RGV Capsules: Vipers' Humphrey, Johnson added to Dream Factory
McALLEN – Lee Humphrey and Tyren Johnson of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers have been selected to participate in the NBA Development League Dream Factory.
The Dream Factory is an skills competition modeled after the NBA's All-Star Saturday Night. It returns for the fifth consecutive year to the NBA Jam Session on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Humphrey will compete in the 3-Point Competition, while Johnson has been chosen to participate in the Shooting Starts Competition.
For the first time, the Dream Factory Dunk Contest will take place at halftime of the 2012 NBA D-League All-Star Game, which begins at 2 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on NBA TV. The 3-Point Competition and the Shooting Stars will take place following the conclusion of the NBA D-League All-Star Game and will be streamed live on nba.com/futurecast.
High-flying dunkers Zachary Andrews (Los Angeles D-Fenders), Osiris Eldridge (Bakersfield Jam), Terrico White (Idaho Stampede) and L.D. Williams (Springfield Armor) will showcase their dunking skills.
The two-round competition allows for each player to complete two dunks in Round 1, with four judges each awarding between six and 10 points for every made dunk. The two players with the highest composite scores move on to Round 2. The player with the highest composite score of the two possible dunks in Round 2 is crowned the champion.
The third-annual Shooting Stars Competition features 12 NBA D-League talents competing in four teams of three in a two-round timed shooting event. This year’s competitors include NBA D-League All-Stars Marqus Blakely (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Jerome Dyson (Tulsa 66ers) Keith McLeod (Erie ByaHawks), Elijah Milsap (Los Angeles), Jerry Smith (Springfield) and Edwin Ubiles (Dakota Wizards).
Rounding out the field are Eldridge, also competing in the dunk contest, Lawrence Hill (Maine Red Claws), Tyren Johnson (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Cameron Jones (Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Leo Lyons (Austin Toros), and White, another competitor in the dunk competition.
The contest features six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition.
Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course, and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is the winner. In the case of a tie, a shootoff will be used to determine the champion.
A pair of 3-Point Competition champions, Booker Woodfox (Texas Legends), who won in 2011 and Blake Ahearn (Reno Bighorns), who was victorious in the event in 2009, face off against sharp shooters Moses Ehambe (Iowa Energy) and Lee Humphrey (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) in the 2012 Dream Factory 3-Point Competition.
The competition has two rounds, featuring a moveable money rack consisting of all money balls, each worth three points. From the field of four, the two players with the highest scores will move on to Round 2 and the player with the highest score in Round 2 is the winner.
Rockets recall Morris
McALLEN – Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced Monday that forward Marcus Morris has been recalled from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. Morris rejoined the Vipers on Feb. 3.
Morris (6-9, 235, Kansas), who was selected by Houston with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, averaged 22.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.40 steals in the 10 full games he has played with Rio Grande Valley this season.
He made his debut with the Vipers by posting 33 points (13-24 FG), 16 rebounds, five assists and two steals vs. Dakota (1/6/12).
-- Vipers Services
Vipers acquire future draft pick
McALLEN – The NBA Development League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced Monday they have acquired a third-round draft pick in the 2012 NBA D-League Draft from the Canton Charge in a three team deal. The Vipers also sent Ernest Scott to the Reno Bighorns, while Canton received Terrance Thomas from Reno.
The Vipers' new third round pick in the 2012 NBA D-League Draft originally belonged to Sioux Falls which was acquired by the Charge on Jan. 12 in exchange for Trey Gilder.
-- Vipers Services
College
Kirakossian third at Jackson State
CHOCTAW, Miss. – University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men’s golfer Kevin Kirakossian finished in third place out of 73 golfers, one stroke back of first, in the Jackson State Frito Lay/Taco Bell Intercollegiate on Monday at Dancing Rabbit Golf Course.
Kirakossian shot a 72 in the final round to tie for the lowest score of any golfer, but Brendon Caballero of the University of Tennessee-Martin also shot a 72 and J.P. Griffin of Georgia Southwestern shot a 73. Each finished with a score 147, one stroke better than Kirakossian’s 148. Kirakossian finished 4-over par while nailing six birdies, the fourth highest total of the tournament.
As a team, the Broncs finished tied for seventh with Florida A&M University out of 14 teams with a two-round 628. The Broncs recorded 17 birdies. Santiago Bueno finished second for the Broncs and 29th overall with a score of 159 following an 82 in the final round.
Three other Broncs competed in the competition. Jonathan Sloss tied for 38th (83-79-162), Connor Ligon tied for 45th (88-75-164) and Mathew Charles tied for 50th (87-79-166).
The Broncs return to action Monday, March 4, when they play in a three-day tournament hosted by Northwood University in Dallas.
-- UTPA Services
UTPA women 16th at Claud Jacobs
VICTORIA – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women’s golf team had the 14th best score in the third and final round Monday while finishing 16th out of 17 teams at the Claud Jacobs Challenge, hosted by Texas State University, at Victoria Country Club.
The Broncs shot 330 in the final round, giving them a 1,003 total. There were four strokes back of No. 145 Eastern Kentucky and nine strokes backs of No. 214 Stephen F. Austin.
Majo Camey led the Broncs in the final round with a 79, giving her a team-best 242, good for a tie for 33rd out of 90 golfers. Blake Peterson also finished in the top half, finishing in a tie for 41st place with a 244 after shooting an 80 in the final round.
Three other Broncs competed, including Samantha Garcia, who finished 66th (88-83-83-254), Marisa Canales finished 84th (86-99-88-273) and Elena Arroyo tied for 85th (91-89-94-274).
The Broncs return to action Monday, Feb. 27, in a two-day tournament at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
-- UTPA Services
Provost earns player of week award
EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Monday that junior guard Brandon Provost is the Great West Conference men’s basketball player of the week after leading the Broncs to conference wins over NJIT and Chicago State.
Provost led the Broncs in scoring in both games, with 15 points against NJIT on Thursday and 16 against Chicago State on Saturday.
In Thursday’s game, Provost set new career-highs in free throws made and attempted, going 10 for 12, including 7 for 8 in the final 52 seconds to seal the 75-67 victory. On Saturday, Provost dished out a career-high six assists to help the Broncs past Chicago State 74-70.
Overall, Provost averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while helping the Broncs to extend their winning streak to four games.
-- UTPA Services
Hockey
Bees' Boogaard suspended six games for punching photographer
HIDALGO - The Central Hockey League on Monday announced that Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees forward Aaron Boogaard has been suspended six games for punching freelance photographer Robert Keith during Friday's game in North Richland Hills against the Texas Brahmas. Boogaard was suspended indefinitely Saturday and has already served one game of the suspension.
Boogaard will miss the Bees' next five games and will return March 3 when they play at Texas. That game will be at the Fort Worth Convention Center, not the NYTEX Sports Centre where the incident occurred.
The Bees will play shorthanded during Boogaard's suspension.
-- Killer Bees Services
