Reading Rebels minor league basketball team to begin play in March

Basketball fans in Berks County have a reason to be excited as a new minor league basketball team will call Reading home.

The Reading Rebels will begin their inaugural season in The Basketball League on March 4 when they take on the Connecticut Cobras.

The Rebels will make their home debut at Geigle Complex on March 6 when they play the Massachusetts Monarchs. All of Reading’s home games for the 2022 season will take place at the Geigle.

The Basketball League is in its fifth year of operation with 44 teams across the country.

Reading will compete in the Eastern Conference and play 24 games in 2022: 12 home and 12 away. Other Pennsylvania teams include the Lehigh Valley Legends and the Pennsylvania Kings, who are based out of the Lancaster area.

Noah Pratz, the director of communications for the Rebels, said he feels that the timing is right for minor league basketball to flourish in the city.

“Reading is all about basketball and I definitely believe this is overdue,” Pratz said.

The Rebels will market themselves as a community-first organization, according to Pratz, as the ownership group is made up of primarily local entrepreneurs who are also basketball enthusiasts.

The group of owners consists of Exeter grad Jonathan Gross (president/general manager), Alex Bernhard (director of player development/assistant general manager) and Pottstown grad Merritt Marable (executive VP of basketball operations). Bernhard grew up in Berks and is the owner of New Age Hoops, a youth basketball training facility in Reading. Marable owns Choisi Hoagies on Penn Street in Reading.

Pratz said he believes that the owners will exemplify the goal of the organization to lift the community through basketball.

“The mission of the team is creating a local impact,” Pratz said. “Making an impact for the future of Reading through the sport of basketball and through the passion that the city has for the sport.”

Adding to the local core is Rebels head coach Sergio Afre, a Reading High graduate and former Red Knight basketball player.

“I feel like this is the right way to bring change to the City of Reading, especially through basketball,” Afre said on the team’s website. “I feel like this is a huge opportunity and the next step to help grow players, and help them develop.”

The Rebels, who have been in the process of holding tryouts and mini-camps, have not released a roster. However, multiple players from around the Berks County area have been involved during the preseason.

Berks Catholic grad Donovon Jack was in attendance at a tryout held at Alvernia University on Jan. 30.

Additionally, former Reading High grad Trenity Burdine received an invitation to the Rebels training camp, which was held Feb.10 through Feb.13. Jack also received an invitation to the camp.

Bernhard has confirmed that six high school graduates from the area have been named to the team, with three coming from Reading High and three from Berks Catholic/Central Catholic.

On Feb. 6, the Rebels selected Dontel Highsmith, a 6-2 guard from Cleveland State, with the 16th pick in the league’s 2022 draft. Each team received two picks, but Reading gave away their second-round pick to an undisclosed team. They did not receive anything in return, Bernhard said.

The Rebels will be the second minor league basketball team active in Reading, as the Reading Wizards have been in operation since 2016 and have been playing in the Triple Threat Basketball League since 2020.

Reading High graduate Kashif Reyes is the owner, president and head coach of the Wizards, who will finish up their season before the Rebels start play in March.

Like Pratz, Reyes said he strongly believes in the positive impact that professional basketball can have on the community and has seen it work firsthand for his own team.

“The main goal (of the Wizards organization) is to get guys an opportunity to play professional basketball and showcase their talents around the Reading and Berks County areas,” Reyes said. “Also to bring some positivity in the community for the young kids and some entertainment as well.”

Both Pratz and Reyes also understand that another important goal is creating an environment where players can showcase their talents and advance to the next level.

“If you have guys coming in and getting other opportunities because of playing for your organization, that’s a good thing,” Reyes said. “In this business, I believe we have a high turnover ratio but it’s because the guys are getting bigger opportunities and that’s a good thing.”

Pratz said he is hoping that the Rebels can find success in growing the team’s talent pool and using the organization to help guys make the jump to the G League and possibly the NBA.

“Hopefully (The Basketball League) continues to gain more traction this year and in the following years so that NBA teams start looking for talent directly from The Basketball League and even offer 10-day contracts,” Pratz said. “We would be ecstatic if one of our players could make that jump.”

While the Wizards have had some players go on to play overseas, according to Reyes, they have not had any significant prospects emerge from the organization.

Both clubs face challenges of gaining exposure and increasing their visibility in the area.

For example, the Wizards are without a permanent home location.

“Right now we currently play our games wherever we have to,” Reyes said. “We have a practice venue, but it’s not a real venue with seating where we can get people in to watch the game and make money as well. That has been the biggest challenge.”

However, Reyes said he is hopeful that adding the Rebels to the Berks sports scene could be beneficial for both clubs because of their ability to potentially collaborate.

“I think it’s good that they have something on that level,” Reyes said of Reading having a second basketball team for a bigger league. “Even though we’re in a different league our seasons are opposite so if we can help each other, then we can help the community spread more positivity through basketball. I never looked at it (the Rebels) as competition. I looked at it as far as helping each other and giving each other more exposure.”

More than anything the Rebels will look to give fans an opportunity to take part in another family-friendly atmosphere similar to the experience at the Reading Royals and Reading Fightin Phils.

“You could compare it to something like that,” Pratz said when asked if the Rebels will offer a gameday environment similar to the other minor league teams in Reading. “As far as a fan perspective, it is definitely about entertainment. And we want to make sure that people who are coming to our games are enjoying themselves and getting their money’s worth. As far as the players go this is almost like an audition for them.”

More information on the Rebels will be forthcoming as the team will host a press conference on Wednesday. A team meet and greet is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Sly Fox Taphouse in Wyomissing.

Source: Berkshire mont