B. League coaches and players support decision to postpone games
A state of uncertainty is the current reality for sports leagues, athletes, coaches and organizers spanning the globe. The B. League, now in its fourth season, is dealing with that reality, too. Masaaki Okawa, the B. League chairman, announced on Wednesday evening that the circuit will ...
Hannaryz hope to finish season on high note
The Kyoto Hannaryz have endured a roller-coaster ride in the first 35 games of the season. Will this be the defining characteristic of their final 25 games? Let's review what's led to their current 18-17 record. Longtime bench boss Honoo Hamaguchi's team opened the season with six ...
Toyama's Satoru Maeta making most of playing time in second season
A few up-and-coming players' names appear on the list of top Japanese scorers this season. They join many established players in providing an offensive spark for their respective teams. Chiba Jets guard Yuki Togashi is setting the pace with 14.8 points per game, first among ...
Hannaryz edge Grouses in dramatic series opener
In an entertaining clash of unbeaten teams in Week 2, the Kyoto Hannaryz held off the Toyama Grouses by the slimmest of margins on Saturday night. The Hannaryz defeated the Grouses 91-90 in the B. League series opener. The final point of the game came on ...
SeaHorses outplay Albirex, improve to 19-3
Strength in numbers led the title-chasing SeaHorses Mikawa past the Niigata Albirex BB on Saturday afternoon. The SeaHorses had six double-digit scorers and four players with five or more assists. They chalked up 32 assists and had only six turnovers. For coach Kimikazu Suzuki's team, it ...
SeaHorses sail past B-Corsairs for 16th consecutive win
The Boston Celtics aren't the only pro basketball team that's had an amazing start this season. Exhibit A: The SeaHorses Mikawa. On Sunday afternoon, the SeaHorses trailed after one quarter. Then they overwhelmingly transformed the game in their favor in the second stanza. The result? A 90-72 win ...
Balanced scoring guides Alvark past B-Corsairs
There are games when almost everything goes right for an offense. Saturday was one of those games for the Alvark Tokyo. Six Alvark players reached double figures in scoring and the East Division leaders pounced on the visiting Yokohama B-Corsairs, winning 98-66. Former NBA guard Diante Garrett ...
Alvark Tokyo steaming along behind potent offense
The Alvark Tokyo are firing on all cylinders as the B. League's inaugural season reaches its midway point. Long before the pause in the season for the ongoing All-Japan Championship and next weekend's All-Star Game, the Alvark (22-5) staked their claim as one of the ...
Matsui happy to be Japan's sixth man
Keijuro Matsui isn't quite like the rest of the 12 players on the Japan men's national team for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade. While his teammates are starters for their respective clubs, that is not the case for Matsui. The 30-year-old shooting guard comes ...
Alvark coach Ito sticks with predecessor's focus on defense
This season, the Toyota Alvark have played under a new head coach, Takuma Ito, and they've had remarkable success. The 33-year-old, who had been an assistant under sideline supervisor Donald Beck the last five seasons, has led the Alvark to an NBL-best 46-8 record through ...
Japanese hoops waking up to skill training
Japanese athletes have always been labeled inferior in size and power, forcing them to rely on skill and technique to compete on the international stage. But here's the question: Is their skill and technique really cutting-edge? And are they enough to make them competitive at ...
Matsui ready to be shooting star
The lack of a presence underneath the basket has been Japanese basketball's everlasting issue. So Kenji Hasegawa, the current men's national team head coach, looks more to his outside players than inside muscle, relying on their perimeter shooting to carry the offense. That said, Keijuro ...
