Lions at Raiders – BBL Championship Preview

The Plymouth Pavilions will host the new look UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders on Sunday 30th September as they open their 2012/13 season against new BBL franchise, the London Lions.

Coach Gavin Love’s side has a very different look this season following Love’s aggressive off-season recruitment programme with front court duo, Colin O’Reilly and Matt Schneck, arguably the most important signings of the summer for the Raiders with the news that forward Anthony Rowe would be ruled out of the early part of the season through a knee injury.

The Lions by contrast to the so-far-untested Raiders, have already kicked off their BBL campaign, suffering two losses to the Manchester Giants and Newcastle Eagles.

Owner and Coach, Vince Macaulay, can be credited for the quick relocation and rebranding of his former Milton Keynes Lions side, with the club setting up home at Crystal Palace and changing their name to the London Lions in time for the start of a new BBL campaign. And although the win-less start to the season hasn’t mirrored the quick turnaround off of the court, there are reasons to be hopeful for Lions fans over the coming months.

Tayo Ogedengbe and Mike Martin joined the Lions from the Heat and have brought with them explosive scoring from both the front and back court, adding to an already solid core of former MK players Pedroso, Fontaine and Sturt, while Macaulay’s return to the sidelines as Coach could spark the kind of form that saw the owner/coach lead his MK team to the BBL Cup in 2007/8.

Tip-off in Plymouth is scheduled for 4:00PM.