them in scoring in the 2003/2004 season, and the
Philadelphia Colonials of the ABA in 2006 where he earned a place on the
East All Star Team!
the Wizards Team:
For
2009 the Wizards have joined forces with several local business and
organizations to make it easier for basketball
activities, professional basketball, and professional
basketball players to be brought out to the local communities.
New York Wizards to Play at Madison Square Garden
with an Assist from the Elmira Bulldogs and a Slam Dunk for Entertainment
Director Sharon Kraemer:
For the first time ever in
the long and storied history of the EBA two of its teams will face off at
Madison Square Garden. On Sunday, Sept. 13 the Elmira Bulldogs will
tip off against the New York Wizards on one of basketballs biggest stages.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!
The Bulldogs vs. Wizards pre-season match
up will be the second game of a double header with the WNBA’s NY Liberty facing
off against the Washington Mystics in a regular season finale. The Liberty game
tips off at 4:00 while the Bulldogs and Wizards tip off at 6:30. All fans
must be in the Garden by no later than Halftime of the Liberty Game
(Approximately 5:00 PM) to qualify for the EBA discounted ticket price of $10
per person.
The Wizards originally scheduled opponent, the Garden
State Rebels also of the EBA, were unable to fulfill the requirement to
play at the Garden. Faced with a difficult situation the Wizards
management contacted the Elmira Bulldogs and after some quick work
the Bulldogs were able to contact all the players and fit the game into their
schedule.
Normally EBA Teams play in much smaller venues. This
contest of two of New York's EBA titans will really give both
teams a chance to shine on one of basketball’s biggest stages. “The
Bulldogs playing in Madison Square Garden is beyond my wildest dreams”!!
stated Bulldogs Co-Owner and Director of Operations Charles Berch. “When myself
and my partner/GM and head coach James Schutz brought the team to Elmira a few
years ago. We had very modest and realistic goals for the team. With Dennis
Rodman joining us for a few games in February and now playing in the Garden we
have definitely exceeded are expectations!! We only hope the city of Elmira is
as excited about the upcoming season as we are.”
“Not only for myself as a coach but this is the chance of a lifetime for
our players to play in Madison Square Garden. When I called the players to let
them know, their reaction was pure excitement.” Said James Schutz “Regardless
of our past record this will be a real tough game for us, getting a win is
going to take a total team effort. The Benefit the Wizards have is that they
all live in the same area and have been having practices and pick up games all
summer. We haven’t played as a team since losing the 2009 EBA Championship in
March. It will be really tough.”
Fans are encouraged to attend and Madison Square Garden has set up a
special group rate where fans can attend both games for a low price of $10.00
with open seating for the Bulldogs vs. Wizards game. To take advantage of the
special rate tickets must be purchased in advance and can be purchased by
calling Erin Dabe of Madison Square Garden at 212-465-6289. Fans
may also show up to the ticket window on game day and mention EBA to get their
special ticket rate!
The Eastern
Basketball Alliance New York Wizards were a Big Hit at the Little
People Of America 2009 National Conference held in
On
“It is not often that a Professional League and
Team make themselves available the way the Wizards did for us at this years
conference.” Stated Conference Co-Chair Person Clinton Brown III "The
players came to our conference in the middle of the day giving of their own
time and talent to make our event better. It was truly the hit of the
conference and a very emotional experience for those involved. The
Wizards are a true reflection of what Pro Sports should be all about.
After our event the players remained at the venue until each and every
person who wanted a photo or just to talk had their opportunity!
Thank You to the EBA and thank you to the New York
Wizards.”
Wizards receiving thanks from Little People Of America Co-Chair Person Clinton Brown III
Wizards in Action
Little People of
NEW YORK TOWERS
Sharon Kraemer Joins Wizards Staff
Wizards Attack the EBA Record Book
In their first season of
professional play your New York Wizards have established themselves in multiple
sections of the
Assists:
Mike Mosby led the
league with a 18 RPG average. Mike also recorded the top amount of
rebounds in a game for the 2009 season (26 against the Hampton
Roads Cardinals on 1/31/09). In addition the 26 rebounds recorded against
the Cardinals is the 4th highest total ever recorded in a game in league
history.
Steals: Greg Cerillo Jr.
averaged 2.2 SPG this season placing him 5th in the league in this
category. Greg recorded 5 steals in a game this season against the
Virginia Fast Break which was the 3rd highest number recorded in the league in
this category for 2009 and the 4th highest amount of steals recorded
in a game in league history.
Blocked Shots: Mike
Mosby and Anthony
Cox were 2nd and 3rd in the league in blocked shots per
game with a 2.7 BPG and 2.4 BPG average respectively. The 7
blocks in a game Mike Mosby recorded against the NovaHawks on 3/14
was the 3rd highest amount of blocks recorded in a game in 2009 and the 4th highest
total recorded in a game in league history.
3-PT Shots: Gary Williams, Greg Cerillo Jr., and Brandon Butler were all among the
league leaders in 3-pt shots per game this season. Each of the
before mentioned players recorded 5 3-pt shots in a game in 2009 (Williams
against the Washington Madness on 1/3/09 and Greg Cerillo Jr. &
Brandon
Double/Double: Both Mike Mosby and Anthony Cox averaged a Double/Double in points and rebounds for the 2009 season (Mosby - 19.6/18.0 Cox - 20.0/11.8)
Production: Gary Williams
proved to be one of the most productive Wizards players, if not one of the most
productive players in the league, with averages as follows: 21.2
PPG / 4.3
APG / 6.6 RPG.
Shooting Accuracy:
Greg Cerillo Jr. shot an amazing 59% from
the floor and equally impressive 56% from the 3-PT line
Wizards Travel to Maryland,
Nearly "Steal The Show":
A depleted New
York Wizards squad traveled to
The Wizards finish their 2009 campaign with the
leagues top rebounder (Mike Mosby), the leagues top assist man (Leon Pursoo), one of the
leagues leading scorers (Gary Williams) and
a player in the top 5 in steals and leading percentage 3-pt shooter (Greg
Cerillo).
The
Wizards are Coming!
Professional Entertainment Basketball!
The New York Wizards are a 52 week a year professional basketball operation, utilizing local professional players, to assist in the basketball development and entertainment needs of our New York Metropolitan area customers.
Professional
Leagues, Camps, Clinics, Private Lessons, Fund Raising Games, Team
Workout
Sessions, are just a few of the areas that the Wizards can help you
with!
Details: The New York Wizards are a Professional Entertainment Basketball Team whose players are all compensated professionals. The NY Wizards play primarily fund raising games throughout the year (Much Like the Globe-Trotters and/or the And One Squad). In addition the NY Wizards are scheduled to host a Professional Basketball Tournament this fall with European Teams expected to enter. Furthermore the NY Wizards are scheduling a 2009 Summer Tour to play overseas against professional competition.
The NY Wizards will come out to your school or facility with an assortment of tricks, fun, and as always quality basketball in an effort to assist you in raising funds or promoting overall basketball development! There is no up front costs! No Minimums! A Fund Raising Basketball Game can often help raise thousands of dollars for the hosting organization. Games often include pre-game clinics for youngsters and fans! Many different packages are available! Players are often available to show up to your schools or organizations to help promote an event or to inspire you young players to greater heights! Games can be scheduled against faculty, staff, alumni, etc....
For more information contact 631-730-6347 or E-Mail us at betterball@optonline.net
Wizards in action:
ANTHONY COX
BUTLER
MORE TO COME!
Photos By-
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY-
"Shots Like the Pros!"
Email -
Scott.Jambor@gmail.com