January 2024 - Page 3 of 6 - Adamsonmedia.com

Hill sparks Squadron

Aside from being a member of the first Birmingham Squadron team and a main focus of Alex Squadron’s terrific book, Life in the G, Malcolm Hill is one of those players who always seems to give the kind of performance that is needed on any given night.

Hill played in all 16 of the Squadron’s Showcase Cup contests and averaged 19.3 points while playing 34.8 minutes per game.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.**

Entering tonight’s regular season contest, Hill had popped in 21.5 points per night, averaging 35.2 minutes of court time.

He’s not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of his coach.

“He is what Squadron basketball is all about,” Birmingham boss T.J. Saint said earlier in the week. “He is one of my favorite human beings. We talked to him this summer and he came back here to try and make one more push. He is one of the foundational pieces forever of the Birmingham Squadron, and I love him to death.”

Hill showed why he’s so easy to love on Thursday in Birmingham’s 134-125 victory over the Iowa Wolves at Legacy Arena.

Hill turned in a next-level performance for the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League affiliate, recording an all-time team record 44 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for a double-double. It came just three days after he scored 30 in a win over Raptors 905.

“It was a great win,” said Hill, whose team improves to 4-5. “It was good to start a little bit of a win streak, and it’s always good to protect the home court. The coaching staff did a great job preparing us and (Iowa) played a great game.”

Hill had offensive help from E.J. Liddell, who scored 24 points, and Jalen Crutcher, who added 20.

Izaiah Brockington finished with 17 points and Trey Jemison had a game-high 15 rebounds.

Tyrese Martin came off the bench to lead Iowa (2-7) with 29 points, followed by Leonard Miller (28), Josh Minott (19), D.J. Carlton (17), Lance Stephensen (14) and Javonte Cooke (11).

“I thought Martin and Cooke hit some really good, contested threes,” Saint said. “They were timely and kind of kept them in it. I didn’t think our defense was bad, they just hit contested shots.”

Hill was lights out in the first quarter, netting 17 points to help the Squadron take a 38-31 lead. Liddell added 10 Birmingham points while no Iowa player had more than seven through the first 12 minutes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves farm hands stormed back in the second stanza, however, with Miller and Minott combining for 25 points, Carlton pumping in 11 and Martin logging 10 more.

Hill and Liddell continued to set a torrid pace for the Squadron, and at halftime Hill had accounted for 28 points, Liddell was good for 18, and Birmingham was on top, 75-67 – a Squadron record for most points in an opening half.

Both teams shot the ball well in the third frame, playing each other even. Hill made his 30^th point 1:12 into the period and heading into the fourth quarter the home team’s lead stood at eight, 105-97.

The eventual winners never pulled away completely over the final 12 minutes but they were able to keep the Wolves at bay to secure their second consecutive victory.

“This was a big-time win, especially against a team that played a really good basketball game,” Hill said. “It was a point of emphasis for us tonight to finish the job, finish the possession … early in the season we had a problem securing the rebound on second chance points and points in the paint, so it felt good to make a contribution there.”

Just over a fourth of the way through the regular season, Saint thinks his team might be ready to make a push.

“We’ve got to make up a little ground, but these guys keep exhibiting champion-like essence,” Saint said. “If we can just get healthy, get the right pieces when (two-way player Dereon Seabron) comes back and Landers Nolley is back in the fold, then we’ve got a chance.

“We talked about over the summer bringing in championship-type people, and you can tell this is a real team who cares a lot about each other. They’re a lot of fun to coach.”

Thanks for the memories: Kira Lewis Jr.’s MLK Day appearance for the Squadron was his last.

The Pelicans announced on Wednesday they had traded the former Alabama star and a 2024 draft pick to the Indiana Pacers for cash considerations.

Lewis Jr. averaged 5.4 points per game for New Orleans over four seasons.

In three appearances for Birmingham, he averaged 22.3 points and his two free throws in the waning moments proved to be the difference in the Squadron’s 108-105 victory over Raptors 905 on Monday.

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Vulcans beat the Nashville Vols, 76-53, in a Southern Professional Basketball League game played at the National Guard Armory.

Horace Peterson led the charge, with Steve Kontos finishing with 15 points and Shag Hawkins and Wheeler Leeth finishing with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

OTD in 1949: The Birmingham Steelers of the SPBL lost to the Laurel Oilers, 73-65, in front of 1,500 fans in Laurel, Mississippi.

Johnny Murphy paced the Steelers, scoring 21 points, while Bob Murphy added 15 more.

Up next: Birmingham closes out its home stand on Saturday when the Cleveland Charge, G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers, comes to Legacy Arena for a 7 p.m. tip.

It’ll mark the first-ever meeting between the Squadron and Charge.

A whole new world

Fred’s Pet World – situated snugly between Babs’ Book Store and Batteries, Batteries, Batteries on Canton Road – opened promptly at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, just as it did six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Proprietor Fred Vernon wondered how soon it’d be before it closed down for good.

A former software engineer who was obsessed with quantum mechanics, Fred soon learned he didn’t care for the rat race – unless it actually involved rats. He preferred to be at arm’s length from people and spend as much time with animals as possible.

So, he quit his job and sunk his money into Fred’s Pet World, which he likened to more of a rescue that a retail shop. He had no tolerance for puppy or kitten mills; his establishment served as something of an overflow when the shelters got full.

And he wasn’t interested in getting rich; he charged just enough to help pay for overhead.

Lately, though, there seemed to be a surge in people wanting to buy “specialty” animals. Most of the dogs in his care were mutts, and none of his cats would ever find themselves feted at a Cat Fanciers’ Association convention.

Still, he was going to do what he could for as long as he could, and on Wednesday morning he raised the interior blinds covering the inside of the main door.

He was surprised to see a customer (at least a potential one) with a small, pinkish poodle.

He opened the door, greeted her with a nod, and watched her head straight to a cage.

“What you got there, a couple of gerbils?” said the woman, probably close to 80 years old with cotton candy-colored hair and dark, drawn on eyebrows that looked as though they had been applied with a magic marker. She had also taken a fashion risk by rocking a pair of silver shorts and gold boots to go with her magenta blouse.

“Well, they’re actually guinea pigs,” Fred said. “Somebody dropped ‘em off here, oh, two weeks ago, I guess it was. When a shelter won’t take an animal, I take ‘em and hope somebody will give ‘em homes. They didn’t have names, so I call ‘em Angus and Malcolm.”

“What’s the difference between a gerbil and guinea pig?” she asked.

“I think basically, guinea pigs live longer and they’re bigger,” he explained. “And they eat plants, while you can feed a gerbil insects.”

The woman chuckled.

“I know all that,” she said. “I was just testing you.”

She moved in for a closer look – as did the poodle, causing both Angus and Malcolm to survey the situation with wide eyes.

“Hmmm,” she said. “What’s that word you use to talk about things that you do experiments on … are they gerbils or guinea pigs?

Fred was puzzled by the question.

“Guinea pigs,” Fred said. “But none of these animals are used for experiments. I would never allow that to happen.”

“Good, good,” she said. “No offense. Just seems like humans don’t think too much of each other these days, so I can only imagine how they treat animals.”

The woman stooped down and put a gnarled index finger on the cage.

“Can I let ‘em come up and lick my finger?” the woman asked.

Fred nodded.

“You can try,” he said. “They can get a little bit spooked, though.”

She leaned over and both Angus and Malcom eased closer, cautiously placing their noses on her finger.

To Fred’s surprise, both guys started purring, even after the poodle – Fandango – was introduced to them.

“They sure are cute little guys,” she said. “We’ve got dogs, cats, lions, tigers, ferrets, ducks, lizards, a three-legged deer and a wombat, and those are just the ones I can name off the top of my head,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I like ‘em better than humans – present company accepted, I’m sure.”

The woman made her way through the rest of the store, stopping to admire and “speak to” every animal she came across.

She held every kitten, and played with every dog. Finally, she circled back to Angus and Malcolm.

“How much …” she asked.

Fred smiled, held up his hand and cut her off in mid-sentence.

“Mostly I just want to make sure they’re taken care of and have a good home. Sounds like you have a zoo and – nothing personal – but if you have all those other animals, I don’t see how you can possibly take care of two more.”

The woman threw her head back and laughed.

“Sounds like you didn’t learn much from quantum mechanics, Fred.”

Fred understood how she might know his name, but how did she know about his education?

Before he could ask, she explained herself.

“I’m not talking about money, Fred,” she said. “I was going to ask how much convincing would it take for you and your friends here to join us on Anamalia. Look outside.”

Fred looked through the window of his shop and saw what appeared to be a snow globe on the sidewalk, pulsating with frantic waves of blue light.

Fred stumbled back against the wall.

“You’ve done admirable work here, Fred … admirable work indeed,” said the woman. “But you can make a greater impact somewhere else. I’m from a parallel universe where things are, well, a little easier for our furry friends. Just thought you might want to come with us, especially since you always hoped there’d be a place like this somewhere – and some time.

“You can work there and live the kind of life you want.”

Fred got up again and took another look at the globe.

“Is that …?” he asked.

She gave a thumb’s up.

“Yep, it’s one of those quantum mechanics deals you were tinkering with … something to do with the de Broglie wavelength or some such mumbo jumbo,” she said, producing a device resembling a key fob. “I have no idea how it works; I just know if I press this, we all make a jump – lock, stock and barrel.”

Everything seemed impossible, but as Fred continued to stare at the globe – an object that looked quite similar to one he had once constructed – the more the situation seemed far beyond some elaborate hoax. And even if it was trickery, what was the harm in going along with it?

Worst-case scenario, everyone has a big laugh at his expense.

Best-case scenario, Fred’s Pet World becomes part of a whole different world.

Fred walked to the counter, put his hand on the cage holding Angus and Malcolm, and flashed a toothy grin.

“Let’s do it,” he said.

Thursday morning, passersby walked along the Canton Road sidewalk as they usually did, glancing at the storefronts without giving them a second thought.

Still – for those who stopped long enough to notice – the empty lot between Babs’ Book Store and Batteries, Batteries, Batteries seemed out of place.

Why only yesterday, a store – some kind of store – had been there.

Hadn’t it?

Squadron holds off 905

**Malcolm Hill (33) scored 30 points and Trey Jemison (55) recorded his seventh consecutive double-double in Birmingham’s victory over Raptors 905 Monday**.

The Birmingham Squadron closed out its MLK Celebration Weekend with a performance worth celebrating.

Malcolm Hill scored a game-high 30 points and Kira Lewis Jr. and E.J. Liddell – assigned to Birmingham from the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday morning – provided plenty of help as T.J. Saint’s club nipped Raptors 905, 108-105, before 1,115 fans at Legacy Arena.

Lewis Jr.’s two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining iced the G League matinee game for the hosts, who improve to 3-5 overall.

Raptors 905 out of Mississauga, Ontario, slip to 3-6.

“Credit to Toronto,” Saint said after the game. “(Eric Khoury) is a friend of mine and does a great job, but I give a lot of credit to our guys. It was a crazy game, and it got a little too tight at the end because we had some self-inflicted wounds, but what I really like is our defense is getting better.”
Lewis Jr. finished with19 points and dished out nine assists, and Liddell and Trey Jemison each had 16 points to go with 11 rebounds. For Jemison, it was his seventh consecutive double-double and 11^th in the last 13 games.

Izaiah Brockington accounted for 11 Birmingham points.

Kevin Obanor led 905 with 21 points, Markquis Nowell notched the double-double with 20 points and 11 boards, and Justise Winslow scored 19.

Mouhamadou Gueye and Javon Freeman-Liberty closed out double figure scorers for the visitors with 16 points apiece.

With Birmingham leading 91-89 with 8:03 to go, the eventual winners stepped up the defensive intensity and outscored the Toronto Raptors affiliate 12-2 over the next four minutes.

Ultimately, that provided them with just enough of a cushion once things got hairy down the stretch.

“We switched to a coverage we call Drop 15 where we put Trey back in the paint instead of up on the pick-and-roll, and then we relied his development on defense which has just been great to protect the rim,” Saint said.

As for Hill, it was another good day at the office.

“I’m experienced, but I also think games like this are due to the work I put in,” said Hill, who was on the original Squadron roster in 2021-22. “But my teammates uplift me. Last game I played terrible, but the coaches and other players were still encouraging me to play well. Things worked out well today.”

Liddell wasted no time making an impact, scoring 10 points over seven minutes in the first quarter to help Birmingham grab a 30-25 lead. Hill – setting the tome for his big day – scored nine.

Hill continued his hot shooting in the second frame, ending the first half with 20 points. Although turnovers allowed 905 to briefly take the lead and keep things close, the Squadron went into halftime on top, 57-53.

There was little separation between the teams in the third, with Nowell, Freeman-Liberty and Obanor doing much of the scoring work for the guests.

But Birmingham kept the Canadians at arm’s length, and entered the final 12 minutes with an 84-79 edge.

Despite a frenzied fourth, the home team hung on.

“Pressure builds diamonds,” Hill said. “I feel like a game like this, when it’s really tight, brings out not only the best in me, but the best in us as a team.”

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Vulcans of the Southern Professional Basketball League lost to Montgomery Rebels, 66-59, in front of 800 fans at the National Guard Armory.

Ther game was billed as a replay of a protested game from December 19, and the result gave Montgomery a league-leading 22-2 mark while Birmingham slipped to 12-13.

Frank Wheeling was the high scorer for Birmingham with 19 points while Kenny Spiker paced the winners with 25 points.

OTD in 1949: The Birmingham Steelers of the SPBL beat the Laurel Oilers, 85-84, with 1,500 fans looking on at Municipal Auditorium.

Bob Murphy hit a free throw with nine seconds left in regulation to lift Birmingham to victory.

Joe Parker led the winners and all scorers with 27 points, while Murphy pumped in 19 – his last charity toss the biggest.

Next up: Birmingham hosts the Iowa Wolves on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

It’s College Night, and fans are encouraged to dress repping their favorite school. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Squadron flag and halftime will feature a seven-minute basketball game with members of the Unless U Unicorns.