League Will Play Inaugural Season with Five Teams

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Saturday, March 6, 2010) – The Continental Basketball League (CBL) has announced the addition of a fifth franchise to compete in its inaugural season, which is slated to tip off in April. The Birmingham (Alabama) Steel join the Carolina Cougarz, Georgia Grizzlies, Savannah Wildcats and Wilmington Sea Dawgs in the five-team CBL, and the league will play a 16-game schedule that will tentatively conclude in June.

Serving as head coach and General Manager of the Birmingham Steel will be Richard Ashmon, who played professionally in Europe as well as coaching overseas and in the American minor leagues.

"Richard has a proven track record in the business and basketball worlds,” CBL Commissioner Dennis Truax said of Ashmon. “His ideas for community outreach and involving at-risk youth with his team will be a model for the CBL."

Ashmon’s coaching experience involves stops in the World Basketball Association, American Basketball Association and Texas Professional Basketball Association. He is also the owner of 52Sportsent, a company that links basketball players with agents.

All five teams in the CBL are set to play a 16-game split of eight home and away contests. The league itself is based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while the Carolina Cougarz will call Fayetteville, North Carolina, its home, and the Georgia Grizzlies will be based out of Marietta. The Savannah Wildcats are located in Georgia, and the Wilmington Sea Dawgz will play in North Carolina.

For more information on the CBL, visit www.cblhoopsonline.com.