Paul Harrison didn't waste time introducing himself to Windsor Express fans during their Basketball Super League debut against Montreal. "When they brought me in here they told me to do what I do." said the forward from Atlanta, Georgia.
What he does is shoot the ball a lot. Harrison threw up a game-high 23 shots against the Toundra hitting 12 and finishing with 29 points to lead all scorers. "That first half I played terrible," Harrison said. "That second half though, we can play really well as a team. Guys put me in the right positions to make it easy for me and make it easy for them."
Harrison, who played in the TBL last season, says he likes the new BSL and feels there's room for a lot of growth. "It's becoming more like the other FIBA leagues where they relegate and promote. That's always more fun because it always feels like you're playing for something. Even if you're at the bottom you playin' to not go out. I feel it keeps everybody competitive for the whole season."
The BSL is affiliated with the TBL allowing for interleague play.
BSL president Dave Magley is happy with the level of competition early in the inaugural season. "I've been very happy with the level of play," said Magley who was commissioner of the now defunct NBL of Canada for two seasons until 2017. "The NBL people are happy to see new teams that are playing, Montreal, Newfoundland back in. I think they're going to be real excited as we grow so more."
Magley, who doubles as president of the TBL, anticipates the BSL to grow and has goals in place. "We're trying to add six new teams a year," said Magley who hopes to see the BSL max out at 24 teams in three years. "This is not a basketball business. It's a business that does basketball. If we do it well and we keep our costs in line, the NBL was a tough model because even when they had all the teams in there was a lot of travel to the Maritimes and back and that costs money. We're not gonna have a lot of that."
Express associate coach Aaron McDonald feels the BSL is going to be a very competitive league and looks forward to league expansion. "It's gonna be an opportunity for young men to come out and compete and play their best basketball."
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