BBL Playoff Quarter-Final preview: Sharks @ Eagles
Sheffield Sharks wrapped up a memorable 2012-2013 regular season with an 85-72 win over the Cheshire Phoenix last Sunday that left the team with a winning record to go with the unforgettable BBL Trophy win over Leicester Riders back in March.
Thoughts now turn to post-season and the Playoffs. The quarter finals see the Sharks matched up against second-placed Newcastle Eagles. The Geordies host the first leg this Friday 12th April (tip off 7.30pm at Sport Central) with the return fixture being staged in the Blue Hall at the EIS on Monday 15th April (again tip off 7.30pm, limited seating, tickets available from the Sharks Online Shop). Two end of season encounters may have given some idea of what to expect from Fab Flournoy’s team but Sharks – Eagles games have an added frisson of excitement and any British basketball fan will have a close eye on the outcome of this one.
Newcastle finished a comfortable second to champions Leicester with a record of 25-8, having also gone down by 85-80 to the Riders in the BBL Cup Final. A season without honours is unheard of in the North East so it is guaranteed that Eagles Coach Fab Flournoy will be doing everything within his power to ensure his side reach the Wembley Playoff Final on April 28th. Newcastle brim with outstanding talent and it is clear the Sharks will have an extremely stern test if they are to progress in post-season. Touted by many as a possible league MVP once again, fourteen season BBL veteran Charles Smith has proved key to many of the Eagles best performances; an average of 21.2 points per game have sprung from the ‘Prince’s’ hands once again to go with 7.6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Flournoy has added new talent to the Eagles roster to great effect as well. Kareem Maddox has been an instant hit on Tyneside. The 6’ 8” Power Forward out of Princeton College has posted 15.1ppg and an outstanding 10.5 boards to add to a near 50 per cent shooting average. Factor in free-scoring Guard Joe Chapman, consistent Centre Darius Defoe and busy newcomer Damon Huffman then you become all-too-aware of the task ahead of the Sharks, something Sheffield Coach Atiba Lyons is only too aware of: “Newcastle is capable of scoring from different players. We have to do our best to limit their good looks and rebound the ball. Their veteran experience will really help them in these playoffs.”
Team news for the Sharks sees them add three talented youngsters to the roster for the duration of the playoffs.
Marko Backovic, Marcus Welch and Eddie Brownell all make the step up from the Junior Sharks to gain valuable experience of the world of professional basketball and provide an indication of what the future may hold for the club. Backovic and Welch have represented England at Under 16 and Under 17 levels respectively, while Brownell joins the roster in addition to his brother George, who has made several cameo appearances throughout the Sharks campaign. Atiba Lyons had plenty to say of the introduction of the trio: “These three guys will be the first Junior Sharks to qualify for the first team. They have earned this through their hard work over the season and the improvements they have made. These positions are not set in stone for next season and I will be looking through the Junior Sharks structure for the talent and give them the opportunity to experience the BBL and their career progression in basketball. I am sure more Junior Sharks will come through next season.”
Newcastle Eagles hold this season’s head-to-head over the Sharks. A 107-86 win in January saw Joe Chapman compile a hefty 41 points, backed up by the wily Smith with 22. The most recent encounters came in the last two weeks. The Eagles triumphed by 88-80 on Easter Sunday, Chapman again leading Newcastle with 19 points before the Sharks turned the tables with a 70-60 win in the Blue Hall; Nick Lewis contributing 19 points despite a 20 point haul for Newcastle’s Maddox. Both sides gave plenty of court time to the whole of their respective benches but both games retained the intensity that Sheffield – Newcastle encounters are renowned for.
Sharks Skipper Mike Tuck had this message for the EIS faithful ahead of the two legged encounter: “It’s been a roller coaster season but glad to have finished it with a winning record. The team is pumped and ready to make a big run through the playoffs. We appreciate all of your support!”
The Eagles to add to their already-impressive list of honours or the Sharks to be the underdogs of post-season and add to their BBL Trophy win? Either way, both legs of this tie will be a spectacle to behold and a feast of high-class basketball is certainly guaranteed!
(Images: mphotography.org.uk)
