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5 days to go.....
Team Report
The team had an
afternoon off yesterday following the game on Sunday, but most of
the players were in the gym at some point. Others were out working
in schools, doing coaching. Lehmon Colbert and Jamie Burchell were
at Drake Primary School, conducting one of our Mentoring schemes
that will be featured on the BBL Cup live show on Sky Sports this
weekend. |
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Player Interview - Jeremy Bell This is your first visit to a Cup Final in the UK. The NIA is the home of the BBL Cup Final and Play Offs. What does it mean to you to be a part of this Raiders team playing in the 2011/12 Cup Final? I'm very excited to be playing in the Cup Final, this is one of the goals the team and I set out for this season. We are very fortunate to be in this position and we must take advantage of this great opportunity.
You've met Newcastle once already this season, and that resulted in a big loss for the Raiders. What will be different about meeting the Eagles in the Cup Final? Newcastle always plays great basketball, they have veterans that know how to play and play well. but the huge difference is that we wont be travelling 8-10 hours on the coach right before game time. In the game in Newcastle, we came out very flat in the first quarter due to a bit of tiredness and coach lag. and they took advantage by leading 24-9. and against any good team the first minutes of the game are vital. Now we are very focused at the task at hand under much different circumstances.
A Cup Final is always
a big occasion - for the players, the fans and the club in general.
How much are you looking forward to it?
How has your role changed from playing with the Cheshire Jets last season? With the Jets last season, we weren't as talented as this current Raiders team. Therefore, night in and night out I had to play great in order to give our team a chance to win. My role was to be the scorer and it was known to our opponents. On this years team, any one of us can have a big night for us to win games. My role here is to facilitate and try to fill in wherever we're lacking. So its an unknown to the opponents and they cant game plan on one particular player. Bearing in mind you will be staying overnight in Birmingham before the final, what will you do on the day of the game? I will just be preparing myself for the game itself. Making sure I have plenty of rest and a proper meal so I have loads of energy. I'm taking full advantage of this opportunity because you never know how many championships you will ever play for in your career, so we got to make the most of this one. All of the players got to go home for Christmas. Where did you go and what did you get up to while you were there? I went home to Memphis for Christmas to spend time with my family. I have a big family so I had to do loads of shopping and on the day of Christmas my mom prepared a great meal to eat and we watched the NBA on TV.
Statistics In terms of scoring, the Eagles lead the league, with an average of 89.08 points per game, with the Raiders in 5th place, averaging 87.0. Defensively, Raiders sit in 2nd place, allowing teams to score just 76.63, with the Eagles right behind in 3rd place, allowing 77.83 ppg. Raiders shoot a much higher percentage than the Eagles though, and sit in 2nd place with an average of 54.32%, while Eagles are in 7th, averaging 49.13%. When we turn to 3 pointers however, the Eagles beat the Raiders hands down. Eagles sit in 1st place averaging 35.14% while Raiders are in last place, averaging 25.20%. The Eagles score an average of 8.67 three pointers every game (2nd in the league) while Raiders convert just 3.88 threes every game (last place). Free throw percentage could also be key, with the Eagles converting 71.27% (3rd), while Raiders are in 9th position averaging just 61.08%. With the front lines of both teams featuring some of the biggest in the BBL, it is not surprising that Raiders lead the league in rebounding, averaging 41.63 per game, with Newcastle sitting immediately behind them in 2nd place, with an average of 41.33. Both teams are relatively unselfish and move the ball well. Newcastle lead the league in assists, with 18.17 per game, with Raiders in 3rd place and an average of 16.25. Defensively again, both teams are tough to play against. Newcastle are 2nd in the league in steals, with a 8.58 average, while Raiders are in 7th with 6.13 per game. Raiders are in 3rd place in terms of blocks per game with 3.25 and Newcastle are close behind in 6th with 2.17. While both teams are good offensively, it’s Raiders who do a better job of taking care of the ball, sitting in 4th place with an average of just 13.75 turnovers per game, while Newcastle are in 8th with 14.92. And finally, the foul count. Raiders do a better job of protecting their players from fouls sitting in 3rd place in the league with an average of 15.63 while Newcastle commit nearly 4 more fouls per game (19.17) and sit in 7th place. Player Interview - Mike Ojo This is your first visit to a Cup Final in the UK. The NIA is the home of the BBL Cup Final and Play Offs. What does it mean to you to be a part of this Raiders team playing in the 2011/12 Cup Final? I'm very happy to have the opportunity to play in a game of this magnitude so early in my professional career. I also understand that it has been a few years since the organisation has been to a cup final so we want to capitalise on this opportunity.
You've met Newcastle once already this season, and that resulted in a big loss for the Raiders. What will be different about meeting the Eagles in the Cup Final? Right now we are a completely different team. We have grown and improved in many different ways since that game. We are now more than ready for a rematch. You were injured for the game in Newcastle, you must be looking forward to getting a first taste of the Eagles? I'm definitely looking forward to being able to play the Eagles. They have been deemed one of the better teams in the league and I'm excited for the chance to finally play them.
A Cup Final is always
a big occasion - for the players, the fans and the club in general.
How much are you looking forward to it?
All of the players got to go home for Christmas. Where did you go and what did you get up to while you were there? I went back home to Los Angeles for Christmas. I didn't do anything too special I just spent a lot of time with my friends and family. Agenda for Sunday 15th January 2012 - BBL Cup Final
12pm Doors Open Read the previous features on the BBL Cup Final
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UCP
Marjon Plymouth Raiders Basketball Club, New Victoria House, Weston
Park Road, Plymouth, PL3 4NU |
info@plymouthraiders.com | 01752
222205 |
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BBL
Cup Final 2012
The
team have really been playing some great basketball recently. What
can you put this down to?
Its about working together, playing together and staying together.
As you know I came in late, so there were going to be some growing
pains and a lot of learning on the go. We are a very talented team
individually already and there was a need to develop a good
chemistry so that everyone can excel. That only comes with time and
work. and now we can only get better and better.
The
team have really been playing some great basketball recently. What
can you put this down to?
As a team we have really
started to come together and gel. Were really starting to understand
each others tendencies and are getting a lot more comfortable
playing together.