Midwest Professional Basketball Association

Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA)
Sport Basketball
Founded August 2014
CEO Ed Schumer
Motto Welcome to the future of minor league basketball
Inaugural season 2015
No. of teams 6
Country United States
Continent FIBA Americas
Official website www.thempba.com

The Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA) is a professional men's basketball league that is scheduled to begin play in January 2015. The six charter members are: Bloomington Flex, Champaign Swarm, Chicago Force, Gateway Steam, St. Louis RiverSharks and Windy City Groove.[1]

Of the six inaugural season teams, only the Bloomington Flex have previously competed. The Flex were 2012 and 2013 champions of the Premier Basketball League (PBL). After a perfect 18-0 record in 2014, the team was suspended and then dismissed from the PBL by league officials after a scheduling conflict in the 2014 PBL playoffs.[2]

MPBA is organized by Ed Schumer, Commissioner and CEO, and Craig Fata, Vice President.

History

The league kicked off its inaugural season on January 2, 2015, as the St. Louis RiverSharks and Gateway Steam played in Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. St. Louis defeated Gateway 108-96. Two more games took place at Family Arena on Sunday, January 4, as the RiverSharks hosted the Bloomington Flex and the Gateway Steam hosted the Chicago Force. The RiverSharks upset the Flex 113-109, ending Bloomington's 24-game win streak, which had dated back to May of 2013. The Steam defeated the Force 115-103.

The first time all six teams were in action at the same time was Thursday, January 15, when the Flex hosted the RiverSharks in Bloomington (Ill.), the Champaign (Ill.) Swarm hosted the Steam, and the Force hosted the Windy City Groove. All three games were broadcast in high definition via multi-camera productions on the league's website.

The 2015 regular season ended on April 7. The playoffs began two nights later in Bloomington, Illinois, in a Final Four-style format. The St. Louis RiverSharks secured the top seed with a 16-4 record by virtue of a 3-1 season-series win over the Bloomington Flex, who also finished 16-4. The Champaign Swarm entered as the #3 seed with a 15-5 record, and the Gateway Steam were fourth at 5-15.

The first game of the semi-finals saw the RiverSharks beat the Steam 153-129. In the second game, the Swarm handed the Flex their first-ever playoff loss, 111-100, to advance to the championship game against St. Louis.

The championship game, held April 10 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, Illinois, was won by the Swarm 115-106, after trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half and by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter. Champaign's Avery Smith was named Playoff Most Valuable Player after averaging 32 points and seven rebounds per game in the postseason.

2015 Awards

Most Valuable Player: Justin Bocot, Bloomington Flex

Coach of the Year: Al Grushkin, St. Louis RiverSharks

Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Smith, Chicago Force

Sixth Man of the Year: Aaron Weaver, Champaign Swarm

All-MPBA First Team: Justin Bocot (unanimous selection); Jerrold Brooks, St. Louis RiverSharks; Anthony Slack, Bloomington Flex (unanimous selection); Keith DeWitt, St. Louis RiverSharks; Marcus Goode, St. Louis RiverSharks.

All-MPBA Second Team: Nate Fuqua, Windy City Groove; Tarvin Gaines, Gateway Steam; Aaron Weaver, Champaign Swarm; Matt Salley, Bloomington Flex; Derrick McDonald, Chicago Force; Lavante Douglas, Windy City Groove.

All-Defensive Team: Darius Smith (unanimous selection); Nate Fuqua; Terry Evans, St. Louis RiverSharks; Keith DeWitt; Anthony Slack; Marcus Goode.

Teams

References

  1. ↑ "MPBA lineup set with addition of two St. Louis clubs". theMPBA.com. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Flex Forced From Playoffs". CIProud.com. Retrieved 3 April 2014.

External links