February 5, 2004

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Guard Eddie Gill to a multi-year contract. The 6-foot, 190-pound guard will join the team in Utah today and will be in uniform (number 4) tomorrow night when the Trail Blazers visit the Utah Jazz at 6pm (PST).

Gill had been playing in the Continental Basketball Association for the Dakota (Bismarck, ND) Wizards where he was a participant in the 2004 CBA All-Star Game last month.

He appeared in 25 games for the Wizards, averaging 18.1 ppg (10th in the CBA), 4.8 rpg, 8.0 apg (3rd) and 2.6 spg (3rd). Gill recorded eight double-doubles and one triple-double this season.

The 25-year-old finished his college career at Weber State in 2000 after spending his freshman year at the College of Eastern Utah and his sophomore season at Salt Lake Community College. He was named the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1999 and was selected First Team All-Big Sky Conference his junior and senior seasons.

He has seen action in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets and the Memphis Grizzlies. Gill appeared in eight games with the Nets during the 2000-01 season, averaging 4.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg and 3.0 apg. He played in 23 games with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001-02, averaging 5.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 2.1 apg.

Gill has also played in the now defunct International Basketball League, the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Development League as well as in Italy and Greece.

After tomorrow night’s game, Portland returns home to face the Seattle Supersonics on Sunday, February 8 in the Rose Garden at Noon.