The UK Basketball Hub

Worcester Wolves head coach Paul James has praised former GB captain Drew Sullivan following his retirement from the game. Sullivan - who made over 100 appearances for his country - announced his decision earlier this year. He led a team to victory one more time yesterday with London beating the World 89-84 in his testimonial. Paul James coach of the Worcester Wolves, has come up against Sullivan as a coach a number of times over the years and says he has a lasting legacy on the British game. James said: "I think he has been phenomenal for the British game, the ultimate professional. I haven't really had the pleasure to work with Drew, but to see the way he handled himself on and off the court, you could see he was very serious about his basketball and his success has happened because of that. "He's won many championships and for sure he has been a real leader on and off the court, for anybody that has worked with him. "It's sad to see such a...

Andrew Bridge is a bone-fide BBL legend and on top of that has a Commonwealth Games bronze medal to boot! Playing in the Newcastle Eagles team that swept the board, Bridge moved to Sheffield where he closed out his career by winning a little bit more! In his final season with the Sharks last year, Bridge helped the team to achieve a BBL Trophy victory against the much favoured Leicester Riders. He spoke to us about his career, his future, the future of the BBL and what he believes the Sheffield Sharks can achieve. He said: "When I left Sheffield for the first time [in 2002] it was a big event in my life, it was probably the best thing that could have happened as I had to move away and out of my comfort zone." "The biggest highlight for me was playing for Newcastle in 2005/06 when we won the clean sweep and then to play for England at the Commonwealth Games and win a bronze medal - it was the best year of my career." "At Newcastle there was an expec...

The BIG BBL Preview for the Sheffield Sharks is slightly different to the other posts, with Andrew Bridge - now retired - speaking to us ahead of their new season. The Sharks captured the BBL Trophy much to the surprise of most fans as they were playing the powerful force that is the Leicester Riders, who won everything else! Bridge has spent the majority of his career at the Sheffield Sharks and Newcastle Eagles and has won a bronze medal with the English basketball team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He believes that it was the right time to leave both the Sheffield Sharks and professional basketball behind. He said: "There was a combination of things [that led him to retire] - my family lived in Newcastle and I lived in Sheffield, I also had other work opportunities with the Youth Sports Trust." "The main sporting reason why I decided to retire was to go out as a winner and end my career in a season when we won a trophy." "There was always a te...

The Newcastle Eagles are the most successful team in BBL history with various honours - including 18 since 2005. The Eagles suffered a trophy-less season in 2012-13 but could look back on a season where they finished 2nd in the ladder and finished runners-up in two finals. Paul Blake, the managing director, believes this season could be the most competitive season in BBL history. He said: "It's kind of a new era for the league, over the past few seasons we've battled it our with one or two teams who have fallen away or are no longer in existence." "Now Leicester have found a way to achieve sustainable success and other teams like Worcester and Sheffield have found their feet then you have the Glasgow Rocks and the usual suspects." "The newer teams are improving, but it will be tough for everyone and not just for us as the quality is beginning to run down the league." Blake has a lot on his hands, helping run multiple teams down the Bri...

From the 26th August 2013 The UK Basketball Hub brings you: 'THE BIG BBL PREVIEW!' We will be speaking to someone from every team, trying to cover all angles as the new BBL season starts in a month or so! The Birmingham Knights are new to the BBL, how are they shaping up? The London Lions moved to the Copper Box, are they moving into the big leagues now? The Durham Wildcats and Surrey Heat have changed coach, good or bad move? The Newcastle Eagles want to be back on top, can they do it? Will the Leicester Riders defend their crown? Will Glasgow Rocks or Plymouth Raiders push for the play-off crown? Can Cheshire or Manchester get a play-off spot this time around? Will the Sharks win another BBL Trophy? So many questions and we'll try to give you the answers! Here are our confirmed interviewees: 26th August: Birmingham Knights player Martyn Gayle, coach Paul Douglas 27th August: Birmingham Knights owner Jo Aldridge and Durham Wildcats' Richard Warburton...

The BBL season has come to a close with the Leicester Riders securing the play-off win to the league and cup victories. On the last day of the league season it was a battle between two clubs, two cities for the right to face the Leicester Riders and clinch the final play-off spot. Manchester Giants hosting the London Lions in a clash for 8th place in the BBL. Two big cities who wanted one spot. The London Lions had moved from Milton Keynes at the start of the season and were hoping to build up a fan-base as in the 2013/14 season they would be using the Olympic Copper Box. The Manchester Giants were back in the BBL after a few years out of the premiere league of British basketball. These two big city franchises have the opportunity to attract a large following and become two of the key players in the future of the BBL. The Lions are of course moving to the biggest arena in the BBL so could feasibly attract large crowds and make more money than any of their BBL opponen...

Who will make it to Wembley Arena? The 28th April 2013 will see the top two teams in the BBL League collide in the BBL play-off final at Wembley Arena as the Leicester Riders and Newcastle Eagles clash! Newcastle beat Leicester in the 2012 play-off final 71-62 at the NIA to complete a clean sweep of the BBL's trophies with Charles Smith being named the games MVP. This year the tides have turned. Leicester have already claimed the BBL regular league season and the BBL Cup at the expense of the Eagles while surprisingly losing the BBL Trophy final to the Sheffield Sharks. The Journey The Leicester Riders finished 10 points better off than Newcastle Eagles as they topped the BBL League standings with only three defeats to the Eagles eight. Newcastle finished second in the BBL League standings with three of the eight defeats coming against Leicester. Leicester faced the London Lions in the first round of the play-offs, following the Lions win against the Manchester Gi...

The 2012/13 BBL league season is coming to a close with the Leicester Riders closing in on the BBL crown and top seeding in the play-offs. The BBL Trophy and BBL Cup have both been decided going to the Riders and Sheffield Sharks respectively in a season which has seen London and Manchester join the league. But who has been the stand out player in the BBL League, Trophy and Cup? And who has been the top coach? Well the UK Basketball Hub want you to vote who you think is the top player and coach on our pole! We have decided on three managers and ten players who you can vote for which are as follows: The Players Andrew Sullivan (Leicester Riders) Jay Couisnard (Leicester Riders) Chez Marks (Cheshire Pheonix) Matthew Schneck (Plymouth Raiders) BJ Holmes (Sheffield Sharks) Joe Chapman (Newcastle Eagles) Charles Smith (Newcastle Eagles) Chavis Holmes (Surrey Heat) Orlan Jackman (London Lions) Alex Owumni (Worcester Wolves) - Kareem Maddox is someone who has been sugges...

The BBL continued this weekend with games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and there was a shock or two to be had. Newcastle Eagles started the weekend top of the BBL ladder but suffered a shock defeat to Cheshire Phoenix on Friday. The loss makes it two defeats in a row following the BBL Trophy loss to the Worcester Wolves and gave Leicester Riders the chance to move up to the top with a two point lead. Leicester played the Manchester Giants on Saturday and sent a message to their ladder rivals with an impressive 84-59 victory. Both teams also had a Sunday game with Newcastle beating Plymouth Raiders 79-96 but the Riders would also win against Cheshire Phoenix to stay two points ahead. In the other weekend games, the Sheffield Sharks scored a victory over the Manchester Giants and the Mersey Tiger's losing streak continued with a loss to the Worcester Wolves on the Friday evening. The Wolves would defeat London Lions a day later after two periods of overtime to give the...

The Newcastle Eagles and Leicester Riders lead the way in the British Basketball League with 34 points and only four defeats between them. Both teams have played 19 games and Newcastle averaging a better scoring record. Leicester have beaten the Eagles twice this season once in the BBL and once in the Cup final to take the first silverware of the season. Glasgow Rocks represent Scotland in the BBL and they are third in the division four points off of the two leaders. They are closely followed by Surrey Heat and the Plymouth Raiders who both have games in hand on the Rocks. The Final three play-off spots (the top eight teams) are taken currently (15th Feb) by Worcester Wolves, London Lions and Sheffield Sharks. The Sharks are level on points with the Manchester Giants, Cheshire Pheonix and the Durham Wildcats  but have played two games less than them three teams. Mersey Tigers prop-up the BBL with no victories thus far losing 22 of the 22 they have played. You can view ...