• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

2015-16 Season Previews – Week 25

British_Basketball_League_(emblem)THIS WEEK’S GAMES
 
Where and when:

Carnegie Sports Centre, 7.30pm Friday 4 March

Summary:

Worcester Wolves could hand a debut to new signing Jordan Aaron when they travel to Leeds Forceon Friday.

The point guard joined the Midlands club this week following the departure of Josh Cameron last month.

Aaron has experience of playing professionally in Portugal, where he averaged 16.7 points and 4.4 assists per-game last season, having played his college basketball in NCAA Division with Milwaukee Panthers.

He will have his work cut out on Friday, however.

Behind their own recent addition at the point guard position, Marek Klassen, Force have won three of their last four games as their Play-Off push gains momentum.

Last time they met:

Worcester Wolves 76 Leeds Force 66 (BBL Championship, University of Worcester Arena, 27 November 2015)

Form:

Force: LLWLWW
Wolves: LWLLLW

Three Points:

* Wolves have won all five BBL meetings between these teams
* Force guard Marek Klassen was selected as a starter in the latest BBL All-Star Five
* Wolves’ Perris Blackwell ranks sixth in the league for both points-per-game (17.6) and rebounds-per-game (9.9)

What they say:

Force forward Clayfell Harris: “We have to work on being consistent. In some of our previous losses we have had two or three good quarters and then one or two quarters that killed us.

“In our last two wins we were more consistent throughout the games in limiting our mistakes as well as capitalising on our opportunities and it has paid off for us.

“Worcester are a very dangerous team, and I think the thing that stands out about them is the way that they can put runs together very quickly and change the pace of the game. We have to make sure we contain these runs and not let them get out of hand.”

Wolves forward Pavol Losonsky: “Sometimes it is nice to get a free weekend so everyone can get away from basketball and refresh the mind.

“We were not going super hard last week, just making sure everyone was okay and healthy because some guys, including myself, were dealing with sickness. Our preparation for the upcoming games started on Monday and we still have many games ahead of us and still plenty to play for.

“I always think more about ourselves and what we have to do rather than the other team. We have been up and down the whole season and now it is our last chance to get really together and make the last push before the Play-Offs and get ourselves confident and hungry for some silverware.

Friday is going to be a tough game, but I still believe we can beat any team in the BBL this season if we come with right mind-set.”

Tickets:www.leedsforce.co.uk

Esh Group Eagles Newcastle v London Lions
Where and when:

Sport Central, 7-30pm Friday 4 March

Summary:

Esh Group Eagles Newcastle face last season’s BBL Play-Off Final opponents London Lions as they aim to bounce back from BBL Trophy Final defeat.

Eagles’ quest for a second consecutive clean sweep came to an end last Saturday as they were beaten by Leicester Riders in front of a sold-out crowd at Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

But if history tells us anything, it is that few teams respond to disappointment like Fab Flournoy’s men.

The reigning champions will seek to maintain the upper hand in the BBL Championship title race against a Lions team, who went without a game last weekend following a big win against Manchester Giants.

Last time they met:

Esh Group Eagles Newcastle 92 London Lions 84 (BBL Championship, Sport Central, 02 October 2015)

Form:

Eagles: WWWWWL
Lions: WWLWLW

Three Points:

* Eagles have won the last seven meetings between these teams
* Rahmon Fletcher went for 21 points and seven assists when these teams met back in October
* Eagles were boosted by the return of Scott Martin and Darius Defoe last weekend

What they say:

Eagles forward Scott Martin: “Our response to the loss will be to get back into the gym and practice hard to correct our mistakes from the weekend. We have to go through the film and see where we can improve and focus on those areas. We can’t dwell on the loss but we need to learn from it.

“For Friday the focus will be on ourselves. The big thing for us is to execute and make some shots. Offensively we need to get ourselves some easy baskets to help our confidence and hopefully that will lead to good things for us.”

Lions coach Nigel Lloyd: “The guys are gelling really well and we have been trying to incorporate some new things because Newcastle have been handling us really well. We are just trying to make little changes.

“Last time they won the Cup, they lost the next game. Now they have lost the Trophy that means they are going to be even more focused. But we are up for the challenge.

“We have got to play our basketball for 40 minutes. We need to learn what we need to do to be successful.

“We are far away from them, sixth place in the league and they are top of the league. But we still want to be able to compete with the top teams in our league and show a little bit of consistency.”

Tickets:www.newcastle-eagles.com

Plymouth University Raiders v Sheffield Sharks
Where and when:

Plymouth Pavilions, 7.30pm Friday 4 March

Summary:

Hanging on to their place in the BBL Play-Off positions will be the motivation for Plymouth Raiders when they host Sheffield Sharks on Friday.

Defeat against Manchester Giants last time out saw Daryl Corletto’s men slip back to eighth spot, level on points with Leeds Force in ninth.

Victory against Sheffield Sharks would go a long way to strengthening their position, with Force facing a tough task against Worcester Wolves.

But Sharks have beaten Raiders in both of their meetings so far this term and come into this contest well-rested, having gone without a game last weekend.

Atiba Lyons’ side are in action 24 hours later, however, as they travel to Bristol Flyers.

Last time they met:

Plymouth Raiders 73 Sheffield Sharks 99 (BBL Trophy Quarter-Final, Plymouth Pavilions, 31 January 2016)

Form:

Raiders: LWLWWL
Sharks: LWTLLW

Three Points:

* Raiders have won just one of the last 11 BBL meetings between these teams
* Mike Tuck had 28 points and nine rebounds when these teams met back in January
* The BBL’s top three individual scorers will be on show in this game, Daryl Corletto, Jerrold Brooks and Corey Dixon

What they say:

Raiders player-coach Daryl Corletto: “We need to know that we need the right mind-set going into every game we play. We have to compete for the full 40 minutes of the game.

“As a team we need to trust each other and believe in what we are about, control what we can control, which is our mind-sets, energy and effort, if we bring these things to each game we will be okay.

“Sharks are a quality team that really dominated us last time we played them in front of our home fans, which was not good enough on our behalf.

“We know they have a very good point guard in [Jerrold] Brooks. They also have one of the best forwards in the BBL in [Mike] Tuck. We need to limit these two and also [Antone] Robinson, who comes off the bench and plays with great energy.”

Sharks guard Kyle Odister: “Last weekend was a good break for our team to rest up, after a two-and-a-half-week span of straight games.

“We lost in the Semi-Final in a tough battle against the Trophy winners and played against some of the top teams in the league during that span. Heading into the end of the season, we are fine-tuning and gearing up to make a promising Play-Off push.

“Plymouth are a team that have some good offensive weapons. For us to be successful it will be key for our team to lock in on defence and match their physicality.”

Tickets: www.plymouthraiders.com

Manchester Giants v Plymouth University Raiders
Where and when:

Lucozade Soccerdome, 6.00pm Sunday 28 February

Summary:

Manchester Giants’ BBL Play-Off prospects could look a lot clearer come Sunday evening.

Yorick Williams’ side go into the weekend eight points off the post-season positions and having lost their last five games.

But Giants could make a big dent in that deficit with an away trip to rivals Leeds Force on Fridaybefore hosting current seventh seed Plymouth Raiders on Sunday.

It will be a tough ask to take anything from either game, however. Force showed real steel to beat Bristol Flyers in overtime last weekend while Raiders adapted quickly to life without star point guard Josh Wilcher, inflicting a damaging defeat on Cheshire Phoenix.

Last time they met:

Plymouth Raiders 100 Manchester Giants 102 (BBL Championship, Plymouth Pavilions, 20 December 2015)

Form:

Giants: WLLLLL
Raiders: LLWLWW

Three Points:

* Giants have won the last six meetings between these two teams
* Callum Jones goes into the weekend needing 14 assists to reach 500 in BBL Championship play
* Daryl Corletto and Cory Dixon were both named as starters in the latest BBL All-Star Five

What they say:

Giants guard Callum Jones: “For [Daryl] Corletto we have to not fall asleep and lose him behind the three-point line because he will knock it down and also hedge when he runs off screens. Pressuring their ball handlers without [Josh] Wilcher will be most important though.”

Raiders forward Mike Vigor: “A great result for us as a team [against Cheshire], losing Josh [Wilcher] mid-week was never easy but a young Dylan Costelloe was up to the challenge and was awesome for us on Sunday.

“We have been preaching for a number of weeks now that ball movement and the importance of team ball instead of the play of individuals will help us succeed, that has been evident in the past couple of games.

“Manchester have been a bit of a bogey team for us this year as they are great at getting into the paint. A big key for us of late has been stopping dribble penetration and forcing teams to beat us with contested jump shots. Duane Bailey has been fantastic defensively for us and will have a big role against Manchester helping us to three wins in a row.”

Tickets: www.manchestergiants.com

Bristol Flyers v Sheffield Sharks

Where and when:

WISE Basketball Arena, 7.30pm Saturday 5 March

Summary:

Bristol Flyers tip-off a potentially season-defining stretch with a home clash against Sheffield Sharks on Saturday.

Andreas Kapoulas’ side enter the weekend six points off the BBL Play-Off positions, tied with Surrey Scorchers and Manchester Giants.

But with three games in hand, Flyers will have their opportunity to reduce the deficit this month with Saturday’s clash the first of seven league games in March.

Both teams were without a game last weekend, although Sharks travel to Plymouth Raiders on Friday ahead of this one.

Last time they met:

Sheffield Sharks 70 Bristol Flyers 43 (BBL Championship, EIS Sheffield, 08 January 2016)

Form:

Flyers: LLWLLL
Sharks: LWTLLW

Three Points:

* Sharks have won the last two meetings between these teams by a combined margin of 56 points
* Antone Robinson had a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double when these teams last met
* Flyers welcomed back Tyrone Lee last time out, following his ankle injury

What they say:

Flyers coach Andreas Kapoulas: “This past week has all been about preparation for March. February was a difficult month for our team and this week was an opportunity to refocus and get ready for the remaining 12 games of the season

“Sheffield are a very physical side with great balance. They can attack you inside and out and are very methodical in their approach. We need to match their physicality on both ends of the court, they do a great job in controlling the tempo of the game and we need to disrupt this

“This season injuries have proved a big factor and have not allowed us to find the consistency required for a run of good results. We have been able to battle through the injuries and have had a series of close games. We are hoping we have put all these behind us and we will go into March Madness with a full and healthy roster.”

Sharks guard Kyle Odister: “Bristol are a well coached team that plays with intensity for 40 minutes. Coming off the Plymouth game on Friday, the quick turnaround on the road will be a good test for our team as a whole to contribute.”

Tickets:www.bristolflyers.co.uk

Leicester Riders v Surrey Scorchers
Where and when:

Leicester Community Sports Arena, 7.30pm Saturday 5 March

Summary:

Leicester Riders will hope to feel a boost from their BBL Trophy success when they welcome Surrey Scorchers to the east midlands on Saturday.

Riders completed their collection of BBL silverware last weekend, finally winning the Trophy that had eluded despite four previous trips to the final.

However, focus will switch back to the BBL Championship charge on Saturday after Rob Paternostro’s men dropped their last league game against Glasgow Rocks.

Scorchers were beaten by Cheshire Phoenix last time out, despite rallying from 14 points down to cut the gap to just one at the final buzzer.

Last time they met:

Leicester Riders 77 Surrey Scorchers 60 (BBL Trophy Quarter-Final, Leicester Community Sports Arena, 30 January 2016)

Form:

Riders: WWTWLW
Scorchers: LLWLLL

Three Points:

* Riders’ Drew Sullivan was selected as a starter in the latest BBL All-Star Five
* Scorchers could hand a debut to American guard Mike Anderson in this game
* Riders’ Rob Paternostro was this week named Molten BBL Coach of the Month for February

What they say:

Riders forward Jamell Anderson: “It was really exciting to bring the Trophy back to Leicester. There are two more trophies to pick up and we are really excited about the rest of the season and we will continue to work hard.”

Scorchers captain Tayo Ogedengbe: “We are a young team and we are still learning how to win, every game is a learning situation for us and we are just trying to improve our standing for this final part of the season.

“Leicester are having yet another good season and credit to Rob [Paternostro, coach] and the team over there. But the way we are playing at the moment it is possible for us to beat anyone, we are just trying to find some consistency, which is our main problem.”

Tickets:www.leicesterriders.co.uk

Glasgow Rocks v Manchester Giants

Where and when:

Emirates Arena, 5.00pm Sunday 6 March

Summary:

Glasgow Rocks and Manchester Giants both go into Sunday’s meeting off the back of impressive victories.

Rocks were without a game last weekend as they bedded in new signing Andre Stephens, but before that recorded back-to-back road wins against London Lions and title challengers Leicester Riders.

Giants played twice last weekend, coming up short against Leeds Force before halting the in-form Plymouth Raiders to improve their BBL Play-Off prospects.

Last time they met:

Manchester Giants 86 Glasgow Rocks 99 (BBL Championship, Lucozade Soccerdome, 13 December 2015)

Form:

Rocks: LLWLWW
Giants: LLLLLW

Three Points:

* Rocks could hand a debut to 6ft 8in American forward, Andre Stephens
* Rocks’ Kieron Achara was this week named Molten BBL Player of the Month for February
* Giants’ Jerelle Okoro scored a season-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting against Raiders

What they say:

Rocks coach Sterling Davis: “Andre [Stephens] plays with a lot of energy. He has some professional experience under his belt so will know what it takes and what this is about.

“Last weekend off could not have come at a better time for our group. Not only were we bringing in another player but we have also been dealing with quite a few injuries with our guys who are still playing at the moment. It gave us a chance to heal a bit while also trying to stay sharp.

“We just have to be mentally ready for what Manchester pose. They are an extremely dangerous team because of their style of play. They want to speed up the pace so we must try and control the tempo.”

Giants guard Jerelle Okoro: “Hopefully [the win against Plymouth] puts us back on track. We know as a team what we are capable of and we feel we haven’t reached our full potential yet.

“Personally, it feels great to contribute towards the game and knowing you played a part in getting the win.

“Yorick [Williams, coach] will not let us get complacent, there are mistakes that were made in the game that we have to rectify for the future if we stand a chance of getting to the Play-Offs.

“Glasgow are a good team, that play disciplined basketball. They are really good at punishing you for your mistakes, so we need to make as few as possible and be aggressive both on offence and defence.”

Tickets:www.glasgowrocks.co.uk

Cheshire Phoenix v Surrey Scorchers

Where and when:

Cheshire Oaks Arena, 5.30pm Sunday 6 March

Summary:

Cheshire Phoenix and Surrey Scorchers clash for the second time in nine days on Sunday.

Phoenix appeared to be cruising to a routine success in that game, leading by 14 points with four minutes remaining.

But Scorchers staged a late fight-back before eventually coming up just a point short – teeing things up nicely for a rapid rematch.

Last time they met:

Surrey Scorchers 88 Cheshire Phoenix 89 (BBL Championship, Surrey Sports Park, 26 February 2016)

Form:

Phoenix: WLLWLW
Scorchers: LLWLLL

Three Points:

* Phoenix’s David Aliu was named as a starter in the latest BBL All-Star Five
* KC Ross-Miller went for 35 points when these teams met last weekend
* Phoenix can secure the season head-to-head tie-breaker with victory

What they say:

Phoenix coach John Lavery: “It was disappointing to give up such a healthy lead going down the stretch, but the most important thing was picking up the ‘W’. It doesn’t really matter if you win ugly, as long as you get the win, that’s all that counts.

“It’s a new game, new chapter. That one is done and dusted with, but we can learn from it.

“[KC Ross-Miller] is a talented PG. He ran them really well, he led from the front, but you still have other guys to contain, like Tayo [Ogedengbe], and Andreas Schreiber had a decent night as well. It’s not just one guy that we need to focus on.

“It’s about a collective team effort on the defensive end, and the offensive end, and being disciplined.”

Scorchers captain Tayo Ogedengbe: “It was our first meeting with the side [Phoenix] so we will make a few minor adjustments at practice but nothing major.

“Cheshire are a team full of talent with the likes of [Akeem] Ellis and [Kinu] Rochford and my former team-mate Danny Huffor, and they are steered well by the vet David Aliu.

“They, at times, struggle to get on the same page, but when they are, they play really good basketball and can be difficult to beat.”

Tickets: www.cheshirephoenix.com

By admin