Ryan Blackwell spent the past four bj-league seasons as a quality, fundamentally sound forward, suiting up for the Sendai 89ers for a pair of seasons before moving on to the Osaka Evessa.
He's now ready for the next chapter of his basketball career as the new head coach of the Evessa. He retired as a player following the 2009-10 season which ended in Osaka's lopsided loss to the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in the championship game.
The Evessa, the league's first dynasty, have set lofty goals for the upcoming season, which tips off on Saturday. Osaka begins its sixth season by playing host to the expansion Miyazaki Shining Suns.