Coaches Corner With Head Coach Matt Newby 23/03/21.

Ahead of a very busy week of fixtures for the club, Head Coach Matt Newby brings us up to speed with the latest edition of Coaches Corner.

Dear Wolfpack,

This week is pivotal in our campaign for a high order play-off berth, obviously all games are important but we will play a third of our remaining schedule this week and this will have huge implications on the current standings. 

On Wednesday we are on the road to Manchester Giants who will be aiming for a resurgence following the recent appointment of former London Royals Coach Lloyd Gardner, who is arguable one of the best coaches on the domestic scene.  Coupled with the continued integration of Aaron Germipoor, a Manchester native who has incredible basketball pedigree it is safe to say that we will be matching up with a different animal. 

Manchester have 10 games remaining and sit on a 6 – 14 record although the record deceives and they have a interesting close to the season with match ups against Surrey Bristol and Glasgow twice in the mix making the contest for the final berths in the playoffs tantalizing.  However it could be the impact this reorganised and rejuvenated team could have in terms of final standings; with significant match ups against Sheffield, Newcastle, Leicester, Plymouth and London.  Former Worcester Guard Jordan Whelan has been a constant for the giants and Sam Cassell Jr and Donovan Johnson have been consistent throughout this campaign and will want to be closing out this season with a playoff run.

On Friday we host Bristol who have 12 games remaining and Coach Andreas Kapoulas charges are beginning to find rhythm following a season which has seen significant challenges with no less than two Covid interruptions and injuries which have significantly impeded their progress.  They are not so much a sleeper but a team much like ourselves that is finding its feet late in the game.  In recent weeks they have had much improved form with close games and potentially opportunities missed at the close of games against Cheshire and Sheffield respectively they closed out in OT against Glasgow. 

The backcourt blend of Great Britain guards Okereafor and Mockford and veteran Josh Wilcher on paper is one of the best back courts in the league and they could be finding that much needed form at the right time.  Impressive throughout this campaign Marcus Delpeche and Eric Lockett  are the leading scorers and rebounders in the unit with Delpeche specifically shining of late.  The integration of Justin Baker has also begun to bear fruit. Their run in to the close of the season much the same as Manchester’s could seriously impact the final standings.  Importantly we face them twice which means the season head to head is still up for grabs reinforcing the significance of us holding our nerve on our own court.  In the final 6 weeks Bristol match up with all of the current top 6:  Leicester twice, London twice, Plymouth twice, Sheffield once and Newcastle once. This will continue to test a battle hardened flyers and could be the ultimate preparation for a playoff run.

Sunday sees us face the inform London Lions hot off their Trophy final win, the lions are rolling with 14 games remaining in the 2020-21 campaign and two finals under their belt they have proven their talented roster can deliver.  The Trophy final against the Plymouth Raiders showcased not only the talent of both teams, but the UOW Arena in all its glory on Sky Sports, the league and its respective franchise have been the beneficiary of this fantastic coverage and this showcasing of the league will no doubt impact its future;

Congratulations to the Lions and Coach Vince Macualay on their Trophy Success.

Back to business: The London Lions depth is a massive asset and now the roster has settled and they are in rhythm they are going to be tough to beat.  The danger here is negating one or two threats and the next man up simple delivering the various combinations they can present make them a difficult proposition and arguable they have the versatility to find an answer to the propositions other teams bring to the table.  DeAndre Liggins consistently receives attention and rightly so, however Justin Robinsons experience and clutch mentality, Dirk Williams relentless nature, coupled with Kevin Wares and Orlando Parkers talent and the comprehensive domestic interior they have they are tough!

In terms of our own progress we are 5-1 over the last 6 games with the roster coming back to health and a stronger level of connectivity we are beginning to see strong outputs across the board. Integrating Elijah Burns has been made easier by his professionalism and the efforts of all players.  It was great to see Josh Mcswiggan’s impact once more, now that he is healthy we can see him impact the rotation and show his versatility as a position 3-4, Mike Parks has had some great games throughout this spell and with rotation in Burns and UOW standout DJT we have real versatility in the forward line.  Jordan Williams has continued to show his versatility impacting the stat sheet in a variety of ways each game and continues to be one of the strongest performers in the league. 

The back court continues to mature and critically are becoming more comfortable with system and one another: On any given night we see different combinations giving us output with individuals playing on whole with a selfless mentality, we have seen some big games from Bouwknecht, Kimble and Anderson of late and strong defensive displays from Elan but our strength is in depth with players stepping up from within the rotation nightly.

In a busy week, we hope your families remain healthy and safe.

Coach.