Rochester Razorsharks
| Rochester Razorsharks | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Founded | 2005 |
| League | ABA 2005-2007 PBL 2007-present |
| Team history | Rochester Razorsharks 2005-present |
| Arena | Blue Cross Arena |
| Based in | Rochester, New York |
| Team colors | Gray, Blue, & Black |
| Owner | Dr. Sev Hrywnak |
| Head coach | Rod Baker |
| Championships | 4 (2006 ABA, 2008 PBL, 2009 PBL 2011 PBL) |
| Division titles | 3 (2006 ABA Blue Conference, 2008 & 2009 PBL East Division) |
| Dancers | LadySharks |
| Mascot | Finley |
The Rochester Razorsharks are a professional basketball team based in Rochester, New York. They are members of the Premier Basketball League and play their home games at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. The Razorsharks were founded in 2005 as a member of the American Basketball Association. They remained in the ABA until 2007, leaving the league to become founding members of the PBL. The Razorsharks have won four championships to date - the 2006 ABA championship and PBL titles in 2008, 2009 and 2011. They lost to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry in the 2010 PBL championship series.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] 2005-2006
The Rochester Razorsharks were founded in 2005 as an American Basketball Association expansion team. The Razorsharks had much success during their first season, as they finished their inaugural regular season at 26-4, ranked #1 in the ABA Pit Bull Power Rankings, and were named as one of ProBasketBallNews.com's Top 10 Minor League teams. They also led the ABA in attendance. Their regular season high was 6,192 against Indiana.
Due to their success at the gate, Rochester hosted the 2006 ABA Great Eight Tournament. On March 26, the Razorsharks won the ABA championship, defeating the SoCal Legends 117-114 in front of a franchise record crowd of 6,377.
The Razorsharks' championship continued what has become a Rochester basketball tradition: a league title in a team's first season. The Rochester Royals won the 1945-46 National Basketball League championship and the Rochester Zeniths captured the 1978-79 Continental Basketball Association title.
[edit] 2006-2007
During the team's first off-season, the Razorsharks re-signed head coach Rod Baker to a multi-year contract. The deal was reported to be a two-year contract, keeping the 2005-06 ABA Coach of the Year in Rochester until the end of the 2007-2008 season.
Despite the loss of 2006 ABA MVP Chris Carrawell, the RazorSharks reloaded by signing key players such as C/F Mike Mackell and including the mid-season pickup of G/F Ricky Price.
The team opened the season with two wins on the road, returning to Rochester for their 2006 home opener on November 16, a 107-93 win over the rival Buffalo Silverbacks.
Two days later on November 18, ABA Commissioner John Salley presented the players and staff with their championship rings, and helped hoist the 2005-06 ABA Championship banner to the rafters of the Blue Cross Arena. A 124-114 win over the Maryland Nighthawks followed the ceremony.
On December 28, the Razorsharks beat the Cape Cod Frenzy 92-88. The win was the franchise's 24th consecutive home victory, eclipsing the local pro basketball record set by the 1949-50 Rochester Royals and the 1978-79 Rochester Zeniths. The announced attendance of 7,858 was not only a franchise high, but a local high for a pro basketball game. The Razorsharks finished the regular season with an 18-0 home record, extending their home win streak to 35 consecutive wins in the process. It had been over a year since the franchise's last home loss. The Niagara DareDevils had beaten Rochester on November 24, 2005.
On March 22, the RazorSharks announced they were leaving the ABA to help form the new Premier Basketball League. [1]
[edit] 2008
The team's first year in the PBL was very successful, finishing with an 18-2 record and the top seed in the league playoffs. Following first and second-round byes, they defeated the Reading Railers 100-76 for a berth in the championship game. Rochester's success came despite a large turnover of players, as there were only four holdovers from the 2007 team (James Reaves, John Halas, Demond Stewart, and Keith Friel).
On March 30, the Razorsharks won the PBL's inaugural championship, defeating the Arkansas Impact 142-112. Another notable incident in the title game was forward Sammy Monroe grabbing the rim for a rebound and shattering the backboard in the process. The glass shrapnel injured teammate James "Mook" Reaves and delayed the game for 45 minutes while the backboard was replaced and medical staff tended to Reaves' injuries.
[edit] 2009
Reaves, Friel and Jerice Crouch returned to the Sharks in 2009, along with role players Ron Rollerson and Steve Hailey. Chris Iversen was promoted from the front office to assistant coach during the off-season.
The team struggled early, losing three of their first four games. On January 19, the Vermont Frost Heaves ended Rochester's 48-game home winning streak. However, the Razorsharks won all 15 remaining regular-season games to finish the regular season 17-3, winning the league's Eastern Division and the second seed in the PBL playoffs.
The PBL semifinals pitted the Razorsharks against the third-seeded Manchester Millrats. The teams split the first two games of the best-of-three series, the visitor winning each game. Back at the BCA, the Sharks won Game 3 110-103 to advance to the PBL championship series.
Due to arena difficulties in Battle Creek, the PBL announced that the planned three-game series would instead be a single game held on April 19 in Rochester.[2]
The Razorsharks won the game easily 152-115. Sammy Monroe shattered the backboard again delaying the games for 45 minutes in the first quarter.
[edit] 2011
After starting the season 2-6, the Sharks finished the season 12-8, good for a third-place finish in the league. Rochester defeated Quebec and Lawton-Fort Sill in three-game series for the franchise's fourth title in six seasons. The title win was controversial, as Cavalry coach Micheal Ray Richardson pointed out the free-throw disparity over the course of the series (132-47 in favor of Rochester), calling PBL officiating 'a joke'. [3] [4]
[edit] Year-By-Year Results
[edit] 2005-2006 Final Record
| Regular Season | |||||||
| Wins | Losses | Percentage | League Ranking | Division Ranking | |||
| 26 | 4 | .867 | 1st - ABA | 1st - Connie Hawkins | |||
| Playoffs | |||||||
| Wins | Losses | Percentage | Finish | ||||
| 4 | 0 | 1.000 | Won ABA Championship (beat SoCal Legends) | ||||
[edit] Team Leaders
-Points Per Game: James Reaves: 18.4
-Rebounds Per Game: James Reaves: 7.6
-Assists Per Game: Lazarus Sims: 6.2
[edit] 2006-2007 Record
| Wins | Losses | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 6 | .800 |
The RazorSharks received a final ABA PLAYOFF RANKING of 4 (of 37 teams) earning them a bye in the first round of the ABA playoffs.
[edit] Current roster
Head Coach: Rod Baker Assistant Coach: Chris Iversen
| # | Pos. | Ht. | Player | Acquired | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |  |
PG | 6'0 | Jerice Crouch | 2008 | Chattanooga |
| 5 | |
PG | 6'3 | John Halas | 2006 | Trinity College (CT) |
| 10 | |
PG | 6'2 | Steve Hailey | 2008 | Boston College |
| 13 | |
SG | 6'4 | Keith Friel | 2005 | Virginia |
| 15 | |
SG | 6'4 | Derik Hollyfield | 2008 | Eastern Illinois |
| 20 | |
PG | 6'3 | Demond Stewart | 2005 | Niagara |
| 21 | |
SF | 6'6 | Sammy Monroe | 2008 | Newberry College |
| 24 | |
PF | 6'4 | Marlin Johnson | 2008 | Monroe CC |
| 25 |  |
PF | 6'6 | Vidal Massah | 2008 | St. Bonaventure |
| 34 | |
PF | 6'8 | Arthur Barclay | 2008 | Memphis |
| 35 | |
PF | 6'8 | James "Mook" Reaves | 2005 | Niagara |
| 55 | |
PF | 6'11 | Ron Rollerson | 2008 | Temple |
[edit] 2009 Season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Score | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Location/Attendance | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 3 | Augusta Groove | Away | 116-127 | James Reaves (32) | James Reaves (6) | Steve Hailey (3) | Richmond Academy | 0-1 |
| January 10 | Buffalo Stampede | Home | 120-100 | James Reaves (27) | James Reaves (14) | Jerice Crouch (6) | Blue Cross Arena | 1-1 |
| January 15 | Wilmington Sea Dawgs | Away | 101-111 | Keith Friel (22) | James Reaves (11) | Jerice Crouch (3) | Schwartz Center | 1-2 |
| January 19 | Vermont Frost Heaves | Home | 110-113 | James Reaves (26) | James Reaves (9) | James Reaves (5) | Blue Cross Arena | 1-3 |
| January 24 | Chicago Throwbacks | Away | 112-83 | James Reaves (23) | James Reaves (11) | Marlin Johnson (2) | Attack Athletics | 2-3 |
| January 25 | Wilmington Sea Dawgs | Away | 99-87 | Keith Friel (22) | James Reaves (11) | Jerice Crouch (2) | Schwartz Center | 3-3 |
| January 29 | Mid-Michigan Destroyers | Away | 119-82 | James Reaves (20) | Aaron Williams (10) | Keith Friel (2) | Bay City Western High School | 4-3 |
| February 1 | Wilmington Sea Dawgs | Home | 115-95 | Sammy Monroe (19) | Ron Rollerson (11) | Steve Hailey (9) | Blue Cross Arena | 5-3 |
| February 7 | Mid-Michigan Destroyers | Home | 141-86 | Jerice Crouch (25) | James Reaves (12) | Steve Hailey (7) | Blue Cross Arena | 6-3 |
| February 14 | Vermont Frost Heaves | Away | 113-103 | Keith Friel (33) | Marlin Johnson (13) | Sammy Monroe & Marlin Johnson (2) | Barre Auditorium | 7-3 |
| February 16 | Augusta Groove | Home | 119-121 | Keith Friel (35) | Aaron Williams (10) | Jerice Crouch & Steve Hailey (4) | Blue Cross Arena | 8-3 |
| February 21 | Mid-Michigan Destroyers | Home | 110-123 | Aaron Williams (24) | Jerice Crouch (9) | Jerice Crouch (5) | Blue Cross Arena | 9-3 |
| March 8 | Augusta Groove | Away | 117-99 | Keith Friel (25) | James Reaves (9) | Derik Hollyfield, Steve Hailey, & Xavier Morton (2) | Richmond Academy | 10-3 |
| March 14 | Augusta Groove | Home | 109-123 | Sammy Monroe (22) | Marlin Johnson (13) | Jerice Crouch & Steve Hailey (5) | Blue Cross Arena | 11-3 |
| March 17 | Wilmington Sea Dawgs | Home | 105-121 | Sammy Monroe (21) | Marlin Johnson & James Reaves (10) | Steve Hailey (8) | Blue Cross Arena | 12-3 |
| March 20 | Buffalo Stampede | Away | 132-100 | Sammy Monroe (22) | James Reaves (7) | Jerice Crouch (9) | Koessler Athletic Center | 13-3 |
| March 22 | Buffalo Stampede | Home | 111-156 | Keith Friel (30) | James Reaves (10) | John Halas (7) | Blue Cross Arena | 14-3 |
| March 27 | Buffalo Stampede | Away | 123-92 | James Reaves (20) | Marlin Johnson (9) | Steve Hailey (10) | Koessler Athletic Center | 15-3 |
| March 28 | Chicago Throwbacks | Home | 96-176 | Keith Friel (36) | James Reaves (12) | Marlin Johnson (7) | Blue Cross Arena | 16-3 |
| Playoffs Semi-Final series |
||||||||
| April 2 | Manchester Millrats | Away | 125-110 | Sammy Monroe (26) | James Reaves (10) | Marlin Johnson (4) | Southern New Hampshire Fieldhouse | 17-3 |
| April 5 | Manchester Millrats | Home | 116-110 | Keith Friel (27) | James Reaves (8) | Steve Hailey (5) | Blue Cross Arena | 17-4 |
| April 7 | Manchester Millrats | Home | 152-115 | Keith Friel (28) | Xavier Morton (16) | Jerice Crouch & Steve Hailey (7) | Blue Cross Arena | 18-4 |
[edit] References
- ^ George, Rachel (2007-03-24), Sea Dawgs are unlikely hosts, Wilmington Star News, http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/NEWS/703240374/-1/State, retrieved 2009-12-17
- ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3806661
- ^ http://deadspin.com/5793619/how-to-deal-with-crappy-refereeing-quit-the-league
- ^ http://www.mpnnow.com/localprosports/x1274369283/Puckos-Perspective-With-integrity-at-stake-its-time-for-the-PBL-to-act?mobRedir=false
