Here’s a look at who the Erie BayHawks chose in Thursday night’s 2011 D-League Draft. Training camp begins Nov. 10 in Erie.
1st round: (7th overall) SG Cory Higgins (6-5, 190, Colorado). Avg. 16.1 points his senior season at Colorado in 2010-11. He’s the son of former NBA player and the president of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, Rod Higgins.
Gunter on the block for Erie.
Erie BayHawks reserve power forward Jarvis Gunter seems to always have a smile on his face.
It just was a little bigger Wednesday before practice at LECOM.
The night before, he watched his school, Arkansas-Pine Bluff win its first ever NCAA Tournament game in Tuesday’s play-in game.
The Golden Lions beat Winthrop, 61-44, in Dayton, Ohio. This was Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I was very proud of them,” said Gunter, who averaged 6.6 points and 7.7 rebounds his senior season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2007-08. He finished his career with 754 points and 674 rebounds. “They went out and played hard. Took care of business. It made me very proud. I played with about five or six of those guys.”
Up next for the Golden Lions? Duke. The No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and the epitome of college basketball.
“If they get keep it close and a couple of guys stay out of foul trouble, anything can happen,” Gunter said.
Gunter is just hoping the game is televised in the Erie area so he can watch it. The game is in Jacksonville, Fla. so the odds aren’t in his favor, but you never know.
Anything can happen in March Madness.
“I felt like I had something to prove and that I should have been on the floor when I was here. I wasn’t playing. I just wanted to show that I could play. I had a little grudge on my shoulder.” – Taj McCullough after playing against Erie on Jan 9.
After averaging just 6.5 points in eight games with the Erie BayHawks, rookie forward Taj McCullough (with black headband) has averaged 17.7 points in 34 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Today, Taj McCullough says he’s not bitter.
He just chalks it up as a business decision the Erie BayHawks made when they released him Dec. 22 of last year, but when he faced Erie for the first time after that Jan. 9, McCullough went for 26 points against his former team.
The Mad Ants lost, but the 6-foot 7-inch rookie left Tullio Arena with some self gratification.
Months later, McCullough will face his former team again tonight at Fort Wayne and Saturday at Erie. The BayHawks just need to split their last two games to make the playoffs, but if the Mad Ants beat Erie twice and Sioux Falls wins its last two games, the BayHawks will miss the playoffs.
Wondering how McCullough is approaching all this? Let’s find out.
