EJ HARRISON TO ROAR WITH THE LIONS |
EJ Harrison has become Vince Macaulay's first addition to his Milton Keynes Lions roster ahead of the 2009/10 season.
The 6'2"American point guard joins from the Guildford Heat where he won the BBL Trophy and BBL Playoff Championship as the team's leader in 2008. This past season he averaged 16 points 4 assists and 4 rebounds whilst shooting 42% from the three point line.
Harrison was voted MVP of the Heat's BBL Trophy win and brings a veteran leadership to the Lions. A graduate of Connecticut University the affable guard also played for the Teeside Mohawks and Reading Rockets before breaking into the BBL.
Lions' Head Coach Vince Macaulay commented, "I am delighted to be able to acquire EJ, he brings a bit of size to the point guard position but can also play the 2 spot which will allow us to find more playing time for Eddie Morrison who is a real prospect at guard for the long term future."
Harrison led the Heat in steals as well as assists last season and looks a good fit for the Lions system. He also played for the Heat in their European campaign in the ULEB cup in 2008 against some of the top teams in Europe; at this level of competition he averaged 15 points per outing and 4 assists. Macaulay continued, "EJ is a great closer, in all the battles we have had with the Heat in the past two season he has been instrumental in closing the games out for his side, I look forward to seeing him do that in a Lions vest.
The Lions look to announce more signings shortly as negotiations continue with the quartet of Mike New, Yorick Williams Dru Spinks and Robert Youngblood. The Bletchley based outfit will open the 2009/10 season at the Bletchley Leisure Centre before moving to their new home around Christmas.
The BBL Championship Fixtures are due out towards the end of June.
BBL CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND IS NO MORE |
ESSEX PIRATES JOIN THE BBL
The British Basketball League (BBL) is pleased to confirm the structure of their competitions - the BBL Championship & Playoffs, the BBL Cup, and the BBL Trophy - for the 2009/10 season, which begins in September.
The BBL Championship season will begin on Friday 25th September and the format will remain the same as the recently completed 2008/09 season except for the addition of a 13th team - Essex Pirates.
Teams will each play 36 regular season games, with sides meeting one another once at home, once away, and once home or away. Two league points are awarded for a win, and the top eight teams will progress to the BBL Championship Playoffs in April.
The format for the post-season also sees a modification. Whilst the quarter-final games will remain as one-off encounters;
1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, 3rd v 6th, 4th v 5th
The semi final rounds will now be played over two legs (home & away) with the higher seed having choice of home advantage in the either the 1st or 2nd leg - aggregate scores will determine the victors.
The climax of the season will now be a single day showpiece event in early May.
The other significant changes are to one of the peripheral competitions, the BBL Trophy, which now take the form of a straight knockout competition and incorporates the top 3 EBL Division 1 teams from last season (Reading Rockets, Manchester Magic & London Leopards).
The first round and quarter-finals will be one-off games, with the semi-finals being contested over two legs (home & away) and being decided according to aggregate score. The culmination of the BBL Trophy will take place in a one- off game at a central venue in mid March.
The BBL Cup format will remain the same as last season with 3 teams receiving a bye from the 1st Round based on their BBL Championship position last season (Newcastle Eagles - 1st, Everton Tigers - 2nd & Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders - 3rd).
As with the Trophy competition, the opening rounds will be one-off games, with the semi finals contested over two legs (home & away) and decided on aggregate score.
The conclusion of the BBL Cup competition will take place in a one-off game at a central venue in January, when the first piece of silverware of the season is handed out.
The full fixture list, BBL Cup and BBL Trophy draws, are due to be announced in late June/early July.
RAIDERS SIGN STRONACH FOR NEXT SEASON |
The Airwaves Plymouth Raiders are delighted to announce the signing of Head Coach Gary Stronach for another season of BBL action. Stronach was signed 24 years ago from Sunderland, and has been a firm favourite within the city ever since.
"I'm happy to commit myself for what will be my 24th season in the city," said Stronach. "Rumours started circulating at the finals weekend in Birmingham that really saddened me. Everyone behind the scenes at Raiders are as close as they have ever been and my relationship with the Board of Directors is still just as strong."
He continued, "This strong relationship is going to be vital for the upcoming season. In line with all sports clubs across the world, our playing budget will be severely reduced for 2009/10 and recruiting is certainly going to be interesting. We know for sure that for different reasons Terrence and Kwbana won't be returning, but at the minute it's still too early in the post season to talk with certainty about anyone else."
Stronach played 356 games for the Raiders before announcing his retirement just before the start of the 1999/00 season. He works tirelessly in the off season, working the phones to speak to potential targets all over the world as part of the recruitment process and watching game tapes from the previous season to see where the team can improve.
Raiders Chairman Bob Widdecombe was extremely pleased to have secured Stronach for another year. "Gary is the heart and soul of this club, and we're pleased that the negotiations over his contract were finalised so quickly. Gary returned to the office from his much deserved holiday this morning, and we had his signature on the contract by lunch time. We've promised him our full support and backing during the recruitment process for the 2009/10 season."
Raiders have had to cancel their planned invitational tryouts. According to Chief Executive Dave Briggs, "There was a critical mass needed to ensure this event was a success, and although we had a large response, there wasn't the number of quality eligible players there to make it viable. It has however unearthed a number of players, both European and American, who Gary is now in contact with, with regards to potential contracts for next season. It's also enabled us to build relationships with a number of top Division 1 colleges in the USA."
COACH OF THE YEAR
ROB
PATERNOSTRO SIGNS ON FOR MORE |
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders are delighted to announce that last seasons', BBL Coach of the Year Rob Paternostro will continue as the club's Head Coach.
The 36-year-old, who guided the club to its best-ever top flight finish, has agreed terms on a one-year rolling contract.
Riders' Chairman Mark Ellis was delighted that Paternostro is back: "From our point of view, it was a no-brainer really, because in every aspect Rob had an outstanding first season with the club. We knew we were going to get personality and intensity, but we got much more than that. It is always tough when a player steps straight into a Head Coach position, but it was clear Rob won and maintained the respect of all the players, as well as everyone in the club.
"And he is a fan favourite as well, because of his total commitment to the cause. We had aimed in his first season as coach to be competitive in every game - we were that and much more as well and making the playoff finals was the icing on the cake. We think Rob can take us onwards and upwards, so our focus over the last month since the end of the season has been to ensure he has the time and support to do the job even better. I am pleased to say we have made progress in all those matters."
Under Paternostro, Riders finished third for the first time, setting a host of club records along the way. They also made the BBL Finals Weekend for the first time in eight seasons.
"I'm excited. I had an enjoyable experience last year, not only on the court, but off it as well," said Paternostro. "The people associated with the club and the fans were wonderful and this opportunity is great, so I'm excited to start another run.
"Last season was excellent, but that is finished now and we will be aiming to do our best to get as competitive a team as we can and let the chips fall where they may. Last year we were fortunate enough to get guys in who were not only talented on the court, but who were also smart. That's always what we are aiming to get and the work starts now.
SENSATIONAL VOLLEYBALL WEEKEND AT EISS |
READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE
mikeshaft.com
ACHIEVES 1 MILLION HITS |
I suppose the first time I got a sense of something going on was a couple of months ago when I got a warning e-mail from my service provider saying I was close to exceeding my bandwidth allowance.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
SEE PREVIOUS WEBSITE DESIGNS HERE
AUSTRALIA DEFEAT USA TO TAKE MEN'S GOLD |
World Champions Australia can enjoy their long journey down under after winning gold in the men’s final of the BT Paralympic World Cup '09 in Manchester, beating the USA 69 - 48 in an action packed Championship game. MVP Tristan Knowles felt his side did well to handle the pressure as the favourites.
“I think there’s always a bit of pressure coming into the tournament as favourites and you can get a little nervous, but not to sound clichéd we just took it one game at a time,” said Knowles.
He added, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is unreal. We don’t get many chances that often to play international teams being so far away in Australia so to have this opportunity to play real quality is great.”
Great Britain’s men ended their BT Paralympic World Cup campaign on a high by defeating Germany 69-49 to claim the bronze medal on the final day of wheelchair basketball action at the Regional Arena.
Top scorer Joe Bestwick was the star performer with a points total of 18, but the 25-year-old refused to take the plaudits for what he believes was a good all-round display at the end of a very useful tournament for the new-look Great Britain team.
“It’s not about individual performances. I was just part of the five guys on the court and the seven guys on the bench who all wanted to win together,” Bestwick said.
“He added, “There are seven new guys in this squad who have never played at this level before so it’s been really exciting to see them out there and gel as a unit. The BT Paralympic World Cup is perfect for blooding players and letting them prove to the coaches what they can do.”
Earlier in the day Great Britain’s women were also on court in their bronze medal match with China, but could not match their male counterparts as they were beaten 61-50 in a closely fought game.
In the days other match, the Nederlands were crowned the women’s champions after sealing a comfortable 66 - 42 victory over Mexico.
READ THE MIKE SHAFT BLOG pt 1 HERE
MIKE SHAFT UNOFFICIAL PHOTO ALBUM
READ ABOUT THE 2008 PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP HERE
USA & AUSTRALIA TO CONTEST MEN'S GOLD |
Day three of the wheelchair basketball at the BT Paralympic World Cup saw four gripping matches, with all teams fighting to the last breath in preparation of the finals to be played on Saturday.
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The Australian men’s quad put on a strong performance in front of a vibrant crowd, continuing their winning streak by beating a well supported team GBR 48–35 points. Tristan Knowles, the highest scorer of the day in the Australian team commented, “We’re really pleased but it’s important for us not to get too comfortable and get back out there tomorrow”.
The British were understandably disappointed however continue to remain positive preceding day four’s line up.
Assistant coach Sinclair Thomas said “It was a strong performance and a chance for the team to get ready for the vision ahead”.
The German team were also left deflated after losing to the USA squad by 67–50, which leads to the two titans of the male teams, Australia and USA, to fight it out during the finals.
In the women’s competition, the Netherlands showed strong team unity and like the Australians continue to be unbeaten in the 2009 BT Paralympic World Cup.
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The British side put on a good performance in front of the excitable home crowd but lost their momentum slightly to lose at 34–54 to the Dutch team.
In the first match of the day, Mexico had a surprising win over the feisty Chinese team, displaying a great performance to enter in to the Championship finals tomorrow.
Floralia Estrada, who played a fantastic game with 18 rebounds and 14 points scored for Mexico commented, “The Chinese team are really fast so we are really pleased with the win. The match was not our best performance though; we can do better and improve.”
GBR will face China for the bronze medal tomorrow and Mexico and the Netherlands contest the title.
The BT Paralympic World Cup is the first major multi-sport elite disability event to be staged in the UK ahead of London 2012 and major international stars and a strong British contingent are expected.
The competition is staged in Manchester from 20-25 May, with over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.
MIKE SHAFT BLOG TO FOLLOW
READ ABOUT THE 2008 PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP HERE
BT PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP IS ROCKING MCHR |
Day two at the BT Paralympic World Cup saw unbelievably close matches in the wheelchair basketball with Australia and the Netherlands dominating throughout the day. The watching crowds saw the Netherlands women’s team win their only match of the day against the GB team who put up a sensational performance, whilst the impressive men’s squad of Australia won both of their matches.
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Bill Latham, a strong force in the Australian men’s squad, summarised their last match of the day against USA, “It was a really good match with a great team effort, and we’re pleased with how we played the game out there on the second day.”
Great Britain put in two solid performances, with both squads losing by just one point after late surges from the opposing teams of Germany (Men) and Netherlands (Women) in the fourth and final quarter.
Roos Oosterbaan of the Netherlands team commented, “it was a really nerve-racking match with every point being really important, we will be aiming to win by more in the next match."
The BT Paralympic World Cup is the first major multi-sport elite disability event to be staged in the UK ahead of London 2012 and major international stars and a strong British contingent are expected.
The competition is staged in Manchester from 20-25 May, with over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.
MIKE SHAFT BLOG TO FOLLOW
OSCAR PISTORIUS AND SIR CHRIS HOY LAUNCH 2009 BT PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP |
Competing in their first international test since the Paralympic Games, over 400 athletes from 40 countries around the world are looking to continue the impressive form they showed in Beijing as they arrive in Manchester to compete at the 2009 BT Paralympic World Cup.
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Triple Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius and cycling, swimming and wheelchair basketball medallists Jody Cundy, Natalie Jones and Joe Bestwick have today officially opened the event, with Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy joining Murray Treseder’s GB team for their final wheelchair basketball training session.
357 medals will be presented at three world-class venues in Manchester this week, with men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball being held at the Regional Arena from 20-23 May and athletics taking over the venue on Sunday 24 May.
Track cycling is held across two and a half days of competition from 20-22 May at the Manchester Velodrome, whist swimming will be held across two days at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on 24-25 May, with the latter during the BBC2 live broadcast from 15:00-17:15.
BT Ambassador Oscar Pistorius, back in action following a boating accident in South Africa in March, is relishing his first major international competition in the four year cycle leading up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
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“I have been training hard over the past couple of months and am delighted to have made a full recovery from the accident,” said the South African.
“The BT Paralympic World Cup is such a crucial event in my development and I’ve done everything I can to be back to full fitness. I thank the team around me, including my coach and BT for their support and am really looking forward to Sunday’s competition, where I will race in the 100m as well as the 400m, which is being held for the first time.”
BT is the title sponsor of the Paralympic World Cup; the sponsorship runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.
Suzi Williams, BT Group Marketing and Brand Director, said, “BT has a long history of supporting disability sport in the UK - in fact BT was the first corporate supporter of the British Paralympic Association 20 years ago.
“That’s why we are so excited to be here this week, starting our journey to 2012 as the new title partner of the BT Paralympic World Cup. BT is fully committed to doing everything we can to help make this event the very best it can be. We are delighted to welcome athletes from all over the world for six days of fantastic competition.”
The BT Paralympic World Cup is the first major international competition in Europe in the four years cycle leading up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games and a great test for British and international athletes.
READ ABOUT THE 2008 PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP HERE
MORE BASKETBALL NEWS MAY 09
