Professional basketball could be bouncing Augusta's way.

On Tuesday, officials from the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority confirmed recent meetings with owners of a franchise from the Continental Basketball Association.

Keith Brown, chairman of the Coliseum board, said he and other city officials, including Mayor Deke Copenhaver, met last week with the owners of a defunct CBA franchise once called the Atlanta Krunk.

Gary Perry, one of the team's three owners along with Lavon Mercer and Ricky Brown, said the plan is to restart the franchise in a new city.

Should they relocate to the Garden City, the team's new nickname will be the Augusta Avengers. Its colors would be burnt orange and black, similar to the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.

Linda Roberts, interim general manager of James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium, said the team would play 18 to 25 home games at the arena. The regular season runs from November to March.

Brown said plans on where the team is headed should be finalized after meeting with CBA officials in Albany, N.Y., on Friday.

Columbus, Ga., is also in the running but, according to Perry, Augusta is the front-runner.

Brown said the team would fit perfectly with Augusta.

"We're a basketball town," said Brown, noting the recent state title for Glenn Hills High School and Augusta State's runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Roberts and Perry said the franchise could be a economic boost to the city, with Perry adding, "This is the second-largest city in the state and we're hoping for good developments here."