The NBL approved a new management company to run the financially distressed Tsukuba Robots in Thursday¡¯s general meeting in Tokyo, the league office officially announced Friday.
A total of 11 Robots players had been released as they didn¡¯t agree to new contracts with the new management by the end of last month, while only four players remained on the team, including a pair of Americans (Lamar Sanders and Justin Reynolds).
But the new management, led by ex-NBL chief operating officer Takashi Yamaya as president, had secured 10 players, which is the minimum number required for a roster, in time.
Among the newly acquired players were Jonathan Inoue, a former guard for the Tokyo Apache and Hyogo Storks, Yuki Sato Mcfarlane, an ex-guard for the Daytrick Tsukuba of the JBL second division and the Tokyo Cinq Reves, and Max Matsumoto, also a former Stork who landed the team on loan.
Guard/forward Tomoya Nakamura was originally included in the 11 that were put on the free agent list, but wound up re-signing with the team.
The team also announced that head coach Donte¡¯ Hill didn¡¯t agree to a new contract and his assistant, Keita Iwashita, would be its interim sideline supervisor for the rest of the season.
The Robots, who are winless with a 0-16 record, sinking to last place in the Eastern Conference, will host the Chiba Jets on Saturday and Sunday at Kuji Sunpia Hitachi Sports Center in Ibaraki Prefecture.
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