Mike Harris of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 11, 2010.  

Harris led Rio Grande Valley to a 2-1 record last week, including a 2009-10 NBA D-League season high 48 points to go with 24 rebounds in an overtime victory over the Dakota Wizards in Bismark on Jan. 17.

Carlos Powell of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 4.  Powell twice earned the award during the 2007-08 season.  

Powell led Albuquerque to a 4-0 record, including two victories at the 2010 NBA D-League Showcase (over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Tulsa 66ers) and home wins over the Reno Bighorns and Utah Flash.  

Powell averaged 20.0 points, shooting 43 percent (28-of-65) from the field, to go with 5.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds.  The 6-7 forward out of South Carolina scored more than 20 points on three occasions, including a 25-point outing against the 66ers on Jan. 7.

Top NBA D-League prospects Dontell Jefferson (Utah), Reggie Williams (Sioux Falls), Carlos Powell (Albuquerque), Anthony Tolliver (Idaho), and Joey Dorsey (Rio Grande Valley Vipers, on assignment from the Houston Rockets) comprise the 2010 NBA D-League All-Showcase First Team.  The team was voted on by a group of NBA D-League head coaches and NBA scouts following the week-long, 16-game event at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho.  

Jefferson, who spent part of the 2008-09 season with the Charlotte Bobcats following a GATORADE Call-Up, led the Flash, averaging 26.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, including a 32-point performance on Jan. 7 in a win over Fort Wayne.  Williams, who was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Dec. 21, 2009, scored an NBA D-League Showcase-high 43 points on Jan. 6, and averaged 29.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during the event as the Skyforce went 1-1.  

Tolliver, who is back in Boise after a GATORADE Call-Up to the Portland Trail Blazers, averaged 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, as the Stampede went 2-0 on his team's home floor. Dorsey, on assignment from the Houston Rockets, averaged 17.5 points, shooting 11-of-11 from the floor during a Jan. 6 win over Bakersfield, to go with 11.0 rebounds, as the Vipers went 1-1.

The NBA D-League All-Showcase Second Team features Maurice Baker (Dakota), Alonzo Gee (Austin), Morris Almond (Springfield), DJ White (Tulsa, on assignment from the Oklahoma City Thunder), and Alade Aminu (Erie).

Five players earned NBA D-League All-Showcase Third Team honors:  Tulsa?s Mustafa Shakur, Iowa?s Curtis Stinson and Cartier Martin, Rio Grande Valley?s Antonio Anderson, and Austin?s Dwayne Jones.  

An additional 12 players earned Honorable Mention accolades for their performances last week, including: Cedric Jackson (Erie), Russell Robinson (Reno), Ron Howard (Fort Wayne), Garrett Temple (Rio Grande Valley), Mario West (Maine), Romel Beck (Dakota), Desmon Farmer (Reno), Brian Butch (Bakersfield), Earl Barron (Iowa), Cedric Simmons (Idaho Stampede), Diamon Simpson (Los Angeles), and Jared Reiner (Fort Wayne).

Versus today announced an agreement with the NBA Development League, the NBA?s official minor league, to air 10 regular season and six playoff games throughout 2010.  

The NBA D-League regular season games will air on Versus on Saturday nights at 11 p.m. ET, beginning Jan. 16, when the Fort Wayne Mad Ants meet the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Versus will tip off NBA D-League playoff coverage on April 10.  All regular season and postseason games will be presented in HD.  

?We are very excited to announce this new partnership with the NBA D-League and to have the opportunity to showcase the league?s future stars to a national audience,? said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for Versus.  ?As we do with all of our partners, we also look forward to super-serving basketball fans by surrounding the high-paced NBA D-League game action with many hours of complementary NBA programming.?  

?Teaming up with Versus provides us with another great outlet to showcase the incredible talent of the NBA D-League throughout the season,? said Dan Reed, President of the NBA D-League.  ?Last season, 20 percent of NBA players had NBA D-League experience and, through this agreement with Versus, more fans than ever will have the opportunity to see many future NBA players in action.?

Patrick Mills, on assignment from the Portland Trail Blazers with the Idaho Stampede, dropped 38 points off the Idaho bench Friday night, lifting the Stampede to a 123-109 New Year?s Day victory over the Reno Bighorns in the Reno Events Center.

Mills finished 7-of-10 from behind the arc and also had 12 assists in the win.