Knights confident new season will be One to savour
BASKETBALL
NEWLY-PROMOTED Newcastle Knights are marching into NBL Division One with an appetite for titles and a squad brimming with basketball talent.
The Newcastle University side has its sights sights set on a successful debut NBL season while repeating last year’s outstanding run in the BUCS Northern Premier League.
The Knights reached the final fours in the BUCS Play-Offs and also won the Patron’s Cup last season - beating the Kent Crusaders 77-65 in the final.
Led by coach Ian Hewitt, the students recruited top talent ahead of the season’s opener.,
Former Saint Francis forward Patrick Wrencher became the team’s first professional signing and is one of five overseas players to join the Knights this campaign.
The Knights won their season opener (73-70) against the Bradford Dragons but then lost twice in row to Northumbria University (82-66) and Reading Rockets (7268).
Hewitt, Director of Basketball and men’s head coach at Newcastle University, said: “We have had a good start to the season with some scrappy wins.
“Our expectations are to see how well we will do across the two leagues.
“Longer term we have our sights on the NBL Play-Offs and winning the BUCS Premier North title.
“Our challenge this season is to fit all the new players into the system as soon as possible and to quickly learn what the players are capable of.”
Thanasis Ioakeimidis, from Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the five overseas signings for 2017-18.
The 26-year-old said: “I came to Newcastle because the university has a great reputation and the staff are also highly qualified.
“That will greatly help me enhance my skills and also prepare me for any challenges I might encounter in the financial sector.
“I was always fond of the idea of combining my studies with my basketball career and to my delight this came to fruition, mostly thanks to the efforts and interest of coach Hewitt.
“I believe we are doing rather well considering the short period we have all been together.
“We are developing strong bonds, working hard and we already seem to share a common mindset.
“In time all of these factors will work to our benefit and hopefully will bring us the results we need to do well.
“I will do what I can to help my team go as far as possible in any league or competition.”
The Knights play home games at Northumbria University’s Sports Central and Benfield Centre for Sporting Excellence.