Bombers' season has taken an unexptected turn

Chaz Dudley imagined that his team would be preparing for the playoffs right now.

That's the way the Beltway Bombers' inaugural season in the Eastern Basketball Alliance was supposed to unfold anyway.

He'd assembled a team that, on paper, might even challenge for a championship.

The players were that good -- or, as it turned out, too good.

Six members of the team's preseason roster never even made it to Dumfries. Another, Jamal Wise, appeared in one game.

Each one left for a better opportunity and a bigger salary in Europe or Asia, forcing Dudley to essentially rebuild his team over and over again.

"It's part of a very surreal season," the veteran coach said. "The good part of it is we're trying to get the players to the next level -- to the show or big money deals overseas -- and seven of my players who were on the roster are now playing overseas. So I'm thrilled for them, but on the flip side, I've had to replenish spots for seven very talented, major guys."

Friendly High School graduate Andrew Washington (Syria), Ty Beale (Ireland), Brian Leggett (Finland) and Jamal Wise (France) are the most notable players who have moved on from the Bombers this sea-son.

And, while plenty of talent remains, there's been so much turnover that Dudley has spent most of the winter introducing himself to one new player or another prior to tipoff.

"It's just strange not winning and part of it is the chemistry," he said. "We have the guys and if they can show up and we can get a rhythm it would be completely different."

Of the 14 players listed on the Bombers active roster for last Saturday's game, only five were on the court opening night.

"We've got players with families and who are traveling far distances to come to games so we don't get the rhythm of the same players on the court every night," Dudley said. "If I had everybody here game after game, we'd be 8-1."

It hasn't worked out that way for one reason or another. Former Globetrotter Ron Christy, for exam-ple, lives in Connecticut, forward Devon Neckles hails from Brooklyn, guard Kareem Collins commutes from New Jersey and starting guard Perry King is a graduate student at St. Bonaventure.

Dudley has insisted since mid January that his team is probably much better than its 1-7 record indicates. He's probably right. But it's hard to win in the EBA when the starting lineup changes from one weekend to the next.

And it's impossible when only four players make it to the court, which is what transpired on Satur-day when the Bombers had to forfeit a game to the Washington Madness.

"We had four guys stuck in traffic [on I-95] and they couldn't get here in time so they turned around and went home," Dudley said.

With one regular season game remaining against the Norfolk Trailblazers tonight, the last-place Bombers have virtually no chance of reaching the playoffs, which begin on March 20.

Even if they make up three games that were snowed out, they'd have a hard time catching second-place NOVA Hawks (5-3) in the Capital Division.

"If the league wants us to play, we'll play," Dudley said. "We might have to play a quadruple header, but we'll play.

"We are what we are for the season, but I guarantee you we will be back strong next year and we'll come back with a chip on our shoulder."

Staff writer Dave Utnik can be reached at 703-878-8051.