The Crusader's History

Coventry Crusaders

2001/2002

History 2001/2002

Working within the Coventry community remained very much in the forefront during the closed season as the summer months saw Crusader Coach Dip Donaldson join up with youth worker Matt Jeffrey for the "Street Project" an informal "moving" youth club for bored teenagers around the Potters Green Road, Brade Drive area of the city.

In addition to this team captain Derrick Pope again organised the Crusaders Summer Basketball Camp and Dip appeared at the opening of the annual Greater Warwickshire Youth games held at Warwick University.

It was not just the remaining Crusader players that found themselves busy in and around Coventry during the summer break.

Beth Donaldson supported by baby Eric and of course husband Dip, launched Coventry Health Authoritiescampaign to "Ban the Bottle" in support of toddlers feeding cups.

However, it was not feeding cups but silver cups that were more on Dip's mind as he brought together his team to start the 2001/2002 Basketball campaign.

August saw Crusaders start their preparations for the new Conference season when they signed a deal that would see them play up to three of their season's fixtures at the Sky Dome.

They added the much experienced American All Star Chris Harper from Solent Stars to their number.

Harper is known to be one of the best shooting guards in the history of the NBL. In addition to Harper an early signing was the young talent of Ed Baynes Clarke.

The Coventry side showcased their new signings to the fans in a pre-season friendly against Hull Icebergs early in September.

The new signings included Drew Barrett who had switched clubs from BBL side Leicester Riders, Jamie Blake a young and impressive Canadian point guard and Steven Borde who was delighted to move up a league as he traded First Division Cardiff Clippers for the Crusaders.

In addition to these signings, Mr Motivator - Darren Weaver returned to the fold for a second spell with the club.

And as the season got underway with the National Trophy games coming ahead of the League campaign Crusaders new line up looked strong and impressive, dominating their opening three games with inspiring wins against North West London, Reading and Oxford.

The Oxford game saw the determined Crusaders come back from 29 points down to over power their opponents winning 94-87 in overtime.

However, a trail of the injuries that were to dominate the season started early as Ed Baynes Clarke missed out on the season’s start with a foot injury.

There was a minor hiccup down at Plymouth in the final week as Crusaders fell to their first defeat of the season when the home side took them down 74-81.

However, Crusaders responded the very next day with a 100-77 win against Cardiff Clippers.

After four road games it was October before Crusaders returned to their home court for the first time since the season’s opening day, and it turned out to be a disappointing return that saw Oxford take their revenge on the home side as the Crusaders fell to their second defeat of the season 71-88, despite an impressive top score of 23 points from Chris Harper.

By the next week the American Harper, was out with a back injury.

Ed Baynes Clarke made his late but effective debut for his new club scoring 11 point as the Crusaders bounced back with another ton against Cardiff 108-83.

Nevertheless, before the week was out the unfortunate Baynes Clarke was back on the injury list after spending a night in hospital with concussion and a broken wrist following an incident that occurred during a Warwickshire league game.

Despite the loss of key players Crusaders won their next outing down at North West London with a stunning 99-50.

They were looking forward to their first game at the Sky Dome the following week where victory would give them automatic entry into the knock out stages of the National Trophy.

It was a hard fought battle that saw Reading Rockets spoil the Crusader party as the home side went down by just four points at 71-75.

Canadian Jamie Blake showed the home crowd however, why he was such a star signing with his 22 point haul.

With the odds against them, and a win a necessary to stay in the competition, Crusaders faced Plymouth Raiders in the final pool match, back at the Coventry Sports Centre in November.

It was a jubilant Coventry crowd that saw Crusaders magnificently beat the 2000/01 league and play off champion's 89-78 to set up a quarter final clash in the National Trophy competition against Worthing Thunder.

With Baynes Clarke still out with injury and Darren Weaver joining him the league campaign got underway the following weekend, with Worthing Thunder visiting the Sports Centre as Crusaders first opponents.

Crusaders looked impressive with their 104 points on the board, but defensively they were unable to stop Sean Hampton from scoring 45 personal points for the visitors who took the victory with 111 points.

The following weekend though Crusaders bounced back with their first league win, a 96- 74 victory over Sutton Pumas.

But then as the month drew to a close the turning point of the season arrived as the Crusaders travelled down to Worthing for the Trophy quarter final.

Again it was a high scoring affair.

Nevertheless the 114- 103 defeat was nothing in comparison to the injuries suffered in the game.

Manny Sharland was absent with an ankle injury picked up the day before in training, Baynes Clarke returning to the court earlier than expected from his broken wrist, almost immediately picked up an ankle injury.

Then Jamie Blake, Crusaders high scoring Canadian point guard was taken to hospital with a torn hamstring that was to see the end of his Crusader Basketball career.

Off the court and despite injury, Manny Sharland's presence was evident when along with other Crusader players he took part in the "Go For It" Road show at the Sky Dome, the annual opportunity for youngsters to talk about careers.

December saw the Crusaders woes deepen as they returned to the Sky Dome.

Besides having lost three players to injury, Darren Weaver, Matt Collins and Derrick Pope were struck down with a flu virus that was to work its way through the team.

Pope rallied and competed in the game but it was a much weakened Crusaders team that fell to their second league defeat.

Three days later Stephen Borde announced his plans to return to his former and hometown club Cardiff Clippers as he was finding the travelling to and from Cardiff a problem.

Crusaders were to end the year with a double defeat against first and second placed Teesside 81-92 away and Plymouth 102-106 in over time at home.

Despite the results both these games had seen solid performances from the Coventry side. They remained confident that the New Year would see them over come their difficulties.

2002 brought with it news that the team did not want to hear. Jamie Blake would not be returning to Coventry after his Christmas break at home. His injury was not responding to treatment.

Some one who was returning though, was Crusader Coach Dip Donaldson and after an impressive warm up game against US Air Force Base Lakenheath during the Christmas break, Donaldson made his first court appearance since March 2001 in the opening game of 2002 at home to Kingston.

Again the result was close with Crusader being just 3 points down at the buzzer 92-95.

Crusaders still looked below par as they went down again the following weekend at Manchester bringing their tally to just one win in eight games.

The Crusaders inconsistency began to show up further with another disappointing but close defeat 75-71 at Inter Basket.

The team had talent, but the players were just not playing to their individual capabilities and it showed the following week with their worst defeat so far at the hands of rivals Solent Stars 90-104 in front of a disappointed home crowd.

The end of the month saw Donaldson calling for 100% improvement as he brought in two new players just a head of the EBBA deadline.

They were Cardiff based Richard Moses and Coventry's Dan Oliver a product of the Crusaders own community programme.

Meanwhile, with so many of the players still struggling to return to full fitness from injury or illness, evergreen Alvin Scott joined the injury list after aggravating an Achilles injury in the game against Inter Basket that would see him sidelined for the next six weeks.

Despite another defeat down at Plymouth to open up the month, February did see a turn in player's attitudes as having been resting on the bottom of the table players began to realise there was only one way out of this situation and that was by working together as a team.

They hit rock bottom the following week when they lost to Sutton. Crusaders had now been beaten by every other team in the league.

Psychologically it was a tough task when they took on league leaders Teesside at the Sports Centre.

However boosted by 28 points from Drew Barrett Crusaders looked to be the side they had promised to be back in September.

The talented individuals were again playing together as one unit.

The game was still lost 86-97, but they had lost it together.

If they could lose together they could win together and that came the next weekend when they took Reading Rockets into overtime on their own court and came out on the right side of the result for the first time since November.

March saw the welcome return of Alvin Scott into the Crusader line up, but again poor personal performances resulted in the Crusaders suffering their worst beating of the season when they crashed to a humiliating 70-93 defeat at Worthing.

This left them with an uphill struggle if they were going to make the playoffs.

They again improved their performance and were unlucky to loose out at Kingston by a 10 point margin 65-75.

The following week again saw Crusaders put in a stunning team performance as the Sport Centre crowd were treated to a magical win over Manchester.

Going into the Easter break Crusaders looked as if they could well come back and snatch eighth place and a play off opportunity.

However, all chances of reaching the play off finals were eliminated when the team were punished for their inconsistency and lack of team focus in the early part of the season when they fell victim to third place Solent Stars.

It was a double disappointment as not only would this be the first Crusader team not to make it into the play off, but for the first time, this years NBL finals were leaving Wembley and taking place in Coventry.

Crusaders went into their final game playing for both pride and the chance to finish bottom of the table.

With a 103- 72 victory over Inter Basket, they achieved both as they thrilled the home supporters with a display that demonstrated had things gone according to plan the league placing of eventual 9th could have been so different and Crusaders would have been visiting the Sky Dome as more than just promoters of the finals.