2008 Season Review

China—Shanxi Zhongyu (1-15) – The Zhongyu are a team from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) that joined the IBL for the 2008 season. The CBA has produced current NBA players Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) and Yi Jianlian (Milwaukee Bucks). Shanxi will be based outside Springfield, Oregon at the United States Basketball Academy (USBA), and play almost exclusively road games. In China, the Zhongyu are based in Taiyuan, a prefecture-level city, and the capital of the Shanxi Province. The Zhongyu struggled a bit to adjust to the pace of the IBL, but showed they are more than capable of competing with a victory over the Las Vegas Stars on May 29. That win halted a nine game Las Vegas Stars' winning streak.


  Top News
Explosion defeat fatigued Chinese Team - Everett Herald (5/11/08)
Chinese team joins IBL for 2008 season - Press Release 12/31/07
IBL adds Asian Expansion Department - Press Release 12/30/07

  2008 Schedule

Saturday May 10

7:15pm

China Shanxi (84)

@

Snohomish Explosion (122)

Friday May 23

7:15pm

China Shanxi (109)

@

Los Angeles Lightning (157)

Saturday May 24

7:15pm

China Shanxi (103)

@

Los Angeles Lightning (158)

Monday May 26

5:00pm

China Shanxi (92)

vs.

Las Vegas Stars (147)

Wed., May 28 7:30pm

G. Rapids Flight (127)

@

China Shanxi (109)

Thursday May 29

1:00pm

Las Vegas Stars (120)

@

China Shanxi (128)
Saturday, May 31 7:15pm China Shanxi (102)

@

Central Oregon (133)

Sunday June 1

6:00pm

China Shanxi (68)

@

Jazz of Tacoma (128)

Sunday, June 8

1:00pm

China Shanxi (88)

vs

Central Oregon  (134)

Friday June 13

7:15pm

China Shanxi (82)

@

Vancouver Volcanoes (152)

Saturday June 14 7:15pm China Shanxi (78)

@

Jazz of Tacoma (128)

Wed June 18

7:45pm

China Shanxi (118) @ Portland Chinooks (145)

Saturday June 21

7:15pm

China Shanxi (99)

@

Snohomish Explosion (141)

Monday June 23 6:00pm Chinooks (128) @ China Shanxi (87)
Tuesday, June 24 6:00pm Chinooks (137) @ China Shanxi (101)
Wed., June 25 6:00pm C-Or Hotshots (111) @ China Shanxi (94)
How the team is able to play a real, full, counting season in the IBL
The IBL is uniquely set up with 10 teams in the NW part of America- all within 1 to 4 hours of each other (one way distance). This means the Chinese team (or any Asian team for that matter) can play and return back to their lodging, after each game (very efficient). It also means they can play their complete away schedule from this one flight over to America. Restated: The IBL setup is efficient for the teams in America but is also efficient for Chinese teams coming over. A Chinese team, or any Asian team for that matter, can come to America on one flight and locate in one housing situation to then play all of their away games in one trip; in fact, these American away games from one camp- might be cheaper than the Chinese team traveling to 10 away games within their own country. In other words, the IBL is designed to accommodate international (Asian) teams in a reasonable sense.

  2008 Roster
#8 - Sun Chunlei
#12 - Zhai Jinshuai
#13 - Yu Xuelin
#21 - Zhang Xuewen
#42 - Li Minggang
#4 - Ge Zhaobao
#5 - Jin Jiming
#7 - Yu Tao
#11 - Du Jiateng
#15 - Pan Jiang
#32 - Duan Jiangdeng
#33 - Zhou Gouqiang

  About the team- the Shanxi Zhongyu
The following is copied from ‘Wikipedia’:Henan Jigang Dragons (河南济钢猛龙) or Henan Dragons or Henan Jigang were a basketball team in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Luoyang and Jiyuan, Henan. They played from 2004-2006. For the CBA 2006-07 season, the team was moved to Taiyuan, and is now known as Shanxi Zhongyu. Originally known as the Henan Renhe Dragons (河南仁和) due to corporate sponsorship from Henan Renhe Group (河南仁和集团), they renamed as a result of an agreement signed with Henan Jiyuan Iron & Steel Group Co., Ltd. (河南济源钢铁集团) in early November before the regular season began (jigang is an abbreviation of jiyuan gangtie, or Jiyuan Iron & Steel). [1] In conjunction with this, they moved from their original home city of Zhengzhou to Jiyuan in the middle of their first season. In the 2004–2005 season, the Henan Dragons finished in seventh and last place in the North Division, out of the playoffs. In 2005–2006 they suffered the exact same fate. The team has fared little better since moving to Shanxi.

Contact info in America
Bruce O'Neil
President and Founder
Email: otto37@juno.com
Phone: 541.736.7513x102

  Current 2008 Stats
Battle Creek Knights
Bellingham Slam
Central Oregon Hotshots
China-Shanxi Zhongyu 
Edmonton Chill
Elgin Racers
Elkhart Express
Gary Steelheads
Grand Rapids Flight
Holland Blast
Jazz of Tacoma
Las Vegas Stars
Los Angeles Lightning 
Nippon Tornadoes (Japan)
Portland Chinooks
Salem Stampede
Seattle Mountaineers
Snohomish Co. Explosion
USA All-Stars
Vancouver Titans (CAN)
Vancouver Volcanoes (USA)
Windy City Soldiers
Full 2008 Schedule
COMING SOON
Arizona Flame
Eugene Chargers
Olympia Reign


Lightning guard Toby Bailey
scores against China
© 2007 IBL International Basketball League