Thursday, June 16, 2005 - Watch out NBA, the IBA will soon be here to take your place, during the off-season. Nassau West President Kelly K. Bartram and Nassau West Navy First Fleet Admiral Mike Gearhart have partnered to form the International Basketball Association, or IBA.

The new league will start their inaugural season on the first Monday following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, which should be coming soon, probably with the NBA Championship going to the San Antonio Spurs, according to President Bartram, in Tucson, AZ.

The IBA will be divided into two Conferences, similar to the NBA, but no Divisions. The league will be divided by the Bartram Conference with four teams and the Gearhart Conference, also with four teams. At this point, all the team names have not been announced.

So far, the Bartram Conference consists of the Benson Rednecks, the Nassau West Jackalopes, and the Tombstone Marshals. The Bartram Conference has not finalized its fourth team yet. Some considerations are the Seattle Mist, the San Diego Sailors, and the San Francisco Rainbows. The fourth team of both Conferences is to be the "sensitive" team.

As for the Gearhart Conference, their roster consists of the Casa Grande Buttless Chaps, whose name was changed from the Casa Grande Cougars (the local high school mascot), the Marana Munchkins, and the Pinal County Pee-Wees. The Gearhart Conference has not selected their "sensitive" team name yet, but the Hershey (PA) Highwaymen is being considered.

During the pre-season, both conferences have the option of team name changes, which as mentioned, has occurred already. Name changes may be made until the beginning of the regular season, following the outcome of the NBA Finals.

The IBA does not have 48 minute games, and the games are not divided into quarters. The IBA is made up of only two owner/coach/players, Bartram and Gearhart. In the future, should other individuals enter the league, they, too, will have their own conference and select four teams for which to play against the other teams.

There is one person on the horizon that may join the league soon, Gabriel Ramirez, also known as "the little yellow guy," and "His Gabness." Of himself, Bartram and Gearhart, Ramirez is believed to be the best player, with sharp-shooting skills from a variety of different positions on the court.

The game played by the IBA is a combination of several basketball elements, and is rather difficult to describe. The game is to start out similar to the "Around the World" game you may have played as a child in school, which is based on the key on the court.

The game has two positions on the court that are worth one point, the two positions closest to the basket. There is one three-point position, 22 feet in front of the basket, and all three remaining positions are worth two points. The total circuit, if all baskets are made, would accumulate 22 points. Only 20 points is necessary to win the game. Both three-point shots are considered "bonus" shots.

There is no time limit or shot limit. The player continues to run the circuit back and forth until the required twenty points have been amassed, at which point the other player will begin. The second player only has as long as the first player to acquire twenty points. So if the first player got twenty points in three passes, the second player must do so, as well.

Assuming both players complete the circuit and get the twenty points, which is likely, a "free throw competition" of sorts will commence. Each free throw is worth two points. If a shot is missed, a rebound from the point of the catch can be made for one point. A player will continue to shoot until reaching twenty points, or missing a rebound shot, which will be considered a turnover, and the other player will begin shooting.

If both players complete the free throw portion of the game with their twenty points, a "shoot-out" will begin. This is similar to the free throw competition, however, it is only played to ten points. So far, only two exhibition games have gone to a "double overtime," and one has gone to a "triple overtime."

The Nassau West Gaming Commission is overseeing the forming of this exciting new sports league, and all rules and regulations require approval of the Commission. There are still some fine tuning adjustments being made to the rules, and a more final version of the "shoot-out" is expected soon.

The final score is determined by the number of games won, and not the individual points of the game. So, if one team wins four games and the other wins three, the score for the entire match would be 4-3, as opposed to something like 80-60. This will result in low-scoring games, but it is easier to keep track of than individual points.