High-scoring forward Thomas Kennedy joins Hiroshima Dragonflies
Thomas Kennedy, a dynamic scorer for the Gunma Crane Thunders for four seasons, has joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies. The move was announced by Hiroshima on Thursday. Kennedy led the B. League second division in scoring (27.9 points per game) this past season and started all 60 ...
Alvark, Jets post victories in semifinal series openers
The Alvark Tokyo scratched and clawed their way to a third-place finish in the brutal East Division during the regular season. Forty-four wins in 60 games was what they accomplished. Indeed, it wasn't easy. On Saturday, the resilient defending champions moved a step closer to achieving ...
Chiba set for semifinal clash with Tochigi; Ryukyu faces Tokyo
Motivation can be a powerful emotion in sports. For the Chiba Jets Funabashi, last season's defeat in the B. League Championship final to the Alvark Tokyo has been their motivational force throughout this season. Jets shooting guard Kosuke Ishii admitted as much after Chiba's 96-85, series-clinching ...
Crane Thunders, 89ers triumph in second-flight series openers
The Gunma Crane Thunders had a solid first half to set the tone and a strong rebounding effort in Friday's 76-68 series-opening victory over the Earthfriends Tokyo Z. Gunma (2-1) led 42-32 at halftime at Ota City General Gymnasium. The Crane Thunders outrebounded their second-division rivals ...
Kumamoto ready to stake claim on upcoming B2 season
A week before the B. League's top flight gets underway, the second division opens its 2018-19 campaign on Sept. 28. The promoted Hachioji Bee Trains play host to the Earthfriends Tokyo Z and the Ehime Orange Vikings face the visiting Hiroshima Dragonflies in the evening's ...
NeoPhoenix star Robert Dozier provides leadership, confidence for club
With power forward Robert Dozier in the lineup, the San-en NeoPhoenix are a more complete team. A more balanced team. A more dangerous team. Dozier improves San-en's offense and defense and rhythm at both ends of the floor. A natural leader, the veteran is a tone-setter ...
Marc Trasolini's all-around spark leads Levanga past Alvark
Veteran forward/center Marc Trasolini's banner performance ignited the Levanga Hokkaido offense in an 81-76 triumph over the Alvark Tokyo on Friday evening. The Santa Clara University product scored a game-high 28 points on 12-for-18 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, handed out four assists and swatted two ...
Hot-shooting Volters overpower Crane Thunders
In a game showcasing two of the top teams in the second division, the Kumamoto Volters ran past the visiting Gunma Crane Thunders on Friday night, winning 98-78. Backup shooting guard Terrance Woodbury, doing his best Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson impersonation, sparked the Volters off ...
Storks storm past Crane Thunders to reach second-flight title game against TBD foe
The Central Division champion Nishinomiya Storks defeated the visiting Gunma Crane Thunders 70-60 victory in Game 2 of the B. League second-division semifinals on Friday night. With the win, the Storks advance to the B2 final at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 2, where they will ...
Quality coaches competing for top accolade
Who's the leading candidate to be named the B. League's coach of the year for the first time in the 18-team top division? It's a real roll of the dice entering the final weekend of April. In other words, it still appears to be a wide-open ...
Sharpshooter Roby expected to give NeoPhoenix boost
Richard Roby, a driving force behind the Akita Northern Happinets' success over the past three seasons, brings his high-octane offensive output to the San-en NeoPhoenix for the launch of a new era. When the B. League tips off later this month, the team formerly called ...
Gunma's Hamilton happy to help others shine
The Japan Times has featured periodic interviews with players in the bj-league since 2006 in this long-running series. Gary Hamilton of the Gunma Crane Thunders is the subject of this week's profile. Because the league's final game was held on Sunday, this article wraps ...
