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RENO —After spending the early portion of last season trying to earn a win, Reno Bighorns coach Jay Humphries came into Season 2 of the franchise with a new approach.
“Last year, we didn't have anything,” Humphries said. “Last year what (we were) starting with were players that no body wanted. So that's what we started the season with and now we kind of have an idea of how it works. So now we have a few guys back that really proved to us that they may not be the best players in the league, but they improved...
“It's really our job as the Reno Bighorns to develop them, but in the same aspect we want put together a team that has a good entertainment value so that when the fans leave our arena, they'll be very excited.”
Last season Humphries and his NBA Development League team had to start from scratch, but this year rather than drafting for five positions he had the luxury of only having a couple of positions to fill.
That approach allowed the Bighorns to the get the man they wanted Thursday with their first pick (seventh overall) in the D-League draft, 6-foot-5 shooting guard Desmon Farmer.
The USC product has seen time in the NBA and is a proven scorer on the D-League level, where he averaged 24.7 points a game during his previous stint in the league with the Rio Grande Vipers in the 2007-08 season. Making things just that much better for Farmer is that Humphries will continue to the utilize the up-tempo style he brought over after being an assistant for the Phoenix Suns that allowed Bighorns to average 106 points per game last season.
“I was talking with coach before the pick and I'm feeling very comfortable,” said Farmer, who also played in 11 games between the Seattle SuperSonics and the San Antonio Spurs. “With the up-tempo offense, it's great. That plays in my favor. The way I like to play and the way I can put the ball in the hole, that's what I do. That's what I'm known for, for being a scorer.”
Albuquerque selected Carlos Powell, a 6-7 forward out of South Carolina with the first-overall pick in the draft.
Reno selected forward Haminn Quaintance formerly of Kent State in the second round. He spent last season in the Israel Premier League.
In the third, the Bighorns selected Chris Lowe, a 6-foot guard out of the University of Massachusetts. Lowe averaged 12.4 points and 6.4 assists per game as a senior last season for the Minutemen. He left as UMass' all-time assist leader.
Reno's remaining selections included Louis Graham, a 6-8 forward out of Georgia Southern (fourth round); Terry Martin, a 6-5 guard out of LSU (fifth round); Jermaine Johnson, a 6-7 forward out of Charleston (sixth round); Chris Davis, a 6-3 guard out of Southern (seventh round); and Ronald Allen, a 6-10 forward out of Cincinnati.
The eight players will be paired up with former University of Nevada star Mo Charlo and UNLV standout James Peters, as well as four players from last year's Bighorns squad, namely Russell Robinson, Rod Benson, Daryl “Majic” Dorsey and Dave Noel, all of whom have been invited to training camp which begins Nov. 15.
The Bighorns open the season on Nov. 28 at Idaho. Their first home game will be Dec. 5 against the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
“Last year, we didn't have anything,” Humphries said. “Last year what (we were) starting with were players that no body wanted. So that's what we started the season with and now we kind of have an idea of how it works. So now we have a few guys back that really proved to us that they may not be the best players in the league, but they improved...
“It's really our job as the Reno Bighorns to develop them, but in the same aspect we want put together a team that has a good entertainment value so that when the fans leave our arena, they'll be very excited.”
Last season Humphries and his NBA Development League team had to start from scratch, but this year rather than drafting for five positions he had the luxury of only having a couple of positions to fill.
That approach allowed the Bighorns to the get the man they wanted Thursday with their first pick (seventh overall) in the D-League draft, 6-foot-5 shooting guard Desmon Farmer.
The USC product has seen time in the NBA and is a proven scorer on the D-League level, where he averaged 24.7 points a game during his previous stint in the league with the Rio Grande Vipers in the 2007-08 season. Making things just that much better for Farmer is that Humphries will continue to the utilize the up-tempo style he brought over after being an assistant for the Phoenix Suns that allowed Bighorns to average 106 points per game last season.
“I was talking with coach before the pick and I'm feeling very comfortable,” said Farmer, who also played in 11 games between the Seattle SuperSonics and the San Antonio Spurs. “With the up-tempo offense, it's great. That plays in my favor. The way I like to play and the way I can put the ball in the hole, that's what I do. That's what I'm known for, for being a scorer.”
Albuquerque selected Carlos Powell, a 6-7 forward out of South Carolina with the first-overall pick in the draft.
Reno selected forward Haminn Quaintance formerly of Kent State in the second round. He spent last season in the Israel Premier League.
In the third, the Bighorns selected Chris Lowe, a 6-foot guard out of the University of Massachusetts. Lowe averaged 12.4 points and 6.4 assists per game as a senior last season for the Minutemen. He left as UMass' all-time assist leader.
Reno's remaining selections included Louis Graham, a 6-8 forward out of Georgia Southern (fourth round); Terry Martin, a 6-5 guard out of LSU (fifth round); Jermaine Johnson, a 6-7 forward out of Charleston (sixth round); Chris Davis, a 6-3 guard out of Southern (seventh round); and Ronald Allen, a 6-10 forward out of Cincinnati.
The eight players will be paired up with former University of Nevada star Mo Charlo and UNLV standout James Peters, as well as four players from last year's Bighorns squad, namely Russell Robinson, Rod Benson, Daryl “Majic” Dorsey and Dave Noel, all of whom have been invited to training camp which begins Nov. 15.
The Bighorns open the season on Nov. 28 at Idaho. Their first home game will be Dec. 5 against the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
