Battle Creek Flight
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2008) |
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| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| League | IBL 2004-present |
| Team history | Battle Creek Knights 2004-present |
| Based in | Battle Creek, Michigan |
| Arena | Kellogg Arena 2004-present |
| Colors | Black, Silver, & Orange |
| Owner | Scott Niecko |
| Head coach | Terry Sare |
| Championships | 1 (2005) |
| Division titles | 1 (2005) |
| Dancers | Illegal Motion |
| Mascot | Sir Jam A Lot |
The Battle Creek Knights are a team in the International Basketball League, located in Battle Creek, Michigan.
2005 season
The Knights lived up to their nickname of "The IBL's Power Team", by beating opponents by an average of 128-114. The Knights were led in scoring by Mike Williams, at 22.4 ppg. The Knights were undefeated in the regular season, and won the championship game, beating the Dayton Jets 124-121, for a final record of 21-0.
In addition to being the IBL's power team on the court, the Knights also led the league in attendance. Playing at Kellogg Arena, crowds of 2,500+ were not uncommon, and the team drew 1,854 to the championship and All-Star game, which they hosted. Three Knights made the all-star team; Bobby Madison, Jamal Gooding, and Mike Williams.
2006 season
The 2006 Knights were a casualty of the IBL's expansion. The team finished 11-10, respectable, yet a far cry from being undefeated. The team lost their only playoff game 144-139 to the Holland Blast, an expansion team. Again, three all-stars were named, Logan Vander Velden, Mike Williams, and Jay Youngblood. Youngblood was also in the top 25 scorers, averaging 22.0 ppg (he also played part of the season with the Cuyahoga Falls Cougars. After the season, coach Williams resigned and was replaced by former Knight Logan Vander Velden.
2007 season
With Vander Velden at the helm, the Knights began to regain their winning ways, and locked into the 5th seed for the IBL playoffs [1], where they were eliminated by the defending champion Elkhart Express in the East final.
Roster and coaching staff
Roster for the 2007 season (As of 3/19/2008)
| Battle Creek Knights Current Roster | ||||
| G | 6'4 | #13 | Marcus Bradford | (Columbia) |
| F | 6'9" | #22 | Duke Cleveland | (Grand Valley State) |
| G | 6'5 | #10 | Robert Fortes | (Illinois State) |
| F | 6'5" | #8 | Bobby Madison | (Western Michigan) |
| F | 6'9 | #27 | Kei Madison | (Okaloosa-Walton CC) |
| G | 6'0 | #4 | Brad Pompey | (Indiana/Purdue-Fort Wayne) |
| C | 6'10 | #22 | Corey Thompson | (Augustana (IL)) |
| F | 6'8 | #15 | Jason Underwood | (Centenary) |
| F | 6'6 | #24 | Jamal Ward | (Tennessee) |
| G | 6'0" | #9 | (Western Michigan) | |
| Battle Creek Knights Coaching Staff | |
| Head Coach | Logan Vander Velden |
| Assistant Coach | Terry Sare |
| Assistant Coach | Michael Woods |
| Assistant Coach | Dennis Sare |
| Assistant Coach | Aaron Cusic |
Season by season results
| Regular Season | |||||||
| Year | Wins | Losses | Percentage | Division | |||
| 2005 | 21 | 0 | 1.00 | 1st - East Division | |||
| 2006 | 11 | 10 | .523 | T-5th - East Division | |||
| 2007 | 14 | 9 | .608 | 3rd - East Division | |||
2005 - IBL Champions
All-Stars
2005
- Jamel Gooding
- Bobby Madison
- Mike WIlliams
2006
- Jamel Gooding
- Logan Vander Velden
- Jay Youngblood
2007
- Isaac Jefferson
- Nick Zachery
References
External links
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