Mention the name Ekene Ibekwe to any die-hard Toronto Raptors fan and they'll recount how he was taken off the court at Cox Pavilion on a stretcher and rushed to UMC Medical Center during the Las Vegas Summer League in 2009.

Ibekwe was injured trying to make a game-saving block against then Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic who drove the lane in the final seconds. Ibekwe blocked the shot and crashed to the floor over Dragic, nailing his chin on the hardwood.

The Raptors got the 74-73 win that day.

The former Maryland Terrapins' power forward survived the fall and suffered two sprained wrists and six stitches to his chin.

Three years later, Ekene Ibekwe remains strong at heart in full survival mode overseas playing everywhere from Israel, France, Turkey, Iran and today in Germany where he roams the low blocks for BBC Bayreuth in Germany's premiere Beko BBL.

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The NBA Development League is slowly but surely developing into what a true minor league should look like, at least as far as talent is concerned. The NBA lockout is probably the main reason for that considering quite a few players either stayed home and waited for training camp opportunities or their jobs were filled by more high-profile players in Europe, but it's nonetheless helping the D-League out more than your's truly thought would be possible.

The latest players to sign with the NBA's official minor league are on opposite sides when it comes to living up to the 'development' portion of the league's name as rookie Keith Benson and NBA veteran Marcus Banks both signed contracts on Tuesday, according to a league source.

Banks was a semi-productive NBA player not all that long ago, but hasn't played since being included as a throw-in as part of the trade that netted Jerryd Bayless for the Toronto Raptors. The UNLV product shouldn't look too past his prime like many of the NBA veterans that have signed in the D-League, however, as he was an NBA lottery pick just eight seasons ago.

Benson, a second round draft pick of the Atlanta Hawks, was a two-time Summit League Player of the Year while playing for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in Michigan. Former D-Leaguer Ivan Johnson took the spot that was presumed to be Benson's in training camp, but the 6-foot-11 center will likely be one of the best big men in the D-League as soon as he joins a roster.

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It was just a couple of days ago when your's truly sent out a message on Twitter saying that Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Ben Uzoh deserves to be on an NBA roster. I apparently wasn't alone in that assessment, though, as the NBA Development League announced on Monday afternoon that the former New Jersey Net was named the most recent D-League Performer of the Week.

Uzoh, a 6-foot-3 guard that's probably best described as a combo at this point in his career, averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds while shooting a blistering 66 percent from the field in three games last week. Since joining the D-League just five games ago, Uzoh is averaging an impresive 20.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting 57 percent from the field.

Those numbers aren't all that unexpected considering the former Tulsa guard was known to fill up the box score in college, but his season with the New Jersey Nets last year -- as an undrafted rookie free agent -- didn't indicate that Uzoh would be able to shoot anywhere close to 57 percent from the floor, small sample size be damned considering he's already attempted one-third as many shots he put in the NBA all of last season.

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Next stop on the Nick Fazekas basketball tour: the Philippines.

Fazekas is one of five NBA free agents with D-League connections who are signing deals in the Philippine Basketball Association this week as teams there ramp up their rosters for the Commissioner's Cup according to multiple reports.

Fazekas is said to have traveled to the Philippines two weeks ago with NBA Hall of Famer Alex English (prior to English being hired as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings on Keith Smart's staff) and now is set to sign with Blaze Boosters in the PBA Fiesta Conference starting Feb. 10. The 6-foot-11 center last split time between the Dallas Mavericks and Reno Bighorns of the D-League.

Other notable players thayt will sign in the Phillipines include Jelani McCoy, DerMarr Johnson, Jake Voskuhl and Dwayne Jones.

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The NBA Development League had quite the week leading up to the annual D-League Showcase as players flocked to the NBA's official minor league to get extra eyes on them as representatives from all 30 NBA teams flocked to lovely Reno, Nev., for the annual scouting event.

It's been one week since the Showcase was completed, however, and the NBA veterans continue to sign with the D-League in hopes of showing talent evaluators that they're in shape. The latest, according to league sources, is eight-year NBA veteran Devin Brown.

Brown is no stranger to the D-League as the 6-foot-5 swingman won the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in 2003 before embarking on a fairly successful trip to the NBA. The former Fayetteville Patriot has fallen on hard times as of late, however, as he was cut earlier this year in Poland after sitting out all of last season as a free agent.

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Malik Hairston's waiting game isn't getting any easier to stomach as the days go by.

Neither are the question marks surrounding his immediate future in Italy.

The former 6-foot-6 swingman for the San Antonio Spurs and Austin Toros who now calls Milan, Italy home with Olimpia Milano, nearly made it through a season overseas without having to be sidelined with an injury. But instead Hairston sits on the shelf wondering if he'll play again this season.

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