Thursday Nuggets
Energy fans,
What a week! It’s been a lot of fun in the Energy offices over the past week. From our great home opener last week to the “Blizzard of the Century” this week, it’s been a wild ride. Just in case you’ve been stuck in a snow-cave, here is the latest news on the Energy front.
Phoenix Sun Taylor Griffin is coming to Des Moines!
As most of you know, the Energy is affiliated with the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls. This allows those NBA teams to assign their young players to the Energy to get them valuable playing time. Suns GM Steve Kerr announced this week that Suns rookie Taylor Griffin has been assigned to the Energy for this weekend’s games against Dakota. Taylor was the Suns 2nd round pick and just happens to be the older brother of the #1 pick in this year’s draft, Blake Griffin. They both starred at Oklahoma, leading them to the Elite 8 of last year’s NCAA tourney. Taylor is a great athlete and will be a fan favorite. Read more about him HERE.
Cartier Martin is Back!
More great news came out earlier this week, when the Energy announced that we are re-signing Cartier Martin. Cartier was our 1st pick in last year’s D-League draft and played in 20 plus games, before being called up by the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.
He is an explosive scorer and averaged 20.6 points and 5.4 rebounds during his time in Des Moines. Cartier played his college ball just a short drive away at Kansas State.
Energy Undefeated, atop the Power Rankings!
The Energy are off to a torrid start, beginning the year 4-0 after sweeping series against Springfield and Fort Wayne. The Energy are in sole possession of first place in the D-League’s Eastern Conference standings and are also the only undefeated team in the D-League.
In the most recent power rankings released by the league, it was no surprise to see the Energy at the top. Coach Nurse and the staff have a great group of players and hopefully we remain at the top all year. This year’s squad is a blast to watch, come on out to Wells Fargo Arena to see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
Quick Change Coming Soon!
If you haven’t already done so, mark your calendars for December 12th as we have an awesome night planned with the Energy. Along with the basketball on the floor, we are bringing in a world-renowned entertainment act, “Quick Change.” They are worth the price of admission on their own and are a mainstay at NBA arenas across the nation. Check out a sample of their act from “America’s Got Talent” on NBC.
They are incredible to see in person. Tickets start as low as $8 for the entire night! Call us at 515-462-2849 or go to www.dahlstickets.com You won’t want to miss it.
Energy Move to 3-0! Defeat Ft. Wayne 102-95
The Iowa Energy stayed unbeaten on Thursday night by holding off the Fort Wayne Mad Ants 102-95. Jeff Trepagnier led a big charge early in the game by scoring 20 first half points, but the Mad Ants rallied to make it interesting late. Take a look at the highlights.
The Energy look to remain undefeated on Sunday afternoon in a rematch with the Mad Ants. Tip-off is at 4pm. See you there!
Former Energy Player Shannon Brown Again!
In what is becoming a recurring theme on EnergyHoopla.com, we feature the phenomenal athleticism of one Shannon Brown. Mr. Brown showcased the same skills in Des Moines just a short time ago. Now, he’s on the big stage and showing off. Also, credit the pass from former D-Leaguer Jordan Farmar.
Inside the Energy: Grinnell Mutual Basketball Camp
Last weekend, the Energy had the pleasure of working with Grinnell Mutual to host a basketball camp at Grinnell High School. Over 80 kids showed up to participate in the clinic hosted by Energy coaches Nick Nurse and Nate Bjorkgren and Energy players Adam Emmenecker, Shy Ely and Russell Hicks. It was a great time. Take a look at the pics to see for yourself.
High School Hoop Series Photo Gallery
We held a press conference this week announcing our High School Hoop Series games this year. We have a great slate of games, which includes the #1 High School basketball player in the nation, Harrison Barnes. He and the Ames High Little Cyclones will face off with Sioux City North as part of a Triple-Header on February 6th. For more info on other games click HERE.
From the Desk of the GM: Playoff Changes
The D-League announced today that they will be expanding the playoffs to three rounds, best of three games in each round. This decision is probably controversial on a lot of ends, and I’m sure the playoffs will continue to be tweaked as this league grows. There are definitely pros and cons to this change:
PROS: More legitimacy to the league (a real playoff system)
Greater development of rivalries (I’ve heard people ask about how much would be lost if last year’s Celtics/Bulls series was only one game.)
Greater chance that the best team wins.
Energy Links
There is a lot going on with us this week. The players are arriving into town, and practice will get going by the end of the week. This year’s squad should be extremely fun to watch. Here are some links from around the web with a little Energy flavor:
Great article from the Niagara Falls Review about Energy 7th round pick Russell Hicks, the 7 foot center from Canada. He sounds excited to get here!
Find more info HERE on 5th round selection Joah Tucker, who had a great career at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Check back here to EnergyHoopla all week as we report on the happenings at Training Camp and give you an inside look on how the Energy roster is shaping up.
Draft Day Links
It has already been an active day around the Energy offices. Coach Nurse and his staff are busy in the “war room” breaking down players and figuring out which direction the Energy will go tonight. To help pass the time before now and the start of the Draft at 6pm, here are some links to educate and entertain.
DraftExpress.com always does a great job of breaking down NBA prospects. This is no exception. A detailed break-down of some of the most intriguing guys in this year’s Draft.
The Des Moines Register’s article on tonight’s Draft held at 3Bag.
Here is the audio of Coach Nurse’s Interview with Jon Miller this morning on KXNO. The Interview is toward the end of the hour.
ESPN’s Basketball guru Chris Sheridan breaks down the Draft.
One of the best D-League Blogs, Ridiculous Upside, Previews the Draft.
Chris Albert, the VP of Basketball Operations for the D-League with a Q&A about tonight’s Draft. From NBA.com.
Along with updates on our Twitter account, follow the Draft Board HERE.
Of course the best way to follow along is to come out to 3Bag and enjoy some food and drink specials, meet returning players, our coaches and much more fun! Happy Draft Day!
