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The wait is over, Elmira. Professional basketball has arrived at your door.
The tipoff of the home opener for your Elmira Bulldogs is scheduled for
7:05 pm on Sunday, March 1 at the Chemung County YMCA. Doors will
open at 6 pm. Tickets will be sold at the ticket box office inside the
Chemung County YMCA for the low price of $7 for adults and $5 for
youth, seniors and all Chemung County YMCA members.
The team will hold a ceremonial jump ball at 6:50 pm that will be tossed
by the mayor of Elmira, John Tonello. The President of the National
Professional Basketball League, Benjamin Tisdale, will also be in
attendance for the ceremony and game. The national anthem will then be
sung, followed by the 7:05 tip-off.
Throughout the night, fans will be treated with a variety of music played
by the Elmira Bulldogs DJ, along with free giveaways from sponsors such as
Slam Magazine.
"Slam Magazine has stepped up to the plate big time and provided a large
number of magazines and posters to be handed out as free give aways to fans
in attendance," said co-owner and head coach James R. Schutz. "This is
much more than a basketball game, this is shaping up to be a tremendous
event for the city of Elmira to par take in."
Fans will also be able to get their first taste of the star studded
Bulldogs team and starting lineup. This game and the season that follows
will give Elmira a real life experience of the skill, size and athleticism
of professional basketball players.
The starting five for the Elmira Bulldogs is as follows:
At point guard is 5'10 point guard Steven Hodge. Hodge has been a star in
professional basketball all over the world, including stops in Estonia,
Mexico, Germany, Findland and the U.K. He has now come to Elmira, NY to
showcase his skills in the NPBL.
At shooting guard will be the 6'2, three point specialist Justin
Cichon, who was with the Corning Bulldogs of the ABA. Cichon posted an
average of 26.3 points per game with the Corning Bulldogs. Prior to playing
professional basketball in America, Cichon had a professional stint in
England.
Starting at small forward is 6'4 David Ruffin, who holds a last name
many NBA fans may be familiar with. David is the brother of former NBA
player Trevor Ruffin, who played for the Philidelphia 76er's in the mid
90's. David was a starter in college at NCAA D-1 University of Hartford.
He has the potential to put a large amount of points on the board, and
many who have recently seen him play believe that he has NBA potential.
Starting at power forward is Mackenzie Clark. At 6'10, 250 lbs, Clark
started at center for the Syracuse Raging Bullz of the ABA. The Elmira
Bulldogs coaching staff is not shy about calling him the most impressive
player that they have ever been around. Clark will be the key piece to
the puzzle if the Bulldogs plan on bringing the 2008 NPBL Championship to
Elmira, NY.
Starting at center is 7'0 240 lbs Jaaron Greene. Greene played his
college ball at NCAA D-1 George Washington University. Jaaron is the son
of Elmira native Tony Greene, who along with his brothers were very well
known sports stars in Elmira back in the 70's. Although Jaaron was born
in Mannasas, VA he has decided to call Elmira, NY his adopted home town to
honor his family legacy in Elmira. Jaaron has recently lost 50 lbs
through a strenuous workout regimen and looks as if he will be a force for
the Elmira
Bulldogs. He can run the floor in the uptempo offense that the
coaching staff is looking to use.
The Bulldogs also offer a lot of depth with a very strong bench
that includes a 6'11 270 lbs center Yanif Ducreay. Ducreay is a
former college basketball star from Montana State-Northern. Ducreay,
who is a native of the Dominican Republic, currently resides in
Elmira, NY along with his wife. Other player's who will see significant
time off the bench include 6'1 point guard Darwin Young (University of
Buffalo), 6'7 small forward Demontric Doddles (Mansfield University), 6'2
shooting guard Lester Mcnair (Buffalo State College) and 6'2 shooting
guard/small forward James Harris (Corning Community College).
Local reserves Manly Mcllwain (Bradford, NY/Bradford High School) and
Lorenzo Lee (Elmira, NY/EFA) will round out the Elmira Bulldogs
roster and will help to add depth to an already deep back court.
The Defending champion Hudson Valley Hawks have re-signed 6'0 185 lbs
PG Willie Coleman, who led the champions in scoring last season. The
Hawks also bring back a 6'6 220 lbs high octane scorer in Amseshem
Henderson, who was the team’s best all around player last season and
also led the team with 43 points in last years championship game win.
The Hawks’ tallest player is 6'7, as they feature a small and quick lineup
that can put points on the board in a hurry. In in last season’s
championship game win the Hawks scored 145 points.
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