Jersey Jaguars

The Jersey Jaguars (also called the Jersey SkyCats during their first and only season) were an American Basketball Association team in 2004-2005. They were founded by owner/GM/coach Ron Eford, a former 4-year starter at Marquette University and veteran of minor-league basketball in the US and abroad.

A second owner - Graham Sampson - was brought on board to handle the business side of the franchise; however, his decision to pull out less than one week prior to the team's opening game resulted in Eford taking over all ownership duties, and also led to the name change from Jaguars to SkyCats.

The SkyCats/Jaguars were the third ABA team in the state, after the New Jersey Americans of the original league (who would eventually become the New Jersey Nets) and the Jersey Squires of the current incarnation of the ABA (the Squires eventually moved to Philadelphia, then disbanded in 04-05). The SkyCats played their home games at the Bill Bradley Center on the campus of Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey.

They finished in 5th place in the White Division with a 12-9 record. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Maryland Nighthawks, 124-105.

The franchise successfully had 6 of its players - and the person behind its mascot, Shimmy - promoted to more prestigious contracts abroad and in the US.

The team did not return for the 2005-2006 season. Ron Eford went on to play a portion of the 05-06 season with the Albany Patroons of the CBA, then returned to the ABA bench as GM/coach of the fledgling Brooklyn Wonders in 06-07.