The Erie BayHawks will look to avenge last month’s 109-92 loss to the expansion Canton Charge on Friday night at 7 in their regular-season home finale at Tullio Arena.

While the BayHawks (27-21) have already clinched a playoff berth, Canton (26-22) hasn’t. So the Charge come into the game needing wins, but the BayHawks still have a chance to win the East Conference.

After Thursday’s practice, Erie coach Jay Larranaga and players Joey Graham, Mychel Thompson and Kyle Spain talk about facing the Charge.

Ahearn was key in Erie reaching the 2011 D-League playoffs/ETN file photo.

Blake Ahearn didn’t bite on the invitation.

The Reno Bighorns combo guard was watching his former team play a game against the defending D-League champs, the Iowa Energy, that was postponed due the floor being deemed as unplayable.

Ahearn had to leave Tullio Arena with his fellow Bighorns to rest up for their game against the BayHawks tonight when Erie lead local investor Owen McCormick offered to take him out to dinner.

“I got to get some rest so I can put up 30 on you,” Ahearn said smiling.

McCormick laughed.

“Got to show you how much I love,” Ahearn said while hugging him.

In his two seasons with Erie, Ahearn became a fan favorite for nailing threes, being automatic from the line and playing carefree. The day after the 2011 D-League Draft, the BayHawks traded him to Reno in a four-player deal that resulted in Erie getting Donald Sloan.

“I was shocked,” he said. “It was literally the last phone call I thought I would get, but it is what it is. Everybody knows that professional sports, stuff is a business. I mean, Peyton Manning. Look at that. That’s a perfect example. One of the best quarterbacks of all time. That’s just the nature of our business. It came as a shock and to me, the hardest part was leaving the relationships that you have. That’s the toughest part, but you make new ones in new places you go.”

Tonight at 7, Sloan and Ahearn, whom were teammates for Team USA in the  2011 Pan American Games, will square off at Tullio Arena.

“I’m ready for that game,” said Sloan on Thursday night.

Ahearn, who leads the D-League in scoring at 24.4 points a game, can’t wait either.

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Here guarding NBA All-Star forward Paul Pierce, Mychel Thompson (right) started three games for the Cleveland Cavaliers./AP Photo.

Being waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday didn’t stop Mychel Thompson’s pursuit of making the NBA.

Just altered it.

Before returning to the Erie BayHawks for today’s 7 p.m. game against Maine at Tullio Arena, Thompson talked about being back with Erie, what he learned in Cleveland and guarding the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point shooting — Ray Allen.

How are you feeling about coming back to Erie? “My goal is to get back into the NBA. So I felt this gives me my best opportunity. By coming back, I hope I get another chance.”

(A third-round pick in the 2011 D-League Draft, Thompson averaged 19.8 points in five games with Erie to start the 2011-12 season.)

How was your experience in Cleveland? “It was good. I learned a lot. The last few games, I got to play. It was great being out there. I felt like I finally adjusted well to the game. Got a lot of experience. Was able to start some games. Just hoping for another opportunity like that.”

(Thompson played five games for the Cavaliers. Averaging 3.6 points a game, Thompson started three games for Cleveland. He made the final 15-man roster after the Cavaliers invited him to their training camp.).

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The Erie BayHawks head into tomorrow’s 7 p.m. game at Maine having split their last two games.

Erie won at Springfield, 123-117 in overtime on Thursday night after losing to the Armor 114-107 the night before. They’ve got some sweet slo-mo highlights of Tirrell Baines going to the rim. Never seen that before.

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With Erie's top four scorers at NBA camps, Kyle Spain will get more scoring opportunities./Photo by Greg Wohlford/Erie Times-News

Kyle Spain is not one of the five Erie BayHawks players averaging double figures in points.

But since four of those guys – point guard Donald Sloan, who leads the team in scoring at 24.8 points a game, small forward Mychel Thompson, 7-footer Chris Daniels and combo guard Cory Higgins – are in NBA training camps, Spain’ s numbers  may rise dramatically starting Friday night against expansion Canton (2-2).

“Eighty percent of our scoring has gone,” said Spain, who is averaging 9.2 points a game. “So that’s opened up some more minutes for myself. Obviously that’s an opportunity. An opportunity I need to capitalize on.”

Sloan, Daniels, Higgins and Thompson will miss Saturday’s game against Fort Wayne (2-2) as well so Spain will get at least get two chances to show he can put up big numbers.

Spain is also working on his ball handling as evident of a drill he was doing at today’s practice in which he dribbled a ball in each hand across the court and put both basketballs between his legs at the same time without having them touch.

“I got a little drill from Donald Sloan,” Spain said. “Asked him for a few dribbling tips so I can tighten up my handle.”

Al Nolen/Photo by Rob Engelhardt/ETN

The Erie BayHawks have reduced their roster to 11 after waiving Al Nolen and Marvin Roberts today.

The 6-foot, 1-inch Nolen, a point guard who Erie picked in the fifth round of the 2011 D-League Draft, didn’t participate in any of the scrimmages as he’s recovering from having a pin removed from the foot that he broke in his senior year at Minnesota last season.

Roberts, a 6-5 guard out of Florida International, had issues with a groin injury, but did play in the three-team scrimmage Saturday at Penn State Behrend.  He was invited to training camp after a free-agent tryout.

Now the BayHawks have one more player to cut by 5 p.m. on Nov. 23.

The interesting part about this last cut is forward D.J. Kennedy is just getting back to doing more in camp. Out of St. John’s the 6-5 Kennedy is coming off a season-ending knee injury he had in March.

Erie could make him an injury waiver and retain his rights. If Erie keeps him, that means a small forward/big guard will most likely go.

The guys that fall into the smll forward/big guard category are Chaz McCrommon, who joined the BayHawks at the end of last season, Kyle Spain, who played for Erie last season, Mychel Thompson, who was a third-round pick out of Pepperdine or Tirrell Baines, who was a fourth-round pick out of Marshall.

However, Erie may go a completely different direction to make its final cut. The BayHawks will likely make their final cut either after tonight’s practice or tomorrow morning because they’re headed to Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday for Friday’s season opener against the Vipers.

Chris Daniels/Photo by Rob Engelhardt/Erie Times-News

The Erie BayHawks closed out Saturday’s three-team exhibition with a convincing 57-42 win against expansion Canton at Penn State Behrend.

Center Chris Daniels had 19 points while forward Tirrell Baines added 16 as the BayHawks shot 62.2 percent from the field.

Erie won its earlier game, 43-39, against Fort Wayne, which beat Canton in the opening game, 49-41. The three games were only two quarters long. Forward D.J. Kennedy (knee) and point guard Al Nolen (foot) didn’t play for Erie.

Look for the Bayhawks to make some cuts in the next day or so. The BayHawks have until 5 p.m. on Nov. 23 to reach the 10-man roster limit. Before looking at the BayHawks, here’s a quick observation of Fort Wayne and Canton.

Fort Wayne is experienced. Has key returnees in Ron Howard and Walker Russell. Got some solid pick ups in former Michigan State forward Antonio Smith and Marvin Phillips, who was a key contributor for the Iowa Energy.

However, the biggest force the Mad Ants have – Chris Hunter – was in street clothes. The big fella was nearly unstoppable in the D-League. With him, Fort Wayne could be be scary.

Canton – The Charge didn’t finish their second scrimmage with Erie well. Got pretty good talent, but they’re young and didn’t play like a cohesive unit down the stretch against Erie.

Now to the BayHawks.

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Donald Sloan hit the game winner in the scrimmage.

Just got back from Geneva, Ohio where the Erie BayHawks beat the expansion Canton Charge in an exhibition game at the SPIRE Institute.

First off, the SPIRE Institute is a magnificent facility. Took a tour with the BayHawks there before the scrimmage. Very nice facility.

Now let’s talk hoops.

Erie won, 105-103, but Erie coach Jay Larranaga said, “We got a lot of work to do” afterward.

It’ll be interesting if the BayHawks show improvement in their defense in terms of defending dribble penetration in Saturday’s three-team scrimmage with the Charge and Fort Wayne at Penn State Behrend’s Junker Center.

As far as Wednesday goes, the game was close throughout but three guys came to the front when the game was on the line for the BayHawks.

1. Donald Sloan – Hit the game-winner with 19 seconds left after breaking the defense down with the dribble. This guy can get in the lane, has a nice runner and is automatic from the line.

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Kyle Goldcamp survived the first cuts the Erie BayHawks made Tuesday. Erie waived three players./Photo by Janet B. Kummerer/Erie Times-News

Earlier today, I went to Penn State Behrend’s Junker Center to check out the Erie BayHawks practice.

Here are a few notables:

1.Erie waived three players – guard Adrian Bowie out of Maryland, forward Kayode Ayeni out of St. Francis and power forward Joseph Kennerly II out of Central Oklahoma – today. The odds were against Kennerly III because he was one of four true big men in camp.

Erie traded a second-round pick to Idaho for Jeff Graves, drafted 7-footer Chris Daniels in the first round and Kyle Goldcamp has been with the BayHawks for the last two two seasons.

2. Goldcamp said the biggest difference between Erie coach Jay Larranaga’s system of a season ago and how the New York Knicks play is how the big men run the floor. The former Gannon star said before, bigs ran down the middle of the floor. Now the big men are being asked to run the wings to keep the middle open.

The Knicks and BayHawks are in a hybrid partnership.

3. Goldcamp and Graves, out of Kansas, went at each other again today. At age 30, Graves is more seasoned and has more talent, but what Goldcamp does is make you work. One one play, Goldcamp took Graves baseline, missed the shot, but got the rebound and put it back up. Later in practice, Graves made a beautiful drop-step baseline move, took two power dribbles and scored on a reverse.

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Kyle Spain averaged 8.1 points for Erie in 44 games last season./Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

Shooters. Rebounders.

That’s how Erie BayHawks general manager of basketball operations, Allan Houston, summarized what Erie will look for in the 2011 D-League Draft, which starts Thursday at 7 p.m.

The BayHawks have the seventh and ninth pick in the first round and have two more picks in the second round. Before figuring out what they need, you got know what they got coming back.

Returning players:

PG – Blake Ahearn (27 years old, 6-2, 190, Missouri State) – Shooter. Scorer (Avg. 16.9 points in 31 games for  Erie last season, 96.2 FT%). Not a great defender, but is scrappy.

PF – Kyle Goldcamp (25 years old, 6-10, 230, Gannon) – Tough. Plays hard. Has a lefty hook, but gets garbage points. Aggressive.

SF – Kyle Spain (6-5, 210, San Diego State) – Plays on the perimeter. Has unlimited range on the jump shot. Struggles defending on perimeter.

SF Chaz McCrommon (6-6, 200, Robert Morris) – Joined Erie late last season. Only played one game for the BayHawks. Considered a solid defender and capable scorer.

Here are the free-agent invites:

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