A Word From Coach Newby.

Heading into our opening weekend of action, Head Coach Matt Newby has brought is Coach’s Corner this season.

Here is Matt’s review of the weekend and season.

Firstly I hope your family and friends are healthy safe and well in what have been challenging times for all. We are at the dawn of a new season; one, that irrespective of the backdrop of Covid 19 and the uncertainty it has cast, the BBL genuinely looks promising. League wide we have seen rosters bolstered with new talent, transitions between teams of successful imports and several clubs now the beneficiaries of new investment or ownership.

The front runners in the early exchanges whether that be preseason or the opening rounds of the cup are perennial contenders Leicester Riders and Newcastle Eagles with Coach Rob Paternostro and Coach Mcleod respectively recruiting formidable rosters, their first clash was a great advertisement for the league and genuine shootout exhibiting the talent at hand. Mcleod comes of the back of trophy success in his rookie season and Coach Paternostro is the most successful active coach in the BBL and has been Crowned coach of the year no less than 6 times.

Sheffield Sharks are also coming to the fore with a blend of old school stability and some wise reinvention from coach Atiba Lyons. London Lions remain highly touted but have struggled to find form in their infancy as new unit, however they certainly have both the depth and ambition with Head Coach Vince Macaulay honouring the distinction of competing in Europe this season.

In the south west Plymouth Raiders have recruited an impressive domestic core and should they compliment this with the right imports and Coach Paul James’s vast experience in the league they could have a contender on his hands. Bristol Flyers have retained some of their fundamental pieces and made some key decisions about their backcourt, Coach Andreas Kapoulas will be aiming to repeat the form that saw them advance to the BBL Cup final last season.

In the North West the local rivalry’s billing has already delivered its first chapter with the new look Giants making an early statement against the Phoenix. Danny Byrne is in the driving seat again and a resurgence of the storied franchise is potentially imminent. Meanwhile Ben Thomas has once again shown his understanding of the player market and recruited well. Both teams are in their infancy and it will be interesting to see how each evolve.

Surrey Scorchers have also made strong additions to their roster and Coach Raftopoulos will no doubt have his charges prepared for the demands of this unconventional season. Glasgow Rocks have seen significant changes but the Emirates will remain a tough away draw. With Head Coach Gareth Murray now at the helm in a player coach role, he will undoubtedly influence the squad with his high level of experience and innate passion he brings to the floor, this will stand the Scottish outfit in good stead.

PLAYERS TO WATCH AROUND THE LEAGUE

Newcastle Eagles: Imports: Cortez Edwards 6’2 (G) – Evan Maxwell 6’8 (F) – Justin Gordon 6’6 (F) – Rahmon Fletcher 5’10 (G) Domestics: Louis Sayers 6’7 (SF)
Leicester Riders: Imports: Corey Johnson 6’5 (G) – Zach Jackson 6’5 (G) – Geno Crandell 6’4 (G) Domestics: Connor Washington 6’1 (G) – Jamell Anderson 6’6 (G/F)
London Lions: Imports: Byron Mullens 7’0 (C) – Dirk Williams 6’5 (G/F) – Kevin Ware 6’2 (G) Domestics: Justin Robinson 6’2 (G) Josh Ward-Hibbert 6’4 (G/F)
Plymouth Raiders: Imports: Prince Ibeh 6’10 (F/C) Domestics: Andrew Lawrence 6’3 (G) – Ashley Hamilton 6’8 – (F) Will Neighbour 6’10 – (F) Elliot Sentance 6’4 (G)
Sheffield Sharks: Imports: Kipper Nichols 6’6 (F) – Antwon Lillard 6’5 (F) Domestics: Nick Lewis 6’1(G) Callum Jones 6’4 G – Rob Marsden 6’7 (F)
Surrey Scorchers: Imports: Connor Cashaw 6’5 (G) – Rashard Hassan 6’6 (F) – Lovell Cook 6’6 (G/F) Domestics: Skyler White 6’8 (F) – Tayo Ogedengbe 6’5 (F)
Bristol Flyers: Imports: Zach Copeland 6’4 (G) – Eric Lockett 6’5 (F) Domestics: Josh Wilcher 6’1 (G) Raphel Thomas Edwards 6’6 (F) Daniel Edozie 6’8 (F)
Manchester Giants: Imports: Sam Cassell Junior 6’4 (G) – Lyle Hexom 6’8 (F) – Breaon Brady 6’8 – (F) Alex Ouandie 6’6 (F) Domestics: Jordan Whelan 6’4 (G) Jack Hudson 5’11 (G)
Cheshire Phoenix: Imports: Kahron Ross 5’11 (G) – Jalen Hayes 6’7 (F) – Eric Hamilton 6’9 (F/C) – Devin Mitchell 6’4 (G) Domestics: Disraeli Lufadeju 6’1 (G)
Glasgow Rocks: Imports: Julius Van Sauers 6’7 (F) – Marc Kwedi 6’7 (F) Domestics: Gareth Murrey 6’6 (F) – Boban Jacdonmi 6’9 (C) – Jonny Bunyan 6’0 (G)

The new Wolves roster is beginning to form and despite the challenges of the current landscape we are happy with the team we have assembled and excited about the proposition of competing in what will be an exciting BBL campaign. We have had a decent preparation phase, with one good test against the Bristol Flyers.

I feel we showed real promise in the Flyers fixture and showed maturity with a young roster, it was great to see Maarteen Bouwknecht and Jordan Williams reconnect on the floor and Daniel Johnson Thompson see significant minutes with great outputs. Micah Elan and Josh McSwiggan show out on their respective debuts. Furthermore the contribution of UOW students Nathan Ramsdale Owen, Matthew Williamson, Tola Okiki and Samuel Mensah was integral to the win.

Turning our attention to this weekend it will not be an easy start as the condensed schedule deals us back to back games against two strong outfits in the national cup. Saturday we face the Scorchers who play free flowing uptempo basketball and who have strong perimeter orientated game. Coach Creon demands a lot from his charges and they will always play hard-nosed intelligent defence. Standouts for the Surrey outfit include captain Tayo Ogedengbe, Skyler White and newly acquired Rashard Hassan.

On Sunday we have a trip to the south coast and the Plymouth Raiders, Coach Paul James has reinvented his roster for the new campaign and has strong domestic core with the likes of Andrew Lawrence, Ashley Hamilton and Will Neighbour. This will be the toughest of tests less than 24 hours after the match up with Surrey, but this will very much how the campaign will look this year with multiple double headers on successive weekends, so it is important to get familiar with the demands.

Finally to you the fans, for the most part you will be watching from a distance, please continue to tune in engage in our social media and enjoy the season. I thank you for your look forward to seeing you all soon.

Coach