Nets Assign Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor

Springfield, Mass. – The Brooklyn Nets have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.

Shengelia, acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted 54th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, has appeared in five games this season, scoring 10 points with two rebounds.

Taylor, a rookie out of Kansas, has made 10 appearances on the year, scoring 13 points with three steals and two assists.

Both players will be in uniform when the Armor take on the Erie BayHawks tonight at 7:00 pm at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Fans can follow Shengelia and Taylor during their time with the Armor on NBADLeague.com powered by YouTube to watch all of Springfield’s games live, online, for free.

Note: Taylor will wear jersey #4 and Shengelia will wear jersey #50

Armor Acquire Ramone Moore

Springfield, Mass.- The Springfield Armor today announced they have acquired guard Ramone Moore from the NBA D-League’s available player pool.

 

Moore (6-4, 190, Temple) joins the Armor after appearing in one game with Hapoel Tel-Aviv of the Winner League in Israel. Prior to his stint with Hapoel, Moore played for Angelico Biella in the Italian SerieA, averaging 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 24.2 minutes through five games. Moore also played in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with the Chicago Bulls.   

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Moore played four seasons at Temple, earning All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team honors following a senior season in which he averaged a team-high 17.3 points per game and led Temple to the NCAA Tournament. Moore was also named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 following his junior season and was selected as the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year following his sophomore season.  

To make room on the roster, the Armor waived Jonathan Thomas. The Springfield roster now stands at 10.  

Moore, 23, joined the Armor for practice today and will be available when the team hosts the Erie BayHawks on Friday at 7:00 pm at the MassMutual Center.

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Opening Night 7pm Springfield!

Springfield, Mass.- The Springfield Armor are set to host their Opening Night for the 2012-13 NBA Development League season, presented by MassMutual, on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7:00 pm at the MassMutual Center.

The Armor have special promotions planned throughout the evening, including the presentation of the Eastern Division Championship trophy prior to the start of the game. Fans will also have the opportunity to get their photograph taken with the trophy on the concourse during the game.

The evening will also serve to highlight Springfield-area businesses, with a variety of local companies set to display their products and services on the concourse, as well as provide giveaway items to fans.

Additionally, 14 local elementary schools will be honored pre-game for their participation in the Armor’s Read to Achieve program. Students from each of the schools will be recognized on the court for meeting their reading goals. This year’s ‘Read to Achieve’ program features more than 50 elementary and middle schools and more than 20,000 students.

The Armor will be hosting a silent auction and raffle during the Opening Night game to support the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation (MLEMF) in conjunction with the MassMutual Center. Autographed sports memorabilia, tickets and other products will be auctioned and raffled off during the game with 100% of the proceeds raised going to support the MLEMF. The funds raised will be donated in honor of Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose and Westfield police officer Jose Torres, both of whom were killed in the line of duty within the past year.

Armor fans will also see brand new in-game promotions and contests that will be unveiled for the first time on Opening Night. The entire team will be available post-game to sign autographs for fans in attendance.

For an exciting, fun-filled night for the entire family, make sure to join the Armor for Opening Night on Friday! For more updates about Opening Night, 'Like' the Armor on Facebook and follow @ArmorHoops on Twitter.
Purchase tickets to Opening Night before it's too late!

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ARMOR ANNOUNCE OPENING NIGHT ROSTER

Springfield, Mass. – The Springfield Armor today set their opening night 10-man roster by waiving guards Nate Brown, Reginald Delk and DeAndre Taylor and deactivating center Chas McFarland.

The Armor will open the 2012-13 NBA Development League regular season on Saturday in Canton, Ohio at 7:30 pm ET against the Charge. Fans can watch the game live, for free, on the recently-unveiled NBA D-League YouTube Channel and through a YouTube video player on NBA.com.

McFarland, who will not travel with the Armor to Canton, is serving a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation in the Armor’s 2010-11 regular season finale on the road against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The Armor's first home game of the season will be on Friday, Nov. 30 against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the MassMutual Center. For information about group ticket packages and fan experience programs for Opening Night in Springfield, call the Armor office at (413) 746-3263.


Following is the Armor’s 2012-13 opening night roster:

#         NAME           POS HT   WT        COLLEGE       HOW ACQUIRED

50   Chaz Crawford   C    6-10   240        Drexel           Draft---7th round (108th overall)

44    James Mays       F   6-8      230      Clemson         Affiliate

24   Chas McFarland^ C 7-0    245       Wake Forest     Returning Player

7   Christian Polk*    G  6-3      195      UTEP              Draft---2nd round (29th overall)

33 Willie Reed         F   6-9       220     Saint Louis      Draft---2nd round (30th overall)

34 Carleton Scott     F   6-8      218      Notre Dame       Affiliate

32 Shawn Taggart    F 6-10     230      Memphis          Draft---5th round (76th overall)

9 Jonathan Thomas* G/F 6-6   210     Marshall            Returning Player

21 Cliff Tucker*      G/F 6-5    215     Maryland         Draft---3rd round (46th overall)

14 Ben Uzoh          G     6-4     195      Tulsa               Trade (Rio Grande Valley)

10 Shawn Vanzant G    6-0      175       Butler              Draft---4th round (62nd overall)


*Rookie

^Inactive while serving a one-game suspension

 

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MGM Sponsors the Armor...

SPRINGFIELD (MA) November 16, 2012 - MGM Resorts International today announced that MGM Springfield will be the presenting sponsor of the Springfield Armor for the 2012-13 NBA Development League season. As part of the sponsorship, the Armor uniforms will feature the MGM Springfield logo, a first for the team and the fourth jersey sponsorship for an NBA D-League team this season. The MGM Springfield logo will also be featured on the court during home games.

The Armor’s home opener is against the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 at Springfield’s MassMutual Center.

MGM Resorts will also provide promotional giveaways during the season and plans to make a majority of its courtside seats available to local families that may not otherwise have an opportunity to attend an Armor game. MGM also will promote Armor basketball through MGM’s M Life experience, MGM Resorts’ proprietary loyalty program, including co-promotional offers, and providing hotel and entertainment packages to Armor fans, and for special Armor promotional events.

“Over 120 years ago, Dr. James Naismith created basketball here in Springfield and it’s a privilege to be a part of the historic relationship between the game and Springfield through our support of the Armor,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts Chief Marketing Officer and MGM Springfield President. “We look forward to a great season and are proud to sponsor this local franchise that provides high quality entertainment that together we hope to build upon as we highlight Springfield as a world-class leisure and entertainment destination."

The sponsorship of the Springfield Armor is the latest in a series of investments by MGM Resorts in existing Springfield organizations that complement MGM’s planned world-class retail, dining and entertainment proposal for Downtown Springfield. The Armor play all their home games at the MassMutual Center, which MGM has uniquely incorporated into its planned project.

In addition to working with the Springfield community to tailor its project to the city’s existing cultural and institutional strengths, MGM has made it a priority to immediately become part of the local business and philanthropic establishments to best understand and integrate into the community as it builds a meaningful foundation for a long-lasting relationship with the entire City of Springfield.

“We are thrilled to have MGM Springfield as a presenting sponsor for our 2012-2013 season and appreciate their continued commitment to the community,” said Armor President Alex Schwerin. “MGM’s partnership will aid the continued growth of professional basketball in Springfield and build on Springfield’s historic relationship to the game.”

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Armor Aquire Andrew Lovedale...

Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Armor announced today that they have acquired forward Andrew Lovedale from the Austin Toros in exchange for guard Stefan Bonneau.

“I’m extremely happy that we were able to add Andrew to our roster,” said Armor head coach Bob MacKinnon. “He’s an excellent defender and rebounder in the frontcourt and someone I look to come in and challenge for a spot on our roster and make us a better team through his defensive presence and knowledge of the game.”

Lovedale (6-8, 235, Davidson) was selected in the third round (47th overall) in Friday’s NBA Development League Draft. Lovedale spent the 2011-12 season with Quimper UJAP in France NM-1, appearing in 19 games and averaging 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.4 minutes. Lovedale has also played for Monthey (Switzerland), Le Havre (France) and Manchester Magic (United Kingdom).

A native of Benin City, Nigeria, Lovedale played collegiately at Davidson (2005-09) and earned All-Southern Conference honors after a senior season in which he averaged 12.5 points and 8.6 rebounds (second-best in the Southern Conference). In 2007-08, Lovedale was a starter when Davidson advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament along with current Golden State Warriors’ guard, Stephen Curry.

Lovedale is also active in the community and founded his own charitable foundation, Access to Success, which supports underprivileged youth in his native Nigeria.

Bonneau was the Armor’s sixth round selection (94th overall) in Friday’s NBA Development League Draft out of C.W. Post.

Lovedale, 27, will join the Armor for training camp in Springfield, which is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 12.

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Armor Aquire Ben Uzoh in Big Trade...

Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Armor announced today that they have acquired guard Ben Uzoh (ooh-ZOE) from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in exchange for forward Tim Ohlbrecht.

“I’m extremely excited about Ben joining our organization,” said Armor head coach Bob MacKinnon. “Getting a lead guard of his caliber, someone who we feel is a definite NBA Call-Up prospect, is a tremendous accomplishment for our organization. I think the fans in Springfield will be very excited to welcome Ben back.”

Uzoh (6-3, 205, Tulsa) joins the Armor after being waived by the Denver Nuggets during the preseason. In one preseason game, Uzoh scored two points and dished out three assists in 20 minutes against the Golden State Warriors on October 15.

Uzoh saw action in 18 NBA games (eight starts) during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, averaging 4.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 20.6 minutes. He earned a 10-day contract from the Cavaliers and two more 10-day contracts from the Raptors before being signed by Toronto for the remainder of the 2011-12 season on April 16. Uzoh posted his first-career triple-double in a season-ending victory over the then-New Jersey Nets, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists on April 26. Uzoh also played 20 games with the Vipers (18 starts) in the NBA D-League prior to earning a GATORADE Call-Up, averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 30.8 minutes.

Uzoh began his NBA career after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Nets following the 2010 NBA Draft. He appeared in 42 games off the Nets’ bench during the 2010-11 season, averaging 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10.4 minutes. Uzoh was assigned to the Armor during the 2010-11 season for his first-career stint in the NBA D-League, averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.2 steals in 33.3 minutes. All four of the games Uzoh appeared in with Springfield were played on the road.

Uzoh holds career NBA averages of 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists through 60 games (8 starts) and career NBA D-League averages of 15.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 24 games (21 starts).

Ohlbrecht was the Armor’s first round selection (14th overall) out of Germany in Friday’s NBA D-League Draft.

Uzoh, 24, will join the Armor for training camp, which is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 12 in Springfield.

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Armor's 2012 Draft Results

Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Armor selected nine players in the 2012 NBA Development League Draft tonight to fill out their training camp roster in advance of the 2012-13 season.

“We are very excited with the potential this group of players offers,” said Brooklyn Nets General Manager of Minor League Operations Milton Lee. “We added nine players tonight that will contribute to an exciting and competitive training camp in Springfield.”

The Armor drafted Tim Ohlbrecht (6-11, 225, Germany) with their first selection, 14th overall, in the draft and added eight more players on the evening. One of the Armor’s two second round picks, Willie Reed (6-9, 220, Saint Louis), was in NBA training camp with the Sacramento Kings.


The nine players selected by the Armor tonight are:

 Rd Pick Name Pos Ht Wt From

1 14 Tim Ohlbrecht F 6-11 225 Germany

2 29 Christian Polk* G 6-4 190 UTEP

2 30 Willie Reed^ F 6-9 220 Saint Louis

3 46 Cliff Tucker* G/F 6-6 200 Maryland

4 62 Shawn Vanzant G 6-0 170 Butler

5 78 Shawn Taggart F/C 6-10 225 Memphis

6 94 Stefan Bonneau G 5-10 185 C.W. Post

7 110 Chaz Crawford F 6-10 235 Drexel

8 126 Nate Brown G 6-0 190 St. Peter’s

 *-Rookie

^-Draft Pick Acquired from Santa Cruz in 2011-12


The Armor will bring 17 players to training camp which opens on Monday, November 12. The rest of Springfield’s training camp roster is:


Name Pos Ht Wt College How Acquired

Jamar Brown F/C 6-10 240 CSU-Pueblo Returning Player

Reginald Delk G 6-4 200 Louisville Open Tryout

James Mays F 6-8 230 Clemson Affiliate Player

Louie McCroskey F 6-6 210 Syracuse Open Tryout

Chas McFarland C 7-0 245 Wake Forest Returning

Carleton Scott F 6-8 218 Notre Dame Affiliate Player

DeAndre Taylor* G 6-4 190 N.Michigan Open Tryout

Jonathan Thomas G/F 6-6 210 Marshall Returning

*-Rookie

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Horner Goes to Germany

By: Wendell Maxey Ridiculous Upside

Luckily Dennis Horner knows his way around Europe and the international game.
Horner also knows a thing or two about having to prove himself. Different league, same old story you could say.

On Tuesday, the Artland Dragons in Germany's BEKO BBL announced they have signed the former New Jersey Nets and D-League's Springfield Armor forward to a two week tryout period.
The concern and what is keeping Horner from a one-year deal at this point: Horner suffered a stress fracture in his foot this summer. Once head coach Stefan Koch and the organization can fully evaluate Horner's condition, they will decide at that point to extend his contract for the remainder of the season in Quakenbrück, Germany.

Horner knows the drill. Been there. Lived that.

He's well versed in the waiting game since going undrafted out of North Carolina State. After signing and not appearing in a game in Belgium in 2010-11 with Pepinster, the 6'9 forward played for Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus during his rookie season before signing on in the D-League with the Armor in 2011 thanks to a memorable tryout. What followed over the course of the next two season was a whirlwind ride that took him from the D-League to the NBA with the Nets and back again. Last season in New Jersey, Horner appeared in 8 games where he played spot minutes (2.8 mpg), but walked away with an experience that will certainly benefit him as Horner ventures back overseas.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com described how Horner's NBA hoop dreams really began by traveling to a D-League tryout on his own dime.

"I was just trying to impress the people that were there," he said, "taking baby steps."
The baby steps in the D-League were beneficial. Growth followed. Horner finished the season averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 25 games with 20 starts.

Artland is poised to make major noise in the BBL this season and the Eurocup as well. They revamped their roster this offseason by adding Marquez Haynes, Demond Mallet and Bryce Taylor and the team could really benefit from Horner's presence. It just depends if Horner can show if he is healthy or not over the course of these next 14 days.

Luckily Dennis Horner has shown people in this game before that he belongs.

http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2012/10/17/3515672/back-overseas-horner-on-a-two-week-tryout-in-germany-with-the-artland

Armor Draft 14th on Nov 2nd...

Springfield, Mass. - The NBA Development League announced today that the Springfield Armor will select 14th in the 2012 NBA Development League Draft. The draft will take place via teleconference on Nov. 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET, from the League’s New York headquarters. The Brooklyn Nets basketball operations staff, including the Armor’s coaches, will make the Armor’s selections from the team’s offices in downtown Springfield.

 The Armor will also be hosting their annual draft party at the MVP Pub in the Sheraton Hotel, located at One Monarch Place in Springfield. Armor coaches and front office staff, the Armorettes Dance Team and Steal will all be in attendance. Prizes, complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be available.
The 2012 NBA D-League Draft order will be determined based on teams that did not qualify for the previous season’s playoffs, in reverse order of record, followed by those teams that did quality for the previous season’s playoffs, also in reverse order of record. Based on this format, newly implemented for the 2012-13 season, teams will select in the following order:

1. Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2. Sioux Falls Skyforce
3. Idaho Stampede
4. Maine Red Claws
5. Reno Bighorns
6. Tulsa 66ers
7. Rio Grande Valley Vipers
8. Texas Legends
9. Iowa Energy
10. Canton Charge
11. Bakersfield Jam
12. Erie BayHawks
13. Santa Cruz Warriors
14. SPRINGFIELD ARMOR
15. Austin Toros
16. Los Angeles D-Fenders

“The upcoming NBA D-League Draft marks the official beginning of the 2012-13 NBA D-League season and gives more than 160 top prospects the opportunity to pursue their NBA dreams,” said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. “The 2012 NBA D-League Draft class is sure to be an impressive one, with many of the players coming fresh out of NBA training camps, and we’re excited to welcome them to this league.”

More than 20 players selected in the last three NBA D-League Drafts went on to earn GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA, including Jamaal Tinsley, the first overall selection in 2011. Dennis Horner (2011 draftee, 3rd round), Jerry Smith (2010 draftee, 5th round) and JamesOn Curry (2009 draftee, 1st round) have all earned GATORADE Call-Ups after being drafted by the Armor.
The Armor will have nine picks in the eight-round draft after acquiring the Dakota Wizards’ (now the Santa Cruz Warriors) second round pick in a three-team trade on Mar. 16. Springfield sent forward Josh Davis to the Austin Toros and the Toros sent forward Leo Lyons to the Wizards to complete the trade. No trades will be permitted during the draft and only players signed to an NBA Development League Standard Player Contract are eligible to be selected.

 

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