The
2005/2006 season was one of vast and action packed improvement on and
off court after last year’s league finish that qualified the team for
relegation. The Crusaders were invited back into EBL Division One
after a team wasn’t able to make league commitments, and it was a
blessing in disguise.
The
season resulted in fourteen league wins compared to last season’s
three, four significant signings, a dramatic match with Worcester
Wolves at the Sports Centre, and a £4,800 lottery grant for the club’s
wheelchair team at the season’s end being just some of the
highlights.
One of
the first player signings came in September, when Head Coach Dip
Donaldson pounced to tie down shooting guard Scott Neely for the
season. 33 year old Neely, from South Bend, Indiana in the US, showed
his effective potential on the team in his two appearances when he
joined the club in February. He netted 38 points before an injury cut
short his season, and hindered the team’s search for their fourth
league win in the remaining four league games.
Neely
would also help out the Crusader Foundation’s community programme, and
after he committed his future to Coventry, Dip Donaldson offered
special praise “to have a player of Scott’s ability but also of his
sound character and solid principles is the calibre of person any
coach would be more than pleased top have on board” he said.
Swiftly
following Neely through the door were two American counterparts, 6ft
point guard Sam Oatman and 6ft 7" veteran forward Jeremiah
Hamlet. Both players had previous experience at university level, with
Hamlet having enhanced experience after basketball tours to the
Philippines and Kazakhstan. Joining the American trio was also a
Polish revelation in the form of guard Marcin Twierdzinski.
The four
new signings would make up 92% of the senior team’s 2,318 league
points. This was a credit to the Head Coach and the club’s scouting
ability, when into mid January, the team were only 4 points off top
spot in the league. Jeremiah Hamlet would go on to become one of the
club’s highest ever point scorers in one season, scoring double
figures in every game he played in for a season total of 896 points,
that’s an average of 28 points per game.
Crusaders also started the new season with 500 new automated bleacher
seats at the Sports Centre, which have a collective value of £60,000.
Owner and Head Coach Dip Donaldson told the Coventry Evening Telegraph
that “it’s like having a new stadium” and compared its impact to the
City’s football team. “It’s as important as the Ricoh is for Coventry
City” claimed Donaldson.
Coventry
had their 100% record still intact by the end of September by
recording their first home and away wins of the season. They began
with a 100-91 National Trophy win over Solent Stars at the Sports
Centre and progressed to the Third Round of the National Cup with a
108-74 triumph over Newi Nets in Wales.
Crusaders won a third of their six games in October, which coincided
with the team’s exit from the National Trophy at the group stages.
Home and away losses to Coventry’s other opponent in their National
Trophy group, the Worcester Wolves, wasn’t enough for double victories
over Solent Stars to take them through to the next stage after four
games.
Dip
Donaldson’s men also faced last season’s triple winning side Sheffield
Arrows in the Third Round of the National Cup, and although losing in
a high scoring 103-116, the Crusaders showed their lethalness going
forward, sinking fifteen 3 pointers in the game.
The
month also saw the beginning of the Crusaders’ league campaign, and
although some may have been reminded of last season when the Crusaders
went down 101-69 at Sheffield Arrows, they soon quickly erased those
memories when the Crusaders asserted their quality with a 100-91 win
over Essex & Herts Leopards in their first home league match of the
season.
Scott
Neely’s influence in the opening league game at the Sports Centre was
impeccable, clinically throwing 11 out of 14 three point attempts in
his 40 point haul against a side that included former Crusaders Troy
Selvey and Dave Jones.
The win
was hoped to have been a sign of having a squad of versatile depth, as
before the game coach Dip Donaldson had a full squad of 12 to choose
from after the inclusion of nurtured talent Kane Hudson and Joel
Stephenson to join the fit again Scott Neely.
Earlier
that month on the 7th October, Dip Donaldson appeared
alongside Coventry MP Geoffrey Robinson and former Sky Blues favourite
Gary McSheffrey in the Coventry Evening Telegraph to mark the annual
World Teacher’s Day. Along with Dip reminiscing about who his
favourite and worst teachers were, he revealed that he was a pupil at
the Edward Kemble Elementary School and the Luther Burbank High School
in Sacramento, California.
November
brought a disappointing start for the team, as they were able to hold
out a Kingston Wildcats side for three quarters of the game with an
offensive combination of 57 points from Neely and Hamlet, only for
Wildcats’ tactical versatility to undo Coventry in the fourth quarter
to snatch an 87-81 win.
Just
like they did after their first league defeat, Coventry showed renewed
character and responded to defeat by winning their next game, which is
something the team managed to do six times in total this season.
Coventry’s 99-84 win over Nottingham Knights, their first meeting in
several years, starred 41 pointer Jeremiah Hamlet who was too quick
and accurate for the Knights to put to the sword with the support of
the renowned Scott Neely and Sam Oatman.
This win
sent Coventry on a four game unbeaten run to propel them up to the
upper echelons of the league, a feat that hadn’t been achieved in
years.
Crusaders over came Paws London Capitals 84-69 in London, despite
influential Scott Neely withdrawing from the game at the last minute
due to injury. Hamlet showed his scoring touch again with help from
Oatman’s decision making and accurate passing to help the Crusaders
secure their second away league win.
Oatman
complimented Hamlet’s game tally of 35 by throwing four 3 pointers in
a personal total of 22 to indicate the squad was able to cope with the
loss of other key players such as Neely.
Crusaders then came back to the Sports Centre to topple Tees Valley
Mohawks 105-78 to make it three games unbeaten. Twierdzinski's
insatiable total of 43 was complimented by fans favourite Jeremiah
Hamlet, who matched Twierdzinski's achievement of 7 three pointers.
The
benefits of the club’s youth development programme was also displayed
to the crowd during the game, when Stoke Park student Kane Hudson and
President Kennedy student Joel Stephenson made their senior debuts,
with Hudson managing 4 points through the basket.
The rich
vein of form was carried into December for their fourth consecutive
win and third of the season against Solent Stars in a tight 88-84
victory with the composed Sam Oatman and throwing prowess of Jeremiah
Hamlet helping the team to another two points.
The team
was hit with a reminder to keep feet firmly on the ground though, when
they lost 106-86 at title challengers London United.
This
first defeat in five was no hindrance to the Crusaders’ progress
though, as the following game with local rivals Worcester Wolves at
the Sports Centre was one of the most dramatic games ever experienced
at the venue, with Coventry emerging victorious over the Wolves for
the first time in their history.
Having
trailed Worcester by a 16 point margin half way through the third
quarter, Crusaders managed to overturn the deficit, take the lead and
hold on in the fourth quarter right until 4 seconds from the buzzer to
tie the game at 86-86. Agony would soon turn into ecstasy however,
when Neely launched a masterpiece of a three pointer from inside his
own half which flew into the basket on the buzzer to send the Sports
Centre into raptures.
Crusaders played their final game of 2005 on sky high confidence,
where plenty of that feeling would be needed against bogey side
Worthing Thunder. Coventry did their best to take the game to Worthing
in the 108-124 loss with Hamlet hitting the basket with 17 1st
quarter points which helped Coventry to 32-31 1st quarter
lead. However Coventry’s defence was exposed throughout the match,
which resulted in Worthing scoring over 100 points with one quarter
left to play.
Coventry
began 2006 with a home fixture against this year’s finalists and last
year’s champions of the National Cup, Reading Rockets. With a 60% win
percentage in the league and strong character to bounce back after a
defeat, the Crusaders were tipped to push Reading all the way, which
the 84-87 score line suggests they did.
The game
was reminiscent of the great comeback against Worcester a few weeks
previous. Four minutes into the fourth quarter Oatman, Hamlet and
Twierdzinski inspired a 13 point comeback to tie the game at 80-80
with further late drama moving the game on to 84-84. This time the
Crusaders were on the receiving end of a kick in the teeth when they
conceded free throws to give Rockets a 3 point advantage before
Hamlet’s last ditch effort caressed the rim of the basket, only to
come back out.
Wins
against Manchester Magic, followed by a 4 point haul from the double
header with Kings Lynn Fury and Kingston Wildcats put the team in a
healthy position of 4 points off top spot in the league table.
Whilst
Crusaders rounded off a fruitful start to the year with a 108-83
defeat at Essex & Herts Leopards, basketball fever was turned up a
notch away from the City’s usual venue and over to the Sky Dome on the
29th January, where the National Trophy and BBL Trophy
finals were being hosted.
Worcester Wolves triumphed over glory boys Sheffield Arrows to take
the National Trophy, whilst Newcastle Eagles retained the BBL Trophy
by seeing off Leicester.
Prior to
the January deadline, Crusaders signed Polish pair Marek Yaremko and
Dominik Gorgol. Yaremko is a 5ft 11 inch point guard who plied his
trade at Big Star Tychy, and will assist Sam Oatman at point guard.
Gorgol is a 26 year old 6ft 5 inch forward formerly of AZS Lublin.
Crusaders began February by losing to National Trophy runner up City
of Sheffield Arrows for the third time in which the team suffered rare
back to back losses in a tremendously heart breaking 96-97 score line
that changed hands six times, and wasn’t settled until eight seconds
from time.
Yaremko
adjusted comfortably on his debut, scoring a total of 10 that included
two three pointers.
Crusaders bounced back in predictable fashion by winning their next
two games to do the double over both of their opponents and notch 11
league wins, beating Nottingham Knights in their own back yard 101-81
and beating visitors London Capitals 108-89 to take a maximum 8 points
from the two teams this season.
Crusaders were victims of over confidence the following night however,
when t they went down at Tees Valley Mohawks, despite scoring a high
total of 97.
The
following week, Coventry returned to winning ways immediately after a
defeat for the fifth time this season, cementing their 100%
competitive record in four games against Solent Stars by beating them
86-61 at the Sports Centre.
The
month of March began with a weekend double header with an away 99-89
defeat to Worcester Wolves, and a victorious 90-82 return home leg
with London United which confirmed the Crusaders’ participation in the
play offs.
The
following week saw the Crusaders make a fist of it at Worthing
Thunder, clearly implementing a team game plan to try and break down
Thunder which achieved five players throwing double figures in the
game for Crusaders. Coventry lost 110-94, and Thunder had too much
quality in their squad for the defence to solely focus on throughout
the game, with Thunder’s Gayle, Vear and Woods all achieving scores of
above 20.
For the
final two games of the season, Dip Donaldson decided to experiment
with the team following their qualification for the play offs.
Crusaders rounded off their season at the Sports Centre with a 108-67
trouncing of Kings Lynn Fury, with all squad members fittingly getting
on the score sheet to say thank you to the fans for their support. Sam
Oatman had to leave the court though after sustaining a serious finger
injury, and would keep him out for the rest of the season.
Crusaders’ league position of 8th out of a possible 14 was
confirmed when they were unable to muster anything up at Manchester,
losing 103-76.
Things
went against the Crusaders in their 108-87 play off loss to Worthing,
with decisions resulting in Dip Donaldson forced to leave the court
after two intentional fouls, and Crusaders’ star man Jeremiah Hamlet
receiving a technical for clapping his hands at an official’s
decision.
The
first team weren’t the only ones who had a cheerful campaign. The
Under 16 Cadet team had a fantastic season, finishing 2nd
in the league and losing only twice in fifteen games.
Following the season’s end and into April and May, Crusaders Head
Coach Dip Donaldson carried on the club’s community ethos by engaging
with the City’s youngsters to see what could be done to get them off
the streets, and have a positive impact on their lives.
Donaldson, whose organisation Youth for Christ previously held
basketball and football activities for young people, was in
conversation with the City Council over proposals to set up
attractions where youngsters usually meet, such as an internet café,
after antisocial behaviour orders came into order in the Wyken area of
Coventry in April.
“What we
are trying to do is find out what exactly we can do, a long term and
sustainable programme so we can divert them to make them more mature
and responsible” Donaldson told the Telegraph.
Former
36 year old Crusaders player and Development Officer Alvin Scott
joined Donaldson’s community way of thinking by cheering on dozens of
youngsters in a football tournament in April at the £400,000 Active
Meadowlands facility, Radford.
The
event demonstrated the significance of bringing people closer together
with something to do. Alvin Scott signalled the thumbs up, saying
“this place is becoming a real part of the community”.
During
May the Crusaders held a charity match at the Sports Centre between
their Under 16 Cadet side and a Filipino All Stars team. The All Stars
consisted of local adults who had a passion for basketball and were
part of a Filipino charity called the Handog Natin. The match was in
aid of raising funds for both the Crusader Foundation and the Handog
Natin, which would be an interesting game involving a young team with
a winning mentality against a side with more experience.
Crusader
affiliates were given more reasons to be cheerful when in the summer
months of July and August it emerged that the Crusaders wheelchair
basketball club had beaten off hundreds of other community projects to
appear in the West Midlands Final of the 2006 National Lottery Awards,
and in turn would receive £4,800 funding to improve facilities,
coaching and transport costs for the team.
Adam
Crinage, who was part of the Crusaders wheelchair team, pointed out a
possible reason why the Crusaders community project had beaten so many
others. “They’ve made such a difference to my life and to so many
other wheelchair users” he told the Coventry Evening Telegraph.
“It’s very sociable
and the basketball training and games is just the half of it as it
organises trips and other sporting competitions” he added.
Season summary courtesy of Adam
Manning
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