Big men may challenge Wallace Express in summer league

Wallace Express, led by Ben Wallace (above), has won the Tri-City Summer League seven times since 1999. Basketball is back in Richmond, in the crowd-pleasing form of the Tri-City Summer League, which starts Tuesday and runs through July 30.

The league will feature eight teams comprised of high school, college and professional stars with connections to the Richmond area. As usual, headlining the league is former Virginia Union star Ben Wallace.

His team, Wallace Express, has won the league seven times since joining in 1999, although this time it is not necessarily the favorite.

"Personally, I have to respect them because they've won so many times," said Ted Berry, one of the league's operators. "But this year, I think it'll be their toughest competition."

The league features a stronger crop of big men who will challenge Wallace, including George Wythe alumnus Shawn Taggart. The forward left Memphis after his junior year and entered last month's draft. He was not picked by an NBA team, so the 6-10 Taggart will compete in the NBA summer league with the Raptors in Las Vegas. He's not expected to arrive at the Tri-City Summer League until the second or third week.

Former Benedictine star Ed Davis, 6-10, who picked up a national championship during his first year at North Carolina, and 6-10 Larry Sanders of Virginia Commonwealth also are on the list to rival Wallace.

High school stars Travis McKie, a 6-6 rising senior at John Marshall who committed to Wake Forest this spring, and Karron Johnson, also have committed to play. Johnson, 6-7, originally committed to Oklahoma State, but is expected to attend junior college this year.

Rounding out the list of big men is Bambale Osby, a former Maryland Terrapin, who spent last year playing in Romania.

Boston College guard Tyrese Rice (L.C. Bird) joins Taggart on the list of undrafted NBA hopefuls participating in the league. Rice is scheduled to play with the Wizards in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas and will also arrive late.

Berry said he was shocked how enthusiastic Wallace is to play in the league. Since the Cavaliers dealt Wallace to Phoenix in the trade for Shaquille O'Neal last month, there has been talk that Wallace might retire.

Corey Braxton, the league's commissioner, says he thinks Wallace is the best undrafted player to ever play in the NBA. But he's still vulnerable. "This year we're looking to dethrone him," Braxton said.

Contact Eric Kolenich at (804)649-6109 or .