Former bj-league MVP Wendell White will play for the Oita HeatDevils this season, the Western Conference team announced on Thursday.
White, who is capable of playing both guard and forward spots, suited up for the Kyoto Hannaryz last season and for the champion Hamamatsu Higashmikawa Phoenix in 2009-10. He is one of the best all-around players in league history. White's MVP award during the Phoenix's first title season is a reminder of his ability to thrive in all facets of the game.
White attended UNLV, which was a basketball powerhouse during Jerry Tarkanian's rollicking era of sustained excellence, which ended in the early 1990s. Now, he'll team up with veteran floor leader Matt Lottich, who won three championships with the Osaka Evessa in the league's first three seasons, to give the HeatDevils a strong one-two punch.
In other league news, KCC Egis defeated Hamamatsu 75-65 on Thursday in the opening game of the 2011 bj-league/KBL championship series in Shizuoka. Wayne Arnold and Atsuya Ota paced the Phoenix with 13 points apiece, while Jeffrey Parmer added 11. Game 2 of the exhibition series will be played on Sunday afternoon in Gunma Prefecture.
Also Friday, Shiga Lakestars coach Alan Westover confirmed that forward Kazuya "J." Hatano is expected to be sidelined until December after undergoing knee surgery recently.