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Post by Solly on Jun 4, 2020 14:49:02 GMT
And a quick follow-up match in Liverpool.
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So here we are, only just into December and we tonight face Mersey Tigers for the third time already this season.
In days gone by we could easily have been looking at 0-3 against last year’s Championship winners. However, like most other Wolves followers, I feel confident we can get the hat-trick of Ws today.
In our last programme I gave you the rundown on our 91-62 victory at Mersey that took us into next week’s Cup semi against Plymouth and tonight I’ll give you the detail on our 97-79 triumph up in Liverpool the following week.
Reading the Tigers glossy matchnite programme I could almost feel Tony Garbelotto’s hurt. Here is a man who one minute is at the head of one of the BBL’s big spenders, but the next minute is having to spread his butter decidedly thinly.
In fact we are probably not even talking butter, more likely margarine and an own-label version at that.
Garbo talked about the difficulties of young players full of energy and wanting desperately to do the right thing, but being let down by their inexperience. He also talked about the useful signing of a well-travelled veteran Marlin Capers.
He was on the mark on both counts: Tigers are undoubtedly trying their best in difficult circumstances, but found many players falling prey to unforced errors, while the old heads of Capers and David Aliu struggled manfully to steady the ship.
Although it was a slightly closer game this time, the pattern of a tight first half (with us only 37-28 ahead at the break), followed by a stunning explosion of third quarter scoring was repeated.
And what a third quarter it was: it started with Arnas picking up a tech for jawing at fastidious ref Roger Harrison, and Tigers reducing the arrears to 39-36.
But from then on it became the Tommy and Tin Tin show as they rained in threes from all over the shop. The Tigers resistance was snapped in two, and we once more circussed it up to close out the game.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 9pts. Reliable.
Tommy Freeman – 27pts, 5 x 3ptr, 10-14 from the line. Deadly from outside, prancing and dancing on the inside. Tonight’s MVP.
Richie Gordon - 11pts, 13 rebounds. Another double-double for our growling centre.
David Watts – 21pts, 6 x 3ptr. Don’t you just love it when Tin-Tin is on fire.
Alex Zimnickas – 6pts. Steady when called upon.
Callum Jones - 11pts. Someone put out a call for Billy Smart.
Arnas Kazlauskas - 2pts. Learnt that you can’t even look askew at Ref Roger.
Carlos Fernandez – 2pts, 0-4 from the line. Gotta work on those free throws.
Courtney Van Beest – 5pts. Sparkplug off the bench.
Daniel Belgrave - 3pts. Ditto.
So there you have it – a convincing W against a team with difficulties. After today we play them one last time, again at their place.
Have a think about a visit: plush venue, welcoming people and great off-court entertainment. Respect.
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Post by Solly on Jun 5, 2020 14:04:47 GMT
And on to the end of Wolves great 8-match unbeaten run. Very welcome after so many rough BBL years.
1. Have (had to) visit Sheffield's Meadowhall many many times, going back to the early days when it first appeared. I think it preceded Manchester's Trafford Centre by a few years, but was itself preceded by Dudley's Merry Hill Centre. A very new type of shopping experience at that time.
2. Whatever happened to Jimmy Langhurst? ------------------------
Today I’ll tell you all about how our glorious (eight-match) unbeaten run came to an end. There’s nothing better than a slap in the face to sober you up.
Having said that, although disappointing, our 75-76 defeat at the Sheffield Sharks was not really as impactful as a slap in the face. It was more like a poke in the eye, as this was a game all about shouldas, couldas and maybes.
Dragged up by Mrs Solly to visit the sprawling Meadowhall shopping complex pre-game, my wallet was emptied on Xmas goodies. It was so nice to rest my feet, drink a lovely cup of coffee, and anticipate the night ahead.
When Arnas opened the scoring from distance, quickly followed by a similar success from Carlos, I was chilling.
With Richie scoring freely close to the basket, matters were rolling along nicely as we built a 22-18 first quarter lead, and I was in a Nescafe moment.
Our advantage continued until the interval, the half drawing towards a close when Arnas once more calmly floated home a three-point score, and even converted a free throw awarded when he was fouled in the process of scoring.
From a 42-32 half-time lead, we peaked at 58-44 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
A 60-47 lead entering the final period looked comfortable enough as the Sharks continued to misfire.
However, in the first five minutes of the period we were only able to post four points to the Sharks ten.
By four minutes remaining, threes from Jimmy Langhurst and Nate Reinking had tied the game at 66-66.
At just seven seconds to go, Richie soared over ex-Wolves centre Justin Dobbins to put us in front at 75-74, and it looked like we were once more about to secure a late win.
However we then allowed Reinking to float one home and send me into despair.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 6pts. Quiet.
Tommy Freeman – 3pts. Deathly quiet.
Richie Gordon - 25pts. Had Dobbins in his pocket. Tonight’s MVP.
David Watts – 11pts. Reasonable performance.
Alex Zimnickas – 4pts. Didn’t get many minutes.
Callum Jones - 4pts. Ditto.
Arnas Kazlauskas - 18pts, 5 x 3ptrs. Smooth grafter.
Carlos Fernandez – 4pts. Busy.
Guess we were always going to have to come out on the wrong end of a close one for a change.
Disappointing, but nowhere near as bad as what was to happen a few days later at Milton Keynes. My oh my – I’ll save that tale for our next programme…
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Post by Solly on Jun 7, 2020 9:25:01 GMT
Here's the latest.
1. This was my first visit to SSP. A nice venue.
2. Whatever happened to Martelle McLemore?
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I’m taking it that by now most of you will already know a lot about what took place in our doubleheader Cup semi against Plymouth, so I’ll hold on writing up my report from the second-leg game in Plymouth until our next programme. Instead, I’m going to look back on our 98-93 win at Guildford Heat from the Sunday before the Cup games.
During the week prior to Guildford we featured on Sky’s first live coverage of this season, for our trip to Milton Keynes.
I had contemplated travelling to MK, but a frantic journey down the M1 on a school night, versus reclining on my chaise longue being fed grapes, meant there was only one winner.
Talking of winners it most certainly wasn’t us as we dug ourselves out of a large hole to take a late third quarter lead, but then went MIA in the last period to take a beating.
Anyway, enough of that ‘blip in the road’ and let’s get back to the Guildford experience, where we faced a side reinvigorated by several new arrivals in new point guard Drew Lasker, formerly of the BBL winning Newcastle Eagles, forward Mike Copeland from the Glasgow Rocks, and one-time Wolves forward Shaun Durant.
An explosion of scoring in the first quarter saw us ahead at 31-27, after a brace of scores from outside the arc for Arnas, and a trio of similar scores by Sherrad.
A calmer second period for both teams ended with our lead still intact at 51-49. We wobbled in the third quarter as Richie had to park himself on the pine with four fouls, and Arnas got called for an unsportsmanlike foul after hargy-bargy with Julius Joseph.
Going into the final quarter trailing 72-78, it was still a back and forth encounter until Tommy Freeman (or Tommy ‘Floorman’ as one wag remarked to me) fired everyone up when standing ramrod straight in front of the oncoming Martelle McLemore, and caused yet another offensive charging foul to be called on his opponent. The momentum was now ours.
That sealed the deal, and jubilant players leapt into the middle of a large band of Wolves supporters to celebrate the triumph.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 24pts, 4 x 3ptrs. Determined display.
Tommy Freeman – 23pts, 4 x 3ptrs. Rockin and Rollin.
Richie Gordon - 23pts. Reliable.
David Watts – Nil pts. Limped off court in first half.
Alex Zimnickas – 2pts. Played his part.
Callum Jones - 4pts. Ditto.
Arnas Kazlauskas – 14pts, 4 x 3ptrs. Industrious.
Carlos Fernandez – 8pts, 5 assists. This boy’s got game.
A few words about the Heat match night – an outstanding venue with such delights as a jumbotron that showed the game in play, and provided lots of fun such as fan close ups and ‘bongo beating’ (you had to be there to believe it).
Also a livewire mascot in ‘Scorcher’, and a highly energetic dance troupe that would not be out of place on X-Factor.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 10:52:26 GMT
Today's repro followed shortly after Wolves lost out in the Cup semi to Plymouth.
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Surely most of you reading this programme will have come down to the University a while back to see how we got on in the first leg of the Cup semi against Plymouth, and then many of you may well have seen the second leg on Sky a few days later.
Nevertheless, despite the overall painful outcome, I can’t possibly avoid mention of what took place. Having said that, I don’t think it will be too inappropriate to make the bulk of this article about the much nicer later part of the weekend, and perhaps slide around the earlier half of the proceedings.
First off it has to be said that it was a joy to be part of one of the biggest home crowds over recent seasons, and to feel a real buzz about the interest that has been shown in the club not just by the fans, but in the local papers, and on local radio. This can only augur well for when we make the step up to the new Worcester Arena.
Early doors in the first game and we did alright, but then the sky fell in during the second and third quarters, leading up to the eventual 83-111 shellacking.
So it was that I had to deliberate whether I really wanted to make a 400-mile odd round trip on the Sunday, when the tie seemed already doomed. Well, I’m glad I indeed made the effort.
In traditional style Carlos provided the early scoring punch. However, in non-traditional style, he did not then take an early seat on the bench, but instead played major minutes, and repaid the faith shown in him by accumulating the stats. Reason number one I’m glad I went.
Reason number two I’m glad I showed – Richie Gordon. A man on a mission to atone for the day before. Points, rebounds etc., he was the man.
Reason number three – Worcester Pride. An 89-82 win on the night from a side who didn’t roll over.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 19pts, 9-10 from the line. Dogged display.
Tommy Freeman – 9pts, 7-8 from the line. Knock him down, but he won’t stay down.
Richie Gordon - 34pts, 12 rebounds, 12-15 from the line. Awesome.
David Watts – 4pts. Limited minutes.
Callum Jones – Nil pts. Ditto.
Alex Zimnickas – 6pts. Got stuck in.
Arnas Kazlauskas – 2pts. Contributed.
Carlos Fernandez – 15pts, 5 assists, 6 rebounds. Carlos’ coming-out party.
So let’s not be too down about what took place on the Saturday. Sunday went some way in pulling back matters.
Compared to where we usually stand at this time of year (as much as I hate to admit it, the bottom of the table or thereabouts), we have never had it so good.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:00:21 GMT
Going back to the Cup semi detailed above, I'll post here some of the articles I enjoyed putting together for the local papers in the runup.
This one was about the Prezzie-Blue/Bell battle
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A Rival Point of View
After this weekend’s victories against Mersey Tigers and Guildford Heat, the Worcester Wolves occupy clear second place in the BBL Championship. However all attention will now switch to the BBL Cup, as Paul James’ men prepare for their two-legged semi-final against Plymouth Raiders.
One of the major talking points of Wolves 77-76 triumph a few weeks ago against the Raiders was the ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ battle between Wolves point guard Sherrad Prezzie Blue and Plymouth’s playmaker Jeremy Bell.
Last year Bell plied his trade at the Chester Jets, averaging 23 points and 4 assists a game, and achieved the considerable honour of being awarded the BBL Player of the Year.
However, despite this individual accolade, he was unable to lead his team to any trophies. This season he has signed for a club hungry for silverware. Talking about his move to the Raiders, Bell remarked:
“I’m settling in well at Plymouth. Off the court it was an easy adjustment for me, but on the court I’m still not totally satisfied.
“We’re still figuring out our identity and getting used to playing together, but each week we work harder in practice so we can compete at our full potential come game time.”
The first chance for Bell to grab team success in the British game will be in the BBL Cup, and he is in a good mood about this weekend: “The best team will win. I am confident, and I like our chances.”
When asked for his thoughts about his side’s last encounter with the Wolves where they lost in such agonising fashion Bell, though disappointed, gave credit to his opponents: “I was upset with the loss, we didn’t play the full 40 minutes of the game like we are capable.
“I thought we played catch up from behind, and we came up short in the end, although I give Worcester credit because they played well the entire game.”
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue’s last second basket was the difference between the two teams last time they met, but Bell is quick to take the focus away from any talk of a duel between the two American guards:
“I don’t care about the battle of the point guards, he is a good player, but basketball is a team game so the battle will be Wolves versus Raiders, us against them, and I want to win that battle instead.”
Both organisations are expecting bumper crowds. The first leg of the tie will be at the University of Worcester this Saturday (tip off 7pm). The return will take place the next day in Plymouth.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:04:56 GMT
And another ---------------------
Countdown to Cup Semi-Final
After this weekend’s games in the BBL Championship, the attention of all Worcester Wolves fans will now be switching to the BBL Cup.
This Saturday the Wolves will face Plymouth Raiders at the University of Worcester in the first leg of the BBL Cup semi-final, with the return leg taking place the next day in Plymouth.
With the teams having already faced each other three times this season, a fierce rivalry has been brewing.
In their first meeting, back in October, the Wolves were humiliated in front of their own supporters 62-85. In previous seasons that sort of defeat might have been the trigger to send subsequent results into free-fall.
However, the new look squad that Director of Basketball Paul James has built is made of much sterner stuff.
A week later the Wolves got swift revenge, winning 96-85 on Plymouth’s own court, in a victory that was to be the first of eight in a row.
Never before has there been such an impressive start to a season in Worcester.
While the new American trio of forward Tommy Freeman, centre Richie Gordon, and point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue have all featured in the BBL Team of the Week in recognition of their individual performances, James is quick to point out the value of an all-round squad of contributors:
“There are no big stars in our side. It’s all about a team ethic.
“We’ve found a way to win close games that we might have lost in previous seasons, and we’ve done this without having to rely on just one or two players.”
Included in the record-breaking run of victories was another thrilling 77-76 win over Raiders a couple of weeks ago, decided by a late basket from Sherrad Prezzie-Blue.
In the aftermath of the win, James led his players in taking a theatrical curtain call-style double bow to the audience. Whilst this delighted the delirious home fans, Plymouth players and their sizeable band of travelling supporters can only have been irritated by this action.
Nevertheless, Raiders’ coach Gavin Love played down his disappointment: “It was a tough game. The Wolves did well, and we did okay.”
When asked if the game would have any bearing on the Cup semi-final, Love denied this, stating: “It has no significance at all.”
With dogged battles taking place at various positions on the court between the likes of Richie Gordon and the Raiders’ own big men, and between Prezzie-Blue and last year’s League MVP Jeremy Bell, it remains to be seen whether Love’s words will ring true.
Semi-final tickets are still on sale from the University Sports Centre Reception Desk. Spectators are advised to secure their tickets as soon as possible to avoid missing out on what will be the biggest game yet in Wolves short 12-year history.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:12:31 GMT
And this one gave a fan's point of view.
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Countdown to Cup Semi – Why we love the Wolves!
While the Worcester Wolves organisation is in bubbly mood about the club’s best ever start to a season, and about the biggest match yet in their history this weekend against Plymouth Raiders, Wolves fans are also finding it difficult to contain their excitement.
A coachload of supporters made the journey down to Surrey on Sunday to urge Wolves to a 98-93 victory over Guildford Heat, and those fans and many others will be packing the bleachers at the University of Worcester for this Saturday’s semi-final.
Formed in 2000, the Wolves tasted success at the lower levels as they climbed the tiers of British basketball. However, since stepping up to the top-flight of the game, the good times have yet to really roll.
Nevertheless the club has always attracted a hard-core of support, and are hoping that recent successes will add to those numbers.
One fan who has followed the Wolves since their formation is Jan Clarke. Jan realises what Saturday means for the franchise:
“It’s important for this club to win some silverware at last.
“These players all play for each other; it’s a real team effort.”
When asked what people who might be considering coming to a Wolves game for the first time can expect, Jan replied:
“It’s proper family entertainment.
“It’s a fast-paced game, and the noise we make is really exciting and all the players really appreciate the interaction they have with the fans.”
Another ardent Wolves supporter, albeit one who only first came to a Wolves match relatively recently, is Andy Johnstone. Andy is succinct when he talks about what will happen against the Raiders:
“We’ve beaten them twice before, and we’ll thrash them!”
Andy talked about how he got into the Wolves:
“I took my two young boys along to a game, and soon we all got hooked and now have season tickets.”
Andy was once more straight to the point when asked what anyone contemplating coming down to the University on Saturday should do:
“Get your tickets while you can, before they all run out!”
One young follower of the Wolves is Ed Zygaitis.
Ed hails from Lithuania, a hotbed of European basketball where games are often watched by several thousand spectators, and thinks that type of passionate support will also be in evidence this weekend:
“The support from everyone will be big, and the match should be great.”
The final few words go to one of Andy’s young sons, William:
“I just love basketball altogether.”
Anyone who is still undecided about what they are going to do with themselves this Saturday evening should consider being a part of the Worcester Wolves experience. Just be aware that you might find yourself hooked.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:17:27 GMT
And this one gave Prezzie-Blue's views.
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Prezzie-Blue in Confident Mood
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has once more been named in the BBL Team of the Week, in recognition of his 35 points and 12 assists in the Worcester Wolves’ victories over Mersey Tigers and Guildford Heat.
While taking this plaudit for the third time this season is undoubtedly an honour, Sherrad would surely give up all three awards if it means that his side make it past the challenge of Plymouth Raiders in the BBL Cup semi-final this weekend.
In Wolves’ 77-76 triumph over the Raiders a few weeks ago, Sherrad needed all of his skills to be the last man standing in a back and forth battle of the point guards against Plymouth’s outstanding playmaker Jeremy Bell.
Talking about what he will have to do to try to deal with his opposite number, Sherrad stated:
“Hey, Jeremy Bell is a tough player. I’m going to have to dig down on defense and make it a hard night for him.”
Sherrad feels that Raiders are likely to want to quickly make amends for losing in such agonising fashion in their last encounter:
“They’ll be coming out with energy, but on Saturday we’ll have a big crowd behind us, and we’ll come out and give it one hundred per cent.”
Wolves Director of Basketball Paul James also knows what his side will need to do:
“In the last matchup, Bell and Prezzie both had fantastic games for their teams, but Plymouth also have other impact players such as Paul Williams and Anthony Rowe.
“We are going to do our homework, look at what we did well last time, and look at what we can improve on.”
As the excitement continues to build towards Saturday evening’s first leg, supporters are advised to contact the University of Worcester Sports Centre to secure their tickets.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:23:05 GMT
And another, as the players preened themselves ahead of the semi.
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Sprucing Up for the Cup
As the excitement continues to build ahead of this Saturday’s massive game at the University of Worcester when the Wolves will take on Plymouth Raiders in the first leg of the BBL Cup semi-final, it was time for the Wolves players to get themselves all preened and presentable for the big stage.
While all of Director of Basketball Paul James’ squad would already like to think about themselves as dapper young men about town, none of them wanted to turn down the offer of a trip to the hairdressers this week.
BarberTown in St Johns was the destination, where manager Jon Bourne was delighted to put his scissors to work on the players.
Lithuanian big man Arnas Kazlauskas was first into the barber’s chair for Jon to tackle his straggly locks, whilst his team mates battled at the nearby football table, or took advantage of the laptops that Jon’s salon provides.
Club Captain Callum Jones was impressed by what he saw:
“We’re all thrilled by our new cuts and enjoyed visiting such a modern style of establishment.”
It is to be hoped that none of the Wolves players will have lost any of their strength in a Samson-style scenario, and that they will now be as sharp on the court as they appear to be off it.
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Post by Solly on Jun 8, 2020 11:28:42 GMT
And another
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Wolves on Fire
Back in early October Worcester Wolves lost the second game of their new season, at home to Plymouth Raiders. Not only did Wolves lose, but they were hammered out of sight, 62-85.
At the time it looked like perhaps Director of Basketball Paul James’ radical overhaul of the Wolves squad was too big a change in too short a period.
Since then however the Wolves have been on a rampage, tearing to seven consecutive victories in their best ever start to a season in the top tier of British Basketball.
They now sit near the top of the league, and have progressed to the semi-finals of the BBL Cup where they will again meet Plymouth.
James talked about the reasoning behind the changes to his squad:
“I made the decision to move quite a few players out, and move quite a few players in. Whilst it was tough to see the likes of Danny Gilbert and Rod Middleton go elsewhere, I wanted to take a different direction this year.
“I really feel that last season’s team did not perform to its potential. I wanted to try and get a better balance of players who are hungry and want to be a part of the Wolves programme.”
Two of the new faces, Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and Richie Gordon, both recently made the BBL Team of the Week in recognition of their outstanding performances.
In the weekend’s games against Mersey Tigers and Plymouth Raiders their fine form continued; Gordon recorded a double-double of points and rebounds against Mersey, and only missed repeating the feat by a single rebound against Plymouth.
Meanwhile Prezzie-Blue had his own personal battle going against Plymouth’s Jeremy Bell as they slugged it out to see who would be last man standing on Saturday.
Both players bagged 24 points in the game, but it was the Wolves point-guard who hit the game-winning shot, with only ten seconds left in the contest.
Prezzie-Blue was delighted to edge the battle, but has respect for Bell:
“It was a great result and I felt confident in taking the last shot. Bell is a tough player. My focus was to tire him down and make him work on defence so his offence would lack a bit.”
Wolves and Raiders will duke it out once more on Saturday 10 December at the University of Worcester in the first leg of the BBL Cup semi-final, with the return leg taking place the next day in Plymouth.
As the Wolves’ run of success has built, so have the number of people attending their games.
A near-capacity crowd witnessed Saturday’s thrilling 77-76 victory, and semi-final tickets are now on sale from the University Sports Centre Reception Desk.
Spectators are advised to secure their tickets as soon as possible to avoid missing out on what will be the biggest game yet in Wolves short 12-year history.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2020 7:34:12 GMT
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Post by Solly on Jun 9, 2020 9:46:48 GMT
Basketball England Wall
Having listened to a lot of podcasts lately, it seems impossible that the dealings at BE will ever differ. Years and years pass and issues still remain.
Mclemore has been around here for quite a few years then. |
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Post by Solly on Jun 9, 2020 9:48:43 GMT
Continuing on the good news situation at Wolves at the turn of 2011.
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It’s Sunday 18 December as I write this article, and I’m seeing snowflakes outside my window and have just supressed a shiver.
You might think that it could be a shiver of cold, but it’s actually a shiver of pride at being part of something special that’s happening here in Worcester.
Last night we pummelled the BBL’s third placed team, the Glasgow Rocks, and this followed hot on the heels of a magnificent win up at the table-topping Newcastle Eagles. Wow!
I’ve just had to have a root around to find out how where we are at the moment, (dependent on the results of others, at least second in the table, if not joint-top), compares with previous seasons.
Fact number one - this season has seen our first-ever BBL Cup semi.
Fact number two - we had never before won on Tyneside. I can even remember going up there in the 2007 playoffs when our eighth place in the BBL saw us rewarded (not) with a humiliating smackdown.
Fact number three - our previous best Xmas time record has never even approached .500, never mind 8-2 as we now stand.
Whilst I could probably rattle off a few more facts about our outstanding opening to this season, perhaps the thing to instead talk more about is chemistry. We’ve had stars here before, (the likes of (King) James Life spring to mind), but those have been stars that largely twinkled alone.
One of my other favourite sports is American Football, and a quote from one of the greats of that sport, one-time Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi encompasses what is happening this year at the Wolves: “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another, and of strength to be derived from unity.”
Anyway, before I get all emotional, here’s my individual breakdown on who of our main men has been naughty or nice, and who merits a Christmas gift:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – Our floor general. Only an Xmas hot-water bottle could break his cool.
Tommy Freeman – Started the year in a hot/cold, or cold/hot fashion. I was going to get him a winter muffler to keep the chills away, but last few games he has been nothing but hot.
Richie Gordon – Could give him a wolf mask but he is snarling and fierce enough without it. Don’t go down to the woods today kids…
David Watts – Get him the Ghostbusters DVD. When you need a pick me up three-pointer, who you gonna call.
Callum Jones – get him something wrapped up in glittery Xmas paper to match how he sparkles when he gets called on court.
Alex Zimnickas – Is that a sturdy dependable Black & Decker Workmate in Father Christmas’ sack, no its Mr Zimnickas.
Arnas Kazlauskas – Don’t sit this guy on Santa’s knee, he’s already got all the gifts he needs.
Carlos Fernandez – Oh those Spanish eyes, remarks Mrs Solly to me whenever she sees Carlos. Already has everyone swooning with his cool moves, so let’s hold back on that vanity set I was about to wrap up.
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Post by Solly on Jun 10, 2020 15:40:18 GMT
A post-Xmas article, early in 2012.
1. This was a visit to the MK warehouse, post the brilliantly-creative Lions court in shopping-centre venue 
2. Whatever happened to Daniel Northern?
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Belated Happy New Year wishes to everyone, especially the large bunch of you who made the trip over to Milton Keynes despite also seeing us get whacked at home by Leicester a couple of days earlier.
With all the successes we’ve been having lately, and with it being the few days after chrimbo when a lot of people are desperate to get out of the house, it was a right bumper crowd at the University for the Riders game.
Trust us to then be the team who got their festive stuffing that day.
Never mind I thought to myself, at least the players have a chance to quickly redeem themselves against MK.
Having said that, I also worried about how we got hammered down there live on Sky a month previously, so I have to admit to having had some trepidation.
Had a real nice pre-game amble over to Bletchley Park to view all sort of WWII memorabilia, including lots of detail about the Enigma code machine.
Was quite an appropriate visit as it turned out, with our Wolves then breaking the Lions down and winning the battle, 103-92.
Just like we did, MK must have had their season’s biggest crowd, and it showed in the ridiculously-limited car parking arrangements.
Park on Toys R Us said the (not so) helpful steward. Where is it, I replied. Dunno, he said. Oi Bill where’s Toys R Us, he added. Dunno, replied Bill, and so it went on…
In the end I parked on some yellow lines and took a risk, and wow, am I glad I did.
Richie was on his game, big style – he might have shook hands with Lions near 7ft centre Daniel Northern as the game opened, but after that he just shook the bejibbers out of Northern and his teammates.
Add in top-notch outside scoring from Tommy, Prezzie, and Arnas, and we was sorted.
Up 28-20 after the first quarter, we pushed out to 56-46 at the half.
Lions pulled back to trail by just a couple of points after a ‘Don’t you backchat me young man’ technical awarded to Prezzie by ref Williams, but they got no closer.
In the final period, Richie rose up well high to block a Northern attempted dunk, and a few minutes later Tommy took one of his by now traditional charges off a Lions attacker.
The opposition was rattled and had no way back. Jobs a good un!
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 16pts, 10 assists. Double-double stats.
Tommy Freeman – 26pts, 4 x 3ptrs, 6-6 from the line. Had a point to prove after the Leicester disappointment.
Richie Gordon - 29pts, 16 rebounds, 7-7 from the line. Capped off a fine December, and rightly earned BBL Player of the Month honours.
David Watts – 10pts, 5 rebounds. Tidy performance.
Callum Jones – 2pts. Limited minutes.
Alex Zimnickas – 2pts. Ditto.
Arnas Kazlauskas – 18pts, 5 (from 7 attempts) x 3ptrs, 3-3 from the line. Finesse.
Carlos Fernandez – Nil pts, 4 assists. Quiet tonight.
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Post by Solly on Jun 11, 2020 9:21:47 GMT
And yet another meeting with Mersey.
Myles Hesson obviously soon moved on to much better things...
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The team that we faced in our last road trip, Mersey Tigers, are a team with a rich history (albeit as the Everton Tigers, when bankrolled by the football club), but who are now facing hard times.
Last week we showed no mercy in Liverpool, easing to a comfortable 82-61 victory to sweep the season’s meetings 4-0.
Before the game the Tigers mascot cheekily paraded a sign bearing the ludicrously optimistic wording “Huff & Puff, We’re not afraid of the Wolves”.
Well they should have been afraid of us, because we blew their house down with barely the breath you might need to muster to win a game of blow football against an asthmatic infant.
Straight from the opening tip Richie Gordon swiftly showed why he was named as the best player in the BBL during December, grabbing all seven of our initial points of the night.
Whilst he then spoilt matters slightly by picking up a couple of fouls in the same three-minute period, this only served to open the door for Alex Zimnickas, who would prove equally effective close to the Mersey basket, snagging eight points of his own in a first quarter that ended with us ahead at 25-11.
There was a bit of a fight back from Tigers in the second period reducing our advantage by the half to just 36-29.
Midway through the third quarter a score from distance from Liverpool-born veteran David Aliu, (making his 100th appearance for Everton/Mersey) quickly followed by a dunk from the lively Myles Hesson, brought the Tigers as close as they would get all evening, at 41-37.
But with Gordon back on court, and Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and David Watts making an impact, there was no real cause for concern as the game wound down to the Tiger’s tenth defeat of the season, against only a couple of successes.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 18pts. Unfazed.
Tommy Freeman – DNP. Suspended for a couple of (some might say) dubious unsportsmanlike fouls against Leicester a few weeks back.
Richie Gordon - 20pts. Dominated the paint, grabbing all his points in only half his usual minutes.
David Watts – 15pts. Revelled in the extra time on court.
Alex Zimnickas – 8pts, 7 rebounds. Ditto.
Callum Jones - 8pts. Double-Ditto.
Arnas Kazlauskas – Nil pts, 8 rebounds. Hardworking.
Carlos Fernandez – 10pts, 1-1 from the line. Rare 100% record from the stripe.
Eoghann Dover – 3pts. Lively.
Courtney Van Beest – Limited minutes.
Daniel Belgrave - Ditto.
So, 2012 began with a W. If we end the season with a W, we will have just won the BBL playoffs. Dare to dream…
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Post by Solly on Jun 11, 2020 9:24:55 GMT
And shortly afterwards a close call vs Newcastle.
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Last Saturday, despite not getting the W, we battled well against the league-leading (for many seasons) Newcastle Eagles, in a real chess match of a contest.
As there may well be quite a few people who were unable to negotiate the hazardous travel conditions to make it to the game, here is my summary of the 100-102 nail-biting defeat.
After a near two-hour journey to make it just 40 miles or so down the M5, I drew up in a near empty University car park, pulled my comfy coat tight around my neck, and delighted in hurling a few snowballs at my companions.
Early doors it was you score, I score, with all our usual suspects getting off to solid starts.
Tommy and Arnas scoring from distance, Richie pabasketball kiting the post, and Prezzie and Carlos buzzing around the outside.
A 28-21 first quarter margin was soon increased to 32-23 and we looked set fair.
However Newcastle’s guard combo of Gause and Chapman started to hit their stride, and we soon trailed 36-39.
A late burst of our own, including a wild late score from near half-court by Prezzie but us back up by 55-47 at the half.
Back and forth went the third and fourth quarters, with one notable incident being a ridiculously-harsh technical foul called on Arnas for apparently celebrating too much after a score. Only in the BBL it seems…
Anyway, up 80-77 heading into the last period, and at a minute remaining Chapman slots home his eighth three-pointer of the evening to give Eagles the lead at 95-98.
A three-pointer from Prezzie ties things up at 100 apiece with just 25 seconds to go.
‘Prince’ Charles Smith (the BBL Player of the Month for January) scores with only 11 seconds left to put his side in front at 100-102.
A frantic last-gasp shot from Tommy hits air, and its a night.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 27pts, 4 x 3ptrs, 5-5 from the line. Deadly.
Tommy Freeman – 22pts, 4 x 3ptrs, 4-4 from the line. Silent assassin.
Richie Gordon - 22pts, 10 rebounds. Gritty double-double.
David Watts – 2pts. Limited court time.
Alex Zimnickas – 2pts. Ditto.
Arnas Kazlauskas - 18pts, 4 x 3ptrs. All the facial expressions on show tonight.
Carlos Fernandez – 7pts, 1-6 from the line. Carlos taking free throws = Ouch.
Whilst this defeat hurt, it shows just how much we have progressed that we can compete so well with the league’s perennial top dogs.
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Post by Solly on Jun 12, 2020 10:28:16 GMT
And another article detailing what was turning out to be a remarkably successful season for the Wolves, their best-ever at that time in the BBL.
1. A while back I posted about the contrast in fortunes for Tommy Freeman in his two BBL seasons. Mark 1 Freeman walloped in an incredible 40 points in this particular outing 
2. Whatever happened to Gav 
Oh yes have also realised I haven't posted in a while about 'cakegate'. If you recollect I was in the doghouse for a while. I cleverly manoeuvred myself out of it and will post up an update and pics in a few moments.
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Here we are again at home court for the third game in a row.
In previous seasons when there has not been a road game to report back on I will have usually put together some sort of miscellaneous article about something else that’s going on outside of the Wolves.
If I’m frank that’s because there has not generally been much of note going on inside of the Wolves in previous seasons.
Well this year it’s certainly all gone a bit topsy-turvy. Second place in the league and looking good for a high seeding in the playoffs, as opposed to our traditional will we/won’t we make the playoffs (usually we won’t).
So this leads me on to reflecting back on another home game, namely our magnificent 100-80 pounding of those pesky Plymouth Raiders last Saturday.
Just as against Newcastle, we hit the century, but this time it was not the last team standing contest of the week before.
No, this time it was more like one team standing fully upright, and even parading with a jaunty swagger, and the other lot squirming defenceless on the floor.
We owed Raiders one after what took place in the first leg of the Cup semi. I’m not saying we would not have been well up for a trip to the NIA for the Cup final, but it will be the end-of-season trip to the NIA that will have a lot more meaning.
Plymouth coach Gavin Love had declared how much his team liked playing in Worcester so that must have had us nicely wound up pre-game.
Cheers Gav, we’ll take that jabber off you every time.
From the off Tommy was giving it large from distance. Already 25-16 up after the first period, and then Arnas also finds his range.
OK Jeremy Bell and Michael Ojo hit threes of their own to reduce the deficit to 51-44 at the half, but that was the one and only Raiders rally.
19 first-half points for Tommy, and he hits another eight in the third.
When Prezzie and Tin-Tin also get eight, Love has had it and earns himself a tech.
Cheers Gav, I told you we would benefit from your jabber.
75-64 entering the final quarter was a nice enough cushion, but Tommy is not done, and ices the game with an incredible 13 late points.
Signed and sealed – Cheers Gav!
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 17pts, 3 x 3ptrs. Nasty.
Tommy Freeman – 40pts, 7 x 3ptrs, 11-11 from the line. Unconscious!
Richie Gordon - 4pts. Didn’t need his hard hat tonight.
Alex Zimnickas – Nil pts. Ditto.
David Watts – 18pts, 4 x 3ptrs. Happy to accept his invitation to the shooting party.
Arnas Kazlauskas - 16pts. Mr Cool.
Carlos Fernandez – 2pts, 7 rebounds. Toughed it up on defense.
Callum Jones – 3pts. Working back from injury.
Last words to the perennially-modest Mr Freeman, “Our guys were setting screens for me, and I just made the most of my opportunities.” Team basketball…
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Post by Solly on Jun 12, 2020 10:42:59 GMT
Yes, a while back I foolishly voiced my displeasure with a soggy bottom of a cake from Mrs S. A points award of 2/10 earnt me a frosty response. I managed to eventually claim the waters, but it's cost me. A bad workman blames his tools, goes the saying. Subsequently my coffers have had to be emptied for the purchase of a brand new food processor. I can't believe just how thrilled it made her. Anyway here's the evidence. The new mixer and the resultant superb coffee pecan gateaux    |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2020 13:10:54 GMT
Basketball England Wall
Having listened to a lot of podcasts lately, it seems impossible that the dealings at BE will ever differ. Years and years pass and issues still remain.
Mclemore has been around here for quite a few years then. The hole McLamore incident really made BE look crap. The fact that they didn't have a system in place to check what level he'd played at before, they had no one with any knowledge of players because there had been a purge and they never even asked we the perfect storm. Then chuck in the fact that having played as an "amateur" American in D2 meant that he couldn't then play as a pro in D1, but they had to let him as he'd already played in the BBL and they really couldn't have done a worse job.
The whole NBL import rules that BE have agreed with the Border Agency really are ridiculous. More here.
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Post by Solly on Jun 14, 2020 15:29:49 GMT
Wolves marvellous 11-12 season continued to the point where, below, I detailed a comparison with Plymouth & Leicester in the fight for runner-up position.
Heady stuff versus previous dismal BBL seasons.
1. Michael Ojo would go on to tour the continent before coming to Worcester in 2018 where he would, just as in 2011, again perform inconsistently.
2. Whatever happened to Brett Royster?
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Our recent break from BBL action has confirmed a couple of things.
Number one is that one more W from our last seven games means we cannot finish lower than fourth place.
Number two is that we have seen how our only realistic contenders for that runners-up spot, Plymouth and Leicester, have fared in some of their games in hand on us.
Riders did as the league standings would suggest last weekend by losing in Newcastle and then triumphing at mid-table (and injury-hit) Glasgow Rocks.
Meanwhile Raiders were less predictable when only squeaking past lowly Cheshire Jets, and then taking a decent BBL Trophy final first leg lead over Newcastle.
This leaves us in the box-seat with an 18 wins and 5 losses record, closely followed by Plymouth on 16-5, and Leicester on 15-6.
Six wins in a row for us before tonight confirms how hot we all know we are.
Of our seven remaining regular season fixtures, even if I throw in some pessimism, I reckon our worst-case scenario is to end up at 23-7.
Leicester still have to play us, Plymouth (twice) and Newcastle. If we say they win all their last games except three of those four, then they conclude on 21-9. That will sort them as finishing below us.
Meanwhile it’s not so easy to gauge Plymouth. The BBL Trophy thing could be a distraction for them, so that’s in our favour. Even without that diversion, I’m not sure they’ll drop more than two, or possibly three, more games. 22-8 or 23-7 then, but even if they take us down in our last regular season fixture we still have the head-to-head on them.
Alright, I’m going to plump for second spot for our Wolves and here’s my breakdown of the edge I see we have in the key positions over Plymouth & Leicester:
Guard – Raiders may have last year’s League MVP in Jeremy Bell and Riders have the mercurial Cameron Rundles, but Prezzie takes it in consistency of performance.
Guard – Bradd Wierzbicki can be a streaky scorer at Leicester, while Jones the elder is a calm head for Plymouth. Tommy can be both those things and more. Advantage Wolves.
Forward – no denying that Anthony Rowe has smarts, and so does multiple BBL Player of the Week Ayron Hardy for Riders, but Carlos will lay it all out on the court. Mere stats do not tell it all, Carlos is the quiet assassin.
Forward – talking of smarts, here comes Arnas, the wily veteran. Lehmon Colbert is a big body and Andrew Sullivan is the Team GB Captain, but neither of them have been there and done that in all the areas that Mr K has.
Centre – I’ll name the opposing centres: Paul Williams for Raiders and Brett Royster at Riders. But no one, but no one, can compare to the BBL Player of the Month for December and contender for season MVP, the incomparable Richie Gordon.
Bench – Callum for calmness or Tin-Tin for instant offence. Flexibility that ranks ahead of the one-dimensional ambling Barry Lamble or the inconsistent Michael Ojo.
Anyway, step one is see off the Sharks tonight and secure top-four. After that let’s ensure we live up to my analysis and head towards Birmingham’s NIA in May…
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Post by Solly on Jun 15, 2020 15:04:53 GMT
Am now nearing the end of the season. However, just before my next article, I firstly thought it only correct to inform you that the last few days has mostly seen me eating cakes  . Yes I am drunk with them due to my clever purchase of the new mixer, which has taken quite a beating lately😄  |
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Post by Solly on Jun 15, 2020 16:46:44 GMT
Was still going well.
Whatever happened to petulant Jets centre Matt Schneck?
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Our last time out here at the Uni saw us in a real battle against the Sharks. Down at Q1, down at the half, just ahead at Q3, and finally a comfortable 95-80 outcome.
But if you weren’t at the game you might not have known by the final score alone just how much of a fight it was. The Steel City is indeed an appropriate name for Sheffield.
What a contrast to the next day up at Chester to face the Jets.
If I counted correctly (even I can do this sort of simple math) there were just four travelling fans up from Worcester. Well the rest of you missed a treat, a real popcorn and pretzels whilst viewing from your armchair sort of treat.
Perhaps anyone here tonight who is a statto can tell me if our margin of victory (94-65) is a record for the Wolves in the BBL.
If not an overall record, surely it has to be one of our biggest away victories. I’ve probably trekked to nigh on a century of Wolves BBL road games, and this one felt like one of the comfiest.
Even when we were only ahead 26-21 at the first break I still felt confident.
Pass me a caramel slice and a coke I remarked to Mrs Solly midway through the second quarter, and nearly paid the penalty for a lack of concentration.
Prezzie danced to the left, Prezzie danced to the right, Prezzie danced left again and laid in a score. A Harlem Globetrotter move if ever I saw one (and I nearly didn’t see it!) Wow!
Petulant Jets centre Matt Schneck just made matters worse for his side with an unsportsmanlike foul on Richie, and then drew a technical for pouting at ref Roger Harrison.
A Callum assist to Tin-Tin for a buzzer-beating triple capped a 23-11 second quarter that sent us into the locker rooms ahead at 49-32.
The second half began with a long-range score from Prezzie and a cruel Richie block of a Schneck shot attempt.
A finger roll from Carlos Fernandez midway through the third quarter took us to 61-38, and that was pretty much all she wrote.
An enormous dunk from Richie once more brought the Wolves bench and fans of both teams to their feet in admiration.
As the game wound down we saw some more showtime moves. Callum took a lob pass from Prezzie for an alley-oop score, and rounded the night off when stealing the ball from Jets attackers and converting a wonderful double-pump jam.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 20pts, 3 x 3ptr. Circus performer.
Tommy Freeman – 11pts. Quiet.
Richie Gordon - 17pts, 19 rebounds! Beasted his opponents.
David Watts – 9pts. Lively.
Alex Zimnickas – Nil pts. Did what was asked of him.
Callum Jones - 12pts. Had a real nice game.
Arnas Kazlauskas – 13pts, 3 x 3ptr. An old master.
Carlos Fernandez – 10pts. 2-2 from the line. 100% free throws.
Courtney Van Beest – 2pts. Contributed in limited minutes.
A nice quote from Jet’s coach John Lavery to summarise it all: “It was boys against men out there, they could do what they wanted to do, get what they wanted, we couldn't stop them.”
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Post by Solly on Jun 16, 2020 10:22:50 GMT
And below is the report I put together for the press for Wolves whupping of Chester.
Am reproducing this here because, in the next day or two, I will post up the story of our shocking playoff first-round visit to Chester, a team that we had perhaps become complacent about meeting...
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Sunday 25 March 2012
Cheshire Jets 65-94 Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves followed up Saturday’s hard-fought victory over the Sheffield Sharks with a much more comfortable outing at Cheshire Jets on Sunday afternoon.
A 94-65 win closed the gap on Newcastle Eagles at the top of the BBL Championship table to just two points, and extended the Wolves winning streak to eight games.
Two long range baskets from Lithuanian big man Arnas Kazlauskas helped the Wolves take a 16-11 lead midway through the opening period, but four points from Jets forward Colin O’Reilly quickly brought his side back in contention.
In the final minute of the period Worcester began to draw clear after Jets centre Matt Schneck was awarded an unsportsmanlike foul for a deliberate push on Richie Gordon. Gordon duly sank the resultant foul shots for a 24-21 lead.
As time wound down on Wolves’ next possession, club captain Callum Jones drove to the hoop past the flailing arms of Cheshire defenders to convert a neat layup.
The second quarter opened with scores from Jet’s American duo of Adam Brown and Bill Cole to reduce the deficit to 26-25.
However consecutive scores from Wolves’ own transatlantic trio of Gordon, Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and Tommy Freeman took matters back out to 32-25 with three minutes having elapsed.
Schneck once more caused problems for his team when picking up a technical foul for disputing a decision of referee Roger Harrison. Freeman made the free throws, and Jones converted on the next possession for a 36-25 advantage.
The Harlem Globetrotters will be appearing around the UK this week, and spectators on Sunday must have thought that the circus had arrived early when Prezzie-Blue performed a mazy dribble and score that mesmerized all those in attendance, further increasing his side’s lead.
A Jones assist to David Watts for a buzzer-beating triple capped a 23-11 quarter that sent Wolves into the interval break ahead at 49-32.
The second half began with a long-range score from Prezzie-Blue and a Gordon block of a Schneck shot attempt.
A finger roll from Carlos Fernandez midway through the third quarter extended the Wolves lead to 23 points at 61-38, before a 13-3 burst from the Jets, including eight points from Brown, briefly helped their cause.
Baskets from Prezzie-Blue and Gordon to end the period made sure that the Wolves remained comfortably in front at 68-51 heading into the final ten minutes of play.
With three minutes gone an enormous dunk from Gordon brought the Wolves bench and fans from both teams to their feet in admiration to widen the visitors’ advantage to 76-53, and effectively ended any lingering Jets resistance.
As the game wound down several other Worcester players were able to relax and showcase their moves.
Jones took a lob pass from Prezzie-Blue for an alley-oop score as Wolves led 90-61 with just two minutes remaining.
A few moments later Jones completed the scoring at 94-65 when stealing the ball from Jets attackers and converting a double-pump jam.
Worcester Director of Basketball Paul James declared his pleasure at the win:
“It was a comfortable win. I wanted us to play hard and I was really pleased that we did that.”
Meanwhile Jet’s coach John Lavery was despondent at what he saw:
“It was boys against men out there, they could do what they wanted to do, get what they wanted, we couldn't stop them.”
Although Sherrad Prezzie-Blue led the Wolves scorers with 20 points, it was Richie Gordon who dominated the overall statistics in registering a double-double of 17 points and a massive 19 rebounds.
Worcester’s next outing will come this Friday at the home of one of their closest rivals, the Leicester Riders, and Gordon was keen to downplay his latest performance, and preferred to stay cautious about the Wolves next challenge, saying:
“Today I just tried to do what I do best, getting rebounds and playing my role. Leicester are a top-contending team so Friday will be a big game for us, and a big challenge.”
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Post by Solly on Jun 16, 2020 11:14:50 GMT
At the foot of my last repro post Richie Gordon supplied a quote for the forthcoming Leicester match.
Below is what occurred.
1. Not a good look for Worcester just as the playoffs approached.
2. Whatever happened to Cameron Rundles?
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You know how people always tell you to take a few moments, or take a few deep breaths, before you react to something that gets your goat.
Well I am writing this article a couple of days after our 68-91 shellacking at Leicester, have took a load of huge gulpfuls of air, and none of it seems to have greatly helped.
Whichever way you slice it we were scorched. Hammered by them at the Uni the week after Xmas, and hammered by them just before Easter.
Maybe it’s some sort of religious thing, or maybe even something to do with April Fools day. I’m really clutching at those straws now or what.
Well today we better sort it because at some point we could run into this lot in the playoffs.
I have never been into rugby union (though I think rugby league is the business), so I didn’t know until I was in the middle of a pre-game major league traffic hold-up that Leicester Tigers were playing on that same evening just a mile or two away.
Ironically they were taking on the Worcester Warriors and, just like ourselves, the rah-rah lot also got trounced.
Early doors we did okay with eight points from Tommy, and baskets each for Richie and Prezzie, to put us ahead at 12-4.
But Riders soon warmed up on offence, particularly Rundles and Wierzbicki, and got damn hot on the defense too.
Big Barry Lamble ambled on to court to close the first quarter at 21-21. A couple of minutes later the Riders led 30-23, and then Tommy sank a couple of free throws.
But this was to be the last time that our usually free-scoring forward would trouble the scoreboard.
Entering the second half 40-49 in in arrears was just about manageable I reasoned.
However by midway through the third quarter the deficit had widened to 46-61.
Richie was battling hard close to the hoop, garnering 13 points in the period, but, aside from a solitary long range score from Prezzie, not a single other Wolves player was able to make any impact as shot after shot went awry.
Entering the final quarter with a healthy 74-56 lead, the Riders maintained their stifling perimeter defence.
Once more Gordon battled alone, supported by only a mere couple of points each from Tin-Tin and Callum.
Multiple turnovers, a technical for PJ, mucho frustration, and Leicester were left to showboat their way to the final 91-68 pulverisation.
On to the individual breakdown:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – 7pts. Struggled.
Tommy Freeman – 13pts, 3 x 3ptr, Struggled after Q1.
Richie Gordon - 27pts, 13 rebounds. Ploughed a lone furrow.
David Watts – 10pts. Had a go.
Alex Zimnickas – 3pts. Limited minutes.
Callum Jones - 2pts. Couldn’t make a difference in this one.
Arnas Kazlauskas – Nil pts. Ouch.
Carlos Fernandez – 6pts, 5 rebounds. Intermittent.
You decide if Leicester coach Rob Paternostro was either generous or crafty in his post-game quote to me:
“Tonight wasn’t Worcester’s night, but we have a great deal of respect for them and feel they will be a dangerous team going into the playoffs.”
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Post by Solly on Jun 17, 2020 16:27:15 GMT
And so 3rd-placed Wolves now faced 6th-placed Chester in the first-round of the playoffs.
After all those easy Ws over them, you would have thought we had their number.
The repro below was pre-game and in a moment I'll post up my match report of what occurred.
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Well here we are then – our biggest ever game since our last biggest ever game, the Cup semi back in December against Plymouth. Bad memories for us all from that one methinks, so now here’s our chance for redemption.
All last week the games of others ebbed and flowed before our final finishing position, and playoff opponents, could be confirmed.
At first I was disappointed that Leicester had pipped us for second, but then I saw how everything was then coming down to us meeting Cheshire or Sheffield.
Not Sheffield I hoped after seeing us fall against them twice in the last few seconds at their place, and sure enough my wish was granted.
On paper this should be a much easier task versus Chester. 10 point and 16 point victories at home, and then a 94-65 spanking at their place really put the lid on matters. Having said that, let’s not go too far in thinking we have their number.
Since we humiliated them at the end of March they have gone on to win six of seven games, including a win at Newcastle, albeit that several key Eagles were resting (nearly said nesting, ha ha).
Anyway, providing we do the business today and tomorrow, we will only have one more game here at the Uni this season so it’s probably best that I now put down my review of players through this season.
PJ rolled the dice with all the changes, and it could all have gone south. But it didn’t, and now here we stand just a game or two away from the ultimate prize.
As we won game after game early doors, I waited for the bubble to burst. I had lots of newbies telling me that all of a sudden they were interested in seeing what was taking place.
Watch us live on Sky at Milton Keynes I said, and then we got whacked.
Never mind, apart from the Cup disappointment and a couple of weird displays against Leicester, we have largely been back on the pace ever since.
Third place in the BBL, who would have thunk it. The bar has been raised.
On to the individual breakdown of our main men:
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue – The calm head throughout the year. Plots a steady course.
Tommy Freeman – Hot and cold early doors in the season. Now proved himself as decidedly hot. February’s BBL player of the Month. Big respect.
Richie Gordon – December’s Player of the Month, and top contender for BBL Player of the Year. A beast on the boards and a bully in the paint.
David Watts – Does what it says on the tin (tin). When he gets on a roll those threes won’t stop falling.
Alex Zimnickas – Blue collar grafter, with some deft touches for such a big body.
Callum Jones – Has had a few dazzling games.
Arnas Kazlauskas – An old master. A crafty veteran who entertains us all with those facial expressions, those flailing arms, and the “me sir, not me sir” pleas to the refs. Has got the team out of a few deep holes.
Carlos Fernandez – Silky smooth showman. Crowd (and Mrs Solly) favourite. Got to keep working on those free throws though Carlos.
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