SHAWNEE, OK – The Potawatomi Fire have finalized their roster for the 2024 season.
The Fire have 12 players on their opening day roster including seven returners from the 2023 championship team. They are, in alphabetical order, Ricardo Artis II, Chris Brand, Daylon “Chuck” Guy, Ruston Hayward,Terry “T.J.” Maston, Kierre “K.D.” Moore, and Deshawn Munson. Among the five new players on the Fire roster, three were signed to contracts in the offseason. They are Jon Cathey-Macklin, Myron McGowan, and Jachai Simmons.
The Fire entered training camp with two spots open and, after a week of camp, finalized the roster with the announcement that 2024 first-round draft pick Jaylen Mahone, and Potawatomi Fire Professional Basketball Showcase attendee Darius Roy made the team.
“We are excited about the roster we have put together for this upcoming season,” says Fire general manager David Qualls. “Last year was a resounding success ending with us raising the Lillie and earning the title of TBL Champions. We are excited to get this season underway and we know we have a roster that gives us a great chance to become TBL’s first ever back-to-back champion.”
“We believe we have a great group of players that are ready to compete this season,” says head coach Mark Dannhoff. “With the players coming back from last year’s team, we knew we would have a solid foundation. I’m confident the new additions will help put us in a position to achieve the goals we’ve set for this year.”
This year’s training camp will culminate with an exhibition game against CYM on Saturday, February 24th at FireLake Arena. Tickets to the exhibition are free. The Fire begin the 2024 TBL season on March 1st when they host their in-state rivals, the Enid Outlaws. To purchase season or single game tickets visit potawatomifire.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow the Fire on social media (Instagram, Facebook, X) to stay up to date with all the latest information on the Fire.
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The Potawatomi Fire are the first professional basketball team owned by a Native American tribe (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) in Oklahoma. The Fire compete in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a men’s professional basketball league, now with 38 teams across the U.S. and Canada. Along with winning the TBL championship in 2023, the Fire organization was named the 2022 winner of the Jim Koch Award as TBL’s Best Ran Business. The dance team of the Fire, the Fire Girls, were named TBL’s 2022 Best Dance Team and Central Conference Best Dance Team in 2023.
The TBL season begins in February and runs through June, concluding with a championship playoff tournament. The players that make up the rosters of the TBL teams are former NCAA (Division I, II or III) or NAIA athletes. Many have played in the NBA’s developmental G-League and/or professionally overseas.
Iam excited to see the team play and compete for back to back championship, and glad to see our son myron McGowan,be a part of the team,good luck and go potawatomi, all the way!!