Surveying the B. League coaching landscape entering the 2019-20 season
Coaching longevity with one team isn't a trademark in pro basketball. Here today, gone tomorrow. That's the reality of the business. And the current crop of B. League bench bosses illustrates this point as the league gears up for its fourth season. Of the 18 head ...
SeaHorses heat up in second quarter, pull away in win over Rizing Zephyr
After the first quarter ended, the SeaHorses Mikawa held the slimmest of margins on Friday night in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture. Then the SeaHorses heated up on offense and seized control of their game against the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka. The hosts dominated the second and third quarters, ...
Grouses withstand Storks' spirited fourth-quarter rally, improve to 2-1
The Toyama Grouses held off the pesky Nishinomiya Storks in the fourth quarter on Saturday night, clinging to a slim lead down the stretch in a 72-68 series-opening victory. The Grouses (2-1) led 61-47 after three quarters in Toyama. The Storks converted 8 of 11 shots ...
Toyama's Willard finishes with triple-double in down-to-the-wire win over Kawasaki
Sam Willard notched a triple-double and sank two clutch free throws with 2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as the Toyama Grouses edged the Kawasaki Brave Thunders 83-80 in their series opener on Friday night. Willard, a University of the Pacific alum, finished with ...
Brave Thunders dominate in fourth quarter, earn victory over Grouses
The Toyama Grouses held a six-point lead over the Kawasaki Brave Thunders entering the final quarter on Saturday. It wasn't enough. The Brave Thunders scored 30 fourth-quarter points and prevailed 73-69 over the hosts in Toyama. Kawasaki's Nick Fazekas scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in ...
Shiga finds going tough early on
After a month of games, there are two 1-7 teams in the B. League's 18-team first division. And they are both vying to climb out of the cellar. The Central Division's Toyama Grouses, last season's bj-league championship runner-up squad, has stumbled out of the gate ...
Toyama inks point producer Okada
The Toyama Grouses have boosted their roster with the addition of shooting guard Yu Okada as they prepare for their first season as a B. League first-division squad. Toyama made the announcement on its website on Wednesday. The Grouses earned a championship runner-up finish in the ...
Surging Lakestars take care of business against Bambitious
After consecutive defeats to the rival Kyoto Hannaryz on Feb. 20 and 21, the Shiga Lakestars have quietly strung together an eight-game winning streak. The Lakestars recorded their latest victory, a 77-67 decision against the Bambitious Nara, on Sunday in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture. Veteran sharpshooter Yu ...
Joho a class act from start to finish
Before the hectic pace of the playoffs grabs the spotlight and all attention centers on the end of an era, it's an appropriate time to recognize Masashi Joho's significant place in league history. The current Toyama Grouses star helped elevate his team to one of ...
Hot 3-point shooting carries Shiga past Fukuoka
Led by a trio of 3-point shooting specialists, the visiting Shiga Lakestars halted the Rizing Fukuoka's three-game winning streak on Thursday night, winning the bj-league series opener 95-93. Shiga's Ray Nixon, a University of Wisconsin product, buried 8 of 13 long-range shots en route to ...
Okada making impact for unbeaten Shiga
Yu Okada has spent nearly a decade now knocking down jump shots for a paycheck. He was an integral part of the Takamatsu Five Arrows' remarkable run to a championship runnerup finish as a first-year franchise in the 2006-07 season, a recognizable fixture in the ...
