The Crusader's History

Coventry Crusaders

2000/2001

History 2000/2001

It was another busy summer for Crusaders that saw players representing the club at a variety of community events and projects through out the summer months besides the annual training camps.

The Club build up their squad as they prepare for the new season.

The first of the season’s new signings being Adam Stevens a 22 year old 6 ft 6" forward who was making his move to England from Mount Vernon Nazarene College Ohio USA.

As the players recommence their early morning training sessions five days a week, the news is released that Crusaders have parted company with the Coventry Sky Dome Arena.

Stories differ.

Crusaders report that they have left amid the controversy over the Rice University game in May that had to be abandoned due to a dangerous court.

The Sky Dome had failed to compensate the basketball club for the losses made that evening.

While the Sky Dome manager was reported by The Coventry Evening Telegraph to have axed the club due to their "lack of ambition".

The Crusaders were therefore to return to the Coventry Sports Centre for the new season.

Also during the summer the Quality Cats NBL ladies team moved from their home in Birmingham to become the Coventry Quality Cats under the umbrella of Coventry Crusaders Basketball club.

The Quality Cats were formed in 1991 one year before the Crusaders.

They had a swift rise through the divisions.

The honours included:-

1991 Division 2 runners up

1991 Division 2 playoff Champions after which they gained promotion to

Division 1

1995 Division 1 runners up

1995 National Cup Finalist

1995 National Championship Finalist

1999 National Cup Finalist

Crusaders would continue to run their other ladies team in the Leicestershire League.

August 15th saw the opening warm up game for Crusaders against the Quinnipiac Braves.

The NCAA Division 1 team (The highest American amateur basketball league) from Connecticut USA had stopped off in Coventry as part of their 10 day England tour.

The Crusader management were not dismayed with the 100-87 defeat.

The important thing was that the Coventry team had put on a great display for the fans before what was looking to be a great season.

Adam Stevens could not fail to impress with his 32 points haul, many of which came from beyond the perimeter from as much as 25 feet away from the basket.

Along side Stevens on the perimeter line was Matt Collins also impressing the coach and the crowd in this his first appearance for the club.

Ten days later Crusaders announced their second transatlantic signing.

Twenty-three year old Todd Sands a 6 ft 7" forward centre was to join up with his fellow country man and college team mate Adam Stevens.

Sands brought to the club his 70.4 shooting percentage from the floor that would certainly be a welcome boost to his new side.

The rekindled partnership would produce another formidable pairing for Crusaders, only likened to that of Matt Donaldson and Rick Solvason in previous seasons.

Crusaders would now have their own "Twin Towers".

In the week before the start of the new season for the New Look National Conference Crusader confidence was boosted with their final pre season friendly, that saw them outshine their fellow National Conference rivals Sutton Pumas.

Club captain Derrick Pope led the way for his new team mates, Matt Collins, Adam Stevens, and Dominic Davies a 22 year old shooting guard who had transferred from Leicester Riders.

Young 15 year old Nicholas Pope had also signed for the club during the summer to enable him to play for the senior team in league competition.

The curtain was raised on the new season and the new National Conference with a home tie against Inter Basket London.

The game saw an opening victory for Crusaders 85-58.

Todd Sands had arrived from the States just in time to make the game and opened up his Crusader account with 15 points.

The new season brought with it a slight change in the games format.

All basketball games in England would now consist of four 10 minute quarters and the shot clock was now reduced from 30 to 24 seconds.

The following week saw EBBA cancel all games due to the petrol crisis.

When play resumed Crusaders again faced Inter Basket. This time in the first round of the National Trophy, Inter Basket revenged their league defeat on the opening day by beating Crusaders.

October proved a disappointing month for Crusaders the beginning started well with a 3 point league win over Manchester but the following day Todd Sands suddenly announced he was to return home to America.

His departure left a disappointed Dip Donaldson with a big gap to fill ahead of a trophy double header the following weekend against Westminster.

The crisis was controlled with a double win. Adam Steven's produced 25 and 24 points.

However, only three weeks later Stevens who had averaged 24 points in eight appearances announced that he too, was returning to the States despite his teams 100% league record and them holding the pole position in the league.

Stevens’ final appearance against Kingston had seen his highest Crusader score of 36 points.

This along side Todd Sands departure would produce major repercussions for the rest of the season.

Despite being top of the league, Crusaders crashed out of the National Trophy competition early in November without getting past the first round pool stages.

The following week saw them relinquish the League lead as they went down by just a single basket to the eventual Champions Plymouth Raiders.

By now Crusaders had already recruited a young Spanish Coventry University Student Eduard Girbal.

With their early exit from the National Trophy the club was able to set up a friendly against Birmingham Aces in order to take a good look at American prospect Marvin Harrison, a young 6 ft 6" power forward from Shreveport Louisiana.

If successful Harrison would have the unenviable task of trying to fill the gap made by Adam Steven and Todd Sands.

Harrison did impress. He impressed his new boss, team mates and crowd, with a fine haul of 32 points plus 10 rebounds.

His tally included 3 show case dunks that thrilled every one and brought the crowd to their feet.

His league debut though was not quite as impressive as having picked up four early fouls his court time was restricted.

Within a month of his arrival Harrison appeared more settled and Crusaders were again winning.

November saw Derrick Pope again voted EBBA player of themonth.

As 2000 ended there were mixed fortunes for Crusaders after visiting Worthing where despite Collins, Harrison and Pope scoring a massive 71 points between them, Crusaders fell to a disappointing 90-87 defeat.

The following week saw the trio again each score 20+ personal points on their way to a 103-95 point victory at Inter Basket to finish the year in fourth place having won five and lost three.

Meanwhile, though the Coventry Quality Cats were struggling.

Their victory at St Albans on the season's opening day was their only victory in their nine games played.

During the Christmas break the club teamed up with the Army to organise a tournament and fun day at the Coventry Sports Centre.

The event promoted healthy living and self discipline and was supported well by Coventry's Youngsters.

The new year got underway with a reshuffle amongst the coaches.

The men's senior Assistant Coach Marcus Garvey would now become the Assistant Coach to Dave Lyons the head Coach of Quality Cats.

Garvey would also continue his role with the men's team.

A string of injuries did not help Crusaders as they struggled against Manchester in the year’s opening fixture.

However, the following week there was a change of fortunes for the team when they returned to the Coventry Sports Centre after an absence of six weeks, and to winning ways with a victory over Sutton Pumas.

There was a turn of fortunes for the Cats as well when they recorded their second league win of the season.

However, just a week later while Coventry celebrated success at the national team's victory over Hungry at the Sky Dome, their local team were devastated by an ankle injury to point guard Matt Collins during the team’s defeat at Plymouth.

This injury was a major blow for Crusaders.

Collins who was regularly scoring between 20-30 points per game would be out of action for the next two months.

The Crusaders were humiliated the following week when they became the first team to loose to bottom placed Solent Stars.

Crusaders held a tentative grip on fourth place going into a weekend of back to back games with Worthing Thunder.

A double loss saw them slip down to fifth.

Meanwhile as the senior men struggled the Junior men were celebrating a most unexpected win in the Warwickshire league when they beat league favourites Warwick University II 72-53.

And as they moved into March Dip Donaldson had little to celebrate on court following his team’s 8th successive league loss.

Meanwhile, off court Dip was celebrating the completion of his own starting five, when his wife Beth gave birth to their fifth son Eric.

Another blow for Crusaders came three weeks before the end of the season.

Dominic Davies announced that due to the nature of his reoccurring back injury he could take no further part in the season.

The team remained strong and although they lost to Plymouth in the next game, they played with strength and conviction that saw Crusaders come away with their pride intact.

Harrison had led the scoring with 37 points.

Matt Collins made it back for the final league game of the season.

His 32 point return in a home victory over Solent demonstrated why he had been so badly missed and how different things could have been for Crusaders.

They had not won a game without him.

Crusaders closed their league season in 5th place with a tally of 7 wins against 14 losses.

They were now set to face 4th place Manchester Magic at the Manchester Velodrome in the opening round of the play offs.

It turned out to be a poor performance from the Coventry visitors as poor shooting prevented Crusaders from progressing any further and the curtain fell on a disappointing season.

Marvin Harrison who will always be remembered for his great dunking ability said farewell and became Crusaders third American to return home in the season.