Decisions, decisions: Yokohama's Justin Burrell sizes up the competition during Game 1 on Thursday. KAZ NAGATSUKAYokohama — With a trip to the Final Four on the line, the Yokohama B-Corsairs and Akita Northern Happinets knew nothing would be easy in Friday's high-stakes contest. And both teams displayed a sense of urgency from start to finish in Game 2 of the bj-league's Eastern Conference semifinal series at Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium.But the Happinets, pushed to the brink of exhaustion, by inimitable bench boss Kazuo Nakamura, played a better, smarter game than they did in the series opener.The result? Akita defeated Yokohama 82-69.It was the second-year Happinets' first victory over the expansion B-Corsairs in six meetings this season, and it snapped Yokohama's 10-game winning streak.That forced a 10-minute mini-game tiebreaker, the league's quirky winner-take-all format for the first-round and conference semifinal rounds, 20 minutes after Game 2 concluded.In the mini-game, Yokohama topped Akita 18-15 behind 12 points from regular-season MVP Justin Burrell.Yokohama's Reggie Geary, the bj-league coach the year, said, "We knew this was going to be a battle. We take our hats off to coach (Kazuo) Nakamura and the Akita team. That's an outstanding team over thre.""Thank you for coming out," Geary told fans."Please come out to Ariake Colosseum (next weekend)," he added. "We're going to need you next week."In the first 5-minute stanza of bonus play, Burrell, a first-year pro out of St. John's in New York City who, scored Yokohama's first seven points, staking the club to a 7-3 lead. But then Kazuhiro Shoji buried a 3 to pull Akita within 7-5. The Happinets missed several shots in a row after that before a break in the action with 16.7 ticks left on the clock.The B-Corsairs never trailed in the first 7:56 of the 10-minute tiebreaker, — and that form held up, but it was dramatic until the finish. For instance, they took an 11-7 lead into a timeout before Chas McFarland stepped to the free-throw line with 3:04 remaining. He made the first of two shots to raise the lead to five points. Akita guard Mychal Kearse's pIull-up J cut it to 12-9, and then Burrell made a layup and went to the charity stripe with 2:19 left for a shot at an old-school three-point play. The shot was good, and it was 15-9 before the Happinets' Lionel Green made a 3-pointer. Shoji missed a 3 on the next Akita possession and McFarland was whistled for an offensive foul.Akita then attempted three shots in rapid succession before losing possession with 19.7 seconds remaining.After Kenji Yamada the first of two free throws, Akita's Kyle Swanston grabbed the defensive rebound after the second shot, raced down court and canned a 3 to pull the visitors within 16-15 with just under 12 seconds left in the second mini-game period.Draelon Burns sank two free throws with 8.6 seconds left to make it 18-15.Swanston missed a potential game-tying 3 at the buzzer. McFarland grabbed the 3 and tossed the ball in the air, a symbolic exclamation point to end the hard-earned victory.Said Burrell: "Yesterday I thanked a lot of people behind the scenes . . . these guys (trainer Daisuke Goto) and (manager Aya Miyauchi) without them nothing would function properly," including getting guys treatment for injuries.Burrell praised the fans for their never-wavering support, saying, "You guys pushed us. and without your support we couldn't do it.Basketball is a game played with your heart and soul and you pushed us through."Yokohama advances to face the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix-Niigata Albirex BB series winner next Saturday at Ariake Colossuem in the Final Four.Simply put, better offensive execution carried Akita to victory in Game 2, as evidenced by its 17-for-30 effort from inside the arc. The hosts, on the other hand, were just a little flat, a little too tentative in shooting, defending and overall play.Yokohama defeated Akita 86-74 in Thursday's Game 1, and held the visitors to 10-for-39 3-point shooting. Akita was 10-for-23 on 3s in the first three quarters on Friday.Burrell led all players with 21 points in Game 2 and also hauled in 17 rebounds. Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya had 13 points and Burns scored 12.The Happinets, playing loose and with ample confidence, were led by 22-year-old Shigehiro Taguchi's 20-point outburst, four 3s and 8-for-14 shooting from the field. Akita star Ricky Woods had 18 points and nine rebounds.Burrell's second 3-pointer of the game made it 39-39 early in the third. Kabaya buried a 3 on the hosts' next trip down the floor, then Swanston followed suit for Akita to tie it at 42-42.Near the midway point of the third, Taguchi sank a baseline 3 to give the Happinets a 49-44 lead. He replicated that feat from the opposite corner seconds later as the Tohoku-based club increased its advantage to eight as part of a 14-5 spurt.The hot-shooting Northern Happinets quickly flushed two more 3s — Kearse and Taguchi in succession — and took a 58-46 advantage.Burrell, who attempted just 15 3s in the regular season, sank his fourth of the game to bring the hosts within 60-54 late in the third quarter with the enthusiastic crowd clapping and chanting loudly.Woods' driving layup beat the buzzer, and Akita took a 64-54 advantage into the fourth quarter.The Happinets took their then-biggest lead of the game, 67-54, on a Ryosuke Mizumachi 3 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Then Taguchi, the best pure shooter on the floor for most of the game, canned a mid-range J as the hosts fell behind 69-54 before a timeout at the 7:56 mark.The B-Corsairs fought back to within 71-61 before Swanston's back-door cut and throwdown made it 73-61. Yokohama, scrapping and clawing, cut it to nine on two occasions in the next few minutes. Then, after a Burrell block, Burns missed a 3 at the other end.Woods' clutch layup with 58.1 seconds remaining, which gave Akita a 78-67 lead, appeared to seal the win for the Happinets.How intense was the game from the get-go? Nakamura, the league's oldest coach at 71, took off his pink suit jacket less than 90 seconds into the game and began barking instructions to his players.In the first quarter, Akita, looking to replicate its 18-0 start in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Sendai 89ers, took a 5-2 lead before Yokohama got its offensive rolling. The B-Corsairs pulled within 8-7 on Burrell's baseline drive-and-spin layup and grabbed the lead on a Kabaya jumper. Then Kearse nailed a jumper as Akita regained the advantage near the midway point at 10-9.Woods' first bucket of the game extended the Happinets' lead to 16-9.Woods, who had held the league's single-game scoring record of 52 points while playing for the Oita HeatDevils in 2009-10 (Michael Parker, then with the Rizing Fukuoka, set the new standard with 53 points last season against the Takamatsu Five Arrows), had his left knee heavily taped, which slowed down his typical explosive mobility.A Satoshi Hisayama 3 and a Kenji Yamada teardrop J in traffic cut it to 18-14. And then, as part of a quarter-closing 7-2 spurt, a Burns floater brought the B-Corsairs within 18-16.Burrell canned a straight-away 3-pointer for the first scoring play of the second stanza, pulling the hosts ahead 19-18. Sharp around-the-perimeter passing created open space for Taketo Aoki to bury a 3. And it flew effortlessly through the rim.Taguchi's back-to-back 3s put Akita in front 26-22. The B-Corsairs called a timeout with 5:12 remaining until halftime after Yuki Kikuchi knocked down a 3. That came after a series of breakdowns on Yokohama's offensive end.The short breather was good for the B-Corsairs, who faced tenacious traps and matchup zone tactics by the hustling Happinets. Seconds later, Aoki, who roams the baseline as frequently as birds soar in the sky, released a picture-perfect midrange jumper, and the lead was down to 29-26.Burns knotted the score at 29-29, slicing past a pair of defenders with a layup.With 7.1 left on the second-quarter game clock, Woods' up-and-under bucket tied it at 35-35, and he sank the subsequent free throw to put Akita ahead by one before the teams took a 20-minute break.Woods was the leading scorer in the first half (11 points), shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. Burrell led the hosts with eight points in that span, and Burns and Aoki each had seven. The B-Corsairs were 13-for-33 from the field and 6-for-12 at the line; the Happinets were 12-for-30 and 8-for-9, respectively.
Showing posts with label Burrell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burrell. Show all posts
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Burrell powers B-Corsairs into Final Four
Decisions, decisions: Yokohama's Justin Burrell sizes up the competition during Game 1 on Thursday. KAZ NAGATSUKAYokohama — With a trip to the Final Four on the line, the Yokohama B-Corsairs and Akita Northern Happinets knew nothing would be easy in Friday's high-stakes contest. And both teams displayed a sense of urgency from start to finish in Game 2 of the bj-league's Eastern Conference semifinal series at Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium.But the Happinets, pushed to the brink of exhaustion, by inimitable bench boss Kazuo Nakamura, played a better, smarter game than they did in the series opener.The result? Akita defeated Yokohama 82-69.It was the second-year Happinets' first victory over the expansion B-Corsairs in six meetings this season, and it snapped Yokohama's 10-game winning streak.That forced a 10-minute mini-game tiebreaker, the league's quirky winner-take-all format for the first-round and conference semifinal rounds, 20 minutes after Game 2 concluded.In the mini-game, Yokohama topped Akita 18-15 behind 12 points from regular-season MVP Justin Burrell.Yokohama's Reggie Geary, the bj-league coach the year, said, "We knew this was going to be a battle. We take our hats off to coach (Kazuo) Nakamura and the Akita team. That's an outstanding team over thre.""Thank you for coming out," Geary told fans."Please come out to Ariake Colosseum (next weekend)," he added. "We're going to need you next week."In the first 5-minute stanza of bonus play, Burrell, a first-year pro out of St. John's in New York City who, scored Yokohama's first seven points, staking the club to a 7-3 lead. But then Kazuhiro Shoji buried a 3 to pull Akita within 7-5. The Happinets missed several shots in a row after that before a break in the action with 16.7 ticks left on the clock.The B-Corsairs never trailed in the first 7:56 of the 10-minute tiebreaker, — and that form held up, but it was dramatic until the finish. For instance, they took an 11-7 lead into a timeout before Chas McFarland stepped to the free-throw line with 3:04 remaining. He made the first of two shots to raise the lead to five points. Akita guard Mychal Kearse's pIull-up J cut it to 12-9, and then Burrell made a layup and went to the charity stripe with 2:19 left for a shot at an old-school three-point play. The shot was good, and it was 15-9 before the Happinets' Lionel Green made a 3-pointer. Shoji missed a 3 on the next Akita possession and McFarland was whistled for an offensive foul.Akita then attempted three shots in rapid succession before losing possession with 19.7 seconds remaining.After Kenji Yamada the first of two free throws, Akita's Kyle Swanston grabbed the defensive rebound after the second shot, raced down court and canned a 3 to pull the visitors within 16-15 with just under 12 seconds left in the second mini-game period.Draelon Burns sank two free throws with 8.6 seconds left to make it 18-15.Swanston missed a potential game-tying 3 at the buzzer. McFarland grabbed the 3 and tossed the ball in the air, a symbolic exclamation point to end the hard-earned victory.Said Burrell: "Yesterday I thanked a lot of people behind the scenes . . . these guys (trainer Daisuke Goto) and (manager Aya Miyauchi) without them nothing would function properly," including getting guys treatment for injuries.Burrell praised the fans for their never-wavering support, saying, "You guys pushed us. and without your support we couldn't do it.Basketball is a game played with your heart and soul and you pushed us through."Yokohama advances to face the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix-Niigata Albirex BB series winner next Saturday at Ariake Colossuem in the Final Four.Simply put, better offensive execution carried Akita to victory in Game 2, as evidenced by its 17-for-30 effort from inside the arc. The hosts, on the other hand, were just a little flat, a little too tentative in shooting, defending and overall play.Yokohama defeated Akita 86-74 in Thursday's Game 1, and held the visitors to 10-for-39 3-point shooting. Akita was 10-for-23 on 3s in the first three quarters on Friday.Burrell led all players with 21 points in Game 2 and also hauled in 17 rebounds. Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya had 13 points and Burns scored 12.The Happinets, playing loose and with ample confidence, were led by 22-year-old Shigehiro Taguchi's 20-point outburst, four 3s and 8-for-14 shooting from the field. Akita star Ricky Woods had 18 points and nine rebounds.Burrell's second 3-pointer of the game made it 39-39 early in the third. Kabaya buried a 3 on the hosts' next trip down the floor, then Swanston followed suit for Akita to tie it at 42-42.Near the midway point of the third, Taguchi sank a baseline 3 to give the Happinets a 49-44 lead. He replicated that feat from the opposite corner seconds later as the Tohoku-based club increased its advantage to eight as part of a 14-5 spurt.The hot-shooting Northern Happinets quickly flushed two more 3s — Kearse and Taguchi in succession — and took a 58-46 advantage.Burrell, who attempted just 15 3s in the regular season, sank his fourth of the game to bring the hosts within 60-54 late in the third quarter with the enthusiastic crowd clapping and chanting loudly.Woods' driving layup beat the buzzer, and Akita took a 64-54 advantage into the fourth quarter.The Happinets took their then-biggest lead of the game, 67-54, on a Ryosuke Mizumachi 3 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Then Taguchi, the best pure shooter on the floor for most of the game, canned a mid-range J as the hosts fell behind 69-54 before a timeout at the 7:56 mark.The B-Corsairs fought back to within 71-61 before Swanston's back-door cut and throwdown made it 73-61. Yokohama, scrapping and clawing, cut it to nine on two occasions in the next few minutes. Then, after a Burrell block, Burns missed a 3 at the other end.Woods' clutch layup with 58.1 seconds remaining, which gave Akita a 78-67 lead, appeared to seal the win for the Happinets.How intense was the game from the get-go? Nakamura, the league's oldest coach at 71, took off his pink suit jacket less than 90 seconds into the game and began barking instructions to his players.In the first quarter, Akita, looking to replicate its 18-0 start in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Sendai 89ers, took a 5-2 lead before Yokohama got its offensive rolling. The B-Corsairs pulled within 8-7 on Burrell's baseline drive-and-spin layup and grabbed the lead on a Kabaya jumper. Then Kearse nailed a jumper as Akita regained the advantage near the midway point at 10-9.Woods' first bucket of the game extended the Happinets' lead to 16-9.Woods, who had held the league's single-game scoring record of 52 points while playing for the Oita HeatDevils in 2009-10 (Michael Parker, then with the Rizing Fukuoka, set the new standard with 53 points last season against the Takamatsu Five Arrows), had his left knee heavily taped, which slowed down his typical explosive mobility.A Satoshi Hisayama 3 and a Kenji Yamada teardrop J in traffic cut it to 18-14. And then, as part of a quarter-closing 7-2 spurt, a Burns floater brought the B-Corsairs within 18-16.Burrell canned a straight-away 3-pointer for the first scoring play of the second stanza, pulling the hosts ahead 19-18. Sharp around-the-perimeter passing created open space for Taketo Aoki to bury a 3. And it flew effortlessly through the rim.Taguchi's back-to-back 3s put Akita in front 26-22. The B-Corsairs called a timeout with 5:12 remaining until halftime after Yuki Kikuchi knocked down a 3. That came after a series of breakdowns on Yokohama's offensive end.The short breather was good for the B-Corsairs, who faced tenacious traps and matchup zone tactics by the hustling Happinets. Seconds later, Aoki, who roams the baseline as frequently as birds soar in the sky, released a picture-perfect midrange jumper, and the lead was down to 29-26.Burns knotted the score at 29-29, slicing past a pair of defenders with a layup.With 7.1 left on the second-quarter game clock, Woods' up-and-under bucket tied it at 35-35, and he sank the subsequent free throw to put Akita ahead by one before the teams took a 20-minute break.Woods was the leading scorer in the first half (11 points), shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. Burrell led the hosts with eight points in that span, and Burns and Aoki each had seven. The B-Corsairs were 13-for-33 from the field and 6-for-12 at the line; the Happinets were 12-for-30 and 8-for-9, respectively.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Banner day for Yokohama: Burrell MVP, Geary top coach
The expansion Yokohama B-Corsairs, one of the bj-league's biggest surprises this season, are the hottest team entering the postseason. With nine straight wins, Yokohama has found its stride at the best time as the hunt for a title begins.
Mr. Consistency: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell led his team to a second-place finish in the bj-league's Eastern Conference as a first-year franchise. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDPower forward Justin Burrell, arguably the league's most consistent player in 2011-12, is the seventh-year circuit's regular-season MVP. He joins an elite fraternity that includes Osaka's Lynn Washington (twice, 2005-06, 2007-08) and David Palmer (2006-07), Ryukyu's Jeff Newton (2008-09) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa's Wendell White (2009-10) and Jeffrey Parmer (2010-11). But in the league's first three seasons a separate playoff MVP award was not issued.B-Corsairs coach Reggie Geary was selected Coach of the Year. He is the league's second ex-NBA player to be picked for the award. Fellow American John Neumann, a high-scoring forward in his days at Ole Miss before turning pro, guided the Rizing Fukuoka to the Final Four in 2007-08 as an expansion team, and became the league's first foreign coach to earn top honors.Akita Northern Happinets sideline supervisor Kazuo Nakamura picked up the award in each of the past two seasons when he led the Phoenix to a pair of titles.Burrell, affectionately called "JB" by his teammates, started all 52 games for the B-Corsairs (31-21, second-best record in the Eastern Conference) and scored in double figures 51 times. He averaged 18.7 points, ninth-best total in the 19-team circuit, and 9.8 rebounds.The 208-cm rookie, who starred for St. John's in New York City, has been a powerful inside presence for the B-Corsairs and the team's primary option on offense (361-for-693 from 2-point range, only 15 3-point attempts)."It is an honor to be named MVP of the bj-league," Burrell said in a statement released by the team. "I am so happy to bring this award to a great up-and-coming franchise like the B-Corsairs."This award is attributed to the great teammates that I play with," the 24-year-old added. "Last but not least, I would like to thank the owner and management and everyone that works our games."Burrell, also named the league's April MVP, was selected to the Best Five team, which was announced on Wednesday. Also chosen were Hamamatsu center Atsuya Ota, a Japan national team center, Rizing Fukuoka swingman Kevin Palmer, Hamamatsu point guard Jermaine Dixon and Toyama Grouses shooting guard Masashi Joho.By all accounts, Burrell, the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year as a college senior, is a team-first, unselfish player whose nonstop hustling approach to the game earned his teammates' respect from day one. A polished low-post player with an array of scoring moves, Burrell has raised his stocked and will likely play in a higher-level league in the future.St. John's coach Steve Lavin, who mentored Burrell for his last season in a Johnnies uniform, is also impressed with how he's played in Japan.On Twitter, Lavin dished out the following insight: "Justin putting up big numbers, providing leadership and deserving of the Japan bj-league MVP recognition. NBA next!"Geary, 38, has talked about the impact longtime University of Arizona coach Lute Olson had on his career. Playing at Arizona from 1992-96, Geary was known first and foremost for his defense, an on-court stopper who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs for one season apiece before plying his craft for teams in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association, Israel, Portugal, France and Ukraine.Since retiring as a player, Geary has served two stints on the Arizona men's basketball staff and been a head coach for the NBA Development League's Anaheim Arsenal. This season, the B-Corsairs had the league's stingiest defense, holding foes to 72.8 points per game."I would like to thank commissioner (Toshimitsu) Kawachi and the bj-league for this honor and recognition in being named the 2011-12 Coach of the Year," Geary said. "The support I have received from our president, (Kazuo) Hirota, our GM (Naoki) Ogawa, the city of Yokohama and the proud boosters of the B-Corsairs organization has been tremendous."Their support all year has pushed the team and me to do our very best and keep fighting all season."He added: "I want to thank all the B-Corsairs players, my staff and my family for their hard work and trust in what we're trying to accomplish here collectively, none of this would've been possible (without them)."Before shifting his focus to the playoffs, Geary summed up what Wednesday's league honors mean to the upstart franchise, calling it "a great day for the B-Corsairs organization."
Mr. Consistency: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell led his team to a second-place finish in the bj-league's Eastern Conference as a first-year franchise. DOMINIKA FITZGERALDPower forward Justin Burrell, arguably the league's most consistent player in 2011-12, is the seventh-year circuit's regular-season MVP. He joins an elite fraternity that includes Osaka's Lynn Washington (twice, 2005-06, 2007-08) and David Palmer (2006-07), Ryukyu's Jeff Newton (2008-09) and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa's Wendell White (2009-10) and Jeffrey Parmer (2010-11). But in the league's first three seasons a separate playoff MVP award was not issued.B-Corsairs coach Reggie Geary was selected Coach of the Year. He is the league's second ex-NBA player to be picked for the award. Fellow American John Neumann, a high-scoring forward in his days at Ole Miss before turning pro, guided the Rizing Fukuoka to the Final Four in 2007-08 as an expansion team, and became the league's first foreign coach to earn top honors.Akita Northern Happinets sideline supervisor Kazuo Nakamura picked up the award in each of the past two seasons when he led the Phoenix to a pair of titles.Burrell, affectionately called "JB" by his teammates, started all 52 games for the B-Corsairs (31-21, second-best record in the Eastern Conference) and scored in double figures 51 times. He averaged 18.7 points, ninth-best total in the 19-team circuit, and 9.8 rebounds.The 208-cm rookie, who starred for St. John's in New York City, has been a powerful inside presence for the B-Corsairs and the team's primary option on offense (361-for-693 from 2-point range, only 15 3-point attempts)."It is an honor to be named MVP of the bj-league," Burrell said in a statement released by the team. "I am so happy to bring this award to a great up-and-coming franchise like the B-Corsairs."This award is attributed to the great teammates that I play with," the 24-year-old added. "Last but not least, I would like to thank the owner and management and everyone that works our games."Burrell, also named the league's April MVP, was selected to the Best Five team, which was announced on Wednesday. Also chosen were Hamamatsu center Atsuya Ota, a Japan national team center, Rizing Fukuoka swingman Kevin Palmer, Hamamatsu point guard Jermaine Dixon and Toyama Grouses shooting guard Masashi Joho.By all accounts, Burrell, the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year as a college senior, is a team-first, unselfish player whose nonstop hustling approach to the game earned his teammates' respect from day one. A polished low-post player with an array of scoring moves, Burrell has raised his stocked and will likely play in a higher-level league in the future.St. John's coach Steve Lavin, who mentored Burrell for his last season in a Johnnies uniform, is also impressed with how he's played in Japan.On Twitter, Lavin dished out the following insight: "Justin putting up big numbers, providing leadership and deserving of the Japan bj-league MVP recognition. NBA next!"Geary, 38, has talked about the impact longtime University of Arizona coach Lute Olson had on his career. Playing at Arizona from 1992-96, Geary was known first and foremost for his defense, an on-court stopper who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs for one season apiece before plying his craft for teams in the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association, Israel, Portugal, France and Ukraine.Since retiring as a player, Geary has served two stints on the Arizona men's basketball staff and been a head coach for the NBA Development League's Anaheim Arsenal. This season, the B-Corsairs had the league's stingiest defense, holding foes to 72.8 points per game."I would like to thank commissioner (Toshimitsu) Kawachi and the bj-league for this honor and recognition in being named the 2011-12 Coach of the Year," Geary said. "The support I have received from our president, (Kazuo) Hirota, our GM (Naoki) Ogawa, the city of Yokohama and the proud boosters of the B-Corsairs organization has been tremendous."Their support all year has pushed the team and me to do our very best and keep fighting all season."He added: "I want to thank all the B-Corsairs players, my staff and my family for their hard work and trust in what we're trying to accomplish here collectively, none of this would've been possible (without them)."Before shifting his focus to the playoffs, Geary summed up what Wednesday's league honors mean to the upstart franchise, calling it "a great day for the B-Corsairs organization."Sunday, April 29, 2012
Yokohama's Burrell the total package
HIRATSUKA, Kanagawa Pref. — Justin Burrell embodies the best attributes of professional sports.
Blessed with talent and youthful exuberance, the Yokohama B-Corsairs power forward keeps improving and stays focused to lead his team to success.B-Corsairs head coach Reggie Geary has witnessed the rookie's professionalism and ever-present commitment to excellence on a daily basis."Justin has been a pleasure to coach this year," Geary said. "It's been very enjoyable to watch his maturation as a player and person from day one with us in this his first year out of college."Justin has become more and more comfortable with being our go-to guy and with the responsibilities that come with it."He's a tireless worker, a good teammate who's quick to laugh with others, and unselfish to a fault at times," the coach continued. "He truly cares for those he plays with, and as good as a player as he is on the court, he's a better person off it."The St. John's product, named the Big East Conference's Sixth Man of the Year as a senior, represented the B-Corsairs in the 2011-12 All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena. Equally significant, he's the team's first bona-fide star, and for an expansion squad that's a history-in-the-making detail that will have greater meaning in the future.The B-Corsairs have won 20 of their last 28 games entering this weekend's two play dates, the final series of the regular season, against the Sendai 89ers in Tohoku. At 29-21, Yokohama owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, far better than the East's three other expansion clubs: Shinshu Brave Warriors (18-32), Chiba Jets (18-32) and Iwate Big Bulls (17-35).Burrell, averaging 18.9 points (eighth-best output in the league) and 9.9 rebounds (10th-best), is the team's high-energy tone-setter. For a first-year pro, shooting 52.3 percent from the field is no simple task, but he's been consistently good throughout the season.Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya described Burrell as a "joke machine," which elicited a good-hearted chuckle from the assembled media members after last Saturday's game against Sendai. After the laughter subsided, Kabaya called Burrell the team's "core player" and "the backbone of the team."Burrell recognizes his strengths and dedicates himself to improving them. He doesn't set up shop on the perimeter, waving his arms and demanding his teammates pass him the ball for a heavy load of 3-point shots.In fact, he's made more than three times as many dunks (51) as 3-point attempts (15). Call it his power game.Burrell's chiseled 211-cm, 107-kg frame is built for rugged competition in the paint. But he knows how to use his natural speed to make an impact."Justin Burrell is as quick as any big man as there is in the country," St. John's coach Steve Lavin was quoted as saying before Burrell's senior season.After seeing Burrell post double-doubles on April 20 and 21, including game-high totals of 21 points and 14 boards in the second game in Hiratsuka, 89ers coach Bob Pierce commented on the way Yokohama's No. 24 guides his team in the right direction."He's a very physical player who's athletic enough that he can get into the paint and score over people," Pierce said moments after declaring Burrell is a legitimate MVP candidate. "Not a lot of guys that can score over (Sendai's) Johnny Dukes or Rashaad (Singleton) and he did that many, many times. So the fact that he can do that puts him a cut above, and he rarely ever does anything outside of his comfort level."He plays within himself and doesn't force things and he trusts his teammates. You can tell just by listening to him on the court he's a great team player. He listens to his coach. He talks to his teammates. And it's rare to find somebody who has both those qualities as a young player coming out of college."I think Reggie made a great choice and getting Justin was one of the fine examples of the type of player that make the bj-league special."During one-on-one or group interviews, Burrell is a pleasant conversationalist. Polite and articulate, he expresses his opinion in thoughtful, measured tones, never relying on monosyllabic answers to dissuade journalists from speaking to him.He's an optimist, but not overly glowing in praise about what's occurred on the basketball court. Instead, he's quick to offer an honest critique about what he and his team can do better."Looking back on the season so far, I'm happy how it's turned out," the native New Yorker said. "Of course, a couple games got away from us that I wish we could have won. I like how our team has progressed, how we've gotten better, seeing guys in practice improve individually. Even our coaching staff has grown to trust us. They have put us in better situations as they have learned how we play."So over the course of the season I'm really proud how everybody has grown as a team and as individuals."No easy task for an expansion team. Nor is it a simple role to be a team leader as a rookie, playing for an expansion team in a foreign country — the latter two details only compound that challenge. But from the start, Geary, a former guard for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs before playing in several other countries, saw an unyielding determination and talent in Burrell that had him primed to be the team's anchor.In addition, Burrell trusted his coach's instincts."Coach Geary, he's really believed in me from the (start)," Burrell revealed. "He told me he's going to put the ball in my hands . . . and give me an opportunity to lead our team."I've always been a vocal leader, so I've always been able to express my opinion to people and people respond, but that can only work now if you lead by example as well."To be a leader, Burrell set out to "win sprints, never take a play off and play hard."Why the fuss about sprints?"I can't tell you to run hard if I'm not running hard myself," Burrell insisted. "I can't tell you to shoot harder, focus on your shots, if I'm not doing those things."Geary, a one-time defensive demon in the backcourt for the University of Arizona, received a terrific hoop education from longtime Wildcats coach Lute Olson.
Integral part: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell (24), who played college ball at St. John's, is a franchise cornerstone for the bj-league expansion team. YOSHIAKI MIURABurrell, on the other hand, benefited from the accumulated wisdom of two St. John's head coaches (Norm Roberts and Steve Lavin) and their staffs during his four years at the NYC school."Norm Roberts, he really instilled a lot of the grounds for my growth," Burrell said. "Coming in, I played at a high level (at Bronx, New York's Our Savior Lutheran High School and Maine's Bridgton Academy, a prep school) but I didn't understand what it takes to be efficient on the highest level. Coach Roberts taught me all those essential tools you need as a player to grow and be able to succeed."Mike Dunlap, one of Lavin's well-traveled assistants, reinforced the fundamental lessons that Burrell had picked up early in his college career."He taught me how to use those tools that Coach Roberts and his staff instilled in me: how to be physical, how to read zones, how to read defenses, read body language, learn when a player's tired," Burrell said of Dunlap.By all accounts, Burrell is a terrific student of the game, and his B-Corsairs teammates are equally adept at helping him thrive during the most difficult on-court situations."As far as my play goes, I really have to put the onus on my team. They've really put me in positions to score the basketball at a high level," Burrell said.He added: "We pride ourselves on this: everybody has a role on the basketball team. The more that role is defined, and the more that role is embraced by the players, and everybody does their job at a high level, hey, man, you're going to win a lot of games."Early in the season we were defining that, finding out about players. Now we're in a situation where we're in a groove. We've figured it out, we're rolling with it."Perhaps the B-Corsairs' ascension will continue with a trip to the Final Four on May 19-20 at Ariake Colosseum. But even if that doesn't happen, this season has been a genuine success for Geary's charges, especially Burrell."Justin is the best combination of size and skill in the league in my opinion," Geary said. "Others possess the skill, some even the size, but I haven't seen anyone else put the combination together better."He is a problem for the opposing team every night and he makes the game easier for his teammates."For Burrell, the bj-league may someday be remembered as only the first destination in a distinguished pro career.(Ex-Tokyo Apache post player Jeremy Tyler, now with the Golden State Warriors, made the jump to the NBA after reaping the benefits of working with Bob Hill during the 2010-11 campaign.)"For him to be only 24 years old, in his first year of professional basketball, and to play at such a high level successfully is very impressive," Geary said."As a former NBA player and NBA Development League head coach, I've worked with a number of players who have gone on to play in the NBA. Justin has all the physical and mental tools to play at the NBA level if given the opportunity."
Blessed with talent and youthful exuberance, the Yokohama B-Corsairs power forward keeps improving and stays focused to lead his team to success.B-Corsairs head coach Reggie Geary has witnessed the rookie's professionalism and ever-present commitment to excellence on a daily basis."Justin has been a pleasure to coach this year," Geary said. "It's been very enjoyable to watch his maturation as a player and person from day one with us in this his first year out of college."Justin has become more and more comfortable with being our go-to guy and with the responsibilities that come with it."He's a tireless worker, a good teammate who's quick to laugh with others, and unselfish to a fault at times," the coach continued. "He truly cares for those he plays with, and as good as a player as he is on the court, he's a better person off it."The St. John's product, named the Big East Conference's Sixth Man of the Year as a senior, represented the B-Corsairs in the 2011-12 All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Saitama Super Arena. Equally significant, he's the team's first bona-fide star, and for an expansion squad that's a history-in-the-making detail that will have greater meaning in the future.The B-Corsairs have won 20 of their last 28 games entering this weekend's two play dates, the final series of the regular season, against the Sendai 89ers in Tohoku. At 29-21, Yokohama owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, far better than the East's three other expansion clubs: Shinshu Brave Warriors (18-32), Chiba Jets (18-32) and Iwate Big Bulls (17-35).Burrell, averaging 18.9 points (eighth-best output in the league) and 9.9 rebounds (10th-best), is the team's high-energy tone-setter. For a first-year pro, shooting 52.3 percent from the field is no simple task, but he's been consistently good throughout the season.Yokohama captain Masayuki Kabaya described Burrell as a "joke machine," which elicited a good-hearted chuckle from the assembled media members after last Saturday's game against Sendai. After the laughter subsided, Kabaya called Burrell the team's "core player" and "the backbone of the team."Burrell recognizes his strengths and dedicates himself to improving them. He doesn't set up shop on the perimeter, waving his arms and demanding his teammates pass him the ball for a heavy load of 3-point shots.In fact, he's made more than three times as many dunks (51) as 3-point attempts (15). Call it his power game.Burrell's chiseled 211-cm, 107-kg frame is built for rugged competition in the paint. But he knows how to use his natural speed to make an impact."Justin Burrell is as quick as any big man as there is in the country," St. John's coach Steve Lavin was quoted as saying before Burrell's senior season.After seeing Burrell post double-doubles on April 20 and 21, including game-high totals of 21 points and 14 boards in the second game in Hiratsuka, 89ers coach Bob Pierce commented on the way Yokohama's No. 24 guides his team in the right direction."He's a very physical player who's athletic enough that he can get into the paint and score over people," Pierce said moments after declaring Burrell is a legitimate MVP candidate. "Not a lot of guys that can score over (Sendai's) Johnny Dukes or Rashaad (Singleton) and he did that many, many times. So the fact that he can do that puts him a cut above, and he rarely ever does anything outside of his comfort level."He plays within himself and doesn't force things and he trusts his teammates. You can tell just by listening to him on the court he's a great team player. He listens to his coach. He talks to his teammates. And it's rare to find somebody who has both those qualities as a young player coming out of college."I think Reggie made a great choice and getting Justin was one of the fine examples of the type of player that make the bj-league special."During one-on-one or group interviews, Burrell is a pleasant conversationalist. Polite and articulate, he expresses his opinion in thoughtful, measured tones, never relying on monosyllabic answers to dissuade journalists from speaking to him.He's an optimist, but not overly glowing in praise about what's occurred on the basketball court. Instead, he's quick to offer an honest critique about what he and his team can do better."Looking back on the season so far, I'm happy how it's turned out," the native New Yorker said. "Of course, a couple games got away from us that I wish we could have won. I like how our team has progressed, how we've gotten better, seeing guys in practice improve individually. Even our coaching staff has grown to trust us. They have put us in better situations as they have learned how we play."So over the course of the season I'm really proud how everybody has grown as a team and as individuals."No easy task for an expansion team. Nor is it a simple role to be a team leader as a rookie, playing for an expansion team in a foreign country — the latter two details only compound that challenge. But from the start, Geary, a former guard for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs before playing in several other countries, saw an unyielding determination and talent in Burrell that had him primed to be the team's anchor.In addition, Burrell trusted his coach's instincts."Coach Geary, he's really believed in me from the (start)," Burrell revealed. "He told me he's going to put the ball in my hands . . . and give me an opportunity to lead our team."I've always been a vocal leader, so I've always been able to express my opinion to people and people respond, but that can only work now if you lead by example as well."To be a leader, Burrell set out to "win sprints, never take a play off and play hard."Why the fuss about sprints?"I can't tell you to run hard if I'm not running hard myself," Burrell insisted. "I can't tell you to shoot harder, focus on your shots, if I'm not doing those things."Geary, a one-time defensive demon in the backcourt for the University of Arizona, received a terrific hoop education from longtime Wildcats coach Lute Olson.Integral part: Yokohama B-Corsairs forward Justin Burrell (24), who played college ball at St. John's, is a franchise cornerstone for the bj-league expansion team. YOSHIAKI MIURABurrell, on the other hand, benefited from the accumulated wisdom of two St. John's head coaches (Norm Roberts and Steve Lavin) and their staffs during his four years at the NYC school."Norm Roberts, he really instilled a lot of the grounds for my growth," Burrell said. "Coming in, I played at a high level (at Bronx, New York's Our Savior Lutheran High School and Maine's Bridgton Academy, a prep school) but I didn't understand what it takes to be efficient on the highest level. Coach Roberts taught me all those essential tools you need as a player to grow and be able to succeed."Mike Dunlap, one of Lavin's well-traveled assistants, reinforced the fundamental lessons that Burrell had picked up early in his college career."He taught me how to use those tools that Coach Roberts and his staff instilled in me: how to be physical, how to read zones, how to read defenses, read body language, learn when a player's tired," Burrell said of Dunlap.By all accounts, Burrell is a terrific student of the game, and his B-Corsairs teammates are equally adept at helping him thrive during the most difficult on-court situations."As far as my play goes, I really have to put the onus on my team. They've really put me in positions to score the basketball at a high level," Burrell said.He added: "We pride ourselves on this: everybody has a role on the basketball team. The more that role is defined, and the more that role is embraced by the players, and everybody does their job at a high level, hey, man, you're going to win a lot of games."Early in the season we were defining that, finding out about players. Now we're in a situation where we're in a groove. We've figured it out, we're rolling with it."Perhaps the B-Corsairs' ascension will continue with a trip to the Final Four on May 19-20 at Ariake Colosseum. But even if that doesn't happen, this season has been a genuine success for Geary's charges, especially Burrell."Justin is the best combination of size and skill in the league in my opinion," Geary said. "Others possess the skill, some even the size, but I haven't seen anyone else put the combination together better."He is a problem for the opposing team every night and he makes the game easier for his teammates."For Burrell, the bj-league may someday be remembered as only the first destination in a distinguished pro career.(Ex-Tokyo Apache post player Jeremy Tyler, now with the Golden State Warriors, made the jump to the NBA after reaping the benefits of working with Bob Hill during the 2010-11 campaign.)"For him to be only 24 years old, in his first year of professional basketball, and to play at such a high level successfully is very impressive," Geary said."As a former NBA player and NBA Development League head coach, I've worked with a number of players who have gone on to play in the NBA. Justin has all the physical and mental tools to play at the NBA level if given the opportunity."
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