Player Bio: Pierre Darden, Cleveland Lakers

 Pierre S. Darden

Height: 6'10''

Weight: 220 lbs.

Position: Forward College: University of the Cumberlands 

Major: Communications 

Minor: Physical Science 

Nationality: USA

Born: Apr.11, 1983 in Cincinnati, Ohio

Outlook:

Pierre Darden is a 6'10" power forward. He is a gifted scorer from all over the court. Pierre was assigned to the NY Knicks D-League affiliate. Pierre is experienced in the Mike D'Antoni style offense. He plays with a lot of energy and is very athletic. He can rebound and block shots.

Physical and Mental: Very tough hard nosed player with an excellent understanding of the game.Ball Skill: Above Average ball handler for his size

Offense: Great Shooting range. Strong/aggressive around the basket.

Defense: Great off -ball defender, Active help side, quick feetGame knowledge: FantasticStrengths: Super athletic ability and skill; great fast break forward

Overall comments: A strong offensive player who interacts well with everyone, Good Pro potential 

•   2001-2003: Robert Morris (NCAA)
  
•   2004-2005: University of Cumberland
  

o 14ppg, 8rpg, 2.9apg, 1.8spg
 2005-2006: University of Cumberland (NCAA)
o 18ppg, 8rpg, 1apg

•   2007: Oklahoma Cavalry (CBA)- Training Camp
  
•   2007-2008: Oklahoma Cavalry (CBA)
  

o 12ppg, 8rpg, 2.9apg,
o Started 13 games
o Won C.B.A. championship,
o Runner up for rookie of the year

•   2008: Invited to attend workout for the New York Knicks
  
•   2008: Selected 3rd in the 4th round of the 2008 NBA Developmental League Draft by the
  Albuquerque Thunderbirds
  
•   2008 played in the P.B.L. in Manchester New Hampshire for the Millrats, 
  

  2009 in the (KBDL) Kentucky Basketball Developmental League for the Kentucky Thunder starting five 25pts per game 9 rebs 2 blocks

•   2009: Hoops Kentucky Pro Am Tournament (Pals Elite)
  
•   2009: September: Erie Bay Hawks (D-League) free-agent tryout camp
  
•   2010: In February signed at Guaiqueries de Margarita (Venezuela-LPB),
  
•   2010:Workout with Milwaukee Bucks
  
•   2011:Cibacopa Mexcio Mineros de Cananea
  
•   2011:Was selected to take tour of China
  
•   2012:RazorSharks PB 
  
  http://clevelandlakers.org/
  
  
  
  
  

Player Bio: Latrell Alford

Latrell Aldren Alford       

Position: Shooting Guard/ Combo Guard

Personal Information:Born: May 21, 1989

Height: 6’3” – 191cm

Weight: 185 – 84kg

Vertical: 46”

Wingspan: 6’5” 

2011-12 NCCAA National Player of the Year / CCSN National Player of the Year  

2011-12
NCCAA National Player of the Year CCSN National Player of the Year 1st Team All-American
National All-Tournament Team
MVP of the East Region
1st Team All-East Region
East Region Defensive Player of the Year
Player of the Week for Sam Cozen Small Colleges of Philadelphia 

New teams being added to OVBL for 2013

The Ohio Valley Basketball League currently has 6 very talented teams. We are in the process of developing two more teams for the upcoming season.

The Buffalo Blue Hawks is a spin off team that currently holds 7 players and a very talented experienced coach, Nate Salters who believes in player development. " Players have to realize this is next level, not rec league" says Coach Salters. The OVBL totally agrees with the Buffalo organization and will be helping the team by recruiting and placing another 6-7 players on the team in the next two weeks.

The Washington County Warriors have been attempting to get a bid in the Pro Exposure realm over the last few seasons. They have near a whole team that consists of players comprised of mainly local with some from surrounding rival Pittsburgh Bullets. They have 8 players and the OVBL will be helping them place another 4-5 players on the team.

The one common piece that I have noticed in talking with players, coaches, scouts, international scouts and agents in the last two weeks is players do not realize how important exposure is.

They do not realize they need game film to make it overseas or professionally at all. The OVBL is all about that, live stream games, archived film and contacts that will make it happen.

Contacts the world over

 While the Ohio Valley Basketball League has agents that they do work with, they also have direct connections with influential basketball people the world over. On a daily basis, Ohio Valley Basketball League executives speak with contacts in Serbia, Slovenia, Australia, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Uruguay. This list grows daily, yesterday we were able to connect with a prominent coach in Greece. This not only allows the OVBL to showcase our talent, but it also lets us learn the international game at its best. By learning the overseas games and about each league and team, it will help the players for overall exposure as well as allowing our mentor network to grow worldwide.

OVBL Team hits 10,000 views on Youtube

The best promoted Ohio Valley Basketball league team is without a doubt the Pittsburgh Bullets. One of the better teams in the league, Bullets owner Marcus Robinson, does an outstanding job at promoting his players and his team. Marcus utilizes videos from tryouts to showing prospects for the team. Each and every team that wants to promote their players and exposure should follow Marcus and his strategies.

Congratulations to the Social media staff that makes the difference for the team... Social Media manager Desiree Phillips and Social Media Asst manager Teresa Douglass, they have done an outstanding job ! The team has made the 10,000 view mark in less than one year !


Please help them get to 15,000 quickly as they continue to promote and make the difference for their city and the team.

Check out their latest tryout video and subscribe to their videos ... there are sure to be more that make the difference in the Steel City.

7 Footer agrees to play in OVBL in 2012

Former Division 1 and International player, Jack Marlow has agreed to played in the OVBL this season. Jack is from Oklahoma but played college ball at Oklahoma State and Fresno State. Jack has also played in Chile and Mexico and is looking to make an impact on the OVBL and get moved rather quickly internationally to make a difference anywhere in the world.

By Adding Jack to the OVBL, the league will without a doubt be one to make a splash on the international scene, with the talent that is playing this season, the world will definitely notice !


View Jacks Highlights from Chile in 2008 here..... a force !!

Upcoming tryouts !

The Ohio Valley Basketball League is hosting their final tryouts in multiple OVBL cities coming up soon. Please visit www.ohiovbl.org to sign up and prove you have the talent to make it to the next level.

October 27: Columbus 6-9 pm
October 27: Akron 6-8 pm ( Franchise Team )
October 28: Cleveland 6:00-8:30 pm

Board of Advisors Addition: Coach Bobby Bossman

Bobby Bossman comes to SPIRE Institute from La Jolla Prep (San Diego, CA) where he co-found and helped create the basketball academy. Prior to La Jolla, he was at Westwind Prep (Phoenix, AZ) where he served as the Head Coach for their Post Graduate Program.

In Bossman's first year at Westwind, he led them to a 24-12 overall record and an invitation to the Prep School National Championships.  They finished 7th overall in the country.  In Coach Bossman’s second year at Westwind Prep, he led his squad to a 20-11 record and another Top-Eight National Ranking.  In the 2 1/2 years between Westwind and La Jolla, Bossman placed over 20 student athletes in Division 1 schools with full athletic scholarships.  Also during that time period, he placed an additional 22 student athletes in Division 2, 3, Junior College and NAIA schools on athletic scholarships.  During his tenure as head coach, his teams were known to play one of the most competitive Prep School schedules in the country.

Before joining Westwind, Coach Bossman served as the Graduate Assistant/Video Coordinator at Cleveland State under Head Coach Gary Waters. During his time at Cleveland State, the team won the Horizon League Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 with a final record of 26-11. Prior to Cleveland State, he was the Graduate Assistant at Clarion University (PA) under Head Coach Ron Righter. Clarion finished 16-12 in 2007-08 and advanced to the PSAC Playoffs for its 11th straight year. While finishing his undergraduate degree, he coached at Mercyhurst Prep in Erie, PA.

Coach Bossman's international basketball travels began in the summer of 2005 with Athletes in Action and a tour through Russia.  Bossman was a member of a tour team playing against some of the best club and professional teams in Russia.  When Bossman was the graduate assistant at Cleveland State University they traveled throughout Spain playing games, which prepared Cleveland State for their NCAA tournament run later that season.  In the summer of 2010, Coach Bossman traveled to China to direct the Liu Wei Basketball Camp in Shanghai.  This included coaching and evaluating China's top 30 youth players ages 8 to 15.   

During his collegiate playing career, he worked camps along the east coast including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Eastern Invitational, Five-Star, University of Florida, University of South Carolina, Morgan Wooten, Danny Nee’s Big Man Camp, Presbyterian College, Loyola College of Maryland, Gannon University, Fairfield University and West Virginia University.

Bossman played at Loyola College in Maryland for two seasons (2002-2004), where he was honored with the “Most Dedicated Award” as a freshman. Before his junior season, he transferred to Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he was a captain as a junior and senior. Bossman also helped lead the Golden Knights to the NCAA Division II Tournament.  As a senior, he was honored by being named to the All Academic GLIAC Team.

A native of Strongsville, Ohio,  Bossman is a 2007 graduate of Gannon University with a degree in criminal justice. He also earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction-Literacy Development from Cleveland State University in 2009.  Bossman has been involved with Fellowship of Christian athletes since high school and was the Vice President of the Clarion University FCA.

WELCOME ABOARD COACH !!

Another Big man to Play in OVBL

The Ohio Valley Basketball League is pleased to announce that 6"10" Power Forward/Center Garrett Schmidt has agreed to play in the OVBL this year.

Garrett is a monster force to be reckoned with in the paint. He is extremely strong and quick and is able to get position for any rebounds. He is also a formidable shot blocker that changes shots from every angle.

Garrett went to Urbana College and has played overseas in El Salvador, a trip to China and in the PBL, IBL, UBA and ABA , keep your eyes on Garrett, he may not stay long in the OVBL .....

On of his Highlight films from El Salvador here:

Big man Commits to OVBL

The Ohio Valley Basketball league is happy to announce that 6'10" big man Travis Minton has agreed to come play in the OVBL for the 2012-2013 season. This is huge for both the league and Travis. Travis is strong and very solid in the paint. Good rebounder and shot blocker. Travis has a solid 15' jump shot and can step out and hit the 3 point shot. Travis can go left or right on offense and can finish in the paint. 

Check out his highlight film here 

Key Addition: John Grace Jr, Marketing Director

The Ohio Valley Basketball League is proud to announce the addition of our Northeast Marketing Director, John Grace Jr. John has great experience in the Marketing and Sports field, especially in the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio areas.

John has worked for the Cleveland Fusion, Pro Camps Worldwide (working with Trent Richardson and Kyrie Irving camps), Cleveland Saints, Global Gridiron Scouting, as well as business backgrounds in different fields.

Welcome John, we look forward to the Ohio Valley Basketball's Marketing going to the next level.

Exposure at it best

Over time, I have done some work here with the OVBL and in the past with recruiting websites and an Agent. In any exposure situation in sports it is important for the player to have GAME film for coaches and agents to see. Highlight films may get the process started, but trust me when I tell you that GAME film is what counts and is important.
That being said, the Ohio Valley Basketball League will be live streaming and archiving all of our games, this way the players, coaches and on air talent will have film ready for them when they need it. A player on our Twitter account (@Ohiovbl) stated today they hate having to wait for film, the played in a fellow professional exposure league last season, and yes ... still waiting for film. We have the ability to make it happen, when the player needs it, not next year.

Redefining Pro Basketball !!!

Major Additions: Scoonie Penn

The Ohio Valley Basketball League has recently had face to face meetings with Scoonie. He has agreed to sit on the Board of Advisors and assist with tryouts and marketing to potential players. With his connections overseas and in the NBA, Scoonie offers a wealth of knowledge for OVBL players to tap in to. Scoonie led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1999.

Scoonie Penn Career:

Played D1 at Ohio State
Big ten Player of the year 1998-1999
Final Four Appearance 1999
Drafted by Milwaukee Bucks in 2000, 57th pick overall
Played 11 year of International pro ball

Welcome aboard Scoonie

Major Additions: Wesley Fluellen

For some time the OVBL has been speaking with Wesley, a ten year International player. Wesley has a wealth of knowledge and an ability to deliver an outstanding message to the players of the Ohio Valley Basketball league. Currently Wesley is assisting in marketing and player development from the Board of Advisors.

Wesley Fluellen Career:

Played at Robert Morris University D1
Played professionally overseas in various countries
Drafted by Erie Bayhawks of the NBADL

Welcome aboard Wesley

Major Additions: Samaki Walker

As mentioned in the last post, Samaki Walker was at the Akron tryouts to view and see what the league was about. In most recent events, Samaki has agreed to join the OVBL Board of Directors and Board of advisors and will be a player mentor and trainer. This allows players to speak with a NBA veteran who has had many experiences in life and can share these words of wisdom with OVBL players.

Samaki Walker background:

Played D1 ball with the Louisville Cardinals
Drafted in 1996 by the Dallas Mavericks
Played for Lakers, Heat, Wizards and Pacers in the NBA
NBA champion in 2002 with the Lakers
Played 6 years Internationally in various countries
Champion in Syrian League 2008

Ohio Valley Basketball League is very excited about this addition to our team !

Welcome aboard Samaki

Tryouts: Akron

On October 6, 2012 the Akron Heat held their first tryouts for the Ohio Valley Basketball league. The tryout provided a great beginning exposure for professional basketball in Akron. The turnout was good and has yielded many calls and emails after to offer another tryout.


What was unique about the Akron Tryouts is that the Ohio Valley Basketball League brought in former NBA and International Player, Samaki Walker in to talk to players and sit on the board of advisors.

As we did in Columbus, we had our talented reporter Ryan Lencil do interviews with some of the prospects for the league. At the Akron tryouts we had players from Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Canton and as far away as Houston, Texas and Philadelphia, Pa. This shows are exposure is getting noticed and we are able to bring on talented individuals from across the nation !

Samaki Walker

Chris Bradley (AKA Ricky Roe)

Walt Clayton

Mark Young

Jemar Walters

Tremaine Walker

June Wilder

Tryouts: Columbus

While in Columbus at our tryouts, we recorded the tryouts as well as recorded interviews with players and owners of teams in the league. We will post the videos on our website, Facebook, twitter and here to provide exposure for players and for our great interviewer Ryan Lencil.

Tryouts in Columbus

Raylon Almon 

Levi Larrison

Reggie Beard

Akron Heat Owner: Kevin Strickland

Matt Daughtery

Ohio Valley Basketball League Exposure

The Ohio Valley Basketball League is a professional expose league that offers transparent exposure to its players and coaches. What does transparent mean to us ? We live stream each game, which the get archived and are available for all of our players immediately. Currently we have had tryouts in Columbus, Akron, Cleveland, Morgantown, Pittsburgh.

We have tryouts for our exposure league coming up this month, Cambridge 10-13, Columbus 10-27, Cleveland 10-28 and Morgantown 10-30..... We are also in process of securing another Akron tryout.


If your interested or know someone who is, please have them visit www.ohiovbl.org and get registered.