Newcastle Eagles v Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders
Friday 14th November 2008 (7.30pm) @ Newcastle Arena

Newcastle Eagles player-coach Fabulous Flournoy expects a tough game when Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders arrive at the at the Newcastle Arena.

"Riders are a lot better than last year, and I don't think that Rob [Paternostro] has been given enough credit for what he's achieved so far. They're catching teams off guard, and they've been in all their games until the end. Even the losses have been by a couple of points.

“They're not an easy team to play against, they are getting a lot of scoring from Matt Martin and although the big guy needs a bit of time to adjust, they are doing well. Tony Windless is coming off the bench, and showing what a great veteran he is. He's in better shape than last year, and he's giving them the experience they need. Rod Wellington is coming into his own in this league, and their team has adopted Rob's mentality. They are playing with aggression and with a chip on their shoulder. They've got a point to prove, and they'll finish in the top six if they can hold it together and stay fit. They really have a solid team, and I think they'll be in every game, they aren't going to quit."

Flournoy was pleased with his team's display in last week's win against Worthing: "We played well, it wasn't out best or worst game of the season. They had a few players missing, and our depth really helped us win it. It gave the opportunity to play some of the young guys, and give them quality minutes. "It was a good game over-all, and will be good preparation for our two games this weekend. They had good runs at the end of the first three quarters, and they played until the final seconds so I'm pleased with the result."

Despite his side's fine start to the season, Riders coach Rob Paternostro rates his side's trip to Newcastle as their toughest game of the season: "Going up there is a really difficult task. They're the most talented team in the league, they've got a nucleus of players who have won things before and it'll be a real challenge for us. We're a new team, and we have to play against the best side in the country.

"Trey Moore is a great addition for them. I played with him at Birmingham Bullets, and I loved my time as a team-mate of him. He's a good addition, and they have a lot of guys who have been there before. They've got a lot of strength in the paint, with Darius Defoe, Tafari Tony and Lynard Stewart giving them a good inside mix."

BBL highflyers Everton Tigers host newcomers Worthing Thunder on Friday evening as they look to continue their good start to the season.

Tigers go into the game as one of three sides who have only one BBL Championship loss this season, while Thunder have found life tough going in their debut season in the competition, and are one of the bottom of the table with two wins from seven games. Everton coach Tony Garbelotto believes he has a reasonable knowledge of the Thunder team: "My assistant watched them play at Newcastle on Friday evening, and I probably know more about their English players than most coaches as I watched them a few times last season as my nephew Rob [Newson] was coaching them. I've seen Ryan Patten a few times as well, and I know he poses a threat.

"The difficult thing is knowing which Worthing Thunder team will turn up. Will it be the one which beat Sharks and Jets, or the one who were hammered at Newcastle."

Garbelotto has worries of his own at the moment, with several players struggling with injuries: "The important thing for us at the moment is getting Olu [Babalola] into the rotation, and getting Marcus [Bailey], Josh [Gross] and Tony [Dorsey] fully fit again. That's the real focus for me this week."

Worthing coach Gary Smith knows that his team will face a tough test on Merseyside: "Everton has probably the deepest team in the league this year with cover at every position. Tony has them playing well together. On their home court they are even more of a tough proposition, but we'll go there hopeful of causing an upset. We're in better shape than when we played Newcastle, as Jon Woods will be back for us, which makes a big difference to the team and gives us more options in a number of positions, but we'll have to see how the injuries to Colby Bargeman and Dan Wardrope respond this week

"I'm pleased with the way the team kept working last Friday through the adversity of absences and injuries, and if we can carry that through this weekend then I'll be happy."

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders v Guildford Heat
Saturday 15th November 2008 (7.30) @ John Sandford Centre

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will aim to build on last week's victory at previously unbeaten Scottish Rocks when they host Guildford Heat, on Saturday.

Riders coach Rob Paternostro was delighted with the win in Glasgow: "It was a really good win up in Scotland. The really nice thing about it is that after playing well in the first half, they really blitzed us in the third period with a load of threes. But I'm proud of the way we withstood the onslaught and came back together for a great finish."

Paternostro singles out former England international Mike Martin as a vital part of the Heat team: "Like ourselves they've got a lot of newcomers. They've brought in some guys who can really play, but for me Michael Martin is the key. He's been in the league for a long time, and we need to match his energy. He's a real handful, and we have to respect his as he's one of the better players in the league.

Heat coach Paul James is unsurprised that Riders have made such good start to the season: "I watched the Riders play during pre-season and you could see straight away that they would be more competitive this season. Matt Martin and Tommy Swanson looked like good players and a proving to be. Rob is doing a great job in organising the team and having them play with structure and discipline, something they did not have last season. It's going to be really tough to beat them on their floor that's for sure."

Heat's last outing saw them defeat BiG Cheshire Jets 91-88 at The Spectrum, and James wasn't entirely happy with his side's performance: "I thought we made hard work of the Jets game. We put ourselves in good positions several time to make it a comfortable win but we allowed them to get back into the game due to lack of concentration and focus.

Turnovers and free throw percentage continues to be an issue but these are things that we can and defiantly improve on as the season goes on." Guildford have had a weekend off since that victory, and James is unsure whether the break will be good for his team: "Time will tell if the break has been good for us or not. We are looking for our first win on the road so having the break was not ideal. It has a load me to look at a few things and for the players to rest some niggling injuries."  

Worcester Wolves v PAWS London Capital
Saturday 15 November 2008 (7.00pm) @ Worcester Univ

Two of the BBL's newest clubs meet at University of Worcester on Saturday as Worcester Wolves host PAWS London Capital.

Wolves' player-coach Skouson Harker admits that he is going into the game without any real knowledge of the team he will be facing: "I know very little about London. I know they play hard and compete in every game, and we must be ready to match their energy and intensity. It is a very big game for us as we try to move up the table. We will concentrate on our game and try to continue to improve."

Worcester's last game saw them win a high-scoring shoot-out in Worthing, and Harker was pleased with how his team played: "Offensively we had some guys get the job done. It was a lot of fun and I always like these types of games. It is easy to say we play little D, but we get up more shots than most teams, so naturally our opponents get up more shots as well.

But our close outs and shot pressure does need to be more consistent. Thunder did a great job to come back, and they played like they had nothing to lose." Capital coach Milek Jivens knows his team will be in for a tough test at Worcester University on Saturday: "I have not seen Worcester this season, but I have viewed a scouting report on them. They like to put up a lot of points and they have an outstanding player in Anthony Paez. Like I said before, it is not about them any more, it's about us. We have to execute and keep focus. We are improving but not as quick as we would like.

The London side go into the game at the bottom of the table having lost against both Sheffield Sharks and Marshall MK Lions last week, but coach Jivens is refusing to hit the panic button: "In both the Sharks and the Lions game we failed to execute in key moments of the game. Their experience and maturity was the deciding factors in both games. For us to win we have to play well as a unit. At the moment it is gut checking time.

"At this stage we are weighing up our options and considering what is best for the team and the organization. Believe it or not we are not panicking. We are only considering committed players who are willing to fight for the good of the team.  

Worthing Thunder v Sheffield Sharks
Saturday 15 November 2008 (7.00pm) @ Worthing LC

Worthing Thunder will be looking to wrap up their first head-to-head success in their inaugural BBL season as they host Sheffield Sharks on Saturday.

The teams met at the EIS last month, and Thunder shocked the hosts with an 88-85 victory, thanks in a big way to 27 points from Colby Bargeman 22 from Janis Ivanovskis.

Gary Smith, the Thunder coach, knows that Sheffield will be looking for revenge on Saturday: "We know Sharks will be fired up for this game having gone up there and beaten them, so we will be prepared for that. The key to the win up there was that we stayed in the game early on and we must do that every game.

We have a tendency to not start playing until the second half and by then the game is out of reach. If we can get going from the tip-off then I fancy us against anyone, especially at home.

"They have a number of versatile players, capable of playing inside and out, like Chris Sanders, James Whyte and Matt Gorman, so we need to be alert to that and not relax when they step outside the three point arc as they can all hit that shot. It's possible they may have a new player in by the weekend too so we will need to watch for that.

"Although we will be at home, in a way they have an advantage as they don't have a game Friday night so will be travelling down fresh, whereas our guys won't have got home from Everton until early Saturday morning! That's just part and parcel of being in the BBL though so we have to play through that and come out ready to play, and I'm sure we will!"

Sharks coach Atiba Lyons is looking for a better performance when his side meet Thunder for the second time this season: "They are a very talented team and came to Sheffield and played a great game and beat us. Ryan Patton runs the show for the Thunder and Ivanovskis was very strong for them inside.

"Colby Bargeman is also shooting the ball very well for them. Last time we played we had a very poor defensive quarter in the second and can't let that happen again. This team is too good to take possessions off let alone quarters." Sharks go into the game on the back of a weekend where they defeat PAWS London Capital but lost at BiG Storage Cheshire Jets, leaving Lyons with mixed feelings: "I felt the Capital game was one of those games everyone contributed and played hard. Matt Gorman had 22 points in 19 minutes which is a great day's work."

The Cheshire game was an extremely tough game on both sides. They came out very well but we were able to withstand their initial push and stay even in the first quarter. We fought back in and took a slight lead in the fourth, but we missed too many free throws in the clutch and a few open looks from three didn't drop for us. It was essentially a one possession game and we could have won but it didn't fall for us. We missed our free-throws and they made theirs."

PAWS London Capital v BiG Storage Cheshire Jets
Sunday 16 November 2009 (4.00pm) @ Capital City Academy

Sunday 16th November 2008 (5.00pm) @ Kelvin Hall

It will be the second meeting between the teams this season, with Eagles defeating the BBL newcomers 98-84 on their own court. A 35-14 second quarter proved to be the difference between the teams as Newcastle continued their good start to the season. Jonathon Woods led all scorers in the game with 22 points for the home side, while Trey Moore led the Eagles' scoring with 19.

Eagles go into the game on the back of a 112-92 victory against BiG Storage Cheshire Jets, which saw them reach the semi-finals of the BBL Cup, and coach Fab Flournoy was pleased with the result: "It was a good hard fought win. I don't think Jets' record is a true reflection of how good they are. They played extremely well in the first half, and Paul Smith did a fantastic job to prepare them. We were flat in the same way we were against Sheffield, but we got our act together in the second half, and played a lot of good defence which helped us win the game.

"It was a one-off game, and we could have lost it, so I'm delighted about going through. It was great to see Phil Perre back in the BBL, and full credit to Jets management team for getting him back. Darius Defoe and Andrew Bridge were phenomenal for us, it was great to see three English players, who learned their trade in this country, being key to the game.

Flournoy expects another tough game when Worthing arrive in the north east: "They're a new team and they are feeling things out. They've playing well and hard with a good system, they are just lacking a bit of experience in the BBL. They have all the right components, and they are there or thereabout in most games. They're coming together nicely, and they remind me of Plymouth in their first season. It'll be a difficult game, and I think the word is out that we're not playing well at home. They'll be aware of that, and we need to make sure we're well prepared for the game."

Thunder's poor home record continued on Sunday with a 116-110 loss against Worcester Wolves, and coach Gary Smith is looking for an improvement in their form: "We have to get out of this habit of starting games slowly, we keep making life more difficult for ourselves than we have to. We make the game exciting for our home crowds, but personally I would prefer it if we were up at half-time and then pulled away in the second!"

Smith is facing up to arguably Thunder's tough game of the season: "Newcastle away has to be one of the most daunting games on the schedule! From our point of view it's a long journey up to the North East and then you have to face the current champions in a big arena. It will be the first experience in a big venue for the team this season so it will be interesting to see how they respond. Hopefully they will enjoy the atmosphere, relax and play loose, as we have nothing to lose.

"Nobody is really expecting anything from us up there, so there is not the weight of expectation we have at home. On the other hand, we also have our 100 percent league away record to protect! Seriously though, we have a lot of respect for the Eagles and what they have achieved both off and on the court and they are the model all clubs should ultimately aspire to. You look at their line-up and it's impossible to focus on one individual as any one of them could step up on a given night. Saying that, we have some talented individuals too so we will always have a chance as long as we allow ourselves to stay in the game."

Sheffield Sharks v London Capital
Friday 7 November 2008 (7.30pm) @ EIS Sheffield

Sheffield Sharks player-coach Atiba Lyons is looking for his team to bounce back after two narrow losses last week, Sharks lost 78-74 at Guildford in the BBL Cup last Wednesday before going down 84-75 at Jelson Homes Leicester Riders in the BBL Championship, and the Sharks player-coach was upset with the way his team played: "This week was very disappointing. In each of our losses we were there at the end and didn't make the appropriate plays we need to seal the victory.

"Against Leicester we had our opportunities to seal the game and we didn't, and to their credit they did. Their guards made some clutch shots and their big guys made some crucial defensive plays. I knew it would be a dog-fight and come down to the wire. Unfortunately we didn't come up with the ball when we needed to our finish plays off."

Lyons hasn't seen the London side in action yet this season, but he knows his team will face a difficult game on Friday evening: "I haven't had a chance to see them play. I know they have made some changes recently. From previous years they play extremely hard defense and I know they have a lot of talent on that team.

"They have a very deep team and night after night different players step up and make contributions. It will be a very interesting game."

Capital's coach Milek Jivens is more concerned about how his team are playing at the moment than worry about the Sharks: "I have not seen the Sharks first hand, but I have had a scouting report given to me about their good and bad points. At this point of time for us we have to focus on more than one and two players. We have to stop worrying what other teams got and make them worry about us."

Two sides looking to bounce back from defeats in their last games meet at Capital City Academy on Saturday evening when PAWS London Capital host Marshall MK Lions in the BBL Championship.

The teams have already met on the same court on the opening weekend of the season, with Lions recording a 100-83 victory. A 30-12 second period was key to the Lions as they chalked up their fifth win in as many games against the London club. Veteran centre Mike New led all scoring with 24 for Lions, while Graham McCallums led the Londoners with 18.

Capital coach Milek Jivens knows that his team will face a tough time when they host the Lions: "I believe the Milton Keynes game will be a physical one . Last time we meet the Lions they did all the little things that kept us on the back foot. They had a good all around team display and their veterans prove decisive. We wore not able to match them for four quarters. At this level you can not afford to fall asleep at any part of the game and expect to win."

Capital's last game saw them go down at home against Scottish Rocks, and Jivens was disappointed with the way the game was called the by the referees: "My assistant was ejected for the game. I did not understand the situations it was bizarre. It almost seemed personal, but hey this is a learning experience for all of us. We just have to take one game at a time. We will learn for it and move on."

Meanwhile, Lions missed out on the BBL Championship points in a thriller at Plymouth Raiders last week before seeing their defence of the BBL Cup end at the first hurdle with a home loss against Everton Tigers.

Coach Vince Macauley knows his team will have to play well to repeat their win in north west London: "I have seen tape of Capital since we last played them and I know what to expect which is a group of guys trying to play their hardest."

However, the Lions play-caller refuses to single out any individuals on Jivens' team: "I don't think you identify players with Capitals, their sum is greater than the individuals. They play a team defensive concept and are all happy to be on the floor working hard."

BiG Storage Cheshire Jets v Sheffield Sharks
Sunday 9 November 2008 (5.30pm) @ Northgate Arena

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will look to bounce back from their BBL Cup exit at the hands of Airwaves Plymouth Raiders when they host Sheffield Sharks on Saturday.

Riders went down 99-74 on Sunday, leaving coach Rob Paternostro a disappointed man: "I knew when I saw the cup draw that going to Plymouth and getting a win was going to be a difficult task.

"I thought we played pretty well in the first half to lead 45-41, but when you play against a good team on the road you have to play well for 4 quarters to win."I thought Plymouth played great in the second half, they shot 74 percent and did a great job of getting out on the break and converting."

Paternostro is expecting a tough game when his side host a Sheffield team who shocked league champions Newcastle Eagles on their own court last week: "We know the Sheffield game is going to be difficult, Every night in this league you better come to play or you will be in trouble.

"I've been impressed by the way Sheffield's big guys have shot the ball. Sanders and Gorman are unique in a sense that they have good size and they can step out and hit the three."

Having seen his team follow up that win at Newcastle with a shock home loss against Worthing Thunder, Sharks player coach Atiba Lyons also expects a tough game on Saturday evening: I know Rob has them playing tough basketball and it is always a dog-fight in their gym. They have had some good wins and some tough losses but if they get hot they can beat anyone in this league."

Lyons singles out Riders point guard Matt Martin as a key player for the Leicester team: "Matt Martin is running the show there and has a lot of range on his shot. Also Swanson is a solid post player and they make a nice tandem."

The teams split the two games at John Sandford Sports Centre last season with Sharks winning a 69- 67 thriller in September before Riders gained revenge with a 78-65 victory in March. However, it was Sheffield who took the head-to-head series thanks to an 83-66 home win in April.

Guildford Heat v BiG Storage Cheshire Jets
Sunday 2 November 2008 (3.00pm) @ Guildford Spectrum

It may only be six weeks into the season, but Guildford Heat and BiG Storage Cheshire Jets meet for the final time in BBL Championship action on Sunday.

The head-to-head series between the clubs will be at stake, with both sides having won their home game. The two sides met at Northgate Arena four weeks ago, and 17 points apiece from Calvin Davis and Shawn Myers helped Jets to a 75-71 victory. A fortnight later, 22 Michael Martin points and 21 from Brad Jones helped Heat gain revenge as they recorded a 96-86 win - despite 30 points from Chez Marks.

Paul James, the Heat coach, appreciates the importance of the game: "This is our third and final meeting in the league season already and in saying that, this game has massive importance as whoever wins gets the head to head which the way things seem to be shaping up in the championship, well it could be vital.

"Chez Marks has been solid for the Jets this season and limiting his contribution is one of the keys to stopping the Jets."

Jets coach Paul Smith sees former England international Mike Martin as Heat's key man: "Keonte Howells has caused us lots of problems in both games but Mike Martin is very active and plays with so much energy."

Cheshire have had a fortnight since they were last in action, but Smith is unsure whether this will help his team: "We are not playing well so it has given us the chance to take stock and work on the specific things we need to put right. We have trained hard. Whether it has been beneficial or not will become clear by the end of the weekend!"

Jets will go into the game still one player shot following the release of forward Shuan Stegall: "We have signed a US big guy but he won't be here for the weekend" explained Smith.

Sunday 2 November 2008 (5.00pm) @ Worthing LC

Worthing Thunder and Worcester Wolves will be looking to build on shock away wins last week when they meet at Worthing Leisure Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The two teams had curiously similar weekends last time out, losing at home but producing shock away victories as Thunder bounced back from a loss against Scottish Rocks to win at Sheffield Sharks, while Wolves won at Everton before losing against Newcastle Eagles.

Thunder coach Gary Smith thought his side deserved the victory in the steel city: "The players deserved the win on Sunday. We worked really hard at closing down Sheffield's shooters and making them do things they didn't want to, and although they came back at us we held on really well."

Smith is looking for a good start against the Wolves: "It is important we start strongly against Worcester on Sunday. Although I haven't had a chance to see them, I've been told some things about them and the way they play, so we will be working on those things this week. We know that Anthony Paez will take a lot of shots, and that if they are dropping he will leave with a big score. We just need to make him work as hard as possible to get his shots.

"Justin Brown is the biggest guy we have come up against this year and will be a tough challenge both offensively and defensively for Janis (Ivanovskis), who has so far proved too strong for most of the players he's matched up against. I'm looking forward to seeing who comes out on top of that battle. Skouson (Harker) is another player- coach, like the others in this league, who leads from the front and battles hard for 40 minutes whether on the floor or on the sidelines. His teams always seem well drilled and recruited and this year is no exception and seems to be coming together now.

"Following our wins in Chester and Sheffield the guys need to have the belief that we can compete at this level, and it would be nice for our fans to see us win at home, rather than just the select, noisy group that have seen us win on the road!

While it will be the first meeting between the two teams in the BBL, the teams were old rivals in the EBL Division One. The last games between them at that level came in the 2005/6 season, with Wolves winning 81-74 at home before Thunder gained revenge with a 100-78 victory.