Southern Conference - Northern Conference Preview
 
 

Birmingham Bullets
Coach: Lance Randall
Buzz in Brief: Bullets have revamped their roster under newcomer
Randall. Guards Virgel Cobbin and Rob Paternostro look formidable while
prodigious Brit Yorick Williams adds unpredictability to the mix.

On paper: New coach, new home, new players. All of which makes a forecast on Birmingham tricky to achieve. But we'll still try..

New incumbent Lance Randall has stripped out the old faces from the side which last term lost its way early on and was redeemed only by the most unlikely of runs to the championship final.

The best piece of the previous incarnation stays on though in the shape of Yorick Williams, whose six month spell injured on the sidelines appears to have refreshed his undisputed talents. Still a maverick on and off the parquet, the England international has yet to realise his full potential and bringing that out is arguably Randall's biggest challenge.

Yet the new faces all look solid signings. Rob Paternostro, a pint sized point guard but one who has the strength to drive into traffic and still find the net. And Virgel Cobbin, versatile enough to play both guard positions where his athleticism could open up numerous opportunities for his fine outside shot.

"Virgel is a very smart player," declares randall. "He's a 6'5" shooting guard and he's a very good scorer. When we went to Northern Ireland for a pre-season tournament, he averaged 22 points - he really lit it up.

"(Rob)'s only about 5'10" - but he's super quick. He might be a little guy, but he can get it up and down the court. He's also a very good passer and he has unlimited range with his jump shot."

In the front line, Chris Watson, a 6'8" forward who has been playing in Israel is the side's captain, a workhorse who should be the main shot blocking and rebounding focus. The nominal centre Brant Bailey is a fine post player, who will create numerous scoring opportunities with his quick feet, even though he might find it tough against more physically strong opponents.

"Chris is a really outstanding rebounder and he's a warrior - a really tough guy," says Randall. "Brant Bailey is an excellent all-round post player and he's very athletic and skilled. He just plays very hard - he's a very good offensive and defensive player."

Returning players Emiko Etete and Clive Allen will add much defensive power and the former may be inserted into the starting formation against some opponents with Williams or Paternostro coming off the bench. But, the key is the chemistry of the team and Randall is confident about that.

"Our guys are really getting along right now. When we get our final signings that will help, but they are already a close group. Emiko has been great and he is really going to shine in this system. Then, the older guys, like Clive Allen, are such good guys and they have helped acclimatise the new guys into the city and into the system."
 

Britball.com Prediction: An unpredictable section on which Randall can make a huge impact if he plays his cards right. Cobbin and Williams as a one-two punch is a tasty dish but chemistry will decide whether all the ingredients combine for a winning platter.
Third in the South
 

Brighton Bears
Coach: Mark Dunning 
Buzz in Brief: Habitual strugglers add Sheffield centre Wil Johnson while Canadian arrival Dave Wahl promises much. Biggest asset is Dunning's coaching.

On paper: The dog days of Worthing are now just a distant memory and the Bears last term were not the pushovers we remember of recent years. Yet there is still a tough job to return the franchise back to its level of a decade ago.

Bringing in Johnson was a smart move, a veteran who can elevate his inexperienced team-mates with the nouse gained on several winning Sheffield sides. Johnson could even be given the chance to score points, a trait which often eluded him last season but his defence is an asset.

"With Wil Johnson, we are obviously really happy to have him," said Dunning. "He's a three-year veteran and he's going to give us much needed experience, because we have a very young team. We feel that we need his presence in the middle and he fills that. Plus, he is a great guy and that always helps. It's not just his physical presence, it's the emotional presence he brings too - it's really a great fit for us."

Wahl arrives with a tremendous reputation and could be one of the finds of the summer. Big, quick and with a nice shooting touch, he figures to give the side the sort of multi-layered forward they have lacked since Alan Cunningham packed up his boots.

At the small forward position, newcomer Kevin Wallace has the pedigree coming out of the University of Maryland, while Errol Seaman will hope to prove that his occasional sightings on court at Manchester last term belied genuine talent.

It is the backcourt though where Bears seem weakest. Michael Brown is a much under-rated guard, a good defender with a big heart. But his new partner, Canadian Micah Bordeau, has looked tentative and fragile in his appearances so far, perhaps suffering from rookie nerves.

Danny Hildreth and James Brame came on leaps and bounds under Dunning in the latter stages of last season, and Brighton may need Hildreth in particular to shoulder more of a load until Bordeau finds his feet.

"It's always very difficult, because one doesn't always know about that elusive chemistry that some teams have and other teams don't," adds Dunning. "I know we have got good people and we have got decent players. The new guys have lived up to my expectations."

"Our goal is very simple - to make the play-offs. That is our one and only aim and we are not going past that. With six teams in our conference, we have got to make the top four."
 

Britball.com Prediction: Another two steps forward for Brighton, who could add five wins to their tally from last term. Unfortunately, their nearest challengers have also improved but if Bears keep improving, it will keep them on track in the longer term.
Sixth in the South.
 

London Leopards
Coach: Bob Donewald
Buzz in Brief: Donewald is re-united with controversial former Derby twosome Rico Alderson and Maurice Robinson. Deep with talent, the
Essex side could challenge.

On paper: Reservoir Bob began his recruiting process, not even in the spring, but last winter after it became clear that the one mighty Big Cats were going down with a whimper.

Such travails only served to emphasise Donewald's sideline misdemeanours, a shame for a coach who genuinely possesses a flair of changing the direction of a game.

This time however, there is no place to hide for the American, who has had the time, resources and backing to build a team which can challenge for honours. And it has a familar feel - a three guard offense, a shooting mechanic and personnel with whom the coach already has a connection.

Rico Alderson is the name that leaps out. At Derby in the 1998/99 season, the 6'9" American forward sat out the end of the campaign with suspension, a fact which obscured his terrific level of play.

"You are never going to change the flamboyance of Rico," said Donewald. "But, we expect Rico to be more mature and to make better decisions. When I say more mature, I mean that when things on the floor are not what everyone wants, he just needs to stay out of it and mind his own business. But the flamboyancy and the fun, we want to make sure that continues because I think that's good for this league. Rico is looking forward to starting off with a clean slate from everybody."

Another Donewald favourite in Robinson will play at centre and the former Derby player will be expected to rebound and defend. 

It is the trademark though of Donewald that he will have three guards in his starting five,  Jason Kimbrough and Rashod Johnson return from last season's Leopards' team in tandem with their former Western Michigan team-mate Rod Brown. The latter should do most of the ball-carrying but as a trio, Leopards will hope to out run other sides in transition or score consistently from outside.

"Kimbrough and Johnson are the co-captains of this team," Donewald explains. "I think we will start to see the best of them with a solid pre-season under their belts and I think they are two solid players for this level who can get it done and can lead. Also, they know what I want and what I expect."

Gareth Davies, a young English centre  will not join the Leopards until December when he finishes his degree in America, while Michael Martin and an injury-free Brian Moore will hope their able contributions are not restricted to junk time.

"It definitely is my team this time," continued Donewald. "There are no excuses now. I have assembled this team, I picked them out and if it doesn't work out, it definitely falls as my responsibility and that excites me. I think I have done a pretty good job thus far in this league of putting teams together."
 

Britball.com Prediction: On their night, this team should cause problems for everyone, with the possible exception of Towers. Whether the small line up will be able to rack up enough wins to top the Conference is debatable. But the passion which starts with Donewald could manifest itself in other competitions.
Second in the South
 

London Towers
Coach: Nick Nurse
Buzz in Brief: Towers will play over 70 games by also competing in
the Euroleague and the Northern European Basketball League. Nurse, lured from Manchester, has brought into a new-look line up  ex-LA Laker Steve Bucknall remains at the heart. 

On paper: The pre-season favourites. This is a team which should be able to coats through the domestic regular season, shuffle its line up, and whether it finishes at the head of the Southern Conference or not, have the experience and savvy to come through in play-off time.

The only doubt hinges on whether the line-up can gel effectively and keep focused, an intangible which hinges upon the shoulders of Nurse himself. Now in his fifth season as a head coach, the affable Iowan has a chance to cast off any lingering doubts over his coaching calibre and  demonstrate that not only can he build a winning team but that he is also capable of taking a good collective onto a higher plane.

"It's going to be difficult," acknowledges Nick Nurse. "I'm going to have to rest players at times this year because of the schedule. Our ambitions are to play strong in the cup competitions and to make a run at the end of the season for the championship."

Yet anyone who has seen the Towers performances in pre-season would affirm that all the pieces of the puzzle are in place. It all starts with Bucknall, whose will to win and experience at the highest levels of European basketball make him, even at 34, still one of the toughest opponents in the continent.

Starting in the back court will be Eric Taylor at point, who will be an ideal floor leader as long as he keeps his tendencies to shoot under control. Along side will be ex-Illinois standout Jerry Hester, a fine catch and shoot guard who should, when on form, in Nurse's open offense.

Time at power forward will be shared between Kendrick Warren and Chris Sneed with the former taking the starting role. Warren figures to add some quality defence but is also capable of taking the ball to the hoop one on one while the muscular Sneed can provide an enforcer option.

"(Sneed)'s a big guy - he looks like an American Football middle line-backer and he's a rebounder - he chases the ball with relentless pursuit."

The pivot role will be split three ways although both Neville Austin and Martin Henlan are expected to see their playing time reduced. The primary place goes to Tom Wideman who is a first class rebounder and a under-rated passer.

Off the bench, Britons Martin Lattibeaudiere and Wayne Henry will provide a few able minutes per game of relief, and in Europe at least, Eric Burks and Ronnie Baker will add extra firepower.

"I think we're in good shape," declared Nurse. "We still have to make some adjustments. We'll certainly shoot the ball well but the question is whether we are big enough for playing in Europe. 

"Can we handle the mis-matches if someone throws a zones on us and we can't shoot well enough from outside ? We'll need to wait and look at that one."

Domestically, they should be unchallenged but Towers lack of size in comparison to some of the top European sides may cost them victories. 
 

Britball.com Prediction: This is a team built to win. And with a good result over an almost full strength Real Madrid already notched up, confidence is high. Who the key offensive impact player will be is unknown. But if this team stays together and its guards shoot well,  the only opponent who will beat them is themselves.
First in South, a BBL Championship and (hopefully) some positive results abroad.
 
 

Milton Keynes Lions
Coach: Nigel Lloyd 
Buzz in Brief: Veteran Lloyd takes on a player-coach role and has
signed fellow Barbados international Andrew Alleyne as well as US guard
Victor Payne. 

On paper: After 15 years playing in the BBL means we know Nigel Lloyd pretty well as a player, but how will he be as a coach? Lloyd shared assistant duties at Birmingham for one season under Mike Finger but now gets the chance to take the reins at the Lions.

The Barbadian will continue to play, something which will only make his transition to playcaller more difficult but no one is questionning whether he lacks the basketball intelligence to cope with both. The only doubt is whether Lloyd is able to motivate his personnel away from the parquet.

"It's going to be hard and it's something I haven't done before," Lloyd admits. "I have had a little bit of an insight being assistant coach at Bullets, but not as much as it takes to be head coach. 

"We are going to have an open team in which everyone contributes - we are not going to have a dictatorship, we are just going to come out and do everything together- that's my philosophy right now."

Lions will have Jason Siemon back in their roster this season although the former Tiger is coming off a disappointing season in which his lack of physicality gave opposing raiders too many opportunities.

Lloyd will need to reverse that trend and hope that new arrival, 6'8 power forward Andrew Alleyne, can be both the defensive workhorse that lions need, as well as an offensive trojan.

At the three-spot, Lloyd went back to Barbados to bring in Victor Payne, who is an athletic defender who can do most things well. Likewise Merrill Brunson, a 6'3 shooting guard, will hope to learn off Lloyd will making a contribution himself.

In reserve, Leon Noel returns for yet another campaign while Jake Russell and Rob Brown act as occasional relief.

"The team is brand new and all the players are new. Jason and Leon are two guys who have been around the league and they can help out the new, young players that are coming in."

Like any Lions side of recent years, depth is not a strength and a lack of continuity from last term's team - the best the franchise has had for many seasons - means Lloyd had to start from scratch. Initial looks have been promising but everything hinges on Lloyd's capacity to bring out the best in a disparate collection of arrivals.

Britball.com Prediction: A nice balanced bunch on which if the individuals share the workload - not always a Lloyd playing strength - they could surprise any complacent opponents. Probably not strong enough to make the play-offs again in a more competitive Conference but a team which is better than last season's should remain wholly respectable. 
Fifth in the South
 

Thames Valley Tigers
Coach: Paul James
Buzz in Brief: John McCord returns after a season in Edinburgh along
with Scot Stuart Mackay. James is placing great hopes in Stateside
centre Chandar Bingham.

On paper: The boys are back in town. After a season away, John McCord and Lee Walker return to Bracknell, a more suitable arena for their talents than either Edinburgh or Birmingham proved.

James' team went backward last season, its personnel ill-suited to the uptempo offense employed by the coach. McCord's return restores the athleticism which James favours, although the ex-Rock will find himself playing in the power forward role, a change to his usual stance. 

That will offer him more opportunities to take the ball to the hoop but also could expose him defensively against larger opponents. Yet in tandem with Walker, whose natural flair was stifled in the Midlands, the Tigers coach has reason to feel optimistic.

 "With John and Lee, it's like they have never been away. You know what you are going to get from John, week in and week out, because he's a born leader - already the guys are following his lead. Then, Lee Walker is anxious to prove himself too."

A couple of new players join the Tigers too, as American forward, Chandar Bingham, and Greek guard, Nikos Sompatzis, suit up for the Bracknell side. 

Both are still talents in progress, with James keen to bring the enormous potential of Bingham along in parallel with the raw muscularity of Stuart Mackay. The Scot possess a deft shooting touch and if James can instil both his pivots with the intelligence to take their opportunities, Tigers will be a tough inside team.

"Chandar Bingham is 6'9", he's a bit gangly, but he's very effective at what he does - ie. rebounding and shot blocking - and he's a very positive force on the team already. Stuart Mackay is another great pick up for us and he will be the back up to Chandar."

The development of Tony Christie during the latter stages of last term should see the former Clemson stand-out moves into a first choice role before too long, where he would complement McCord. Greg Meldrum, back after his pre-Olympic disappointments, may be a better fit coming off the bench  where his shooting can explode at its best at either the small forward or two guard berths.

James has already stated that Greek newcomer Nikos Sompatzis and stalwart Mark Jackson will share point guard duties but the Mediterranean rookie, like his predecessor Casey Arena, will have a role to rack up the assists without having to score consistently.

"I really wanted someone who would get the ball into the right players hands at the right time," adds James. "I think Nikos can do that for us. Also, I'm looking for Mark Jackson to continue with his development, so he and Nikos will handle the point guard position between them."

Tigers as a full court defensive team will be much improved from last season but in half-court situations, they could find themselves more exposed. But overall, Thames Valley will be much more competitive than they were at times last term, where lethargy and lack of chemistry was a disease which spread in the second half of the season.
 

Britball.com Prediction: The summer clear out at Bracknell was highly necessary and James is more content with the pieces recruited towards the overall puzzle. Winning consistently might still be a problem. However this is a side which should improve between now and April
Fourth in the South.
 

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