SBL Week 1 MVP: Tseng Wen-ting

Yulon center Tseng Wen-ting was named over James Mao of Pure Youth as the Week 1 SBL MVP after averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and an amazing 6.5 blocks per game during the week.

Tseng received 35 points in the media voting while Mao had 13 points.

The 204cm Tseng is mulling over a relocation to China to join Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, but he proved to be an integral part of Yulon's offense and defense.

Given that Yulon was the only team in the league without an import, Tseng was always asked to defend opposing import players and did not disappoint.

It's still possible for him to sign with Shanghai after his contract with Yulon expires in mid-January. However, the chance was said to be slim because the CBA does not allow mid-season transfer for local players (Tseng was expected to play as a local).

Looks like Tseng will have to spend this season in Taiwan.

(Photo: ESPN Taiwan)

Opening ceremony photos

Here are some photos taken at the Dec. 25 opening ceremony last week.

Chen Chih-chun, Yulon

Newly-elected Xinbei City Mayor Eric Chu attended the opening game and was seen here at the opening tip between Yulon's Tseng Wen-ting and Dacin's import Keith Gayden (R)

Local singer Tai Ai-ling was the guest performer

Don't know where these girls came from. It was said they were recruited from National Sport University (Taoyuan) cheer-leading team to perform on the opening day.

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

Yulon, PY go 2-0

Looks like Yulon doesn't need to hire imports as long as it has Tseng Wen-ting as the starting center. The defending champ and Pure Youth both opened the season 2-0

Dec. 26
TB 74-51 BOT
TB: E. Jones 12p+10rb, D. Creighton 7p+6rb
BOT: Chen Shun-hsiang 11p, Chen Chun-chieh 10p, J. Faulknor 4p+8rb (2-8 FG)

PY 72-69 KKL
PY: Jones-Jennings 18p+22rb+3s+3blk, Chang Yu-lin 18p, James Mao 15p+7rb+10TO
KKL: S. Bailey 8p+11rb, Hong Chi-chao 27p

Yulon 74-70 TM
Yulon: Tseng Wen-ting 14p+6rb, Chen Chih-chun 14p, Wu Chien-lung 15p+13rb
TM: Su Yi-chieh 26p+8rb+3s, M. Dove 12p+11rb, Ouyang Ching-heng 11p, Hsu Wei-sheng 11p

Standings:
PY 2-0, Yulon 2-0, TB 1-0, Dacin 0-1, BOT 0-1, KKL 0-1, TM 0-2

Wu Chih-yuan of TB shoots over J. Faulknor, BOT

Yang Ching-min, TB, and Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT (R)

M. Dove, Hsu Wei-sheng, TM

Chien Chia-hung, PY

Rashad Jones-Jennings

Jones-Jennings vs. S. Bailey

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

Finally, an official SBL website

CTBA SBL website

Hinet SBL website

After seven long years, the SBL finally had an official website of its own that contains real-time score and box scores. Up next, I think the league will have an English website… in 10 years.

Anyway, the SBL website is hosted under the CTBA (Chinese Taipei Basketball Association) which operates the SBL. The URL is http://sbl.basketball-tpe.org/

For those who understand Chinese, feel free to check the box scores on the website. It also contains a section of game results and box scores in the past seven years but the section appears to be under construction at this moment.

The league's partner Chunghwa Telecom -- Taiwan's largest landline, mobile phone and internet operator -- also presents a SBL website at http://sports.hinet.net/sbl

The Hinet website does not provide box scores, but it does provide live streaming and videos on-demand.

2010-11 UBA final eight

A1 National Taiwan Normal University
A2 National Dong Hwa University
A3 National Taiwan University of Art
B1 Fu Jen Catholic University
B2 Chinese Culture University
B3 National Kaohsiung Normal University
Wildcard Ming Dao University
Wildcard Hsing Wu College

Group A Standings
1. National Taiwan Normal University 6-1
2. National Dong Hwa University 5-2
3. National Taiwan University of Art 5-2
4. Ming Dao University 5-2
5. Ming Chuan College 3-4
6. Shih Hsin University 2-5
7. Taiwan Shoufu University 2-5
8. Taipei Physical Education College 0-7

Group B Standings
1. Fu Jen Catholic University 7-0
2. Chinese Culture University
3. National Kaohsiung Normal University
4. Hsing Wu College
5. National Taiwan College of Physical Education
6. National Taiwan Sport University
7. Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health 1-6
8. National University of Tainan 0-7

2010-11 HBL final eight

Rank, School, Last season
A1 Hsin-jung HS, didn't make final eight
A2 Nan-shan HS, 3rd place
A3 Nen-jen HS, Runner-up
B1 Tai-shan HS, 4th place
B2 Song-shan HS, Champion
B3 Youth HS, didn't make final eight
Wildcard Nan-hu HS, didn't make final eight
WIldcard San-min HS, 6th place

(Photos: Apple Daily)

Yulon, PY win SBL openers

Tseng Wen-ting had 19 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks and limited Dacin import Keith Gayden to two points, leading defending champion Yulon Luxgen -- the only team without an import -- to a 69-60 win to open the SBL 2010-11 season Saturday.

Tseng, who is contemplating to play in China after his contract with Yulon expires in mid-January, had four fouls in the first half but that apparently did not both him.

Yulon open the game with a 12-0 run and never trailed. Tien Lei led Dacin with 17 points.

James Mao scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter in Pure Youth's 83-77 win over Taiwan Mobile. Mao was 14 of 16 from the free-throw line. PY had a 14-3 closing run in the last 5:30 of the game for the victory.

PY's import Rashad Jones-Jennings pulled down 11 rebounds but did not score.

Wu Yong-jen led TM with 24 points. Marcus Dove had 19 points and 11 boards while newly-signed Su Yi-chieh, who played for Dacin last year, had 18 points.

James Mao

Marcus Dove

Su Yi-chieh

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

Local media features import players

Apple Daily had a feature on import players in its preview of the 2010-11 SBL season this week.

Taiwan Mobile: Marcus Dove
The two-time defensive player of the year in the Big 12 is the highest-paid import this season. TM hopes that Dove can help on both ends of the court.

Pure Youth: Rashad Jones-Jennings
PY was reportedly concerned about Jones-Jennings' right knee injury and his speed, which could slow down PY's offense.

Taiwan Beer: Emmanuel Jones
Jones averaged 17.5 points and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes in two warm-up games, but TB was reportedly worried about his defense.

KKL: Sheldon Bailey
KKL brought in Bailey to improve its weak interior defense.

Dacin: Keith Gayden
Gayden's is quicker than former Dacin center Byron Allen, who helped take the team to two SBL Finals appearances.

Bank of Taiwan: Jason Faulknor
Faulknor was reportedly blending in well with his teammates and the new environment. The natural small forward-shooting guard will be asked to defend bigger opponents in the new season.

(Photos: Apple Daily)

KKL starts anew in upcoming season

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (KKL) held a pre-season press conference Tuesday as all team members, including the new import Sheldon Bailey, met the press.

Led by then-import Shawn Hawkins, KKL started out strong last year but faded as the season went along, finishing with a record of 14-16 and missing the playoffs.

The team lost its top two scorers -- Hawkins and Cheng Jen-wei who signed with Taiwan Beer -- but added BOT's small forward Chang Jung-hsuan and center Wu Chun-hsiung as well as veteran forward Shang We-fan, formerly with TB, and Huang Pao-tse, an experienced point guard who spent last season with Dacin.

Chen Ching-hwan

Sheldon Bailey

(Photos: KKL)

UBA preliminary round photos

Lin Yi-fu, FJU

Cheng Chih-hao, FJU

Sung Yu-hsuan, CCU

Wu Chien-lung, CCU

(Photo: UBA)