After joining fellow legends Drew Lasker and Mike Tuck to select his pre-season favourites to win the Championship title and other major awards, Ant Rowe is now flying solo to name his five players to watch ahead of the upcoming Super League Basketball campaign.
Keep reading to find out who made the cut in Ant’s rankings!
1. Ray’Sean Taylor (Newcastle Eagles)
Special talent after leading his team to the NCAA Division I tournament Round of 64 with an incredibly dominant senior year at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, averaging 19.1 PPG. Any player who plays on a Division I winning program and averages 19+ points is someone who can score efficiently while helping his team win. Natural scorers have the ability to blow up in top flight British basketball, so if Taylor can translate his scoring ability to SLB, he’ll certainly be on everyone’s scouting list.
2. Rodney Chatman III (B. Braun Sheffield Sharks)
British basketball fans got a taste of Chatman last season, but sadly his season was cut short by injury. He rehabilitated all year while supporting his team from the bench. This shows two things: he witnessed what success looks like, and Sheffield stood by him through rehab and re-signed him, suggesting they see something special. He had an explosive start last year averaging over 18 PPG before injury. Let’s see if Chatman can have a comeback season and be in MVP discussions again.
3. Johnathan Williams III (London Lions)
When a player has NBA on their resume, you pay attention. Williams III has been incredibly efficient wherever he’s played. After elite Division I basketball at Missouri and Gonzaga, he played for the LA Lakers and Washington Wizards, plus posted strong numbers for Galatasaray (Turkey), Trentino (Italy), and in Japan’s top league. He looks like the type of player with potential to be a walking double-double in this league. It’ll be interesting how his game suits British standards.
4. Spencer Johnson (Leicester Riders)
One of few players returning from playoff-winning Leicester last season, Johnson was a big part of their late-season success. As the season progressed, his production grew. This player took two years out prior to the 2024-25 season, so I’m excited to see his progress given last year’s momentum. If he can build on his strong 10 PPG numbers, Spencer Johnson could go from good basketball player to great in this league.
5. Malcolm Smith (Newcastle Eagles)
Excited to see how Smith’s game fits in SLB. He dominated NBL Division I for years, doing most of his work for Derby Trailblazers where he won trophies and MVP honours. Whenever Derby played topflight British basketball teams, Smith rose to the occasion with his 20 points, 10 rebounds per game numbers. The question is consistency – can he do that throughout an SLB season? At 6’5″, he’d be undersized against most in the league, but he can score at will. Newcastle’s success depends on contributions from players like Malcolm Smith.
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