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.
__________

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!!
__________

 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

The Home Dominance Continues - RAINMEN 104, MILLRATS 83

RAINMEN 104, MILLRATS 83
Rainmen Record: 8W-2L

Just like the Buffalo Stampede last week, the Manchester Millrats rolled into Halifax with tired legs and a shorthanded eight-man roster.  The Millrats, who had played Saturday afternoon against the Quebec Kebs, came to the Halifax Metro Centre for their second matchup in two days.  Halifax pounced on the Millrats' tired legs and built a commanding 33-17 lead in the opening quarter. 

The Millrats bounced back in the second quarter, going on a 12-0 run to get within seven until Halifax's Tony Bennett ended the run with a three with 2:59 to play in the half. 

The Rainmen regained control in the second half when they outscored the Millrats 55 to 44.  Halifax's offense was too much for the Millrats as they had no answer for Rainmen guard, Tony Bennett.  Bennett finished with season-highs in both scoring and rebounding with 32 points and 8 rebounds. The win over the Millrats was Halifax's sixth straight home win as they still hold an unblemished home record.

Eric Crookshank was impressive on the glass, grabbing 19 boards to go with his 18 points.  And as much as the Millrats defense tried to defend their former player, Desmond Ferguson, Ferguson dropped 14 points on his former team.

For the Millrats, Charles Bronson put together a double double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  Dwight Brewington, the league's only deaf player, chipped in with 16 points.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis and Bill McLean's Player of the Game:
Tony Bennett 32 pts (season-high), 8 rebounds (season-high), 2 assists, 2 steals

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game:
Eric Crookshank 18 pts, 19 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal

Hat-tip to the Millrats:
Charles Bronson (not to be confused with this Charles Bronson) 20 pts, 12 rebounds, 2 assists

Key Notes:

• Workin' the Glass:  Halifax outrebounded Manchester 59-45
• Points in the Paint:  Rainmen did their thing down low, scoring 58 points in the paint while the Millrats' scored 42
• Horrible FT Shooting: The Rainmen struggled from the FT line, nailing only 10 of 21 free throws (47.6 %) 
• Adios Adris:  At the end of the game, the Rainmen announced that guard, Adris DeLeon, had played his final game as a member of the Rainmen and heads back to his home country of the Dominican Republic.  He will be continue his basketball career with the Dominican national team.  We wish Adris all the best.
• Newest Faces:  The Rainmen's newest faces, Cameron Stanley and DeAndre Thomas, didn't see much floor time on Sunday.  Thomas saw the court for a little over 4 minutes and Stanley played just 3 minutes. 
• Canadian Watch:  Garry Gallimore 6 pts (2 threes), Jevohn Shepherd finished with 0 points, 2 rebounds and an assist
• Public Enemy #2:  The Rainmen now sit with an 8-2 record and are in the second spot behind the Puerto Rico Capitanes

Post Game Links:
The Chronicle Herald

"The Rainmen stayed perfect at home on the PBL season, pushing their second-place record to 8-2 at the halfway mark with a 104-83 win over the Manchester (N.H.) Millrats before an estimated 2,500 fans. It was the sixth straight home win for the Rainmen and third on their current five-game homestand."

Our Sports Central

"Tony Bennett had a huge game for the Rainmen, racking up 32-points, 20 of which were scored in the second half. Eric Crookshank was strong off the boards, pulling down 19 rebounds, while adding 18 points. The Rainmen started fast in Sunday's game with 33 points in the first quarter and never looked back."

Metro Halifax

"The Rainmen are 8-2 and pushing for their first Premier Basketball League playoff spot. The Millrats, a PBL semifinalist last year, are slipping further out of the race at 3-8."

The Rainmen are back in action this Saturday when they face off against the Maryland Greenhawks here in Halifax (Watch it live 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

Millrats-Rainmen Game Preview with Ian McCarthy, Manchester GM

The Halifax Rainmen (7-2) will celebrate Valentine's Day with a matchup against the Manchester Millrats (2-6) here in Halifax.  Like the Buffalo Stampede's schedule last weekend, Manchester has back to back games in Canada facing off the Quebec Kebs on Saturday afternoon and then heads to Halifax for a Sunday afternoon matchup.  The Millrats have made numerous roster changes since their 107-99 loss to the Halifax Rainmen back on January 24th and will roll into the Metro Centre with a new-look roster. 


I had the chance to to ask Ian McCarthy, Manchester's GM a little about the roster changes, the scouting report on Charles "The Beast" Easterling and his thoughts on the upcoming Rainmen-Millrats matchup.
_________

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  How has the roster changed since the last time the Rainmen and Millrats faced off?

Ian McCarthy:  Since we last played on the 24th, which seems like 3 months ago but it's only been 3 weeks, we've had a lot of changes. In fact only six players remain on our roster from that game.

Replacing Anthony Anderson, Al Stewart, Alexus Foyle, and Jose Guitian has been Charles Easterling, Charles Mason, Charles Bronson, and Julian Allen.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): What’s the scouting report on the new guy, Charles “The Beast” Easterling? What does he bring to Manchester?

Ian McCarthy:  The Beast is a power combo guard. He played for Manchester and Boston back in the ABA in 2007-2008, so I think your fans may remember him. He is very crafty with the ball and strong getting to the basket.

After Anderson left for Venezuela, we played a game against Vermont (a double OT loss), and we only had two ball handlers on our roster, which hurt us. So we have stayed in touch with Charles since our tryout camps and felt he could help be that additional ball handler.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): Minor league basketball is known for constant roster changes and you’ve seen it first hand with a few faces leaving the team to pursue other playing opportunities. What’s the rundown on these guys and where did they head to?

Ian McCarthy: It's one of our three missions in what we do. Obviously we want to win a championship, we want to be successful off the court, and thirdly we want to be a place that helps players further their professional basketball career.

This year we have been more successful in the latter two, but we have been competitive every game, and at the end of the day, that's all a coach can ask. Despite helping five players move on in their careers in five weeks, we've been leading in the second half or even the final minute in all of our 7 losses. So yes that can be frustrating on one hand, but to win close games you need to have cohesiveness and veteran leadership, and that has been a challenge this season. I chose to look on the bright side and point out that we have our opponents respect. Also, the season is still young and there are a lot more games to be played.

As for the players who have left, Anthony Anderson went to Venezuela but may be returning next week. Alexus Foyle was named the MVP in Taiwan his first week there. PJ Young has gone to the Dominican Republic, and Jose Guitian to Puerto Rico. Luke Bonner, who left just prior to our last game vs. Halifax, will be suiting up for the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Romy (Haligonia.ca): What will Manchester have to do to prepare for this upcoming matchup with Halifax?

Ian McCarthy:  This is another tough weekend for us due to the travel. We are playing Quebec Saturday afternoon, then driving through the night to Halifax.

On the court, we need to play together, run our sets, and give maximum effort. If we do that we will be fine. Halifax is a great team (with two former Millrats I might add), and they seem to be gelling at the right time.
_________

The Manchester Millrats head to the Halifax Metro Centre this Sunday to face off against the Halifax Rainmen at 4:00pm (watch the game live here on Haligonia.ca!).  A huge thanks goes out Ian McCarthy for taking the time again to answer our questions, be sure to check out more about the Manchester Millrats at their official website.  Also, check out the last game preview with Ian McCarthy here.

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 - RAINMEN 107, MILLRATS 99

RAINMEN 107, MILLRATS 99
Rainmen record: 5W - 1L

Make it five wins in a row.  Halifax rung up another win and this time it was on the road against the Manchester Millrats.  From the boxscore, it looked like it was tight knit battle until Halifax's Jevohn Shepherd made a few key baskets in the final quarter.  Shepherd scored 9 of his 14 points  in the fourth including a jumper that put the Rainmen up seven with 5:43 to play.  The Rainmen were down by one point at the end of the third until Halifax pulled out the win in the final quarter, 107-99.

Tony Bennett led the Rainmen with 25 pts, 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals.  Eric Crookshank finished with the double double with 12 pts and 12 rebounds.

For the Millrats, Anthony Anderson led all scorers with 27 points.

Let's break down the boxscore...

Key Notes:

• Glaring Stat of the Night:  The Rainmen had great bench production from guys like Shepherd, DeLeon and Gallimore.  Halifax's bench scored 44 of the Rainmen's 107 points.
• Big Three: Manchester had three players with 20+ pts: Anthony Anderson (27 pts), Dwight Brewington (24 pts) and Alexus Foyle (20 pts)
• Fourth Quarter:  Rainmen pulled away in the fourth, outscoring Manchester 26-17
• Offnight for Moneyball: Desmond Ferguson had an offnight against his former squad, only shooting 2 for 11, "Moneyball" finished with 9 pts
• Decent shooting night for Halifax - 59.8% from the field
• "Baby Strick": DeAndre Thomas was a DNP for this game
• Hat-tip to the Millrats:  Dwight Brewington 24 pts, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
• Canadian Watch:  Jevohn Shepherd 14 pts, 2 reb, Garry Gallimore 8 pts, 4 rebounds
• Movin' On Up: Halifax now sits second in the standings, right behind Puerto Rico who are 5-0

Post Game Links:

OurSportsCentral.com
RainmenBasketball.ca

"Both teams proved to be evenly matched with the score knotted at 24 after one. The Millrats relied mostly on their half court game to generate their offense in the first. In the half court, Manchester crashed the boards and took advantage of their second-chance opportunities. They were led by Alexus Foyle, who cleaned the glass with a couple of put-backs on his way to registering eight first-quarter points."

"The win improves the Rainmen to 5-1 on the season, lifts them into second place in the league, and puts them in a three-way battle for top spot in the league with two undefeated teams. The league-leading Puerto Rico Capitanes are 5-0 and the Rochester Razorsharks sit right behind the Rainmen at 4-0."

The Rainmen continue on the road as they play the Puerto Rico Capitanes in Puerto Rico this Thursday.  Will the Rainmen make it six straight?  Let us know and post your comments!

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

Rainmen-Millrats Game Preview with Manchester GM, Ian McCarthy

The 4-1 Halifax Rainmen are on the road today facing off against the 2-3 Manchester Millrats (Game Time 5:05 AST).  In their last matchup, the Rainmen defeated the Millrats in the preseason Holiday Classic 101-97 back in December.  Manchester currently has one of the top scorers in the PBL, Eric Gilchrese, who averages 23.5 points per game.  Also on this team, is Luke Bonner, younger brother of Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs and former Toronto Raptor.

Ian McCarthy is the general manager and head assistant coach for the New Hampshire team.  He was named GM of the year in 2007-08 when the team was a member of the ABA.  After their one season in the ABA, the team made the move to the PBL along with the Halifax Rainmen.  I had the opportunity to ask Ian about the upcoming matchup with Halifax, the scouting report on Marlowe Currie and his best Desmond "Moneyball" Ferguson story.

________

Romy (Haligonia.ca): This will be the first regular season matchup between Manchester and Halifax. What will the Rainmen have to do to stop the Millrats this weekend?

Ian McCarthy: So far Halifax appears to be a very good defensive team. We feel we have four of the best guards in the league with Anthony Anderson, Al Stewart, Dwight Brewington, and Eric Gilchrese, so to slow down the Millrats you have to first stop our guards.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Who on Manchester will cause the biggest matchup problem for Halifax?

Ian McCarthy: I think Dwight Brewington, who's been moved from small forward to the point guard position. He's 6'5 and a great penetrator so if there's a small guard on him, it's a mismatch, and it'd be hard for Des to keep him in front as well.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Halifax acquired Marlowe Currie from Manchester in a trade earlier this week. What's the scouting report on Currie?

Ian McCarthy:  Currie's a poor man's Larry Bird. He's a great three point shooter, he can go in the post, and he does the dirty work as well.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  Who on the Millrats' current roster has impressed you so far?

Ian McCarthy:  I have a great relationship with several players on our team which stretches back a couple years. Many of them have played with us in the summer, so I have alot of confidence in their abilities. The one guy who's really impressed me is Eric Gilchrese. I think I am a great judge of talent, but I had no idea Eric would be this good, this soon, when we drafted him. We weren't sure if we had a roster spot for him at the beginning of the season, but since then he's become the league's second leading scorer. What's funny is that I actually offered him to Vermont, Quebec, and Halifax just to help him, and got no interest. In his first couple games, he scored 26 against Quebec and 21 against Rochester, and suddenly everybody wanted him!

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  So when did you first get involved with the Manchester Millrats organization?

Ian McCarthy:  I founded the franchise in the summer of 2007. The basketball operations actually began in 2005 as the Boston Frenzy, then the Cape Cod Frenzy, and then the Manchester team was started in August of 2007.

Romy (Haligonia.ca):  One of Halifax's biggest acquisitions this offseason was the addition of former Millrat, Desmond Ferguson, let's hear your best Desmond Ferguson story.

Ian McCarthy:  Preseason last year, Des had been in a little slump, and dealing with an injury. When we were playing Vermont in the Green Mountain Tip Off Tournament, we were down 3 or 4 points in the late 4th quarter, and Des caught a pass in transition in front of our bench and as the ball left his hands he shouted "that's what I doooooo!!". Of course the 30 footer was nothing but net and he hit two more in the waning minutes to win the game. For the rest of the season, whenever someone did something great in their area, we'd say "that's what I doooooo!" - even if I made a good signing Des would look at me and say "that's what you doooo!". It held special meaning cause it helped us beat our arch rival.

________

Be sure to check out the Manchester Millrats website, manchestermillrats.com.  The Rainmen play the Millrats tonight in Manchester and both teams meet again on February 14th in Halifax.  Thanks again to Ian for participating in our game preview.

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

Rainmen Rock the 'Rats in the Fourth Quarter - RAINMEN 101, MILLRATS 97

(photo credit: Bill MacLean)

RAINMEN 101, MILLRATS 97

In the preseason debut of the Halifax Rainmen at the '09 Holiday Classic, the Rainmen put together a 32-point fourth quarter to put away the visiting Manchester Millrats.  In what could be the highest attendance of a Rainmen game at the Halifax Metro Centre to date (due largely in part to Rogers giving away 10,000 complimentary tickets), the Rainmen-Millrats put on an impressive show.