BASKETBALL: Stampede tries for local angle

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November 16, 2009

By Jonah Bronstein The Tonawanda News Mon Nov 16, 2009, 11:03 PM EST

BUFFALO — If the Buffalo-Niagara region takes half as much interest in Greg Gamble’s professional basketball team as it did his high school squad, Vincent Lesh will be very happy.

“You look at Niagara Falls High School drawing 2,500 people to a game, hopefully Greg can get out there in the community and tell people about this team,” the Buffalo Stampede owner said Monday during a press conference to introduce Gamble and other local signings in the lobby of the University at Buffalo’s Alumni Arena.

Average attendance at Canisius College’s Koessler Center was around 600 for the Stampede’s first year in the Premier Development League. If the team can more than 1,000 fans in its second year, Lesh thinks the NBA Developmental League may start looking at Buffalo as a viable market for minor league basketball.

To that end, Stampede general manger Roosevelt Bouie, the former Syracuse standout and native of nearby Kendall, recruited players that local fans were familiar with.

In addition to Gamble, the Stampede signed former UB players Andy Robinson, Danny Gilbert and Roderick Middleton.

“I’m excited to be back in front of this community and playing with these guys,” said Gilbert, who spent a few years playing in Europe after graduating from UB in 2005. “I never got a chance to play with Greg and Andy, so I’m excited about that. We all came up in Reggie Witherspoon’s system, working hard. I think if we produce at first, (the community) will definitely embrace us like they did at UB.”

Chuck Walker, an Amherst native who played at Niagara County Community College and D’Youville College, was also introduced Monday.

Buffalo natives Corey Herring (Canisius), Mark Price (Siena) and Kevin Ross (Cleveland State) played for the Stampede last season, and are expected to return when training camp opens Nov. 30, Lesh said.

“I think we will draw fans because we all have relationships in the community,” Gamble said.

The Stampede, a more financially-stable stepchild of Buffalo’s previous minor league basketball franchises — the American Basketball Association’s Rapids and Silverbacks — open on the road Jan. 2 and play their first home game Jan. 9 against defending champion Rochester.

Lesh said a buy one, get one half-price promotion is currently being offered for season ticket packages. For more information, visit BuffaloStampedePBL.com.

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at 282-2311, ext. 2258.

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