Akita Northern Happinets

Akita Northern Happinets
Conference East
Division First
Leagues B.League
Founded 2010
History bj league (2010–2016)
B.League (2016–present)
Arena CNA Arena Akita
Location Akita, Akita
Team colors Pink, Gold, Black
              
President Japan Yuki Mizuno
Head coach Japan Makoto Hasegawa
Championships none
Conference titles 2x bj league Eastern Conference champion (2014, 2015)
Website Happinets.com
Uniforms
Home
Away

The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League.[1] The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found success for the first time in 2013–14, finishing their fourth season as league runners-up. They went on to finish as runners-up for the second year in a row in 2014–15 and in third place in 2015-16, the final season of the bj league.

History

Akita Prefecture's connection with basketball has historically lay with Noshiro Technical High School, which has won a total of 58 national-level championships, and the Isuzu Motors corporate team (currently the Yokohama Giga Spirits), which was based in Akita from 1955 until 1987. Following the formation of the independent bj league in 2006, a committee was formed to investigate the formation of a professional club within the prefecture in 2007 but was unsuccessful. In June 2008 another association was formed to pursue a bj league franchise licence and a pre-season match between the Sendai 89ers and Niigata Albirex BB was held a few months later. In January 2009 Akita Pro Basketball Club Co., Ltd. was established and in the following May was granted a licence to enter the 2010-11 bj league season. The team's name was announced at a pre-season match hosted in Akita between the 89ers and Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in September 2009.

2010-11 season

The Happinets entered the Eastern Conference of the bj league in October 2010 as one of three expansion teams. The Shimane Susanoo Magic and Miyazaki Shining Suns joined the Western Conference, taking the league to a total of 16 teams. For their first season the Happinets signed Seiichi Oba as general manager and former Shiga Lakestars coach Robert Pierce as head coach. 39-year-old Akita native and Noshiro Tech alumnus Makoto Hasegawa was acquired from Niigata in exchange for a first-round draft pick and took on a player-manager role. The team drafted Jun Nakanishi and Ryosuke Mizumachi in the expansion draft, Yuki Nobuhira in the second round of the rookie draft and Makoto Sawaguchi in the development draft.[2] The team was unable to reach a deal with Nakanishi, who instead signed with Rizing Fukuoka before the start of the season.

2011-12 season

In November 2011 the team signed Curtis Terry, brother of NBA player Jason Terry, to replace the injured Brandon Wallace. After 14 games Terry was released from the club in January due to his arrest for theft from a convenience store.[3]

Current roster

Akita Northern Happinets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt.
PG 2 Japan Mizumachi, Ryosuke 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 83 kg (183 lb)
PG 3 Japan Ando, Seiya 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 80 kg (176 lb)
SG 5 Japan Taguchi, Shigehiro (C) 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 84 kg (185 lb)
SF 9 Japan Shirahama, Ryosuke 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 85 kg (187 lb)
F 11 Japan Sugasawa, Noriyuki 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
C 13 Canada Morrison, Scott 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 112 kg (247 lb)
F 15 United States Palmer, Kevin 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 95 kg (209 lb)
SG 16 Japan Takahashi, Kenichi 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 76 kg (168 lb)
G 18 Japan Fujie, Tatsunori 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 86 kg (190 lb)
F 23 United States Stephens, Deshawn 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 102 kg (225 lb)
F/C 55 Japan Taniguchi, Daichi 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 105 kg (231 lb)
Head coach

Japan Mike Hasegawa

Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: August 29, 2016

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Management

General manager

Managers

Notable former players

Season by season

bj league

B1

Head coaches

Years Coach Record
2010–2011 Robert Pierce 18–32
2011–2014 Kazuo Nakamura 94-62
2014–present Makoto Hasegawa 76–28
2010–present Total 218–122

Mascot

Bicky is the official mascot of the Akita Northern Happinets. The Frog wears #82 and is able to slam-dunk.

Arenas & Facilities

The Happinets play their home games at CNA Arena Akita, their home since 2016. During their time in the bj league, the Happinets played their home games at the Akita Prefectural Gymnasium. Another home, Yurihonjo Arena is under construction. A new prefectural gymnasium will be built in 2026.[4] The team has practice facilities at the Akita Bank Gymnasium, Akita Xerox Sports Square and Akita International University gymnasium.[5] They also build muscle at Varsity Weight Room in Yabase, Akita.[6]

"Crazy Pink" phenomenon

The Happinets fans are widely known as "Crazy Pink" and sometimes have overwhelming numbers at the visitors games.[7][8][9] The hoop-crazed fans light up arena with "Bigabiga", pink glow sticks and sing the prefectural anthem before the game. They have a branch named ”Kanto Crazy Pink Coalition" in Kantō region. The leader is a stout man, Yuu Ono.[10]

Media

Radio

The Happinets players' talk show is aired occasionally on ABS.[11] The Happinets don't have any play-by-play radio broadcasting.

Television

SoftBank Group Corp. is estimated to have invested over ¥12 billion to acquire the broadcasting rights of B.League in 2016.[12] The Happinets home game broadcasters are Toshifumi Takeshima (Akita Television, play-by-play announcer) and Masato Ogasawara (Head coach of Akita Bank). The Cable Networks Akita used to televise the Happinets games.

References

  1. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (31 July 2015). "First wave of teams allocated for new hoop league". JapanTimes.co.jp. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "bjリーグドラフト会議 2010 指名選手のお知らせ" [Announcement of players drafted at the 2010 bj league draft] (in Japanese). 8 June 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Odeven, Ed (21 January 2012). "Happinets cut Terry following arrest". Japan Times. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  4. ↑ Akita Sakigake (22 September 2016). "「まずはＣＳ」ＮＨ選手らＢリーグ開幕控え決意". Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Akita Northern Happinets (10 Feb 2015). "秋田銀行頭取湊屋隆夫様にお話を伺いました". Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Varsity Weight Room (7 October 2016). "Varsity Weight Room". Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Shimane, Jun (13 September 2016). "秋田・田口が開幕相手栃木・田臥と舌戦応酬". Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Nikkan Sports (22 September 2016). "Crazy Pinkに染まれ". Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  9. ↑ ひらせんYouTube (6 May 2016). "盛り上がる秋田ブースター". Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Sato, Akira (17 May 2016). "「団長」秋田の一体感導く". Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  11. ↑ ABS Radio (30 August 2016). "秋田ヲ叫べノーザンハピネッツ". Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  12. ↑ Nagatsuka, Kaz (19 September 2016). "B. League chairman heralds new era". Retrieved 19 September 2016.

External links

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