Two local businessmen have brought professional basketball back to the mountains.Tommy Hamilton, owner of Champs Sports Bar and Grill and Jerry Boggs, Editor for the Appalachian News-Express, have joined forces to bring the American Basketball Association back to Pike County with East Kentucky Energy Basketball.
"We're very excited to help bring professional basketball back to Eastern Kentucky," said Boggs.
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The Energy will take the court in December, 2010 and will provide first class basketball and entertainment while spreading the message of the importance of Eastern Kentucky's to America's energy needs.
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"Our goal is to win championships while involving our players, coaches and entire staff in supporting local business and spreading our message of the importance of coal and energy as being a vital part of our future," said Hamilton.
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John Kitchen has joined the Energy team as Vice President of Marketing and Player Development. He's a Pikeville College Hall-of-Famer and their all-time assist leader. He was an assistant men's and women's basketball coach and head men's and women's tennis coach.
Devin Stiltner-Layne has joined the staff as the dance team coach. Devin was a tremendously talented basketball player in her own right before suffering a career-ending injury while playing for UVA-Wise. She started the highly-decorated dance team at Phelps High School and joined Pikeville College last year as the dance team coordinator.
The Energy has five players now under contract: (as of August, 1, 2010)
J.R. VanHoose was a Kentucky Mr. Basketball and led Paintsville to a Sweet 16 championship. He was a standout at Marshall University and a member of their Hall of Fame. He teaches and coaches at Phelps High School. He is among thirteen inductees into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) 2011 Hall of Fame class. He was a four-time All-State selection, was the 1997 and 1998 Gatorade and USA Today Kentucky Player of the Year, a member of the Sweet 16 All-Tournament team in 1996, 1997, and 1998 - winning the 1996 MVP, was a member of the 1998 Parade Magazine All-America team, and was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball in 1998. In 1999 he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players to have ever played in the KHSAA Sweet 16 and the Lexington-Herald Leader named him as the Player of the Decade for the 1990s. VanHoose went on to become a star player at Marshall University (Huntington, WV) from 1998-2002 where he scored 1,803 points, grabbed 1,086 rebounds, and was an all conference selection each of his four seasons. He was drafted into the NBA Developmental League (NBADL) in 2002 and later played professionally in the International Basketball League (IBL), the World Basketball Association (WBA), and is currently a member of the East Kentucky Energy of the American Basketball Association (ABA). VanHoose was inducted into the Kentucky/Indiana All-Star Game Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the Marshall University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
Daniel Price is a former Pikeville College standout and defending ABA Defensive Player of the Year. Daniel also served as an assistant coach at Pikeville College. Price was a member of the Bears' last NAIA National Tournament team and was first-team all conference and also lead the conference in four categories during his senior year. Over the past two seasons Price has served as owner/player/coach of the Mississippi Blues of the ABA. Last season he averaged more than 25 points, nearly 10 rebounds, over four steals assists and three steals per game. He was honorable mention All-ABA and a Western Conference all-star.
Also joining us is Jarell Jones, another Pikeville College alumni. Jarell was also a member of the Bears' 2004 national tournament team, averaging 10 points, five assists and two steals per game. His senior season he tallied 13 points and four assists per game. He played professionally in Hungary and Austria before returning to the U.S. and playing professionally for the last four years.
Also joining the team is Neil Rasnake, a product of Counsel High School in nearby Counsel, Va. During his final two years at Counsel, the team was ranked No. 1 in the state and compiled a 49-5 record. He was named to the Virginia All-State team before heading to Brevard Junior College and then to Western Carolina. Since that time, Neil has played professionally in leagues around the country, from Maryland to North Carolina to the Southern California Summer Pro League. Last season, Neil played with the ABA's West Virginia Blazers, which advanced to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the defending champion Owensboro Kentucky Bison.
Rounding out the current roster is Sandrell Spann, a product of NCAA Division II power Delta State. Spann has played professionally around the world and helped anchor the Blues last season in the post.
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The Pike County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome the East Kentucky Energy to our membership roster.
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