Coventry
Crusaders get their season under way this Saturday with a 7.30pm home
tip off against Bristol Academy Flyers in the National Trophy.
The
Crusaders will be looking for only their second win in the early season
competition for three seasons, with a current record of one win in
sixteen National Trophy matches.
Despite
this record though, the Crusaders finished off last season in style with
six wins out of their last nine, and head coach Scott Neely feels this
is the time for recruiting and experimenting practically with his squad
before the league action kicks off in five weeks time, a reason put
forward by the head coach as to why the team hasn’t fared too well in
National Trophy over the last few years.
Crusaders
have nine players to choose from against Bristol’s twelve, with last
year’s guard John Olinger re joining the club along with notable youth
players Tim Donaldson and Dave Edden after their two year high school
basketball stint in America.
Joe
Francombe, Dan Taylor, Simon Payne, Kane Hudson and Wes Hall all retain
their places from last season. Whilst last year’s top scorers Ben Potts
and Siman Stewart, guard Sam Oatman, centre Rob Clarke and forward
Travis Lay have all departed.
“The
biggest challenge for us stems from not having a full squad as we begin
the trophy competition. This has been the case over the past 2 seasons
and will be the same this season” said Neely, who is in his third year
as head coach.
“I am
determined to see those that kit up for these matches are working to
improve each time they step on the court. Some are asked to fill a role
at this stage that they may not have later in the season. This is
positive in that players are challenged to step up and take
responsibilities and grow through the experience”.
A fourth
player who has signed on for this season after a successful trial with
the Crusaders is 6’4 shooting guard Will Bastin.
The 23
year old Birmingham University graduate, who is also a partnership
assistant raising awareness of what the Olympics can do for the Coventry
& Warwickshire area as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire 2012
Olympic Partnership, will be competing for a first team spot this season
despite being out of action last year after playing for Birmingham
University’s basketball side in the BUCS Division 2 in the 2007/8
season.
Bristol
will have only four of their eight new signings on display at the Sports
Centre alongside a host of their academy players on Saturday evening.
6’9 Welsh
centre Tony Berry will be making his competitive debut for the Flyers,
along with former England under 18 and Great Britain under 20 guard Jack
Stannard. Whilst prolific fans favourite Arek Makowski, also known as
the “Polish Wizard” by Bristol fans for his versatile talents in defence
and going forward, will make his second competitive debut for the club
after a year away. Davis Bowen makes up the final debutant of the new
signings making their appearance this Saturday, with the 6’9 centre
looking to dominate and impress after his arrival in the country last
Monday.
The new
quartet will be joined by two first team regulars, 6’2 guard Tony Watson
and 6’3 forward Damon Dyer, along with a host of academy players who
will make up the Flyers’ squad on Saturday.
Demonstrating the reshuffle at Bristol, only four of the twelve players
Andreas Kapoulas named in his squad for Saturday’s game were in the
squad for the last meeting.
Bristol
are expected to be a side challenging for silverware this season, having
failed to finish below the top 5 and after adding players in each court
position for the new league season, despite losing their influential
captain Gareth Till and 2012 Great Britain Olympic prospect Tyrone
Treasure this summer.
Kapoulas
wasted no time in making up for the losses however, when he signed
American duo Doug McLaughlin Williams, a 6’8 Guard formerly of Sheffield
Arrows, and young 6’9 centre Davis Bowen who will be looking to make his
presence felt on Saturday after achieving his first professional
contract.
Williams
is expected to arrive in the country in the next few days, and so won’t
be able to face the Crusaders until the NT return leg on October 24th at
the earliest.
Following
them through the door was some continental talent in the form of Mike
Gregory, Tony Berry, Asa Waite, Jack Stannard, Arek Makowski and Enrique
Garcia,
And Flyers
head coach Andreas Kapoulas believes the large influx of signings has
already had a positive impact on the squad before a ball has been
thrown.
“I felt it
was definitely time for a change especially as some of the younger
players were offered scholarships in the states” explained Kapoulas
about why his side will have notably different personnel this season,
especially without former captain Gareth Till who left the first team
last season after serving nine years as a player.
“The same
team has been together for 3 or 4 years and I wanted to add a few new
faces. The additions of Jack Stannard, Tony
Berry, Mike Gregory, Asa Waite, Spenser Wells and Arek Makowski to the
already existing strong Flyers core generated a lot of enthusiasm, and
has definitely had a positive impact on the team atmosphere”.
As for what he expects to his Bristol side to
face when they turn up at the Coventry Sports Centre, Kapoulas is
relishing seeing how his new look side will stand up to a resilient and
compact Crusaders side that they’ve beaten four times in five meetings.
“This is a new season so I do not
really consider previous results.
Coventry is always a tough and well-respected opponent. This is going to
be a great test for our team and will reveal a lot of areas that we will
need to improve on”.
There will
be another opportunity to see the two sides at their strongest when
Bristol come back to the Sports Centre again on Saturday 31st
October to kick off the EBL Division One league campaign against the
Crusaders.
Tickets
for the game are as always available on the door, and are £6 for adults
and £4 for children, OAPs and students. Whilst Coventry, Warwick or
Birmingham University students can gain entry for £3 if they show a
Splat card.
To find
out more about the Splat card benefits in the Coventry and Warwickshire
area, visit
www.splatcard.com .
Crusaders team to face Bristol: Joe Francombe (guard); John Olinger
(guard); Tim Donaldson (point guard); Will Bastin (guard); Dan Taylor
(guard); Simon Payne (guard); Dave Edden (forward); Kane Hudson
(forward); Wes Hall (forward).
Bristol: Rob Loftman (guard), Jake Vye (academy guard), Jack
Stannard (guard), Iri Omoyeni (academy guard), Tony Watson (guard), Arek
Makowski (forward), Mike Farage (academy guard), Greg Streete (guard),
Tony Berry (centre), Damon Dyer (forward), Tom Hutchinson (centre),
Davis Bowen (centre).
Story courtesy of Adam Manning (Crusaders Reporter)
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