08/03/06 ESSEX & Herts Leopards' play-off hopes have been hit after point-guard Demetrice Williams left the club without warning. The American point guard joined the Big Cats in November, but left suddenly last week after receiving an offer from Austrian club Superfund Bulls Kapfenberg. "We are shocked with how Demetrice has acted" admitted Leopards' general manager Dave Ryan. "Demetrice is registered to play with us, and we have no intention of releasing him until his club has paid a transfer fee. "We do understand that he was offered a lot of money by the Austrian club, but he agreed to play for us for the whole season, and we expected him to stick to that agreement." Williams was due to make his debut for Kapfenberg on Monday, but with Leopards refusing to give international clearance he was forced to sit out the game. "We don't think we are being unreasonable" said Ryan. "After we had won the National Cup, Demetrice made a speech thanking everyone at the club for giving him a chance to play professional basketball. Unfortunately it seems that he soon forgot those words when someone offered him more money." It is the second time in as many seasons that Leopards have been hit by a point guard leaving the club after the January 31 signing deadline, as Brandon Kephart went back to Oklahoma just six weeks after signing for the Big Cats, and it is a trend that has left Ryan worried. "I'm sure it appears from the outside that we don't look after our full-time players, and that couldn't be further from the truth" he said. "I've spoke to many players around the league and it's clear that we offer a good deal. We're not the highest payers, but we honour what we promise, and do our best to look after them. "All we ask in return is that they keep their side of the deal. I'm under no doubt that Demetrice will have a very successful career, but it wouldn't have been unreasonable for him to honour his commitments to us. "Not only will we suffer on the court, but he has also damaged our community programme. After all the work, and no small amount of money, that has gone into making Leopards a success, it's very disappointing that Demetrice has treated us this way." 14/01/06 ESSEX & Herts Leopards have joined the race to sign NBA legend Dennis Rodman. The former Chicago Bulls star is in Britain for Channel Four's Big Brother programme, and is looking for a short-term deal with and English club. 44-year-old Rodman played alongside Michael Jordan as Bulls completed a hat-trick of NBA titles in the late 1990s, and gained a reputation for his flamboyancy which included posing on the front of a national magazine in a wedding dress, being suspended for kicking a courtside cameraman and announcing that he wanted to play his final NBA game naked. "Signing Dennis for a couple of games would be an unbelievable boost for Leopards" said general manager Dave Ryan. "We'd want him to stay for a week or so with us, which considering the money he's asking for isn't unreasonable, and play games at both Goresbrook and the Brentwood Centre. "We would need to gain sponsorship for this to happen, the extra gate receipts alone would not pay for it. "But the publicity for both ourselves and any sponsor would be massive." The Big Cats face competition from BBL sides Sheffield Sharks and Brighton Bears, but Ryan believes Leopards have an advantage over their full-time rivals: "The different qualification rules in the two competitions mean that they would have to release one of their four Americans if they wanted to sign Dennis, we are only allowed to field two Americans at a time, but we can have four signed, and simply rotate them on a game-by-game basis."
Whoever signs the 6' 7" Rodman will
be relying on the department of employment making an exception to their normal
qualification rules as Rodman retired from the NBA five years ago, but Ryan
remains hopeful that he would be allowed to sign: "For any team to sign a player
of Dennis Rodman's class would be a massive boost to the game in this country.
Hopefully we can be the ones to pull this off." LEOPARDS coach Jon Burnell has strengthened his squad ahead of Sunday's National Cup final with the addition of guard/forward James Warwick. The 6' 6" Hitchin-born player joins the Big Cats after three years in the USA. After a year at New Philadelphia High School in Ohio, Warwick went to Ashland College in the NCA Division Two before moving on to Grace & County Community College - spending a year at each college. Warwick made his debut in Sunday's BBL Trophy clash with Leicester Riders, but he needs no introduction to fans of the Big Cats having played in their Hosana Summer League team in each of the last two seasons. His last outing for Leopards, Warwick was joint top scorer with 12 points in their defeat against a Hosana Sporting Club side packed with BBL talent.
"It's good to have James signing to
add out our overall depth" said Leopards general manager Dave Ryan. "He's proved
during our summer league games that he will be an asset to us, In an unrelated move, Leopards have released forward Laurent Irish for disciplinary reasons. 04/11/05 Leopards Add New Point GuardBy Dave Ryan LEOPARDS will field new point guard Demetrice Williams when they travel to old rivals London Towers in the BBL Trophy on Saturday. The 6’ 1” former South Alabama college player was given international clearance at midday and will make his debut at Crystal Palace, tomorrow. The 25-year-old helped his side to back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships in his first two seasons at college, and finished seventh in the USA college system in steals in 2001/2. A season in the ABA with Fresno Heat Wave followed along with a trip to Egypt with the Athletes in Action touring side where they beat the home national team 6-1 in a seven game series. After spending last season with the Athletes in Action team, he joins the Leopards’ quest for success, and coach Jon Burnell is excited about his new acquisition: “Demetrice is a true point, and is lightning quick” he said. “He runs the plays well, and I’m sure he’ll be a great signing for us.” Canadian guard Skye Buck will remain with the Leopards in a back-up capacity, and is expected to play against Towers. While Williams makes his debut in British basketball, it will be a return to one of their former clubs for fellow Big Cats Steve Ogunjimi, Errol Seaman and Sam Salter who have all played for Towers. 04/10/05 LEOPARDS have added English forward Dave Jones to their roster as they look for England Basketball League success this season. The 6' 7" Englishman has BBL experience with Leicester Riders where he won the 2001 play-off championship, and was a member of the 2004 EBL Division Two winning Worcester Wolves side. The 27-year-old spent last season with Coventry Crusaders where he played alongside Leopards' centre Troy Selvey. Jones made his debut midway through the third period of Leopards' defeat at Worthing Thunder on Saturday, and made an immediate impression with nine points. Leopards' coach Jon Burnell hopes that the three-point specialist will strengthen his side: "He's a proved player at this level, and is another quality player" he said. "He'll make a real difference for us, and although it was difficult to get him involved on Saturday, he will be a major plus for us." Jones will make his home debut when Leopards face London United at the Brentwood Centre on Sunday, tip-off 4pm. 14/09/05
LEOPARDS
REACH FOR THE SKYE he 6' 0" Canadian joins the Big Cats after a successful college career at the University of Cariboo in British Columbia. Having helped his team reach the national college tournament in all four years he spent at college, Buck became the first guard from Cariboo to gain All-Canadian honours. The 24-year-old averaged 15.4 points per game in his final season at college, along with over five assists and rebounds per game. Buck joined the Leopards on trial during their pre-season campaign and did enough to convince coach Jon Burnell to sign him: "He's a true point guard, which will be positive for the team" he said . "He's gone through his college career at the point, and been successful. I'm sure his signing will be positive for the team." Buck's performances have helped the Leopards win their four pre-season games, including the Dagenham Mortgage Centre Trophy. The Big Cats are now hoping that he will get his work permit in time to play in Saturday's season opener against Reading Rockets, and the player is looking forward to his first season in professional basketball. "I'm pleased to be involved with Leopards organisation" he said. "It seems to be quality set-up and I'm looking forward to winning some trophies." * Saturday's game at Goresbrook tips-off at 7.30pm. Admission is £8 for adults (including programme) and £4.50 for children.
ESSEX & Herts Leopards will continue their search for a quality player to complete their roster, despite missing out on Tomas Kersis. The Lithuanian guard/forward played two pre-season games for the Big Cats, top scoring in both, but opted to join their EBL1 rivals Reading Rockets. "It's a blow not to sign Tomas" admitted general manager Dave Ryan, "we made Tomas a good offer, but he already knew several of the Rockets players and decided to play for them. Seeing Tomas line-up against us on Saturday will be disappointing, but we are still determined to strengthen out squad." Leopards have already added Sam Salter, Eroll Seaman and Skye Buck to their roster as they aim to collect some silverware this season, but Ryan and coach Burnell are determined to add an additional player to their squad: "We are much stronger than last season" said Ryan. "But we set out to recruit a third full-time player to work in our community scheme as we believe that is the way to move forward and genuinely challenge at the top of the league." With Leopards being limited to two import players, in line with FIBA regulations, the Big Cats' third full-time player would need to hold a European passport. 08/08/05 ESSEX & Herts Leopards coach has strengthened his squad with the addition of two quality EBL players. Guard Sam Salter and forward Errol Seaman have joined the Big Cats, and are expected to feature regularly in the Leopards heavy fixture list.
29-year-old Salter started season at
London Capitals before moving across the city to join Kingston Wildcats. He was
instrumental in the Wildcats gaining two victory against Leopards With fellow guard Steve Ogunjimi returning to the Leopards, they now have the two leading long range shooters in the competition. Seaman joins the Big Cats from National Cup winners Reading Rockets, having played for London United during the 2003/04 campaign. Both players have seem action in the BBL for Brighton Bears and London Towers, with Seaman having also played for Manchester Giants, while Salter has seen action with Leicester Riders and Birmingham Bullets. The pair also have European experience, with Salter having played in the NEBL with Birmingham as well as in Finland for Hogfors, while Seaman played for Belgium side Avernas-Hannut. Burnell is looking forward to working with both players, and believes they can help Leopards challenge for honours: "We went out to improve our squad, and although we aren't finished, Sam and Errol are both proven at this level and above" he said. "They are the sort of players we are looking to bring to Leopards. Sam is a proven scorer, and one of the best shooting guards in the league, while Errol has played on a team that won something and reached the Championship final. "He is a athletic and brings us some scoring inside the paint. He will compliment Troy (Selvey)".
With Selvey, Ogunjimi, Brian Moore,
Laurent Irish and Matt Eames all returning to Leopards, the Big Cats are still
looking for a second American and one other starting five-quality player to
complement their squad. 20/07/05 ESSEX & Herts Leopards take a break from summer close-season when they enter the Hosana Summer League on Saturday. The Big Cats travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday evening to face Hosana Sporting Club in the quarter-final of Britain's most prestigious summer tournament, This year's competition is being played on a straight knock-out basis, with two games taking place on Saturday, followed by a final four weekend next week. The Big Cats are in action at 8pm, with South Coast facing Hackney two hours earlier. The winners of the two quarter-final games will be joined by holders, Westside, and the British Students' team in the semi-final. Jon Burnell's team will hope for a better result than when the sides met last summer, with HSC running out 86-78 winners. Leopards are expected to field a mixture of last season's team and prospective signings for next season. Among the new players on show for Leopards, who will be without American centre Troy Selvey, are likely to be Sam Salter, Erroll Seaman and Joe Perera. All three players have BBL experience with Brighton Bears, though at different times. Seaman is one of the best English big men in the EBL Division One, and played for National Cup winners Reading Rockets last season. Salter proved to be a thorn in the Big Cats' side last season when he played for both Kingston Wildcats and London Capitals, while Perera averaged over nine minutes per game in his 25 appearances for Brighton. Coach Burnell is hoping to add all three players to his squad for the 2005/6 season, and is also talking to several other players - including an England international.
The Big Cats are also expected to
announce the signing of a second American within the next fortnight. 15-05-05 ESSEX & Herts Leopards have added another key component to their side for the 2005/06 season with the re-signing for guard Steve Ogunjimi. The 28-year-old joined the Big Cats in mid-January from BBL side London Towers having also gained extensive top-level experience with the old Leopards and Newcastle Eagles. The signing of Ogunjimi proved pivotal for the Leopards last season as, following the departure of American point-guard Brandon Kephart, he stepped into Kephart's spot to lead the Big Cats into the play-offs in their first EBL Division One season. Leopards' coach Jon Burnell is delighted with Ogunjimi's return: "It would have been a pleasure to have Steve all of last season, but the way he performed after signing for us was excellent" he said. "He's a very good player at this level and one of the best defenders in the EBL. He's a strong player who makes things happen, and is willing to listen and run the team when necessary. "To get Steve to commit to us this early is a real bonus, we know what we are getting and we can continue to build a team for next season." Ogunjimi is also relishing returning to the Leopards: "Before I signed in January my career was going backwards, but I really enjoyed the second half of the season" he said. "I'm looking forward to playing the whole season, and helping Leopards win some trophies." General manager Dave Ryan echoed Burnell's delight at the return of fan-favourite Ogunjimi: "It's great to have Steve back, and to commit so early" he said. "Steve signed for us because of the fans who brought Leopards back to life - he's Leopards through and through. Without him, we would have been in real trouble after Brandon left, and he proved what a massive asset he is to Leopards." 26-04-05 LEOPARDS coach Jon Burnell has announced his first signing for the 2005/06 season, with American centre Troy Selvey returning to the club. The 6' 7" from Sacramento joined the Big Cats from fellow EBL Division One side Coventry Crusaders in mid-January, and was an immediate hit with Burnell's team. He either led, or jointly led, Leopards scoring in four of his first five games, and has proved to be one of the EBL's top big-men. He led the league in blocked shots, averaging two per game, and also finished seventh in rebounding with 9.14 per game. Burnell was pleased that Selvey had agreed to return to the Big Cats: "I think Troy's proved that he's one of the best big men in the league, and It's great that he's returning" he said. "There are not many big men of Troy's caliber in the EBL, and him returning is a good starting point for next season. "He has things to work on over the summer, but I know he is prepared to put that work in." Selvey was also delighted to be returning to the Leopards: "I'm really pleased to be returning, and it's good to get things sorted out so early" he said. "I can now work on my game during the summer, and I hope to be in really good shape to come back next season and help Leopards win some trophies."
As part of his contract with the Big Cats, Selvey
will continue to work for the Leopards' community programme. Last season he
coached Ware's Chauncey School to the Herts Schools' Cup final for the first
time, and he is expected to increase his work-load at that school next season,
coaching both their boys' and girls' teams at several different age groups. 17-04-05 ESSEX & Herts Leopards have announced the re-appointment of coach Jon Burnell for the 2005/06 season. Having coached predecessors Ware Rebels for most of the 2003/04 season, Burnell took up the reigns at the new club last summer, and lead them to eighth place in the EBL Division One and a place in the play-offs. A poor start to the league season ended the Big Cats hopes of making a challenge for league honours, but the 36-year-old is looking forward to helping the club move up the table next season "I'm delighted to be coming back to coach, and I'm really looking forward to it" he said. "We know what the benchmark is to be a top four team, and to be competitive every week. If we are around that area and compete in ever game, we'll give ourselves a chance to win stuff." Burnell knows that his team will need some rebuilding if they are to challenge at the top of the league: "I've identified some players that I think will really strengthen the Leopards team" he said. "We will need to make some changes, because you can't finish eighth and think that just adding one player will make a real difference. "It's up to me to get the right mix of players, and I'll be watching some players during the closing stages of the season to see if they may fit it."
Leopards general manager Dave Ryan was pleased to
have secured the services of Burnell: "We're delighted to have Jon back as head
coach" he said. "We all learnt a lot last season, and we hope to build on it
next year. Things were very rushed last year, but with more time, and better
planning, we're confident we can give the Leopards fans a successful team."
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