Cobb County will be treated to a new brand of basketball next spring as the Georgia Gwizzlies take up residence in Marietta.

The Gwizzlies, who formerly called Gwinnett home and were members of the American Basketball Association, are negotiating a deal to play their home games at the Cobb Civic Center. According to the team's general manager and coach, Embry Malone, the Gwizzlies will play a 20-game schedule as a member of the Mountain State Basketball League beginning in April 2010.

The MSBL consists of eight teams from West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia and will serve as an intermediate step between college and the NBA's developmental league.

The move to Cobb County allows the Gwizzlies to get a fresh start after several rocky seasons in Gwinnett and Macon as members of the ABA and now-defunct American National Basketball League. Malone said he was persuaded to move the franchise to the area by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. He also thinks the team's fan base will get a boost with the move - especially if they are able to play in the Cobb Civic Center.

"That's our No. 1, No. 2 and No.3 (venue)," Malone said. "You've got transit there. It's centrally located. When you say Cobb Civic Center, everyone knows what you mean."

Malone says his primary goal is to prepare players to play at a higher level, including the NBA.

"Our No.1 goal is to get out players to several of the to the 30 NBA teams through the developmental league," said Malone. "It's to get this players to workouts and into the summer pro leagues.... Our goal is to get someone or some bodies to the NBA. Our goal is not just to get someone out to see us. That's secondary. Our goal in Cobb is to have a fan base, but also to get someone into the D-league or NBA summer team. We want to be an farm team for the NBA D-league and the NBA camps."

Already two Gwizzlies players have earned invitations to NBA workouts, while Malone is confident more will follow.

The Gwizzlies have made several key signings to their roster including former North Cobb High School standout Jason Smithson and international talent Ivan Cubela.

Smithson, a point guard, played two seasons at Coastal Georgia Community College. In 2008 he played for the Gwizzlies and prior to that he played a few games with the West Virginia Wild, formerly of the International Basketball League and now a member of the MSBL.

Cubela, an extremely versatile player from Croatia, has been a part of a variety of international teams since 2002 as well as the NBA D-League. He has already signed with the Gwizzlies, but he will not be drafted until after the team holds its mini-camps in early 2010. Malone is confident the international player, who has drawn some attention from NBA teams, will be his team's first draft pick.

"He is our No. 1 player and we are going to go from there," said Malone. "Jason is our No. 2 player. He played for me last winter and did very well in a (Continental Basketball Association) game. We lost the game, but he did very well at that level of competition."

In order for the D-League to consider excepting players from the Gwizzlies, the team must meet a number of criteria including paying its players, being a member of a professional run league and be able to provide video footage of its games.

Malone says the Gwizzlies will meet all the guidelines, so the players can have every available opportunity.

"We are prepared to do all that, so the players can get what they need and where they need to go," said Malone. "I am doing all of this for the players."

Malone also expects to have family-friendly ticket prices such as $5 seats and free admission for children under five. A season-ticket package for all 10 home games will be priced at just $40.

"Because of the unemployment and the foreclosures and general economy we cutting our prices from last year," said Malone. "We really want this to be family-friendly, family-affordable entertainment."