Leicester
Riders
Coach: Billy
Mims
Buzz in Brief:
After finishing with the worst record in 2000, the Riders look much improved.
Newcomer Freddie Cole is a potential All-Star while veterans Billy Singleton
and Purnell Perry join an athletic line-up.
On paper:
The 1997 Leopards are back ! Only this time, they're wearing dark blue
and have the words 'Leicester Riders' emblazoned across their chests.
Fast paced, with
a good combination at all positions, Mims side has already enjoyed a winning
run in their pre-season. And while that counts for nowt when the green
light goes for real, it has pushed expectations up in the Riders camp.
And in a Conference
where the talent level has arguably levelled out between the sides, the
new arrivals in Loughborough could capitalise.
"We're going to get
up and down the floor, put pressure on people offensively and defensively
and wear people down," notes Mims. "Hopefully it's a style that people
will enjoy watching.
"I think we have
the core nucleus of a team that can challenge every night. We might be
one player away from having the depth to do it. But the only reason you
need depth is if you have an injury and I can’t control that. If you look
at the success I had in London, very rarely did we have any serious injuries
where we missed star players for periods of time."
Unfortunately for
Mims, injuries have arrived early. Starting point guard Larry Johnson suffered
a shoulder injury in pre-season and it so far it has failed to respond
to treatment. Whether the American is capable of returning is in doubt
and Riders will start the season with Karl Brown in charge on the floor.
An equilibrium which
was resting easy can so easily unfurl but at least the experience of Brown
will limit the damage. Uncertainty though still surrounds the signing of
Robert Youngblood though to replace the released Malcolm Leak.
The American, courted
by several other teams in the UK and in mainland Europe, would be a major
catch, particularly defensively. Likewise Peter Deppisch, another ex-Leopards,
who would give Mims extra mis-match options on the perimeter.
Both would combine
well with the explosiveness of Purnell Perry who, although at times lacking
guile in defense, is a terrific scorer.
There for certain
also is Billy Singleton, a surprising arrival in a Mims system but always
a solid performer at both ends of the floor, something his new coach appreciates.
"I've got a lot of
guys who might be All-Stars. Right now, we've got an All-Star from last
year in Purnell Perry and Billy Singleton, who has been a perennial All-Star.
The better the players I got, the better coach I am because I don’t have
to coach so hard."
The best of the crop
though could be Freddie Cole, a shooting guard with a wafer thin build
but who, when on form, is a superb outside shooter.
"Freddie's a very
talented player," Mims enthuses. "He's an athlete. He can defend. He can
run. And boy, he can shoot the ball when he's hot."
What Leicester don't
have is a real depth although their younger players such as Tom Mahood
and Darren Mills do possess decent skills. And with Mims, it will always
be exciting to watch.
Britball.com Prediction:
Run,
gun and fun. Loughborough should be a better facility to play and train
and the Riders, coming off a poor season, can only go up. Johnson's injury
leaves a question mark over their potential but if everyone gets fit, Riders
best season for a long time is in prospect.
Second in the North
Manchester
Giants
Coach: Andre
Alleyne
Buzz in Brief:
The reigning champions are under new ownership and
only veteran Tony
Holley returns from last year. In come rising British
star Julius Joseph
and ex-Rocks centre Brendan Graves.
On paper:
Possibly a season of transition at MEN Arena from the 'No Expense Spared
Era' of the Cook Group to the 'Back in the Real World' epoque under the
new ownership. Out goes Nick Nurse, living in a mansion, everyone else's
top players and Paul 'Louder' Sleem and in come Andre Alleyne, regular
housing, rookies and erm, Mike Shaft.
The new man in charge
may still be learning his trade and no-one should heap too much expectation
on a coach who has only one full season - 1998-99 at Milton Keynes under
his belt. But confidence is not a deficit.
"We will still play
good, exciting basketball and we will have a successful, winning team,"
Alleyne predicts. "I think everybody will have high expectations from this
club - after all, Giants had a chance to win four trophies last year and
we won two. But, I can't get caught up in that and put pressure on myself
- I know it's a building situation."
On the coaching front,
the Giants should hardly skip a beat if Alleyne repeats his impressive
debut campaign at Milton Keynes of two years ago. On the parquet though,
the differences are immediate.
Of last term's Championship
winning team, only Tony Holley returns of the starting core. However the
veteran captain is Mr. Consistency and is will capable of adding further
offensive numbers in addition to his regular tally of rebounds and blocks.
Alleyne agrees. "He's
got to up his scoring this year, simply due to the fact there isn't a Tony
Dorsey or a Roy Hairston. I have sat down and talked to Tony about it over
the summer and over the last couple of weeks I'm really driving it home
to him."
Julius Joseph is
a great capture for Alleyne, the newly capped England international coming
out of college in Georgia with a fine reputation and good all-round skills.
Brian Earl replaces
the much-admired Travis Conlan at the point and although the Princeton
standout enjoyed a fine college career, how he will take to a new league
and new country is yet to be determined. While Brendan Graves, whose game
deteriorated during his two year term in Edinburgh, will patrol the middle
- possibly in a back-up role - and Alleyne will need to bring the best
back out of the Canadian.
6'8" American forward
Antrick Klaiber though is expected to be the stand-out scorer among those
signed at present. Successful in Japan, the ex-UConn Huskie has the pedigree
to deliver.
And Martin Gottfried
will add a shooter's touch in the backcourt after arriving from a positive
season in Thames Valley, and with a few younger bench warmers, not all
will be grim up North..
Britball.com Prediction:
The
heady days of last season are unlikely to be repeated but the biggest challenge
is for the new management to keep the Giants moving forward off court while
generating investment in the longer term to achieve victories on it. Not
enough depth or scoring to be championship contenders this time but should
comfortably make the play-offs.
Third in the North
Newcastle
Eagles
Coach: Tony
Garboletto
Buzz in Brief:
Back from Iceland, Garboletto has brought in
All-Star forwards
Tony Windless and Donnie Johnson to complement the
shooting of Canadian
Olympian Andrew Mavis.
On paper:
After their fall from grace last season, an inevitable period of retrenchment
and consolidation off court, expectation is no longer a dirty word on Tyneside.
Garboletto, deservedly
earning a chance in the BBL, preaches the gospel of defence and his team's
successes will be built on an ability to stop opponents in their tracks.
Yet Eagles most notable
signings are a pair of offensive stand-outs, Tony Windless and Donnie Johnson,
both multi-skilled talented contributors who possess a variety of tricks
to hurt their opposition.
"Tony, for me, is
not only one of the best non-permit players in the league, he's one of
the best players overall," enthuses Garboletto. "For me, it was an absolute
no-brainer - the first day I got the job was the first day I contacted
Tony about coming here. He is the kind of player I am building this team
around.
"Donnie is very unorthodox,
so it's very hard even for me, his coach, to know what he can do and what
he can't. But for opposing coaches, I think it must be even harder to work
out exactly how to play him."
Set in the middle
is Ian Whyte, so often maligned, but possessing a sweet shot for a seven
footer. On a good night, the England cap is a tremendous offensive weapon,
able to pile up points un-noticed. But against most physical sides, he
still retains a tendency to drift out of battle. with no real back-up,
this could on occasion leave Newcastle exposed.
Brian Ehlers is the
one fresh face imported into the BBL, a hooting guard who is defensively
strong and with good passing capabilities. In pre-season, Newcastle have
struggled to create shots around the perimeter, a trait which would nullify
both Ehlers and the late arriving Mavis. But the coach is confident the
newcomer will be a positive fit.
"Brian is everything
we want and everything we believed he would be," he says. "We feel he is
going to be a considerable impact player in this league. He's a great shooter,
but on top of that he does so many other things and I think he will end
up being one of the harder players to guard, because he's just the complete
package."
TJ Walker and Steve
Ogunjimi will share the point guard responsibilities with the American
the probable first choice. Walker, who enjoyed a superb level of assists
in the IBA, is an inconsistent scorer but is able to penetrate and shoot
outside.
However inconsistency
is also a weakness of Ogunjimi, whose raw talent ought to have made him
a starter by now. He will get the opportunities to play under a coach who
is willing to work on his game but can he deliver?
Garboletto's best
find of the summer though could be Graham Dotchin, a versatile forward
who languished relatively un-noticed at Teesside in recent seasons. Capable
of scoring inside and out, Dotchin is a gem in the rough and with extra
experience will be a big plus for Newcastle.
The Eagles' development
programme at East Durham College should throw up further assistance in
reserve with John Simpson the first to secure a place on the roster.
Britball.com Prediction:
Garboletto
has put together a balanced team, albeit one which could do with inside
strength and a dash of experience. Confidence is high that Newcastle can
rebound from last year's disasters and return to at least respectability.
Fourth in the North.
Sheffield
Sharks
Coach: Chris
Finch
Buzz in Brief:
The Cup holders retain their impressive backcourt of
Terrell Myers and
Nate Reinking but introduce Zac Bennett and Shawn
Kennedy up front.
On paper:
Sharks have gambled on shaking up the settled roster which served them
so well over the past three seasons, allowing both Todd Cauthorn and Wil
Johnson to leave. Yet both players had arguably become stale in Steel City
and their departure allowed Finch to re-shape his front court.
He has gone for size
in Bennett and Kennedy, with the former expected to shoulder the burden
in the pivot role. Bennett may need a short while to learn Finch's game
plan but Kennedy appears no more than a limited back up.
However Fab Flournoy,
one of the BBL most under-rated players, will also light a spark at both
ends of court with his energy and persistence. l
"We have brought
in big guys," explained Finch. "They should give us an option down low.
Zac and Shawn bring in size and strength and an inside threat. We've got
Fab too and everyone knows about Fab - he just brings a phenomenal amount
of energy and versatility to any programme.
"Those guys will
have some adjusting to do, there's no doubt, so how well they do that will
determine how well we do overall."
The big plus however
is that Nate Reinking and Terrell Myers - newly appointed as team captain
- are retained in harness at the guard spots. The pair sparkled all last
season with Myers once again the best shooting guard in the BBL.
Peter Scantlebury
will stay as a proven, veteran force on the floor able to contribute even
at the age of 36. Richard Windle could challenge for the starting forward
role if he can convince Finch of his consistency and perhaps it is time
that the young England international received an extended run in the initial
line up.
Iain McKinney and
Mike Payne are the league's best sixth men combo, both able to step in
and fire in enough points to disrupt the opposition.
Britball.com Prediction:
Still
the team to beat in the North with their depth and consistency. Perhaps
may take a few weeks to show their true colours after mixed reviews in
pre-season but if the newcomers settle in, should finish on top of a Conference
which has evened out this season.
First in the North.
The
North - Part One
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