Fraser plays perfect game for "U Park It Pistons"

Jason Fraser scored 32 points on a perfect 11-11 shooting performance to lead his team to victory this week in New Zealand's National Basketball League.

Fraser, the once highly-touted prospect at Villanova, played arguably his best game since his high school days to pace the "U Park It Waikato Pistons" in a 106-99 win over the much-feared TET Taranaki Mountain Airs -- on the road, no less.

Fraser also had 11 rebounds.

Fraser had arrived on Villanova's campus in 2002 along with future stars Randy Foye, Allan Ray, and Curtis Sumpter, and was expected to be the best player by far of that group. Unfortunately, a failure to develop in the college game and several knee injuries limited Fraser's effectiveness in four disappointing years on the Main Line.

Fraser now appears healthier, and is averaging 7.7 points and 7.8 rebounds for the year in the NBL, according to Basketball New Zealand.

A-Ray called back up to NBA

The Boston Celtics have recalled guard Allan Ray back from the Austin Toros, their NBDL affiliate, according to a Celtics press release.

Ray averaged 14.5 points in the two games he played with the Toros. A-Ray had averaged 4.9 points per game in 33 NBA games for the Celtics this season.

NBA great Dennis Johnson dead at 52

Dennis Johnson, a star guard for the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, is dead today at age 52, according to ESPN.com and the AP.

Johnson had been head coach of the Austin Toros, Boston's NBA D-League affiliate.

Earlier this week, Villanova star alumnus Allan Ray had been sent down to the Austin Toros. It had been hoped that Ray could learn from Johnson, the legendary guard.

Johnson's cause of death is not yet known, and his body will be autopsied, according to the Travis County (Texas) Medical Examiner's Office.

Update: ESPN's PTI just reported that Johnson died of a heart attack while coaching a Toros practice. This means it is likely that Allan Ray witnessed the event in person.

A-Ray to the D-League

Say it isn't so!

The Phanatic Magazine is reporting today that Celtics guard and former Villanova star Allan Ray has been sent down to the Celtics' NBDL affiliate in Austin, Texas.

Update: The Celtics' Web site now confirms Ray's re-assignment:

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have assigned rookie guard Allan Ray to their NBA Development League affiliate Austin Toros. Ray is the team's first assignment to the NBA Development League this season and the 19th NBA player to be assigned to the Development League. [...]The 6'2" guard out of Villanova will be coached by former Boston Celtics point guard Dennis Johnson with Austin who is in its first year as an affiliate of the Celtics.

Hopefully the NBA legend DJ will be able to show Ray some of his stuff. Ray's first game for the Toros should be on Feb. 23 at home against Fort Worth.

A-Ray drops 22, leads Celtics in loss

Villanova alum Allan Ray put up 22 points, leading his team in scoring tonight in the Boston Celtics' 96-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Ray scored his career-high 22 points in just 28 minutes played, which is nevertheless also a career high in minutes for the rookie. The Celtics started a strange lineup of four forwards and one point guard, but rookies Ray and Kentucky star Rajon Rando saw significant minutes and made outstanding contributions off the bench.

Ray sank 6 of 9 shots from the field, and hit 3 of his 5 three-point attempts. He also was 7-8 from the free throw line.

A-Ray and the Celtics next play Sacramento at home on Friday night.

Foye and Ray score career highs

Randy Foye had a career high 25 points Tuesday night as Minnesota defeated Chicago. Despite playing only 26 minutes, Foye hit 8 of 17 shots from the floor.

No points, however, were more important than his last two. In a move Villanova fans have seen numerous times, Foye hit a driving layup with a little over one second left to break a 98-all tie, leading the T'wolves to a 100-98 victory.

Allan Ray also had a career-high 12 points on 5 for 10 shooting in 18 minutes of action during Boston's 105-116 loss to Denver. Ray looked impressive playing more than simply "junk minutes."

Kyle Lowry remains out of action with a broken wrist.

Allan Ray scores career high

A mere 45 minutes after Let'sGoNova reported that Allan Ray had secured a guaranteed contract with the Celtics, Ray went on to log career highs in points and minutes played. Ray went 4 for 6 from the field, scoring 9 points in 12 minutes during Boston's 82-100 loss to the Bulls.

Ray was finally given a shot at significant playing time and he did not disappoint. This may be just the tip of the iceberg for Allan if he continues to see his minutes go up.

Allan Ray secures guaranteed contract

Despite the fact that Allan Ray has played in only two games for a combined 7 minutes in his NBA career, the Boston Celtics have guaranteed the remainder of the former Villanova standout's 2006-2007 contract.  This means Villanova fans have 67 more opportunities this year to potentially see Allan Ray in an NBA uniform.

Allan's NBA career has been slow out of the gates, but fans must be patient, as he is playing behind the talented tandem of Rajon Rondo and Antonio Pena's old high-school teammate, Sebastian Telfair.  

Congratulations, Allan, for earning a guaranteed contract. We will continue to monitor A-Ray's NBA progress throughout the year.