Franklin Living Dream With Steel City Yellow Jackets

Alabama Native Juan Franklin always dreamed of pursuing a career as a professional basketball player. He didn't take the traditional path of high school basketball, but it ended up paying off in the end. He is now a productive member of the Steel City Yellow Jackets and is loving every minute of his time in Pittsburgh.

It was a hot summer day in Fairfield Alabama, and six-year-old Juan Franklin had just received a Fisher Price Basketball hoop from his dad. The first thing he did when he got it was go for the classic over the head trick shot. Franklin heaved the ball over his head and swish…nothing but net. Little did he know at the time, but that first trick shot would ultimately lead him to a career in professional basketball in the American Basketball Association.

Franklin, now a 29-year-old guard for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s professional basketball team the Steel City Yellow Jackets, says that this was the first moment he fell in love with the game of basketball. From that moment on basketball would play a huge role in Franklin’s life and his hard work and dedication to the game is what has gotten him to where he is today.

“I found the sport when my dad got me a Fisher Price Goal and I threw the ball over my head and it went in,” said Franklin. “My child hood was go to school first and basketball second. Basketball has always been my life, I have been playing ever since I was six years old and it has never stopped from there.”

Franklin’s journey to the professional basketball ranks did not take the traditional route of playing in high school, then go to college, then go to the pros. Franklin never got the opportunity to play basketball in high school and he stuck to the church leagues and he played one year during his 12^th grade season as part of the Amateur Athletic Union. This non-traditional path to the pros has forced Franklin to push himself every single day and in the end has gotten him to the professional basketball ranks.

“I always pushed myself because I didn’t ever play in high school. I had to keep pushing myself to be a better basketball player,” said Franklin. “This made the college search not go as well as I had hoped, but I ended up going to Lawson State Community College.”

Once he got settled in with a college program, things started to take off for Franklin. In his freshman season at Lawson State Community College he would be the leading scorer on the Men’s Basketball team and the third leading scorer during his sophomore season. With these stats under his belt, the kid who was not getting any attention from the upper ranks of the basketball world was suddenly getting several looks from the professional ranks.

His hard work would finally payoff as he got the opportunity to play professional basketball just 15 minutes outside of his hometown of Fairfield, Alabama. He signed on with the Birmingham Blitz of the American Basketball Association and his professional career had begun. Franklin seizes every basketball opportunity as a chance to get better, and his time with the Blitz was no different.

“[Playing for the Birmingham Blitz] prepared me for every single moment of my basketball career,” said Franklin. “It was a pleasure to be playing at home because I was in front of my home crowd, and now to pursue my basketball career here in Pittsburgh has been quite a challenge.”

After playing for the Birmingham Blitz, Franklin was looking to continue his professional basketball career and was looking for a team to allow him to do it. That is when he stumbled upon what he didn’t know at the time would be his future home for basketball. Franklin says he was scanning social media when he ran into an opportunity to continue his professional basketball career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“I found out about the Yellow Jackets on Facebook actually,” said Franklin. “I went on their website and I checked out their team then I talked to Coach Milan [Tyler] and I started talking to him over Facebook and he introduced me to the team. Then that’s when I got in contact with [Coach] Ace and he told me they had a tryout in August and I ended up coming.”

So, Franklin traveled the 758 miles from Fairfield, Alabama to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to continue to pursue his basketball career. The tryout went very well for Franklin and he officially became a member of the Steel City Yellow Jackets prior to the season and his dream of continuing his basketball career came true. Just as when he was a little kid, Franklin continues to push himself every single day and he credits Coach Ace with being able to get on him and make him a better player every single day.

“Coach Ace has really been challenging me ever since I got here,” said Franklin. “He tells me to follow my game, my strengths, never give up, play defense, and just play my game.”

Franklin began the year as part of the Yellow Jackets starting five, and he started the 2016/2017 season off hot as he was the leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets in their first game of the season when he put up 32 points against the Kentucky Enforcers. However, with the recent offensive tear that Antonio Reddic has been on, Franklin has been moved to the sixth man off the bench for the Yellow Jackets and has continued to make big contributions to the team off the bench.

It is guys like Reddic, and veterans Gil Cummings and Lawrence Baker, that give Franklin the confidence he needs to be the best he can be on the court. Franklin says that these three players have echoed what Coach Ace tells him. “Follow my game, follow my strengths, and just play together as a team.” Franklin said.

In his first season with the team, Franklin is very excited for his basketball career to unfold here in Pittsburgh. Although he is 758 miles away from his home town, and still trying to get used to this weather, he is very happy to represent the city of Pittsburgh and wants to stay here for as long as he possibly can to keep playing the sport of basketball.

“It’s a very good experience,” said Franklin. “I’m trying to get used to this weather because its cold up here, but it’s my first year and I really like the team. I aint got no complaints, I love it, I love the game and I’m going to stay.”

It all started with a six-year old boy and a Fisher Price Goal basketball hoop in Fairfield, Alabama, and has turned into a 29-year-old professional basketball player in Pittsburgh, PA Franklin has been a welcome addition to this year’s Steel City Yellow Jackets team and has provided both in the starting lineup and off the bench this season. He has lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring twice this season, including a game where he scored 26 points off the bench. Franklin looks to continue to help them down the stretch as they make the final push for a playoff spot and hopefully an American Basketball Association championship.

Yellow Jackets Complete Weekend Sweep, Defeat Thundersnow

The Steel City Yellow Jackets went on the road yesterday and came out victorious defeating the WNY Thundersnow by the final score of 135-107. The win gave the Yellow Jackets a sweep of this weekend's games and improved their record to 9-7 on the year going into two home games this weekend.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets picked up a big win on Saturday night when they rolled over the Imperial National Crusaders 153-116 and were looking to build on that momentum in yesterday's game. In order to complete the weekend sweep, they would have to go on the road and face the WNY Thundersnow in Niagara Falls, New York. The road has not been a good place for the Yellow Jackets this season as coming into Sunday's contest they only had a record of 2-4 on the road.

However, they were able to put it all together on the court yesterday and come up with a big 135-107 victory over the Thundersnow giving them the sweep of their weekend contests. The number 25 team in the country improved to 9-7 on the season and they are coming into a weekend where they have two games at home, a place where they have played very well this season with a record of 6-3.

Just as they did on Saturday night, the Yellow Jackets would take control of this game early on and it would be helped by Antonio Reddic's 10 point attack in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets were hitting the three point shots early as well collecting five in the first quarter, including two from Johnathan Logan, and it helped them score over 30 points for the fifth straight quarter as they took a 31-25 lead after one.

The classic spread it out offensive attack surfaced for the Yellow Jackets in the second quarter as seven Yellow Jackets got on the board including six guys from the bench. It would be Jason Arrington leading the Yellow Jackets in the second quarter with his seven point attack and pacing the Yellow Jackets for a 36 point second quarter. The Yellow Jacket's defense would flex it's muscles in the second quarter as well holding the opposition to under 18 points and no one on the Thundersnow would be able to score more than four points in the quarter.

The defensive effort allowed the Yellow Jackets to go in the locker room with a commanding 24 point lead as it was Yellow Jackets 67, Thundersnow 43. Antonio Reddic would continue his offensive hot streak leading the Yellow Jackets at the break with his 17 points on the day. He would be followed by Jason Arrington and Khari Bess who each had nine points on the night. For the Thundersnow, it would be Jermaine Sharpe leading the way with 16 points. He would be followed by Anthony Greene and Johnny Marsh who each had six points on the night.

The second half featured continued domination by the Yellow Jackets as they continued to show why they were ranked the number 25 team in the country coming into this one as they scored 31 points in the third quarter to make it seven straight quarters where they scored over 30 points. The three point shots were working for Isaiah Prince as he drained three in the quarter on his way to 11 points. Bobby Swartwout and Luke Kochka were also able to add three point shots in the quarter and the Yellow Jackets would lead 98-67 heading into the final quarter of play.

The fourth quarter would be the highest scoring on the night for the Yellow Jackets as they would put up 37 points and once again the Yellow Jackets would get big contributions from the bench. Juan Franklin put up 21 points in the fourth quarter to all but secure the Yellow Jacket's victory. Coach Ace Pippens had a goal set of holding the opposition under 100 points and the Yellow Jackets came within seven points of doing just that, but the Thundersnow would put up a game high 40 in the quarter. The Yellow Jackets were happy, however, as they walked away with a 135-107 victory and completed the weekend sweep.

Juan Franklin would lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring on the night coming off the bench to put up a game high 26 points. He was followed by Antonio Reddic, 25 points, and Isaiah Prince, 16 points. For the Thundersnow, it would be Johnny Marsh leading the way thanks to a 22 point fourth quarter that put his total to 34 on the day. He was followed by Isaiah Jefferson, 21 points, and Jermaine Sharpe, 19 points.

The win gave the Yellow Jackets a sweep of their weekend games and improved their record to 9-7 on the season. One streak would continue for the Yellow Jackets and another would stop as they made it eight straight quarters in which the team has scored 30 or more points, but Antonio Reddic would have his nine game streak of scoring 30 or more points on the night put to an end. However, the Yellow Jackets now have momentum on their side for the late playoff push as they play two games at home this weekend, where they have played very well all season long.

Steel City Player of the Game: Juan Franklin

The Steel City Yellow Jackets had a strong showing from their bench yesterday as collectively they were able to score 75 points on the night. Juan Franklin lead that crew, and the team, with 26 points on the day and it was enough to earn him the Steel City Player of the Game. Franklin also notched two assists, three rebounds, and two steals on the day. The Alabama native has been productive as the sixth man off the bench for most of the season and he came up big today when he was needed.

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets return home on Friday February 3rd when they take on the Buffalo Blue Hawks at the Neighborhood Academy located at 709 N Aiken Avenue in Pittsburgh's East Liberty community. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students. With only four home games left on the regular season schedule, come support the Yellow Jackets as they make a late season playoff push. Catch the Buzz!

Yellow Jackets Role Past Crusaders 153-116

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were back in action on Saturday night as they took on the Imperial National Crusaders at the Neighborhood Academy after dropping their game last weekend. They came back in a big way as they rolled over the Crusaders 153-116 improving to 8-7 on the year.

After taking a loss last week to the Prince George's Valor, the Steel City Yellow Jackets were sitting at 7-7 finding themselves at the .500 mark for the third time this season. They had to pick up a big win to get some momentum on their side and to help improve their record as they head out on the road once again on Sunday.

They would get that much needed win in a big way as they steam rolled the Imperial National Crusaders by the final score of 153-116. The Yellow Jackets were without two of their top three scorers in this game as both Lawrence Baker and Gil Cummings were not available, but they got many contributions from their bench and the biggest game of the year by Antonio Reddic to power them to the victory.

This would be a high scoring affair from the get go as both teams came out firing in the first quarter. Dre Anthony was the one leading the Yellow Jackets early on as he had a team high 16 points in the first quarter alone. However, his efforts would not be enough to give the Yellow Jackets an early lead as the Crusaders were lead by Larry Woody, who had 19 points in the first quarter, to give the Crusaders a 44-38 lead.

Then, it was the Yellow Jackets turn to break out as they put together what would be their best offensive quarter of the season scoring 46 points.The Defense stepped up as well as they held the opposition to just 26 points and recorded multiple takeaways. On the offensive side, eight of the eleven available players to the Yellow Jackets would score in the quarter, led by Antonio Reddic's 13 point effort, and the Yellow Jackets would go into the locker room on the winning edge of the scoreboard as it was 84-68.

Reddic would lead the way for the Yellow Jackets at half-time as he racked up 21 points on the night as he continues to lead the Yellow Jackets offensively week in and week out. He was followed by Dre Anthony, 18 points, and Juan Franklin, 10 points. For the Crusaders it would be Larry Woody leading the way after his big fourth quarter with 22 points. He would be followed by Moses Domby, 13 points, and Jaleel Dillard, 12 points.

The offense would not slow down one bit coming out of half-time as they would put up 39 points in the third quarter, and the defense only got better holding the opposition to only 22 in the quarter. Reddic would take control of this game as he surpassed the 30 point mark in the third quarter putting up 11 points and playing great defense as well.

The end of the third quarter was an exciting sequence as Reddic went up for a dunk, then it was rebounded and another shot was made by Billy Dee Williams, and finally it was rebounded again and Jason Arrington would finish the scoring at the buzzer with another shot. It would give the Yellow Jackets a total of nine points in the span of ten seconds and all but took the wind out of the Crusader's sails as the Yellow Jackets would lead 123-92.

The fourth quarter would be more of the same as the Yellow Jackets continued to roll over the Crusaders and unloaded their bench. Out of their bench, the Yellow Jackets would get four guys in double digits as Jason Arrington had 13 points, Juan Franklin had 12, Luke Kochka had 11, and BillyDee Williams had 10. The offense never stopped coming for the Yellow Jackets as they scored 30 points in the quarter on their way to a 153-116 victory.

Antonio Reddic would eclipse his season high in scoring on the season as he put up 40 points on the night. He was one of eight Yellow Jackets to score in double digits and was followed by Dre Anthony, 21 points, and Johnathan Logan, 16 points. The Crusaders were lead by Larry Woody, 33 points, Jaleel Dillard, 17 points, and Shyler Ringgold, 14 points.

The 153 points was a season high for the Yellow Jackets and the most impressive thing was they were without two of their top scorers, Lawrence Baker and Gil Cummings. Everyone on the Yellow Jackets team got in the game and the Jackets saw a season high eight players score in double digits and 10 of the 11 got on the board showing a lot of promise for the Yellow Jackets moving forward in the season.

Steel City Player of the Game: Johnathan Logan

This was a really tough decision with so many Yellow Jackets playing well in this game, but the Steel City Player of the Game award goes to Johnathan Logan. Logan tied his season high scoring 16 points on the night including four big three point shots. Logan has been in the Yellow Jackets starting five all season long and has played very well from beyond the arc. He stepped up defensively today as well and caused several turnovers to lead the Yellow Jackets to victory.

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are back in action Sunday night when they travel to Niagara Falls, New York to take on the WNY Thundersnow. The road has not been a kind place for the Yellow Jackets this season as they are currently 2-4 on the road and are looking to improve upon that Sunday afternoon. You can follow on Facebook at Steel City Yellow Jackets and be sure to Catch the Buzz.

Jackets Fall Two Spots After Tough Road Loss

After taking a 114-107 loss on the road to the Prince George's Valor last Saturday, the Steel City Yellow Jackets find themselves down two spots in this week's American Basketball Association Top 25 Rankings. The Yellow Jackets sit at 7-7 as they prepare for their game this weekend against the Imperial National Crusaders.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets could not catch a break last Saturday as they dropped their third road contest of the year losing to the Prince George's Valor 114-107. As a result of the loss, the team fell two spots in this week's American Basketball Association power rankings as they are in a three-way tie for the number 25 team in the country. Their record so far in the 2016/2017 season sits at 7-7 including an impressive 5-3 record at home.

The Yellow Jackets currently find themselves in a three-way tie for the number 25 team in the country as they share the spot with the Jersey Express (7-7) and the Elmira Eagles (6-6). With the Yellow Jackets sitting at 7-7 on the season, they will look to pull ahead of those two teams in this week's match-up when they are back at home, a place they have played very well this season.

For as well as they have played at home, however, they have not been able to catch a break on the road so far this season. The Yellow Jackets road losses include falling to the Richmond Elite, Prince George's Valor, Kentucky Enforcers, and Grand Rapids Danger. Three of those four teams have a spot in this week's ABA power rankings, and the fourth is on the teams to watch list. There is no doubt the Yellow Jackets have a very tough schedule this season, and on the road it has cost them dearly.

In the game last Saturday against the Prince George's Valor, the Yellow Jackets not only took a loss on the scoreboard, but suffered from some questionable calls near the end of the game. Head Coach Ace Pippens got his first two technical fouls of his career and Isaiah Prince also picked up a technical foul in the game. Prince would also suffer a serious eye injury at the end of the game and the Yellow Jackets are hopeful that he will be back this week.

One positive to look on from this match-up is once again the Yellow Jackets were able to go into the half time break on top of their opponents. In the team's 14 games this season, they have either been tied or leading going into the break in 10 of those games. This allows Coach Pippens to be able to strategize with his team ahead, giving them pointers to help them hold on to the lead.

The Yellow Jackets defense also stepped up on this day as they continued their string of seven straight games in which they held the opposition to under 120 points. Coach Ace preaches that he wants his team to hold the opponent to under 100 points and the Yellow Jackets, led defensively by Lawrence Baker and Isaiah Prince, look to get closer and closer to the goal set forth by their head coach.

On the offensive side of the ball, Antonio Reddic has been the unsung leader of this team. He leads the team in scoring so far this year and, prior to Saturday, had a string of seven straight games in which he scored 30 points or more in a game. Reddic started the year as the Yellow Jackets sixth man off the bench, but has since cracked the Yellow Jackets starting five and has produced in a big way this season.

The top of the American Basketball Association power rankings have not changed much from a week ago. The DMV Warriors still hold the top spot as they continue their impressive season sitting at (11-0). The Yellow Jackets played the Warriors close in their game back on November 26th losing by just one point. The rest of the top ten looks like this:

         1. DMV Warriors (11-0)

         2. South Florida Gold (14-2)

         3. Windy City Groove (9-0)

         4. Mobile Bay Tornadoes (8-0)

         5.Orlando Waves (12-2)

         6. Kentucky Enforcers (11-2)

         7. Salina Saints (8-0)
         8. Orange County Novastars (10-3)
         9. Austin Bats (9-1)
         10. Chicago Fury (9-2)

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are back in action today when they return home to The Neighborhood Academy when they take on the Imperial National Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students. There are only five home games left in the regular season so, if you haven't already, be sure to come on out and Catch the Buzz.

Yellow Jackets Cant Catch Break on the Road Fall to PG Valor

The Steel City Yellow Jackets went on the road last night to face off against the Prince George's Valor in American Basketball Association action. The Yellow Jackets could not catch a break, however, as they would fall by the final score of 114-107 dropping their record to 7-7 on the year.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets continued their battle through the 2016/2017 regular season as they traveled down to Prince George's County Maryland to face the Prince George's Valor. The Yellow Jackets fought hard in this game but unfortunately were unable to catch a break on the night as they dropped the game by the final score of 114-107 moving their record to 7-7 on the season.

The last time these two teams faced off, it was a highly contested ball game at the Neighborhood Academy where the Valor would come out on top by the final score of 95-93. The Valor would get off to a hot start in that game and the Yellow Jackets defense would stiffen up to allow their team back into this one. In the end, however, it would not be enough as the Yellow Jackets would drop the contest and take their third loss of the year.

This game would start in the exact opposite way as the Yellow Jackets had the momentum early on in this one and midway through the second quarter of play they would be up by the score of 35-33. Road games have not been kind to the Yellow Jackets this season as coming into this one their road record sat at just 2-2 so far on the year.

The Yellow Jackets would keep fighting offensively and held on to the lead with just under two minutes in the second quarter as they lead 58-52. The Yellow Jackets would add another bucket before time expired and would go into the locker room up 60-52 over the Valor. Building up half time leads is something that Coach Ace and the Steel City Yellow Jackets have done a tremendous job of all season long. Of the Yellow Jackets 14 games this season, they have only trailed at half time in four of those games.

The Yellow Jackets played some great defense on the day limiting the Valor to under 30 points in each of the first two quarters of play. While the Yellow Jackets offense has been great all season long, lead by Antonio Reddic and Gil Cummings, the Yellow Jackets defense cannot be forgotten here in 2016/2017. Lawrence Baker has lead the crew as the big man under the net with a team high 52 rebounds on the season. He has been helped out by great defensive play from guys like Isaiah Prince and Antonio Reddic who play very sound defense to help the Jackets stay in ball games.

The third quarter started out with a surge by the Valor as they were looking to fight back into this contest with the Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets defense continued their string of holding the Valor under 30 points in a quarter, however, the offense couldn't get anything going as they were outscored 27-19 to make the score tied at 79-79 with one quarter to play.

Then, the fourth quarter got ugly for the Yellow Jackets. The Valor continued their offensive surge and would go up 90-85 with just over eight minutes to play in regulation. Offense would end up ruling the fourth quarter and, thanks to an offensive surge, the Valor ended up scoring 34 points to the Yellow Jackets 28 to secure themselves the 114-107 victory. The loss dropped the Yellow Jackets road record to 2-3 on the year and their overall record to 7-7.

Things got ugly late in this one for the Yellow Jackets as there were a couple of questionable calls that put the Yellow Jackets down late in the fourth quarter. Yellow Jackets head coach Ace Pippens collected the first two technical fouls of his career and Isaiah Prince also got tagged for a technical foul late in the fourth. To add to the loss on the scoreboard and the questionable calls throughout the night, the Yellow Jackets also may have lost one of their star players for a while as Isaiah Prince suffered a serious eye injury late in the game. 

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets return to the friendly confines of the Neighborhood Academy on January 28th when they take on the Imperial National Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets have played some of their best basketball on their home court as they own a record of 5-4 at home and look to improve upon that once again. Tickets for the event are ten dollars for adults and five dollars for student tickets. The Yellow Jackets need your support as the season comes to a close, so be sure to come on out and Catch the Buzz.

From Motor City to Steel City: Baker Leading the Yellow Jackets to Success

Steel City Yellow Jackets veteran Lawrence Baker did not always have it easy in his childhood. However, he turned his misfortune into a great basketball career that saw him play collegiately at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and now has him as one of the leaders of the Steel City Yellow Jackets.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Guard and veteran Lawrence Baker is one of the shining stars on the court for this year’s Steel City Yellow Jackets team. He is currently the second leading scorer on the team behind teammate Antonio Reddic, and his defense has been one of the strong points for this year’s team playing as the big man under the net. However, looking at where he is now, you would never know that his childhood was not always the easiest.

Baker grew up in Detroit, Michigan where he was constantly in and out of foster care throughout his childhood. Baker was forced to move around a lot and that lead to him not being able to play basketball at a young age. He was constantly in and out of Juvenile Detention Centers and did not get the opportunity to play sports, let alone basketball, from a very young age.

“Growing up in Detroit was pretty tough,” said Baker. “When I was 9 I was admitted into foster care, so I grew up in foster care. I was a real wild child so that was why I never played basketball at high school, college, or Amateur Athletic Union leagues.”

Through all of this craziness in his childhood, Baker was able to overcome it and use it in a positive light to help him find the sport he now loves. According to Baker he found the game of basketball when he was 16 years old in a Juvenile Detention Facility. The conditions were not the best for the game, but Baker would make it work and turned it into something special.

“I found basketball when I got sent to a Juvenile Detention Facility when I was 16,” said Baker. “There was nothing else to do and we played on a carpet floor with no break away rims. There was nothing else to do so we just played, and I could never shoot or dribble but I was always athletic.”

Little did Baker know at the time, but this leisure activity in the Juvenile Facility was about to become something much bigger and lead to a bright future for him. After leaving the Juvenile Detention Facility, Baker and a friend took a trip up to the University of Michigan for a tournament. Much to Baker’s surprise, this is what would ultimately lead him to becoming a member of an organized basketball team for the first time in his life.

“I was playing with a friend in a three-on-three tournament at the University of Michigan, and I won a dunk contest against the University of Michigan athletes,” said Baker. “A junior college coach came up and asked me ‘are you playing anywhere’ and I said ‘no.’ Then he gave me a scholarship for winning the dunk contest, and that is how I got into basketball.”

Baker would go on to play for his first organized basketball team at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In his senior season with the Crimson Hawks, Baker averaged 20.7 points per game, which was second on the team, and collected a team high 220 rebounds in his 28 games played. Baker would be eligible for the National Basketball Association draft after that season but unfortunately did not get picked up.

After college, Baker mostly played basketball around the Pittsburgh area in local summer leagues. He did get the opportunity to play one year over seas, but after a year he was back playing local basketball. Through these summer leagues, he found the Steel City Yellow Jackets and it was current Owner and Head Coach Averill Pippens, known by the players as Coach Ace, who gave Baker the opportunity with the Yellow Jackets.

“Coach Ace came to one of the leagues I was playing in and was passing out flyers,” said Baker. “A friend of mine told me I should just go up there and try it out, so I went up there and its been going ever since.”

Baker was a member of the Yellow Jackets in their first season and Coach Ace is still one of the key people in Baker’s life to help motivate him on the court. According to Baker, Coach Ace is the guy who encourages him to be himself on the court and motivates him to continue to get better on a day-to-day basis whether it be on the court or off of the court.

“Coach Ace basically he motivates me to keep leading and keep doing what I do,” said Baker. “My game is solid, there is nothing I do great, there is nothing I do exceptionally well, but I play hard and do whatever it takes to win. Coach Ace lets me go with that and keep my attitude and he really lets me play my game.”

Baker is one of three current Steel City Yellow Jackets who were part of the team for the inaugural game back on November 8^th 2014. Fellow Jackets Gilmore Cummings and Antonio Reddic were also on that team and all three players have grown together over the course of their time with the Yellow Jackets. Baker has echoed what Reddic and Cummings have said about the three being like brothers and growing together through the Yellow Jackets.

“They’re my bros man, those two are some good guys,” said Baker. “Tone [Reddic] is a very good athlete, Gil [Cummings] is a very smart guard, and they have my back and I have their back. I’m the enforcer of the group so anytime they have a problem I’m there no matter what’s going on.”

As the enforcer of the group, Baker is a menacing figure on the court standing in at six feet six inches tall and weighing in at about 230 pounds. As Baker gets up there in age he is relying more and more on his strength over his athletic ability and he uses this to his full advantage. As Baker says, if he gets an arm around you, you’re not moving.

“I’m just strong, so I just try to use my strength as an advantage,” said Baker. “I’m older now, so these guys can jump higher than me and move faster than me, but they are not stronger than me and they are not going to move me. Unless you’re jumping over me you’re not going to get around me because when I put an arm on you, you’re not going anywhere.”

Baker’s overall goal when it comes to basketball is to win and represent the city well. According to Baker, Detroit is considered more of a basketball city and Pittsburgh is definitely more football. He wants to try and open up an avenue for the kids playing at the college level so that they can have something to look forward to in their athletic adventures after the college level.

“[The Steel City Yellow Jackets] are good because it gives kids who are playing in high school and college locally something to look forward too,” said Baker. “Everybody can’t play overseas, everybody can’t play in the NBA, so this gives them another opportunity where they can come and play basketball at a high level.”

Baker has become a truly great asset for the Steel City Yellow Jackets since joining the team in 2014. From his humble beginnings back in Detroit to now, Baker has grown not only in physical size and strength, but mentally as well. As far as his basketball career goes Baker says, “I don’t know how much longer my old butt is going to be around, but I’ll be here as long as I can.” The Steel City Yellow Jackets hope that it is for a long time so they can capture that elusive American Basketball Association title. 

Jackets Up To Number 23 After Split Weekend

 

In this week's addition of the American Basketball Association Power Rankings, the Steel City Yellow Jackets have moved up to the number 23 spot on the list after a weekend in which they split their contests. They defeated the Baltimore Hawks 128-119 on Friday night and fell to the Richmond Elite 118-98 on Saturday night.

The week nine addition of the American Basketball Association Power Rankings has been released and the Steel City Yellow Jackets moved up two spots from the number 25 team in the country to the number 23 team in the country. The Yellow Jackets ended up splitting their contests this weekend and improved to 7-6 on the season, with a record of 5-3 at the Neighborhood Academy and a record of 2-3 on the road.

The Yellow Jackets would end up splitting their contests over the weekend as they fell to the Baltimore Hawks on Friday night by the score of 128-119, however, they fell to the Richmond Elite the very next day 118-98. Antonio Reddic was the leading scorer in both games as he continues his offensive tear scoring 30 or more points in six straight contests. Reddic is the leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets this season with 327 points so far in the teams 13 games.

Friday night saw the Yellow Jackets locked in an offensive battle with the Baltimore Hawks all the way to the end. The Hawks jumped out to an early lead, however, the Yellow Jackets would fight back from being down 37-30 to take a 67-60 half time lead. The Jackets would then hold onto that lead for the rest of the day. The closest the Hawks would come to getting back in this game was when they cut the Jackets lead to 117-107 with under four minutes to go. However, the Yellow Jackets would pull away late and come out on top 128-119.

It was a break-out game for one of the newest Yellow Jackets, Dre Anthony, as he scored a season high 23 points including two big three point shots that helped his team secure the victory. Anthony and fellow newcomer BillyDee Williams have been a welcome addition to the Yellow Jackets lineup. Williams scored in double digits in his second contest as a Yellow Jackets and was one of the defensive stars of the game on Friday night as the big man under the hoop.

Saturday night, the Yellow Jackets were on the road as they faced off against the Richmond Elite looking for a sweep of their weekend games. Things looked like they were going the Yellow Jackets way from the get go as they jumped out to an early 32-25 lead and took a 56-51 lead into half time. However, the Jackets would be unable to hold on as the Elite increased their scoring total in every quarter, and their 37 point fourth quarter was enough to put the Yellow Jackets away and hand them a 118-98 loss.

It was Reddic once again who would lead the crew with 30 points on the night keeping his 30 points or more streak going. The Yellow Jackets just didnt have enough in the tank to finish this one out and their fast start would go for not as they only mustered 18 points in the fourth quarter that ultimately lead to their downfall.

The Yellow Jackets have fought back into the American Basketball Association power rankings after not being featured two weeks ago. They came in as the number 25 team in the country last week and moved up two places in this week's addition of the ABA lower rankings. The Jackets continue to get better and better each week as they fight for that all important third straight trip the the American Basketball Association playoff tournament.

The top of the ABA Power Rankings stays pretty much the same with the DMV Warriors being number one with their undefeated record. As it stands now the top 10 looks like this:

            1. DMV Warriors (9-0)
            2. South Florida Gold (13-2)
            3. Orlando Waves (11-2)
            4. Kentucky Enforcers (10-1)
            5. Windy City Groove (8-0)  
            6. Arizona Wildcats (8-1)    
            7. Salina Saints (7-0)  
            8. Austin Bats (7-1)
            9. Chicago Fury (8-2)        
            10. Orange County Novastars (9-3)

The Steel City Yellow Jackets will once again look to improve their standing in the ABA top 25 power rankings this week when they go on the road to take on the Prince George's Valor on Saturday January 21st. Antonio Reddic, Gilmore Cummings, Lawrence Baker, and the rest of the Steel City Yellow Jackets will be looking to pick up their eighth victory of the year and will continue to compete for that elusive American Basketball Association Title.