CBA's decision dashes Silverados' playoff hopes

McALLEN - Rio Grande Valley Silverados coach Derrick Rowland was relatively certain which way the Continental Basketball Association was going with its revised playoff format in wake of Great Falls suspending its basketball operations for the balance of the season. But when a reporter confirmed the CBA’s plans to him Thursday afternoon, Rowland’s dreams of a potentially glorious postseason run by the Cinderella Silverados were dashed by the ugly stepsisters at the CBA offices in Albany, N.Y.

CBA deputy commissioner Dennis Truax announced Thursday that the top two teams from each conference will qualify for the postseason, leaving the 8-33 Silverados playing for pride, and jobs next year, when they play host to the Butte Daredevils at 7:30 tonight at the McAllen Convention Center.

As the postseason picture looks now, Yakama (226 quarter points) and Oklahoma (160) have secured playoff spots in the National Conference, and Minot (196) has the top seed in the American.

No matter how the final 10 days of the regular season play out, Pittsburgh (161.5) and East Kentucky (148) will have a play-in game at the conclusion of the season to determine the American Conference’s final playoff team. Truax said that game will take place because Pittsburgh and East Kentucky are close enough in quarter points that the cancelled games stemming from Great Falls suspending operations and the arena problems in Atlanta affected those teams’ chase for a playoff berth.

“Within the past couple of days we decided that with the Great Falls and the Atlanta situations we just felt it was best to take the top two teams, with the exception of the play-in game in the East, then we’ll move forward with our playoffs,” Truax said.

The first round series will be best-of-three, and the CBA Finals a best-of-five series.

Unfortunately for the Silverados (89.5 quarter points), who have shown improvement in the second half of the season, they won’t be in the postseason mix this season.

Rowland and the Silverados were hoping the CBA would stick with its original playoff format in which four teams from each conference qualified for the postseason. Under that scenario, the Silverados would already have clinched a playoff berth as there are only four teams remaining in the National Conference after Great Falls folded.

When reached Thursday, Rowland simply said, “Thanks for the bad news.”

But Rowland did admit he thought the scaled-back playoff scenario would be the CBA’s ultimate option in light of Great Falls calling it a season. He just didn’t want to resign himself to the fact; or tell his players and have them let up over the final seven games of the season.

“That’s disappointing because I felt that we had a chance to make it,” Rowland said. “If that’s what they’re going to do they have to do what they have to do.

“The toughest thing about this is keeping these players motivated. That’s inevitable. I need to keep motivating them and convince them to do what they need to do to win these games.”

Rowland said the signing of veteran guard Kwan Johnson on Thursday is a step toward building for the 2008-09 season.

Johnson was an integral part of the Albany Patroons squad that advanced to the CBA Finals last season with Rowland on the coaching staff. That team also included forward Gordon Klaiber (17.5 points per game), who has been a solid midseason pickup for the Silverados.

Nevertheless, the sting of disappointment will likely be felt as RGV plays its final home games of the season tonight, Saturday and Sunday, all against Butte (15-27, 119.0 quarter points).

“We have a lot of reasons to win,” Rowland said. “I think the city and the fans deserve for us to play well these last few games. As a coach and players that’s what you want to do, to win. A win is a win. That’s what we’re looking to do.”

IN THE BONUS: RGV defeated Butte 114-107 on Feb. 23 in Butte, Mont. Â… Johnson, 34, joins the Silverados after a stint in Argentina.

Todd Mavreles is the Deputy Sports Editor for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4451.