Smith is averaging 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 12.9 minutes in 24 games (three starts) for the Rockets. He made a big impact filling-in for an injured Kyle Lowry (6-0, 205, Villanova) in his third career game on November 6 at San Antonio, scoring 11 points with four rebounds, a career-high seven assists and one steal in 35 minutes. Former-Viper Aaron Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon), the starting point guard at the time, went down with an ankle injury in that game, clearing the way for Smith to make his first career start the next day against Minnesota, scoring seven points with four rebounds, six assists and a career-high three steals in a career-high 42 minutes. He scored a career-high 12 points on November 10 at Washington and matched that total on November 17 at Oklahoma City. He has not played since January 8, which was the last game before Brooks returned from his most recent ankle injury.

“This is a key development opportunity for Ishmael to come to the Vipers and apply in game settings what he’s been working on with the Rockets coaches in practice and individual workouts. Development through playing is something we strongly believe in and this provides us that opportunity. Our staff in the Rio Grande Valley has done a great job with our young players and we expect those efforts to continue with Ish,” said Vipers General Manager Gersson Rosas, who is also the Rockets Vice President of Player Personnel.

The 22-year old rookie led the Rockets in assists during the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with 4.8 per game. He also averaged 7.9 points on 18-of-31 (58.1%) shooting while starting all five games.

Smith finished his four-year career at Wake Forest averaging 9.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 121 games (91 starts) while shooting 42.5% from the field. A three-year team captain, he is the only player in Wake Forest history to finish with 1,000 points (1,114) and 600 assists (612). He ranks second all-time in assists in school history. He also ranks sixth in minutes played (3,667), eighth in steals (153), 18th in games played and 36th in career points.

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. College

10 Terrel Harris SF 6-5 190 Oklahoma State

11 Jerel McNeal SG 6-3 200 Marquette

12 Ishmael Smith* PG 6-0 175 Wake Forest

14 Antonio Anderson SG 6-6 215 Memphis

15 Patrick Sullivan PF 6-9 215 S.E. Louisiana

21 Richard Roby SG 6-6 210 Colorado

22 Mustafa Shakur PG 6-4 195 Arizona

23 Stanley Asumnu SF 6-5 220 Tennessee

24 Mickell Gladness C 6-11 212 Alabama A&M

32 Mouhammad Faye PF 6-9 215 SMU

50 Jeff Adrien PF 6-7 245 UConn

*Houston Rockets Assignee

Head Coach                  Chris Finch (Franklin & Marshall)

Assistant Coaches                  Paul Mokeski (Kansas)

Jai Steadman (Nebraska)

Johan Roijakkers (ELE College)

Brooks received 403 of a possible 615 points, including 62 first-place votes, from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder (17 first-place votes), Marc Gasol of Memphis Grizzlies (nine-first place votes) and George Hill of the San Antonio Spurs (seven first-place votes) tied for second with 101 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.

This season Brooks set career highs in points (19.6 ppg), assists (5.3 apg) and rebounds (2.6 rpg). His 8.4 ppg scoring increase from last season (11.2 ppg) was the highest in the league among minimum qualifiers. Brooks became only the sixth player in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers and dish out at least 400 assists in the same season. He set the Rockets’ single-season record for three-pointers made with 209. The 6-foot guard scored 20 or more points 39 times and at least 30 points on 10 occasions. This marks the second time that a former NBA Development League player (Bobby Simmons, 2005) has been a recipient of an NBA Annual Award. Brooks played for Rio Grande Valley Vipers during his rookie season.

As part of its support of the Most Improved Player Award, Kia Motors America will donate a 2011 Kia Sorento CUV on behalf of Brooks to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. Kia Motors will present a brand new Sorento, the Official Vehicle of the NBA, to the charity of choice of each of four 2009-10 season-end award winners as part of the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 12 new vehicles to charity since the program began in 2008.

The 2009-10 NBA Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors is part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The series, currently in its third season, is a significant part of the multiyear marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, and also includes the Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man and Most Valuable Player of the Year Awards. It also includes the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors, which are awarded during the regular season. For more information on the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors” visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards.

The Vipers (30-12) are now one win or one Idaho Stampede loss away from clinching their first-ever playoff spot. The Stampede play at Sioux Falls on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Vipers opened the game on a 7-2 run, but the 66ers (23-18) responded with a 9-4 run to tie the game 11-11. Larry Owens hit a three-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer to give the 66ers their first lead of the weekend with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter at 18-15.

The two teams traded baskets for most of the rest of the first half, as the 66ers held a 54-53 lead before opening the third quarter on a 9-2 run. Kenny Hasbrouck hit a three-pointer to end that run and start a 7-2 run as the Vipers pulled within 65-62. DeVon Hardin responded by book-ending an 8-0 run as the 66ers built their largest lead to that point at 73-62. Julian Sensley knocked down a three-pointer to end that run, but the 66ers built an 80-70 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Vipers opened the fourth quarter on a 19-4 run, during which Mike Harris converted a three-point play as the Vipers regained the lead at 86-84 with 6:39 remaining. Hasbrouck capped the run with a three-pointer to make it 89-84 with 6:01 left.

Harris recorded his 16^th double-double with 36 points and 18 rebounds while Will Conroy recorded his eighth double-double with 15 points and 15 assists.

Owens led the 66ers with 34 points, five rebounds and nine assists while Oklahoma City Thunder-assignee Byron Mullens picked up his sixth double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds.

The Vipers return to action for the first of two against the Reno Bighorns at the Reno Events Center on Friday at 9:00 p.m.

In three games with the Rockets, Conroy scored two points, dished out five assists and grabbed one rebound in 15 minutes. In two games with the Rockets earlier this season, Conroy scored four points while picking up two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes of action as the back-up point guard.

In 19 games with the Vipers, Conroy is averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.4 steals.

“Will provided the Houston Rockets with solid depth at the point guard position while the team struggled with injuries. He continues to make strides and his play in both the NBA and the NBA D-League this season prove that he’s an NBA point guard who just needs the right opportunity. We are fortunate to have him back with the Vipers where his leadership and experience will be key down the stretch,” Vipers General Manager Gersson Rosas said.

Conroy is currently the NBA Development League’s all-time leader in assists (1,460), minutes played (6,498), field goals made (1,059), free throws made (738) and free throws attempted (1,049). He is second all-time in points (3,075) and field goals attempted (2,208), third all-time in steals (270) and games played (171), fifth all-time in three-pointers made (219) and three-pointers attempted (611) and fifteenth all-time in rebounds (831).

Conroy replaces power forward/center Kevin Rogers (6-9, 235, Baylor), who was waived due to injury after suffering a torn right ACL during Tuesday’s game. Rogers was averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in eight games (five starts).

March 10, 2010

HIDALGO, TEXAS – Houston Rockets CEO Tad Brown and six-time All-Star Yao Ming (7-6, 310, China) announced today at halftime of the NBA Development League Rio Grande Valley Vipers game that the this year’s Rockets exhibition game on the Vipers’ home court at State Farm Arena will be against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic on October 5 at 7:30 p.m.

The game will be preceded by the Rockets holding a portion of their training camp in the Rio Grande Valley, starting on October 3, at the McAllen Convention Center.

More details will be released at the end of the regular season.

“Given the success of last year’s Rockets camp and in paticular the pre-season game, we are very excited to have the Rockets return with a top quality opponent such as the defending Eastern Conferenc Champion Magic. We believe this will be an exciting weekend of basketball for residents of the Rio Grande Valley,” Vipers President Brian Michael Cooper said.

The Vipers hosted Rockets Training Camp and an exhibition win over the Boston Celtics last October in front of a record-crowd of 6,300.

The Rockets currently boast three former-Vipers, including starting point guard Aaron Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) and guards Will Conroy (6-2, 195, Washington) and Jermaine Taylor (6-4, 210, Central Florida).

The Vipers (28-12) finish the regular season with a 5-2 record against the Toros (24-14).

Following a pre-game embrace and chat with Yao, his former teammate with the Rockets, Mike Harris scored the first four points of the game and seven of the Vipers’ first 10 as the Vipers jumped out to a 10-3 lead.

The Vipers either held the lead or were tied with the Toros until Dominique Coleman hit a three-pointer to make it 50-49 Toros with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter. The Vipers responded with a 19-4 run, capped off by a Harris driving lay-up with 1:01 left in the quarter to take a 68-54 lead.

The Toros didn’t go away, though, as Eddie Basden hit a three-pointer, Lewis Clinch hit back-to-back treys and Michael Joiner hit a jumper to bring the Toros within 68-65. After adidas Player of the Game Stanley Asumnu hit a free throw, Dwaynes Jones hit a lay-up to bring the Toros within 69-67 with 8:29 remaining.

Two minutes later, Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson hit a three-pointer to tie the game 74-74. After the Toros took the lead back on a Curtis Jerrells driving lay-up, Ernest Scott hit a three-pointer to give the Vipers an 80-78 lead, but Joiner hit a three-pointer of his own with 3:27 remaining to make it 81-80 Toros. After a Jonathan Wallace turnover, Joiner converted a three-point play to make it 84-80. Harris hit back-to-back buckets to tie the game, but Johnson responded with a three-pointer with 1:50 left.

Down 91-87 with 24.6 seconds left, Julian Sensley drove into the lane for a lay-up and drew a foul. After missing the free throw, Sensley picked up the offensive rebound and missed a lay-up attempt, but Harris grabbed the offensive rebound and got fouled while attempting to hit a lay-up with 16.4 seconds left. Harris hit the first free throw, but missed the second. Jones grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Scott. Jones hit both free throws and the Vipers took a 20-second timeout with 14.6 seconds left. After the inbounds pass, Sensley threw the ball out of bounds to give the Toros the ball back. Harris fouled Joiner with 9.0 seconds left, and he hit both free throws to make it 95-90. After Harris missed a three-pointer, Scott fouled Jerrells, who missed both free throws, but the Vipers ran out of time.

The Vipers’ four-game home stand continues on Saturday when they host the Tulsa 66ers at 7:30 p.m. at Dodge Arena. It will be the second of three nationally televised home games on VERSUS (channel 314 (SD)/1314 (HD) on Time Warner Cable and channel 151 on Dish Network), presented by Papa John’s Pizza. It’s Hoops for the Cure Night. The first 1,000 fans will receive Jersey Backpacks, courtesy of Delta DME. Acrodunk will perform at halftime. Doors open at 6:30.