Well then

Well, I suppose on the plus side, we can now grab an import who can run the point???

But WTF is happening at the Cats?

...O ...O ...O ...O

Wheels fallen off

I assumed he probably wouldn't last long out here anyway basketball is clearly a hobby for him and spending a decade playing in the D-League without ever having played overseas before should've been a concern for the Wildcats as I and a few others said at the time.

The real shock is here is the ineptitude of the Wildcats to sign this guy in the first place.

this is a circus, not happy.

I hate to say it but I would suspect his departure is due to the current injury woes. They can't adequately replace two ball-handling starters with a local so they need an import. It would be a terrible look to state they have released him due to their roster imbalance but they had to think of something.

This just in:

Ricky Grace Signs With Wildcats



Perth Wildcats have signed Club legend Ricky Grace as injuries and other shenanigans have taken its toll on it's roster.

Managing director Nick Marvin said it was the only natural thing to do, "Ricky can still steal hubcaps off cars, the only difference being that they are stationary cars now."

Grace said it was an honor to again put on the Wildcats singlet he wore so proudly for his entire professional career, "I'm Ready"

The Wildcats expect Grace to be available for Friday nights game against Illawara, where he will take on Butch Hays, who has been signed as a replacement for Rotnei Clarke, who was cut in an alternate reality.

Tickets available from Ticketmaster

WTF! Terrible timing. There's no way they can get a replacement cleared in time for this Friday.

Unless they sign an import who is already in the country? I don't know who falls in to that category.

But it gives them time to get the right replacement this time. A proper combo guard who can create on offence.

Marvelle Harris type would be good..

Can only laugh at this point. If the backcourt situation wasn't ridiculous before ...

On the plus side, the Hawks are really in need of a freebie right now so it's nice for them.

Jaron Johnson still in Perth, apparently.

I personally don't think it's right to speculate on MH issues, so best wishes to him and hope he's okay.

Johnson was never released, just 'de-activated' and is still in Perth... I wonder what they'll do now.

To match Sydney on paper, they'll have to go big time signing..

This has to be Hoggy time.

They need some Kenyon Mcneaill to Jerome Randle lottery luck.

"Wildcats this year feels like a TV show in its 6th or 7th* season"

*30th ;-)

Let's be honest, he looked pretty ordinary. You can't play in this league being a one trick pony. He is obviously very content playing in the D League for $50k per season, living in his home country. The guy has never travelled out side of USA to ball, and I'll be honest, I think this league is too tough for him. He had zero ability to create his own shot, and he would be found out.

Perth are in HUGE trouble

What's that Greenwood kid up to?

"I saw Gleeson give it to him almost every chance he got so I think that is probaly why he bolted."

hahahahaha wow, what an outstanding theory.

Tre Nichols anyone? In the country, and can score. Oh wait, SBL player not at the right club. Ok just ignore me

Someone with handles thanks.

Yes U'u

Last I heard he was sitting pretty in his home state hanging out with Vlade Divac and Demarcus Cousins as part of Kings staff.

I see Gary Ervin has been pretty active on the ol' Twitter with this news...

He's not an African American with swagger, no deal.

Ervin is 33, not sure if we'd want him for the whole season..

They probably need to take time with this one, it's getting ridiculous.

"I see Gary Ervin has been pretty active on the ol' Twitter with this news..."

I didn't see that because he blocked me :O(

Seems weird how in an interview he said he was waiting for the call. He would of had ample time to prepare to move over to Australia. Mental health is no joke and i wish him all the best with the rest of career. Wildcats needs to spend a bit more to have any shot this year imo

That Tre Nichols idea is pretty good. An outstanding scorer and outside shooter who can also handle the point.

There will be those out there who will say that the step-up from SBL would be too big, but didn't some fella called Redhage start off at the Northwest Tasmania Thunder?

Lawsy, More like $25K. I'm pretty sure $25K is the maximum salary in the D-League. It's why anyone who wants to make a career out of being a pro baller or has a family to support doesn't hang around too long in that league.

Ronnie Price popped into my head last night for an NBL team in a strange situation he was just cut by OKC despite signing a 2 year fully guaranteed deal for $5 million.

Knowing money probably wouldn't be an issue then an NBL team needing a PG would be silly not to give him a call.

Where's this

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/basketball/perth-wildcats-import-andre-ingram-to-head-back-to-united-states-citing-mental-health-reasons/news-story/fd0ee78ba3b017fd8bcab8803b0fd348


PERTH Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson says "mental issues from the past" were behind the sudden exit of Andre Ingram, which has deepened the club's guards crisis.

It comes as the Cats confirmed the signing of local guard Jackson Hussey to help fill the void left by Ingram, Damian Martin (fractured jaw) and Jarrod Kenny (groin) ahead of Friday’s road clash with Illawarra.

And Perth has not yet ruled out approaching axed import Jaron Johnson to bolster the depleted backcourt, with the American training with the main group on Wednesday morning.

Gleeson said he was first made aware of Ingram’s concerns on Tuesday afternoon, less than six days after the import had arrived in the country to replace Johnson.

“It surprised me big time,” Gleeson said.

“He said it was nothing to do with the team - I thought it might have been to do with his family.

“We offered to bring his family over. But he said it just wasn’t for him to play overseas.

“We did a bit more digging, and there were some mental issues from the past that have risen again.”

After sleeping on the decision, Ingram confirmed on Wednesday morning that he wanted out.

“He’s not in a good place at the moment, and we’ve got to take him at his word for that,” Gleeson said.

“There’s some issues there that he didn’t really want to broach with me. But he didn’t feel right.”

Gleeson said he was confident the club had done its due diligence in scouting 31-year-old Ingram, who has played in the US for all of his professional career.

The club met with the import on multiple occasions and used intel from former coach Conner Henry and former assistant Paul Woolpert, who both had involvement with Ingram in the US.

“We did a lot of research, even in the two weeks before we got him here, that he was the right guy,” Gleeson said.

“Everything had the boxes ticked.

“He probably kept to himself a little bit (upon arriving)... but I just thought that was a mature athlete looking after his body and wanting to stretch by himself.

“He’s more of an introvert than an extrovert. I thought that was a bit of his personality, but maybe there was something deeper than that.”

INJURY CRISIS: Setbacks for Wildcats point guards Damian Martin and Jarrod Kenny

Gleeson told reporters on Wednesday afternoon the club was still weighing up its options with regard to a potential recall for Johnson.

“That’s something we’ll go down… we don’t know yet where we are with that,” Gleeson said.

“We’ll have to cover that area sometime, but right now that’s not a priority for us.

“He trained with us today, but he’s been training with us for all the time (since being cut). We’ll see how that plays out.”

Johnson was released only last week after failing to fit with the team, but his availability and knowledge of the side’s set-up could prove valuable.

Hire said he was confident the Cats could still perform strongly against Illawarra despite the guard shortage.

“In terms of backs against the wall and what this situation holds, it’s unlike any other,” he said.

“For us, it really brings our group together. We had a really good session. Whenever the chips are down, we have guys stepping up.”

Wildcats vice-captain Greg Hire said Ingram had participated in a weights session with the team Wednesday morning before Gleeson broke the news to the playing group.

“It’s definitely quite a shock,” he said.

“The past couple of weeks have been unusual circumstances.

“But obviously we’re very respectful of Andre and his situation right now, and the least we can do is be as supportive as we can.

“We weren’t briefed on the path or background (of his mental health issues). But I think that reaffirms how tough it really is... And how mental health issues can hit anyone at any time.”

Hussey averaged 20 points and five assists per game for Geraldton in the SBL last season, and impressed with a 20-point display against the Wildcats in a pre-season game last month.

Hussey will join development player Corban Wroe on the roster for Friday’s game.

Why would Wildcats lie about it anyway. Not like it would be a big deal to turn around and say "Circumstances have changed and we need to go a different direction".

Dear, oh, dear, we are knee deep in it now.

Good thing we banked a couple early close-ones, the next few weeks are not going to be pleasant viewing.

@alekrad,
"I didn't see that because he blocked me :O("

Ha! Me too, apparently. I don't flame anyone on twitter, and I don't think I ever tweeted Ervin, I can't for the life of me think of how I earned that one, lol.

"We did a lot of research, even in the two weeks before we got him here, that he was the right guy," Gleeson said.

The issues sound legit bit funny he didn't even want to stretch with his teammates and kept to himself a lot, sounds like he might've regretted the decision already by the time he landed.

I'm not sure re-using JJ again would be a good look that would place the Wildcats firmly in basketcase territory so better to let that one go and just get by with what they have until a proper replacement import is found.

Ha! Me too, apparently. I don't flame anyone on twitter, and I don't think I ever tweeted Ervin, I can't for the life of me think of how I earned that one, lol.

Trvor Gleeson's press conference
https://audioboom.com/posts/5207586-trevor-gleeson-press-conference-26-october-2016

Seems weird how in an interview he said he was waiting for the call. He would of had ample time to prepare to move over to Australia.

Why isn't the Johnson decision a priority? We've got a game in two days. Give him a one week contract at least

There is a chance the Wildcats could bring back Johnson who is still in Perth. Under NBL rules a player who is removed from the team roster may not return to that same club roster in the same season, unless he is replacing a player who has suffered a season ending injury or illness, which Ingram is.

"That's something we will look at. We don’t know yet where we are with that but we always said Jaron was a great guy," Gleeson said.

“He trained with us today but he has been doing that all the time. We will just see how that plays out. The guys love him so that’s part of being a professional too but we’ll see how it goes.”

Wasn't he an ex-Wolves junior?

He always did seem like he had a hint of that "playa" gene..

Define Seedy.... Are we talking David Bailey seedy, Beal Seedy or Troy Buswell seedy?

Or Tiny Pinder seedy? Too far #lol

Gold.

hahahahaha classic.

I heard - third-hand - that there was a significant off-court indiscretion, although no specifics were given.

If that was indeed the case, surely Johnson has to be deactivated? Ingram's alleged illness is the only reason he was allowed back.

Curious as to what the NBL procedure is for that. Ingram was out of the country awful quick, so I doubt there was time for an independent assessment. Do they just take the club's word for it?

If he did a Tiny Pinder type activity, why weren't the police involved?

He didn't seem like much of a rim perpetrator.

*penetrator

Marvin didn't realize that when he said "he could hit that from the parking lot" that he was talking about one of the cheerleaders.

Old man still got game LOL

"At the end of the day we all take our actions based on decisions our mind makes".

Gold. Although, the action the girl was involved in (allegedly...) doesn't sound like it was her decision.

Doesn't sound like the behaviour of a good god-fearing, family club! Very disappointed if this is truly the case, but even if not, koberulez brings up a good point... they shifted him back to the U.S. very quickly, is the NBL working on the honour system now with regards to contractual/season ending requirements? Surely there should have been some unbiased third party involved at some point?

Anon1: well yes, that's true as well, at the risk of not getting into a religion bashing agreement :)

Anon2: I was meaning more along the lines of a player being dismissed due to a season ending injury and the team using that excuse to bring back a previously dismissed player... but yes, from a legal standpoint as well, that's true...

That seems like a bizarre rumour to create out of bitterness, particularly given how quietly they're spreading it.

Which assistants have even departed the club recently? I think Woolpert two years ago was the last one, and that's a long time to hold a grudge.

And that's without taking into account that a second person is telling the same story.

Gleeson is a flog.

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

I can confirm the following for an absolute FACT:

The internet is full of sick & twisted gutter-trolls who make shit up.

I'm serious, we know this happens, so unfortunately you can't follow the "where there's smoke" line.

These anony-trolls, who won't even put a screen-name to their post in case they get called out, are maliciously defaming Ingram. Whom by all accounts is a clean-living, family man.

And to top it off, the allegations don't even make sense:
You're suggesting a guy who was only in the country for a week or so, and barely had time to scratch himself between games, that his first order of business was to go out and commit child-abuse?
Then you're suggesting that several people at the Cats engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover it up and get him out of the country? That's called "Perverting the Course of Justice" and being an "accessory after the fact," both SERIOUS criminal offences.
There is simply no way employees at the Wildcats take those risks. If he did that, they would have let the police handle it, and wiped their hands of him.

If you'd alleged that he got on the turps, or drugs, or even that he had a wild party with hookers, that might have had some credence.
1) Its the sought of behaviours the Cats wouldn't tolerate (from him at least).
2) Past history may not have been easily discovered.
3) Not actually illegal, or at worst marginally so.
4) Nothing worse that your average AFL player gets up to.

If that happened, I could see the Cats getting rid of him, and "glossing over" the real reasons.

But no, you had to go overboard and allege he committed an extremely serious (and despicable) crime.

These anony-trolls, who won't even put a screen-name to their post in case they get called out

But no, you had to go overboard and allege he committed an extremely serious (and despicable) crime.

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

I can confirm the following for an absolute FACT:

The internet is full of sick & twisted gutter-trolls who make shit up.