Catching up with Alfonzo McKinnie

By Jamie Newell

HOFFMAN ESTATES – At this time last year, Windy City Bulls forward Alfonzo McKinnie was playing for a basketball team that was a long way from where he grew up on the west side of Chicago.

Fresh off a four-year college career, that was split in half between the first two years at Eastern Illinois and the second two at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

When the offers to play professionally in the United States weren’t forthcoming, McKinnie knew that to continue his basketball career. He had to leave the country and go overseas to play.

McKinnie found a team called the East Side Pirates, who play in the second division in Luxembourg.

“There is a major difference between playing here and in Luxembourg,” McKinnie said “In Europe, you play once a week. Here, we may play three or four games a week. We also practice every day and that has been the biggest difference.”

McKinnie also inked a contract with Rayo de Hermosillo of Mexico before finding his way back into the United States and into the training camp for the Windy City Bulls.

The 6’-8” 215-pound forward was rewarded for his hard play by making the team’s final roster.

So far, in his first season with the Bulls, McKinnie has played in all 12 games and is averaging over 12 points per game in 26 minutes of game action and is one of the first players that coach Nate Loesner calls off the bench and sends into the game.

“I don’t really look at it as coming off the bench,“ McKinnie said. “I just try to come into the game and try to keep up the good work that the guys have started. I just try play my role and do what I can to get a win.”

McKinnie has been a beast on the glass as he is averaging 8.8 rebounds a contest.

“So far I am enjoying my time with the Bulls,” McKinnie said after a recent shoot-around. “Since I am a Chicago kid and being able to be not so far from home and being able to have my family and friends to come and see me play, is awesome.“

McKinnie did see a familiar face when he started training camp. Windy City Bulls center Alec Brown was a teammate of McKinnie’s at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“I played with Alec (Brown) in college,” McKinnie said. “It has been interesting playing with him. Just to play with a guy that you are familiar with and played with in college for a couple of years.  Having him as a roommate and a teammate on the professional level has been pretty cool.”

Like any player in the D-League, McKinnie’s goal is to make it to the next level and into the NBA.

Bulls Looking to Get Back to the .500 Mark vs 87ers

By Colin Mieczkowski

 

 

The Windy City Bulls return right back to action tonight, to take on the Delaware 87ers.  Bulls looking to bounce back from last night’s 124-121 loss to the Swarm from Greensboro.    

 

This will be the 2^nd game between  the Bulls and 87ers,  in game 1 it was J.J. Avila who would have the hot hand for the Bulls going 10-14 with 24 points. Jerian Grant led all scorers with 34 points that night.

 

 

On the other side, Shawn Long led the way for the 87ers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Dionte Christmas was also well involved, scoring 23 for the team.

 

 

However, in this rematch, both teams have some new look rosters, especially the Bulls. Point Guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, after helping carrying the WC Bulls early on.

 

 

Also, the new additions of Andre Dawkins, Devin Brooks and Ferrakhon Hall have shaken the depth of the squad as well. Players such as Avila, Alec Brown and Aaron Thomas still  remain however.

 

 

Thomas specifically has been one of the D-League’s hottest scorers, dropping over 100 points in a four game stretch. Although Avila has been a crucial part to the team’s wins and is somewhat of a leader on the team, it is Thomas who has alone been worth the price of admission.

 

 

 

Thomas will have the opportunity to battle it out like medieval knights with Christmas who too can fill it up at will. Christmas has dropped 34 points in his last two games.

 

 

While at Temple, he was a two-time Atlantic 10 conference tournament MVP. In three consecutive seasons, Christmas led the Atlantic 10 in scoring, so he’s no stranger to getting buckets, even if he’s not putting up 30 a night.

 

 

He also finished his time at Temple with 2,043 points for his college career. He’s only the fourth player in school history to drop over 2,000 points for his career.

 

 

Furthermore, the 30-year old has some NBA experience in his back pocket, having played for a season with the Phoenix Suns in 2013-14.. In 31 games played, he would average 2.3 points off the bench which includes a nine point effort in his NBA debut.

 

 

Although Christmas is a very consistent scorer, he’s been very quiet in almost every other area. For example; in his last game against the Oklahoma City Blue, Christmas scored 15 points, but only had one assist and two rebounds.

 

Thomas in his last game against the Grand Rapids Drive, he accumulated 23 points and grabbed five rebounds. So, on paper, Thomas looks to have the upper hand, as he’s capable of grabbing between four and six rebounds on any given night to go along with his scoring.

 

 

However, Christmas and Thomas are very similar players statistically. This will only make for a fun game if these two can light the Sears Centre arena up like a Christmas (not Dionte) tree.

 

 

 

Tip-off is at 7pm CST, and you can listen to all the home games and read up about the squad on your official radio home of Windy City Bulls D-League basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Bulls Seek Revenge vs Greensboro Friday Night

The Windy City Bulls will take on the Greensboro Swarm this Friday night at the Sears Centre Arena. The Bulls look to get a little revenge, after losing to the Swarm in Greensboro, 130-125, back on December 10th.


A player who has played very well the past couple of games for the Bulls is newcomer Andre Dawkins. He has been able to fill it up from behind the three-point line, something the WC Bulls have lacked most of the season.


In the last game against the Swarm, Dawkins went an impressive 5-7 from behind the arc, finishing with 17 points off the bench. Dawkins, an All-Rookie Third Team selection in the D-League last year, has proven how good he can be.


In college, playing for Duke, he was the backup guard on the 2010 championship squad. In an Elite Eight game against Baylor in that same season, Dawkins hit two big three pointers in the first half, to stop the game from slipping away early.


Six years later and he is still getting buckets from deep. Speaking of three-point shooting, Dawkins changed his number from 20 to 34, as a tip of the cap to his idol, Ray Allen.


The Duke Blue Devils’ official website even called him a “deadly three-point shooter” on his bio page. No doubt, the Bulls got a very solid sniper in the former Texas Legends player.


He’s also noted as being an avid golfer. This certainly has had to help his precision because, similar to basketball, the goal of golf is to get a ball in a hole that’s the same shape as the ball itself.


Just think of a three-point shot as a long putt, minus the slopes of the putting greens. But, if Dawkins can continue to be that key spark plug, then it should be a fun matchup because the Swarm have a very solid player of their own who needs highlighting.



How can we forget the Harrison twins who played for the Kentucky Wildcats? These guys hit big shot after big shot in the NCAA Tournament throughout their college career.


Well, Aaron Harrison now plays for the Swarm, and he played extremely well against the Bulls previously. Harrison went off for 28 points that game, while also collecting nine rebounds.


One obvious thing that stands out about Harrison is his ability to heat up at the right moments to help his team get a win. He’s done this a few times in college, more famously in the NCAA Tournament.


One of those gleaming moments was in 2014, when he hit a three-pointer to beat the Michigan Wolverines in the regional finals and advance. Furthermore, he hit another game-winning long range bomb, to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers in the semi-finals in that same tournament.


He’d finish with eight points and it he scored those in the second half, when the intensity was revving up. Just because college and D-League basketball are two totally different animals, doesn’t mean you lost the clutch bug.


Some guys are just great at it. In the last three games with the Swarm, Harrison racked up 15 points in two of them.


That’s definitely not what he did to the Bulls the last time these squads dueled. Even if he doesn’t drop 28 points every night, he’s still that deadly weapon the Swarm could use if the game gets tight.


So that’s who the Bulls should try to keep an eye on Friday night. If both Dawkins and Harrison are drilling threes like they are both capable of, then we can be in for quite a treat.


Be sure to listen to ALL home games and read up about the the team, on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.

Buzzer Beater Gives Bulls Thrilling Victory!

By Colin “Ghost Panda” Mieczkowski

On Friday night, the Windy City Bulls took on the last place Canton Charge, to try to extend their winning record to two games. The Bulls would go on to win the game off a beautiful buzzer beating shot from Jerian Grant, 96-94.

Grant would finish with 20 points and nine assists to go along with six rebounds. With the both sad and happy news that Spencer Dinwiddie signed with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA, Grant took over the spotlight.

But, it was center Alec Brown who had the best game, winning the game’s MVP award. Brown had his best game of the season, going a remarkable 9-11 from the field, while racking up 8 rebounds and three blocks.

The 7’1” Brown also hit a three point shot in the game. This is something he’s capable of doing on a regular basis.

But, some solid defense from Brown late in the game kept the game close. Then Grant would stare down his opponent like a tiger, and then hit the shot to a win, which brought the Sears Centre into a frenzy.

The play was briefly reviewed, but it was officially good. Had the shot not counted then we would have went into overtime.

For the Charge, it was reigning D-League Rookie of the Year Quinn Cook who took the “charge”. Cook dropped 30 points, and showed why he is one of the most dangerous players in the league.

However, what killed Cook and the Charge was his whopping eight turnovers. Although the game was tight, things could’ve been different had Cook not had all of those turnovers.

Other than Cook, it was Chris Evans who had a nice game, scoring 21 points including hitting three long range shots.

But, it wasn’t enough to stop Grant. Brown and the Bulls, as the Sears Centre fans went home happy. And one of the best duels in the league so far is now complete, thanks to clutch defense and a huge shot.

Be sure to listen to all home games and read up about the team, on your official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.

Bulls look to take some Charge out of Canton

By Colin Mieczkowski

On Friday night, the Windy City Bulls return home to the Sears Centre, for a game against the division rival, Canton Charge. It has been the Aaron Thomas show for the Bulls during the road trip.

Thomas has accumulated an amazing 82 points in his last three games. His best performance over that period was a rematch against the Long Island Nets, where he dropped in 33 points and collected five rebounds.

A scoring machine like Thomas, gives player like Spencer Dinwiddie a chance to play more traditionally at the point guard position. This also takes the pressure off of he and J.J. Avila who have carried most of the load offensively.

Certainly, the Bulls still need Dinwiddie and Avila, but having Thomas opens more doors of opportunity. Thanks to Thomas’ stellar play, the Bulls have won four of their last five games.

Thomas, who was once declared ineligible for the Florida State Seminoles for a whole season, is now proving his worth at the professional level. If he keeps playing like this, then the Bulls shouldn’t have too much trouble with the last place Charge who charge their way into the Sears Centre.

Despite the Charge’s 3-6 record, they still have some threats on the team to be aware of. In particular, the dangerous Quinn Cook, who dropped 27 points against the aforementioned Nets.

Cook was an all-star and the D-League Rookie of the Year last season. He was also hot player coming out of high school. He was ranked as a top 40 recruit from Rivals, Scout, and ESPNU in 2010 before committing to Duke.

Despite a successful college career where he made Sporting News’ All-American second team, Cook went undrafted in 2015. Although he would sign with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA, he was let go after a few preseason games.

He was the resigned by the Charge, where he currently plays, and continues to play well. Cook may possibly be the Bulls’ toughest individual matchup yet.

This is where Thomas needs shine once again. He doesn’t need to drop 30 or more points, but if there is enough balanced play between the Bulls’ “big three” of Thomas, Dinwiddie and Avila, then they may overwhelm the Charge and the reigning Rookie of the Year.

Although former Fresno State star Kevin Olekaibe, and former Kent State baller Chris Evans played well last game for the Charge, look for them to feed Cook. Much like in the NBA, D-League teams have alpha dogs, who are given more scoring opportunities.

Cook, is one of the league’s alpha dogs. If the Bulls have a ‘captain’, it would likely be Dinwiddie due to his NBA experience. But, he’s not the ‘best’ player right now, as they title probably belongs to Thomas at the moment.

However, the good thing about the Bulls is that, things are constantly changing. It’s not just one person carrying the team all the time, despite Thomas’ hot streak.

It just shows the versatility on the roster, and ultimately, it could very well pay dividends for the Bulls on Friday night.

Be sure to listen to all home games and read up about the team, on your official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.

Bulls right back at it Saturday vs Delaware

By Colin Mieczkowski

 

Tonight, the Windy City Bulls will take on the Delaware 87ers under the bright lights of the Sears Centre Arena. Similar to the Bulls, the 87ers have had a roller coaster start to the season as they now sit at 2-2 on the year.

 

 

This will feature one of the D-League’s better offensive players in Dionte Christmas, averaging almost 20 points, and a little over five assists a game. Maybe the biggest threat that the 87ers have right now however, is center Shawn Long, who went off for 30 against the Greensboro Swarm.

 

 

No doubt that Long will be coming into the Sears Centre full of confidence. Long played for UL-Lafeyette in college, and he, along with Elfrid Payton, helped carry the Ragin’ Cajuns to the NCAA Tournament in 2014.

 

 

He was also made the U.S. Pan American Men’s basketball team in 2015. Among others featured on that squad was current Chicago Bull, Denzel Valentine.

 

 

Long may be a hand full for the Bulls as he looks to try to get the 87ers over the .500 mark. A big advantage (no pun intended) that the Bulls have is that Alec Brown has the size (7’1”) to beat the undersized Long (6’9”) on the inside.

 

 

Long may have a speed advantage, but Brown can go toe-to-toe with jump shots. Brown is more willing to take outside shots however, as he took three triples in the loss to the Texas Legends.

 

 

He took just one in the game against the Swarm. Although he’s shorter, he plays more like a traditional center as oppose to Brown, who plays like a stretch big. 

 

 

The Bulls also need to get shots off quicker. Numerous times during the game against the Legends, they’d pass the ball, and fight against the shot clock.

 

If they can get a smoother flow going, then this will lead to better shot selection, and at the right times. Ball movement isn’t the issue, but it’s where they pass the ball.

 

Many times, it seemed like they were just passing the ball, and not thinking about where. A lot of it may have to do with the Legends’ tight defense.

In order to try to misdirect the defense, the Bulls will have to rely heavily on off-ball movement. This will lead to great catch and shoot situations, especially for guys like Brown, who excels at a standing jump shots.

 

It’s also effective for guys who are good at shooting off the dribble, like Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie also is known for his sneaky ability to dish the rock off, just before he shoots and this is something he did a lot as a Detroit Piston.

 

He quietly has a nice crossover, as well, even getting NBA MVP Steph Curry tied in knot during a game between the Pistons and Golden State Warriors. Dinwiddie’s ability to get the assists will be just as crucial as movement without the ball.

 

If the Bulls do this, then they should be in great shape.

 

 

Be sure to listen to all home games and read up about the team on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Bulls Give the Blues of OKC the Blues After All!

The Windy City Bulls pulled off the upset and defeated the Oklahoma City Blue 88-78 at the Sears Centre Arena. It was their second win of the season and their first victory since their first game of existence on Nov. 11th.

 

Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been the Bulls most consistent player, was at it again, with an 18 point, 10 assist effort and added six rebounds as well. There were a few moments when he dished it off mid-shot, which was something he did several times in the NBA.

 

It’s Dinwiddie’s second double-double of the season as he continues to shine as the Bulls’ biggest star so far. The game against the Blue was also his second 20 point effort of the season as well, as he has carried a ton of the scoring load.

 

Before Dinwiddie however, it was J.J. Avila who was red-hot scoring 13 points by the end of the second half. Avila would finish the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

 

He fell just short of a double-double in the season opener of the inaugural season. In that game against the Long Island Nets, Avila had 21 points and nine rebounds.

 

 

Former Chicago Bull Jannero Pargo led the Blue in scoring, coming off the bench with 20 points. After draining multiple shots in a row during pre-game warm ups, Pargo was ready to roll, and he didn’t disappoint.

 

Reggie Williams joined Pargo, as well as two others, who had double-digits in the points category to help give the Blue a seven-point lead at halftime. Williams had 16 but only made six of his 20 shot attempts.

 

D-League Player of the Week, center Dakari Johnson was quiet scoring wise, dropping 12 points for the game. However, with 11 rebounds, Johnson finished with a double-double, to help boost the Blue’s chances at their sixth win.

 

However, the Bulls came out red-hot in the third quarter, to outscore the Blue by nine points as they took a two-point lead going into the fourth. Big buckets by Thomas Walkup and Alfonzo McKinnie pushed the lead to double-digits for the Bulls making it a 67-57 advantage.

 

From there, it was all Windy City, as the Bulls would go on to defeat the Oklahoma City Blue by a final score of 88-79. This is the Bulls first win since the historic opening night, while the Blue lose their first game since their season opener.

 

 

Make sure to listen to all the home games and read up about the team, on your radio station for Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Bulls suffer 1st Home Loss of the Season

The Windy City Bulls lost to the Texas Legends by a score of 107-98, as they fall to 1-2 in their inaugural season. The Bulls showed signs of making a comeback but end up falling well short, despite an incredible game by Aaron Thomas, who dropped 30 points to lead the game in scoring.

Thomas, who was once a star on the Florida State Seminoles in 2014, leading the team in scoring, brought that shining light with him to the pros. This brand new basketball team is showing that they have guys that can heat up on any given night.

On the historic opening night, it was J.J. Avila who poured in the scoring, with 21 points and he also added six assists and nine rebounds. Avila is also a player who had one of the most legendary statistical seasons for the Naval Academy, where his 357 point year was good for third all-time in school history.

As for Thomas, he is no stranger to putting the ball in the basket, as he averaged over 14 points during his junior year at Florida State. He also was known for his impressive ball handling skills at Brewster Academy high school, and was even dubbed the “Quiet Assassin” by the Basketball Diary.

Quietly, he nearly helped bring the Bulls back from a double-digit deficit along with some continued solid play from Spencer Dinwiddie among others. Dinwiddie’s play may not come as a surprise for people who watched him during his short time with both the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the NBA.

Despite what already seems to be a roller coaster career for the young guard, having played for a few teams between the D-League and NBA, he has proven to be quite a spark plug. That spark showed as early as college, as, during his freshman year, he helped the Colorado Buffaloes reach their first NCAA tournament since 2003.

Dinwiddie even has some national team experience, having played in the Universiade in Russia in 2013. There, he led the team with 44 assists, showing that he is more than just a solid scorer, and he was also the only Pac-12 player represented on the team.

Despite the scoring outburst by Thomas and balanced play of Dinwiddie, Manny Harris and the Texas Legends were just too much to handle. Harris dropped 22 points, just a game after he racked up 49 against the Maine Red Claws, a game in which they lost.

The 27-year old Harris has played virtually everywhere, including the NBA, D-League and overseas. Harris enjoyed a very solid college career at Michigan, where he was a Big Ten All-Conference player three years in a row, and a two-time Big Ten Academic All-Conference as well.

Unfortunately for Harris, injuries have slowed down his professional career which included playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But, it’s fair to say that he has found a home with the Texas Legends, as he is already becoming one of the D-League’s most dangerous scorers.

As for the Bulls, they have proven once again that they have an extremely versatile, where anybody can come out of nowhere to have a great game. But, some lockdown defense by Texas made it tough for the Bulls to get some baskets.

They also continue to struggle behind the three-point line as well. Texas also had issues, shooting a lower percentage than the Bulls behind the arc, but their defense and ability to score on the inside, helped them cruise to the win.

Let’s see if the Bulls can turn it around in their next game against the Oklahoma City Blue on Nov. 25th. Be sure to catch all of the action on the official broadcast home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Season Preview

The Windy City Bulls season is almost under way, and it’ll be a fresh, new experience for fans of the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls. Having a D-League team gives plenty of opportunity to build their fan base, as now, fans can enjoy a professional basketball experience right in the suburbs.

 

The team is full of young talent, including a couple of players with NBA experience in Spencer Dinwiddie and R.J. Hunter. Hunter had just signed with the Chicago Bulls  after the Boston Celtics let him go.

 

Now, the former Georgia State star has a chance to make an early impression with the upstart Windy City Bulls. Dinwiddie, who played very well for Chicago during preseason games, will join Hunter, as they look to build a dangerous dynamic duo on the hardwood this season.

 

When playing for the University of Colorado, Dinwiddie averaged 14 points a game. In the NBA, he averaged almost five points per game with Detroit and Chicago. 

 

During his D-League career, he’s averaged a little over 14 points a game. With all the experience Dinwiddie has already in his young basketball career, there is no doubt that he will be a key asset to any success the Windy City Bulls have this year.

 

Hunter averaged an impressive 18.4 points per game during his three-year career at Georgia State. This includes playing stellar defense, averaging almost two steals a game and what’s somewhat ironic is that former Chicago Bull, Ron Harper is his godfather who was also a terrific defender in his day.

 

 

After a slow start to his NBA season, Hunter came out and got buckets, going 5 for 6 and scoring 12 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. With his solid defense and the ability to heat up on the offensive end, it should be a treat for fans to watch Hunter this season.

 

 

The teams also has some stretch bigs as well, which could prove to be a dangerous weapon for the Windy City Bulls, as basketball has become a three-point shooting game. One man stands out, and that is the 6’10” Coreonte DeBerry who, during the first practice of the week, was drilling long mid-range shots and three-point bombs and had a small streak going, hitting at least five in a row.

 

 

Over the years, the sport has seen more stretch bigs come out of college and play professionally. Some of the current centers and power forwards in the NBA developed three-point shots such as Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. 

 

 

Basketball is already mostly a big man’s game anyway, and the fact that some of these guys can drill three pointers just makes the four and five positions that much more vital to team success. This is why the Windy City Bulls could open some eyes during their very first season as, with a well balanced offensive and defensive squad, there’s a little bit of everything that the team has to offer.

 

It should be an exciting season of Windy City Bulls basketball and the Sears Centre will no doubt be rocking with pumped up fans. First game is Nov. 11th vs the Long Island Nets.