Everett faces a new-look Vancouver in IBL playoff opener

Published 11:26 pm Thursday, June 28, 2007

In April, the Everett Explosion blew out the Vancouver Volcanoes 139-94. Tonight, the two face off again in the first round of the International Basketball League West playoffs.

Everett (16-4) is the West’s No. 2 seed, while sixth-seeded Vancouver is just 6-16.

Piece of cake, right?

Maybe not.

The team Everett plays tonight at Warner Pacific College in Portland is hardly the same group that took that April beating.

The April version of the Volcanoes didn’t have Brad Lechtenberg, a 2006 IBL all star who was out with an ankle injury. Also not on the floor for that game was Abdoulaye N’Diaye, a 7-foot late addition to the team who is averaging 19.7 points in his three games with Vancouver.

“They are much improved since we’ve seen them,” said Explosion coach Randy Redwine. “They’ve got a couple of different new players. We never think that because we beat a team before that we’ll do it again.”

The Explosion are hoping to add a player for the playoffs as well. Point guard Darrell Walker, who has been out with a groin injury, played limited minutes in Everett’s last regular season game, and will likely be a game-time decision for the playoffs.

“We tried it out to see how he would feel,” said Redwine. “Once he went out of the game, he couldn’t go back. We’ll see how it goes, but he and I both agreed that if he’s not 100 percent, there’s no sense in him going.”

With or without Walker, the Explosion – with three all stars in Rashaad Powell, Donald Watts and Justin Murray – look like a legitimate title contender in their inaugural season.

“We’ve been playing all year for this,” said Redwine.