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CBA begins expansion into East Coast as Baltimore joins the league for the 2017 season

06/14/2016, 6:00pm CDT
By CBA Staff

Less than a month ago, the Central Basketball Association successfully completed its fourth year of competition, which featured the formation of two geographically-aligned divisions, the introduction of two new organizations in Columbus and Indianapolis, and the first undefeated season in league history by the eventual 2016 CBA champions out of Fort Wayne. 

With current CBA teams concentrated in the central portion of the United States, specifically in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee, the league has shifted gears this offseason in focusing on expanding the national landscape of the CBA for the 2017 campaign. 

In light of this careful and strategic effort, the CBA is proud to announce their expansion to the East Coast, as the Baltimore Shuckers have joined the league for the 2017 season. 

Baltimore, which was formerly known as the Bay Area Shuckers within a separate northeast regional basketball league from 2011 to 2016, will enter their sixth year in the minor league basketball industry, having an overall organizational record of 48-36, including a 36-16 record at home. 

They are led by general manager, John Wolfe, who not only has spearheaded a successful minor league basketball organization over the last five years in the Shuckers, but also was a member of the front office team that brought the city of Baltimore its first indoor football national championship title in 2010 with the Baltimore Mariners. 

The Shuckers are coached by Llewellyn Smalley, who has had a 29-20 career record with the team since 2013; and for a second consecutive year, they will play their home games at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.  

The CBA has been built around recruiting former college athletes, as well as assisting players in their advancement to the next level. In the past four years, 350 former NCAA and NAIA players have played in the CBA. Furthermore, since 2013, over 125 league players have received an opportunity to play basketball overseas after playing in the CBA. 

Baltimore has also followed a similar model, as the Shuckers have had 86 former NCAA and NAIA athletes in their team history, along with nine players signing professional international basketball contracts since 2011. 

Finally, with the formation of the league's partnership last year with Baltimore-based, Under Armour, the new Baltimore CBA team will allow for the league to potentially have an even closer relationship with the sporting apparel giant going into next season. The league's annual owners' meeting is scheduled to be held this fall at the Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore. 

As a foothold in the East Coast has now been established by the CBA, through the introduction of the Shuckers, the league will continue to expand its influence in the region through the recruitment of potential teams from major media markets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Carolinas.

For further information regarding the Baltimore Shuckers, they can be reached at shuckers@playcba.com or visiting their team page at http://www.playcba.com/page/show/2644474

For teams that are interested in applying to become a part of the CBA for the 2017 season, they are encouraged to contact the league at info@playcba.com.

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