Central Basketball Association

In the third year of the league's offseason international initiative for helping players obtain contracts overseas, the 2016-2017 CBA Global Opportunities Program gets underway this weekend in Asia, as the CBA Global Team participates in a week-long basketball tournament in Taiwan. 

The multi-nation competition will run between September 28 and October 2 in Hualien, Taiwan, in which the CBA Global Team, who are scheduled to depart the United States early Saturday morning, will face various clubs from Taiwan's Super Basketball League (SBL), as well as clubs from surrounding Asian nations. 

The 2016 CBA Global Team squad features a combination of CBA and non-CBA players, and will look to improve on the performance from last year's CBA Global Team in Taiwan.

The 2015 team, which was led by former CBA Most Valuable Player, Mardracus Wade (Mississippi Eagles, University of Arkansas), finished the tournament with a 2-3 record, with wins over Japan and Mongolia, but three defeats versus the Taiwanese SBL clubs.  

This year's club features the 2016 CBA Most Valuable Player, Brett McKnight (Columbus Condors, University of Akron), along with representatives from four CBA teams. The team will be coached by the former CBA Championship head coach for the Bowling Green Hornets, and current league Vice President, Nathan Thompson. This will be Thompson's third opportunity to coach on foreign soil, leading the CBA Global Team in Canada and Brazil the last two years, respectively.   

 

2016 CBA Global Team Roster (Taiwan)

 

Chris Kopooshian (Non-CBA), Glendale CC

Guard, 5-10 / 155

Previous international experience in Armenia

 

Sahlih Butts (Non-CBA), Drury University

Guard, 6-4 / 200

Previous international experience in Costa Rica

 

Maliek Daniels (Bowling Green Hornets), Trevecca Nazarene University

Guard, 6-4 / 195

2016: 9.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 spg

 

Isaac Bragg (Non-CBA)

Guard, 6-4 / 185

 

Yuri Leath (Indianapolis Blaze)

Guard, 6-6 / 195

2016: 4.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg

 

Roy McFadgon (Middle Tennessee Storm), Lee University

Forward, 6-6 / 185

2016: 16.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 2.6 bpg

CBA 2nd-Team All-Star (2016)

 

Brett McKnight (Columbus Condors), University of Akron

Forward, 6-7 / 240

2016: 25.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.1 spg

CBA Most Valuable Player (2016); CBA 1st-Team All-Star (2016)

Prior international experience in Germany

 

Brandon Brigman (Non-CBA), University of South Florida

Forward, 6-8 / 250

Prior international experience in Spain and Taiwan

 

Torrez Hampton (Bowling Green Hornets), Cumberland University

Forward, 6-9 / 265

2016: 8.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg

2015: 10.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg

CBA 4th-Team All-Star (2015)

Prior international experience in Venezuela & United Arab Emirates

 

With the team scheduled to compete in five games within the tournament, information regarding the tournament's results will be available through the CBA's Twitter feed (@playCBA).

Over 150 CBA players have now been provided an opportunity to play on international soil, as the league continues to be at the forefront in giving talented athletes a platform to showcase their talent to foreign scouts, coaches, and basketball organizations. 

 

(Photo by: iExplore)