Talkin' Hoops with Halifax Rainmen guard, Eric Gilchrese

With the departure of backup point guard, Adris DeLeon, earlier in the season, the Halifax Rainmen needed someone to fill in that void off of the bench.  So back in March, the Rainmen signed the former Manchester Millrat starting point guard, Eric Gilchrese.  Gilchrese, who is originally from Illinois, was selected 8th overall in the PBL draft last October.  He played for the NCAA Division 1 school, the New Hampshire Wildcats before making the transition to the PBL.  Now, Gilchrese is one of the offensive weapons off of the Rainmen bench as they battle through the PBL playoffs.  I had the chance to ask Eric a few questions about his transition to the PBL, his run-in with Puerto Rico's Rafael Cruz and what his video game signature move would be.
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Romy (Haligonia.ca): How has the transition been from the Manchester Millrats to the Halifax Rainmen? Is it tough changing teams midway through the season?

Eric Gilchrese: It has been somewhat of a easy transition, the only struggle which everyone that goes to a different team deals with is the transition on the bball court. Learning the plays and the system, players, and how the coach is, are all some of the transitions that I have faced. How we do things with my old team differs from things on this team. I would say its kind of tough, but its kind of not a tough transition if you could understand what I mean.. If you're a bball player then you understand what i mean!

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Did you know a lot of these guys before joining the team?

Eric Gilchrese: Yes, I knew a few of the guys before I came. TB, G. Ervin, Big Dre. Tony B and Dre are from Chicago so I knew them from back home.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Andre Levingston brought you in to play a specific role on this Rainmen squad, what's your role with this team?

Eric Gilchrese: My role on this team: Put the ball in the BOTTOM of the NET!!

Romy (Haligonia.ca): You played with the University of New Hampshire last year, what has been the biggest change from college to the pro game?

Eric Gilchrese: Biggest transition from the college game to the pro game is probably the way practices are. In college everything we did we had to go HARD, even if you were going to get water, we had to still go HARD..NO DAYS OFF OR POSSESSIONS OFF!! The pro game, is more laid back.

Practices are not as intense as college to sum everything up!

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Flashback to the game against Puerto Rico when you got tangled up with Puerto Rico's Rafael Cruz, what happened there? What were you thinking when he put his hands on your throat?

Eric Gilchrese: What with me and CRUZ is..I tried getting open for the ball and he just grabbed me, so me being me, I elbowed him to get him off me. So then he wouldn't let me go and I told him he betta let me go or ima get ejected from this game because I'm going to punch you right in the face. LOL, so what I was thinking when he put his hands around my throat, lets just say I cant say what I was thinking. I gotta keep that a secret, haha!

Romy (Haligonia.ca): When you were a young kid growing up in Illinois, who do you look up to as a youngster? Who were on the posters on your wall?

Eric Gilchrese: When I was a kid, I looked up to one of my big cousins by the name of Ty Johnson. He was the teacher and I was the student! I learned so much from playing and watching his game tapes! I didn't look up to anyone else who played ball..I just wanted to do and play just like HIM!

He's 4 or 5 years older than me and he's a great guy too. So I looked up to him the most! He taught me everything I know about basketball, crossover dribble, spin moves, how to do this move, how to read screens, come off a pick and roll, etc., you get the picture.. Everything!! He's the reason I'm the bball player I am now! Thanks Big cuz! Oh and Ty, you can't beat me one on one anymore! LOL, he used to beat me all the time, I could never win..but he knows what it is now!! Love you cuz!

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Let's say they create a video game with you as one of the players, what's your signature move?

Eric Gilchrese: If they made a video game and created me..my signature move would most likely be a LEFT to RIGHT crossover!! That's my go to move!!
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 A huge thanks goes out to Eric for taking his time to answer our questions, be sure to catch more about Eric at the Rainmen's official website, Rainmenbasketball.ca

Check out previous Rainmen-related Q and A's:

• Larry Turner
• Marc "Maze" Mazur
• Jevohn Shepherd
• Garry Gallimore
• The voice of the Halifax Rainmen, Shaun "Mavs" Gillis
• Desmond "Moneyball" Ferguson
• Devon "Chuck" Norris
• Adris "2 Hard 2 Guard" DeLeon
• Halifax Rainmen DJ, RS Smooth

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Backs Against the Wall - CAVALRY 108, RAINMEN 104

CAVALRY 108, RAINMEN 104
Playoff Series:  CAVS lead the series 1-0
An 11-2 run by the Cavs in the second quarter proved to be the difference maker in the Halifax Rainmen's first-ever playoff game. 

The first round playoff series between the Rainmen and the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavs was played in Halifax on Thursday night, where the Rainmen have played well all season with their 8-1 home record.  But the Rainmen struggled to protect their home court when the Cavalry capitalized on the Rainmen's struggles in the second quarter. 

Tim Ellis of the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavs got hot in the second when he scored 13 of his 29 points and the Cavs outscored the Rainmen 31-14. Halifax went shot poorly in the second quarter when Gary Ervin, who has been a integral part to the Rainmen's offense, went 0-6 from the field.  Things also got physical towards the end of the half when Ervin got into the face of Cavs' guard Tim Ellis after an Ellis foul.  This sparked a bit of a shoving match between both teams which ultimately led to double technicals on both Ervin and Ellis along with Tony Bennett.  The Cavs capped off the half with a 14-point lead.

But the Rainmen bounced back.  Gary Ervin took control in the second half, as the Rainmen pushed their way back into the contest.  A Rainmen run in the final four minutes got this Rainmen team as close as three points.  Unfortunately, this was as close as it got.  The Rainmen defense struggled to make key stops down the stretch and made a couple of pivotal turnovers to give the strong LFS Cavs a 1-0 series lead.

The Cavs were led by 6'5" forward, Tim Ellis, who scored 29 points.  The Rainmen had no answer for the forward who played 44 minutes.  Jamaal Davis chipped in with 20 points and guard, Eddie Smith, scored 21 points.

For the Rainmen, even though Gary Ervin struggled in the second quarter, he was also the driving force to get the Rainmen back into the game in the second half.  Ervin had 26 pts, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.  He was also 14/15 from the free throw line.  The face of the Rainmen franchise, Eric Crookshank, struggled in his playoff debut, finishing with just 7 points.  Desmond Ferguson nailed 5 triples throughout the night and had 25 points.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis and Bill McLean's Player of the Game
Jamaal Davis 20 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game
Tim Ellis 29 pts, 9 rebounds, 4 assist, 2 steals

Hat-tip to the Rainmen
Gary Ervin 26 pts, 7 rebounds, 9 assists

Key Notes:

• Glaring Stat of the Night:  20 turnovers for Halifax to the Cavs' 9
• Points in the Paint:  58-40 for the Cavs
• Battle of the Boards:  Halifax had the edge, rebounding-wise, outrebounding the Cavs 47-44, LFS had the edge on the offensive boards 13-7
• No MVP?  DeAnthony Bowden, the LFS Cavs' leading scorer with 17.2 ppg (and also a PBL MVP candidate), was not on the Cavs' roster due to passport issues
• Matchup of the Night:  The most entertaining matchup of the night had to be Strick and Oliver Miller, there's nothing like watching two almost-40 year-olds battle it out in the paint.  The matchup alone is worth the price of admission.
• Canadian Content:  Garry Gallimore sat this game out with an injury, while Jevohn Shepherd played only 23 seconds in the closing minutes.
• Did you miss the game?  Watch a full replay of the game here

Post Game Links:
Metro Halifax
"The Rainmen put up a season-low 14 points in the second quarter and — despite holding the edge in three other stanzas — were unable to recover in a 108-104 loss to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry in the opener of the Premier Basketball League best-of-three semifinals before a crowd of 1,925 at the Metro Centre on Thursday."

The Chronicle Herald
"Four times in the final 2½ minutes, Ervin drew the Rainmen to within three points but each time the Cavs answered with a basket of their own. After he shaved the deficit to 105-104 by making a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left, the Cavs closed things out by knocking down three foul shots and forcing a turnover on Halifax’s final possession."

Game two of this first-round series is on Sunday in Lawton, Oklahoma. It's make it or break it time for the Rainmen!

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Triple Double Trouble - RAINMEN 109, KEBS 86

RAINMEN 109, KEBS 86
Rainmen Record: 13W-7L
The Rainmen came out with the 109-86 win over the Quebec Kebs but they also came out with a few injured bodies at the end of it.  The Quebec Kebs appeared out of sync at the Halifax Metro Centre as the shorthanded Rainmen squad had no problems with the 4-14 Kebs.  Gary Ervin played the full 48-minutes and posted his second triple double of the season.  Ervin led the Rainmen with 22 pts-12 reb-15assists in the Rainmen's regular season finale.

The Rainmen were without Eric Gilchrese who had been dealing with a groin injury and Tony Bennett played just two minutes as he dealt with an Achilles injury.  Both Garry Gallimore and Jevohn Shepherd hobbled off the court in last night's game as well.  Gallimore limped off the court after being called for a charge in the second quarter and did not return to the game.

The highlight of the night had to be the Jevohn Shepherd slam from the weakside where Shepherd threw it down on  Quebec's Louis-Patrick Levros aka "Rat-tail" (as named by the Rainmen fans).

For the Kebs, Brandon Morris led the Kebs with 25 points while PBL Player of the Week from March, Samuel Audet-Sow, finished with 12 points.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis, Bill McLean and Ryan Dickison's Player of the Game
Gary Ervin - 22 pts, 12 rebounds and 15 assists (second triple double of the season)

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game
Jevohn Shepherd - Just for that nasty dunk alone!

Hat-tip to the Kebs
Brandon Morris 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 threes

Key Notes:

• Glaring Stat of the Night:  0 points for Tony Bennett (Achilles). It was the first game that the Rainmen's leading scorer put up his first scoreless game of the season. 
• Da Bench:  Rainmen bench outscored the Kebs' bench 50-20.
• Double Figures:  Halifax had six players in double figures:  Ervin 22, Turner 18, Ferguson 17, Plummer 17, Mazur 14, Strickland 13.
• Sleeveless!  Strick went with bare arms last night and not his usual long sleeves.  Strick finished with a season-high 13 points.
• The Final Standings:  The Rainmen finished the regular season with a 13-7 record with a 9-1 home record.
• Did you miss the game?  Did you miss that Jevohn Shepherd jam?  Watch the full replay of Wednesday's night's game here.
• Playoffs?  The Rainmen play their first ever playoff game this upcoming Thursday night, watch it live here on Haligonia.ca!

Post Game Links:
The Chronicle Herald
"The Rainmen open a best-of-three semifinal playoff series at home on April 15 against either the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry or Rochester RazorSharks, depending upon the outcome of their battle with the Vermont Frost Heaves for third place in the Premier Basketball League."

Metro Halifax
"In what was a little more than a tuneup for the Premier Basketball League playoffs, the Rainmen rested injured top scorer Tony Bennett and veteran double-double machine Eric Crookshank and hammered the Kebs 109-86 last night to wrap up the regular season before a crowd of 1,847 at the Metro Centre."

The Rainmen make their PBL post-season debut this coming Thursday when they face off against either the Rochester Razorsharks or the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavalry...

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Talkin' Hoops with Halifax Rainmen centre, Larry Turner

When Larry Turner made his debut in Halifax, he made quite an impression against the Puerto Rico Capitanes.  He got the start at centre and finished with 10 points and 7 boards.  But most importantly, the Rainmen got the win against one of the toughest teams in the PBL.  Now, the former Los Angeles Laker will be an integral part of the Rainmen's quest to make noise in this season's playoffs.  I had the chance to ask Larry a little about his game, his impressions on the city of Halifax and his thoughts on his Lakers experience.

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Romy (Haligonia.ca): The Rainmen signed you to be a tough, strong inside presence, how have you adjusted to the new team?

Larry Turner: I'm adjusting fine, I came in knowing what the team needed from me; I take pride in my defense and my presence in the middle. I look forward to contributing to the team as much as possible. The chemistry is getting stronger everyday between me and my teammates.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): First impressions of the city of Halifax?

Larry Turner: My first impression of Halifax was that it is a very cold city. I am a southern guy and am used to the warm weather. I like the city and I think it's energetic and welcoming. The people here are very friendly and humble and I love our fans here.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): You've been with the team a few games now, what has impressed you so far about this team?

Larry Turner: What has impressed me about the team the most is that we have all the parts that make up a great team. We have a good outside attack as well as a good inside game. All the guys get along well and we have the same focus and goals to win the championship. This is a hard-working team and I look forward to going into the playoffs and battle with my teammates for the championship.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): For those that don't know much about your game, what type of player is Larry Turner? Who do you compare yourself to?

Larry Turner: I am a hard-working and physical player dedicated to my craft. I am one of the players that you would consider to do the dirty work on the court like set great picks, rebounding, blocking shots, and defending the best post-player on the opposing team. I bring a physical presence in the inside with my offense and I like to bring a lot of energy to the game and give 110% everytime I step on the court. I would compare myself to Tim Duncan who is my favorite player.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): You signed with the Lakers back in '07, what was it like working out with some of the best talent in the NBA?

Larry Turner: It was the best experience in my basketball career so far to be able to play with the best player in my era, Kobe Bryant and to be coached by the greatest coach, Phil Jackson. I worked out with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar everyday before practice on my post-moves and that was a rewarding experience for me to gain basketball knowledge from the best centre to ever play the game, in my opinion. Working with these individuals really allowed me to see a new level of hard work and how dedicated you must be to increase your game in order to play with the best on a nightly basis in the NBA. It was amazing to see how hard Kobe came in the gym and worked everyday and that inspired me to push myself so that I can be the best player that I can be.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): I read that you trained in the Philippines a few years back, how was that experience?

Larry Turner: That was a wonderful experience for me as a young player still in college trying to prepare myself for the next level. I worked out with a trainer name Kirk Collier and we did two workouts a day for a month and a half and I came back to college for my senior year in the best shape that I have ever been in. Being in that good of shape increased my game so that I could play longer and make better decisions in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Are you superstitious guy, do you have any weird pre-game rituals?

Larry Turner: I listen to music, say a prayer and make sure to eat some chocolate for energy.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Let's hear a bit about your musical tastes, what's on your iPod these days?

Larry Turner: I'm a fan of Gospel, Rap and RnB and on my iPod you will find Jay-Z, Young Jeezy and for Gospel, Kirk Franklin.
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A huge thanks goes out to Larry Turner for taking part in our Q and A, be sure to check him out at the Metro Centre on Wednesday night when the Halifax Rainmen take on the Quebec Kebs! 

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Breaking Down The Boxscore - WEEKEND EDITION

Rainmen Record: 12W-7L
FROST HEAVES 107, RAINMEN 98
If Puerto Rico still had a team in the league, this would have been the game to decide whether Halifax held a playoff position.  But with both Vermont and Halifax locked into playoff spots, this game will play a part in this year's playoff seeding.  The Rainmen had a 12-point with 4:46 to play in regulation and then the Frost Heaves went off.  Vermont scored 18 straight points to take a 6-point lead with just 58 seconds to play.  Dwuan Rice scored 11 of his 20 points in that span as the Rainmen could not close out the Frost Heaves. 

2010 PBL All-Star, Dwuan Rice, led all scorers with 20 points.  Two Frost Heaves finished with double doubles, Jawan Bailey had 17 points and 16 rebounds, Ross DeMasi finished with 12 ponts, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks and three steals.

On the Halifax side, Desmond Ferguson had 19 points while Eric Crookshank finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

RAINMEN 124, STAMPEDE 105
In the Rainmen's second road game in two nights, the Rainmen faced off one of the worst teams in the PBL, the Buffalo Stampede.  After a terrible loss from the previous night, the Rainmen had a chance to bounce back against the Stampede.  The Rainmen put out a balanced attack to defeat the Stampede 124-104 with seven Rainmen players in double figures.  Tony Bennett scored 20 points and dished out 13 assists.  Gregory Plummer had his best game of the season, dropping 19 points on the Stampede.

Buffalo had two players with 30+ points in the loss, Corey Herring scored 34 points while Mike Norwood finished with 33 points.

Next up, the Rainmen are back home to face off against the Quebec Kebs in their last regular season home game on Wednesday night, watch it live here on Haligonia.ca!

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino