The Super League Basketball Cup gets underway this weekend with seven wildcards from Basketball England’s NBL Division One and basketballScotland’s Scottish Basketball Championship against SLB heavyweights.
Hemel Storm, Reading Rockets, Nottingham Hoods, Essex Rebels and Derby Trailblazers of NBL fame will represent Basketball England as invited entrants in the inaugural edition of the Cup, joined by basketballScotland’s Sony Centre Falkirk Fury and St Mirren.
The wildcard underdogs all have the advantage of home ties with the sole all-SLB tie seeing Newcastle Eagles and Caledonia Gladiators face off on Tyneside.
We assess the seven David vs Goliath ties below and note some talent that has competed for each club in the NBL or SBC as well as in the topflight of the British game over the years.
Hemel Storm v Manchester Basketball, 21 December, 7pm
Venue: Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre
Hemel record: 9-0, 1st NBL1
Hemel key player: Darien Nelson-Henry
From Hemel to the top flight: Aaryn Rai, Taylor Johnson
Hemel Storm come into their First Round tie with Manchester Basketball in a rich vein of form. With Manchester yet to taste victory in the Championship this season, Hemel are unbeaten at 9-0 and boast an average winning margin of 14.1 points.
The Storm have been head-and-shoulders above the competition in the NBL thus far, heading into the Christmas break with former Leicester Riders big man Darien Nelson-Henry in fine form, averaging 17.2 points and 9.0 rebounds a game.
This season Hemel are led by former London Lions and Great Britain play-caller Mark Clark who, despite his vast experience in the British basketball arena, had big shoes to fill to succeed Dru Spinks in 2023.
Under Spinks, the Storm, led by Taylor Johnson and current London Lions forward, Aaryn Rai, collected a clean sweep of trophies in the 2022/23 season, going a phenomenal 41-0 in all competitions.
Clark has found his feet quickly, and guided Hemel to the NBL1 Play-Off title last season, edging Reading Rockets in the Final. He’s made an unbeaten start to this season and looks forward to the challenge of Manchester on Saturday 21 December.
“British sport thrives on the David and Goliath storyline,” Clark said.
“Our clash with Manchester has all the ingredients for a great Cup tie. Manchester is one the biggest names in British Basketball and we are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment.
“Our arena will be sold out. Our fans have seen so much success over the last few years that they believe we can be successful every night. It will be loud.
“We know Manchester will be favourites and that they should on paper win, but we have lot of belief in each other and we know we are going to perform.”
Derby Trailblazers v Surrey 89ers, 14 December, 7:30pm
Venue: University of Derby
Derby record: 7-3 (2nd NBL1)
Derby key player: Leighton Elliot-Sewell
From Derby to the top-flight: Blake Bowman
The reigning regular-season champions are on a two-game losing streak in NBL1, having won seven straight before that. Despite their recent dip in form however, they go into their First Round encounter with the Surrey 89ers full of confidence.
Boasting former Leicester Riders and Cheshire Phoenix players including Raheem May-Thompson and Mo Walker, Derby also have veteran Malcolm Smith and the explosive Leighton Elliot-Sewell in their ranks, who is currently second in the NBL in scoring this season, averaging 23.4 points a game.
“I’m really excited about the game against Surrey and that we’re able to bring more high-level competition to Derby,” said Trailblazers guard Jonas Dietreich.
“We know Surrey will be tough, and we need to be at our best, but the beauty of a cup competition is that anything can happen and we’re always confident as a team that we can get the job done.
“I think it’s great that NBL clubs are in the competition again. It allows us to showcase the quality we have in the league, and that we can be competitive with the teams from the SLB. I think from a neutral perspective, everyone loves an underdog story as well so it has the potential to produce some exciting storylines.”
Reading Rockets v B.Braun Sheffield Sharks, 15 December, 4pm
Venue: Loddon Valley
Reading record: 7-3 (3rd NBL1)
Reading key player: Mitch Clarke
From Reading to the top-flight: David Watts, Steve Vear, Luke Nelson, Lewis Champion
Reading Rockets went off like a firecracker to start this campaign, winning their first three games of the season, scoring an average of 107 points, and shooting 47% from three-point land in the KitKing Trophy group stages.
That spark fizzled a little with three losses recently, including two back-to-back, however they have bounced back superbly with two consecutive victories as they hope to pack the small but noisy Loddon Valley for the visit of the SLB Championship leaders, B. Braun Sheffield Sharks.
Featuring former Bristol Flyers guard Lewis Champion and Newcastle Eagles forward Justin Hopkins, Reading have a balanced squad littered with players who can score rapidly. Reading’s offence flows through Australian point guard Mitch Clarke, who posts 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists a game.
One of the most successful clubs in the NBL, Reading were the first team to finish the season unbeaten at 36-0 in 2008/09 and during their 26 years of competition have won every available trophy.
Reading coach Samit Nuruzade, himself a former assistant in the top-flight with the Leeds Force, knows the history and the quality that the Sharks will bring on Sunday.
“We are thankful that we have been invited into the SLB Cup and we are thankful to be playing one of the most decorated teams in the country in Sheffield,” Nuruzade said.
“The Sharks have an amazing history and are a top organisation with many good players. It’s good to test ourselves. We have a talented group of players who will play with confidence and will be eager to get out onto the floor against Sheffield where we want to make ourselves and the NBL proud.”
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Nottingham Hoods v Cheshire Phoenix, 14 December, 7:30pm
Venue: Wildcats Arena
Nottingham record: 2-8 (10th NBL1)
Nottingham player: Greg Skoric
From Nottingham to the top-flight: Johde Campbell
It’s certainly been a tough start to the season for the Nottingham Hoods, with just two wins in their first 10 games. Whilst current form might not be what the Hoods desire, they face a Cheshire Phoenix, who are struggling for momentum right now as well.
Nottingham’s current record in NBL1 shows the level of talent and depth available as on paper, the Hoods have a strong roster featuring former Sheffield Sharks guard Johde Campbell, former Surrey forward Elliot Bailey and 6’11” centre Greg Skoric, who averages a consistent 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.
“Having our young players take part in the SLB Cup game against Cheshire is a fantastic opportunity for them to gain valuable experience and be challenged in new ways,” Hoods coach Vladan Dragosavic said.
“There is no doubt that both teams will deliver a performance that will delight the audience on Saturday.”
Essex Rebels v Bristol Flyers, 13 December, 7:30pm
Venue: Essex Sports Arena
Essex record: 5-4 (8th NBL1)
Essex key player: Luke Busumbru
From Essex to the top-flight: Luke Busumbru
Runners up in NBL1 last season, the Essex Rebels have certainly come a long way from the relegation-threatened side they were two seasons ago.
The Rebels’ form has been patchy this season, despite a strong roster that boasts Luke Busumbru, former GB man Joe Hart and Daniel Johnson-Thompson, who all have experience in the top-flight.
Hart provides veteran leadership role at the guard spot, with Busumbru joining Connor Nelson as the main scoring threat and Johnson-Thompson providing the physicality under the basket.
“We are looking forward to hosting Bristol at the Essex Sport Arena,” said Rebels coach Ross Norfolk.
“We have been able to find some good form over the last couple of weeks. Having some guys back from injury is massive for us. We have a game plan and hopefully we can execute.”
Sony Centre Falkirk Fury v Leicester Riders, 13 December, 7:30pm
Venue: Grangemouth Sports Complex
Falkirk record: 7-2 (1st SBC Div 1)
Key player: Ali Fraser
From Falkirk to the top-flight: Kieron Achara, Ali Fraser, Jonny Bunyan, Fraser Malcolm
The Scottish Basketball Championship leaders Sony Centre Falkirk Fury will host Leicester Riders in a landmark SLB Cup tie.
The Fury have former Caledonia Gladiators Ali Fraser and Jonny Bunyan on their roster along with several solid Lithuanian players that will all be up for the occasion.
One of the most successful teams in Scotland, the Fury has won 24 National and International titles and work in partnership with many organisations and schools in developing basketball in the community.
St Mirren v London Lions, 13 December, 7:30pm
Venue: Lagoon Sports Centre
St Mirren record: 4-4 (5th SBC Div 1)
St Mirren key player: Chris Cleary
From St Mirren to the top-flight: Chris Cleary, Fergus Harte
St Mirren have consistently competed at the top of the SBC, finishing in the top three in each of the past five seasons and winning the Championship in the 2021/22 season, alongside a Play-off title in the same year to secure a domestic double.
Their roster boasts seasoned Scottish internationals such as Fergus Harte and Chris Cleary – the latter competed for Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – and Iranian international Ali Allahverdi, who has competed in the FIBA Asia Cup for his country.
Led by Canadian play-caller Matt Giroux, the Head Coach played for St Mirren for a decade where he won several national titles, before returning to St Mirren in a coaching capacity five years ago to continue working with his team from the sidelines. He is assisted by former Scottish international Frazer Birch.
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