International Basketball Association (1998-2000)
Tombstone
Born: 1998 – The St. Paul Slam relocate to Rochester, MN
Folded: July 2000 (Salina Rattlers)
First Game: November 27, 1998 (W 99-98 @ Fargo-Moorhead Beez)
Last Game: February 13, 2000 (L 104-82 @ Billings RimRockers)
IBA Championships: None
Arena
Mayo Civic Center
Opened: 1938
Branding
Team Colors: Purple, Red, Green & White11999-00 Rochester Skeeters Program
Mascot: Buzzer (the Mosquito)
Ownership
Owner: David Rowland
Attendance
Background
The Rochester Skeeters were a Minnesota-based minor league hoops outfit that played two International Basketball Association (IBA) seasons at the Mayo Civic Center between 1998 and 2000. The 5,000-seat arena previously hosted two other short-lived minor league basketball teams: the Rochester Flyers (1987-1989) and the Rochester Renegades (1992-1994), both of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
IBA competition represented a noticeable step down from Rochester’s previous experience with the CBA. The CBA, at the time, served as the Official Developmental League of the NBA. Dozens of players were called up each season from the CBA and the junior circuit featured numerous former NBA veterans and first round draft picks attempting to re-ignite their careers. While CBA franchises typically operated on annual budgets of over $1 million in the late 1990’s, IBA clubs played a shorter schedule on shoestring budgets of around $350,000.2Rand, Michael. “Coach still gives a hoot – and a holler”. The Star-Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). December 10, 1998
In Competition
During the Skeeters’ debut season in the winter of 1998-99, the club was competitive (17 wins, 17 losses) under head coach Bill Klucas. Klucas was a 30-year veteran of America’s minor leagues and his previous stops included a brief stint behind the bench for the Rochester Flyers a decade earlier. Former Oral Roberts University point guard Tim Gill was the team’s leading scorer. The Skeeters lost in the first round of the 1999 IBA playoffs.
Klucas resigned after the season. When the Skeeters returned for their second and final season in 1999-00, it was with a new coaching staff and an entirely new roster of players. The new squad was not competitive and finished with the worst record (8-28) in the 10-team IBA. Willie Farley, 6′ 6″ forward from Fresno State, was the Skeeters’ top scorer during their final season and ranked 5th in the IBA.
After the 1999-00 season the Skeeters moved to Salina, Kansas and became the Salinas Rattlers for the IBA’s 6th and final season. Both the franchise and the league folded following the 2000-01 season.
In Memoriam
Head coach Bill Klucas (Skeeters ’98-99) passed away on April 22, 2014 at the age of 72.
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