Bumpy ride leaves IBL team looking for answers.

Byline: Adam Jude The Register-Guard

Inconsistencies on the court early in the season were only the beginning of problems for the Eugene Chargers in what team officials described as a tumultuous second year in the International Basketball League.

The Chargers finished 11-9, capped off by an impressive 124-97 victory over Chicago Heights at home Tuesday night, surely wishing their season would only have started as well as it ended.

"Unfortunately, right now, at the end of the season, we're just starting to gel," first-year owner Ron Ingalls said.

It took three coaches, a roving roster and mounting expenses - not to mention the lure of NBA stars in the stands - for the franchise to realize its potential. Whether that formula can be created again in the future remains in question.

"You think you know how it's going to go, but just like any venture you get into, it never goes to plan," said Ingalls, a retired businessman from Solvang, Calif., who bought the Chargers after spending years in car racing. "Minor-league sports is a tough sell, and I don't know why, because we have an excellent product. It's very entertaining.

"Just getting the word out there ... it's real expensive to do if you want to become a household (name). That's probably been our biggest problem."

The Chargers drew an average of about 300 fans for their 10 home games, and Ingalls said he often talks to people who haven't heard of the team.

To promote their team, former Ducks Adam Zahn, Jay Anderson and Andre Joseph were recently filmed in a commercial, an ad that appeared on local Fox Sports networks.

A shuffling of the coaches further complicated business on the court.

Kenya Wilkins, the former Oregon point guard who coached the Chargers in their inaugural season, stepped down a few weeks before the start of this season to focus on his Game Time Basketball Academy.

With few leads, Ingalls was put in touch with Scott Jones, another racing enthusiast who lived in Sisters. Jones had never coached beyond his son's youth leagues, but Ingalls hired him as the head coach. Players responded to Jones' affable personality, going 4-2 in his six games.

Ingalls fired Jones after a loss at Central Oregon, in part because of a dispute over finances.

General manager Carl Berman, the team's longest-tenured official, served as interim coach for three games before Chris Denker was hired May 17.

Denker, a graduate of South Eugene High and the UO, guided the team to six wins in its final 11 games, including a 5-0 mark at home.

"There was some disarray and we had to get through that and bring the team together," said Denker, who previously served as the women's coach at Colorado State and Santa Clara. "... As far as the sheer basketball side of it, I was pleased. The guys played hard for me, and they did everything I asked of them."

The Chargers got a glimpse of what they want to be during their season finale Tuesday night at the Morse Event Center.

Spurred in part by Luke Jackson agreeing to sign autographs at halftime, the Chargers drew their largest home crowd of the season - an estimated 800 fans - for a victory over Chicago Heights. A handful of other former Ducks, including Luke Ridnour, and Oregon coach Ernie Kent also attended.

It was that kind of atmosphere that has Denker believing in the long-term success of the IBL, a third-year league with teams in Oregon and Washington.

"Eugene is a great foundation for a league like this," he said. "It is a good brand of basketball, high-scoring, up and down. It's fan friendly. ... We increased attendance every night over the time I was here, so we accomplished a lot of our goals."

Three players left the team for various reasons, but those who stayed until the end seemed to enjoy their time with the Chargers, despite a modest average of $75 per game.

"The general managers and coaches went above and beyond for us, where other teams may not have done that, whether it was financially or just helping people through some rough spots," said point guard Tryian Ridges, a veteran overseas player. "The town is good and the support was good. I wish we could've got (bigger) crowds, but maybe next year that will amount to something better."

Guard Solomon Yearby led the Chargers with 20.1 points per game, one of seven players who finished the season to average in double figures. Charles "The Beast" Easterling averaged 19.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

Among locals on the roster, Zahn appeared in 18 games, averaging 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. Anderson, in his second season with the Chargers, added 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 12 games. Joseph averaged 16.8 points in 10 games.

Thurston High graduate Eric Orton, who had his best game in the season finale (16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds) averaged 7.8 points. A.D. Smith joined the team for the final four games, providing depth for a few minutes off the bench.

Continuing to find players with local ties will be critical to the team's future, team officials said. A large part of that is financial ramifications - locals don't have to be flown in and they don't need housing - that Ingalls said was a costly oversight in his first season.

Ingalls said he invested more than $100,000 on the team while bringing in less than $1,000 per game.

Despite the issues and the losses, Ingalls hasn't given up on his franchise.

"There's been a lot of good things.," Ingalls said. "The people who know who we are and have been to games are very supportive. It's just trying to get 1,700 more people like that."