Only way is up as the Knights ride high in NBL
BASKETBALL
AFTER a shaky start to their National Basketball League campaign, Newcastle Knights are now in play-off contention.
Newcastle University’s senior men’s side started the NBL Division One season with a 7-1 record.
Since then, Ian Hewitt’s squad has gone 5-4, winning its first two games in 2018 against Reading Rockets and Lancashire Spinners.
This puts the Knights ninth overall, one place shy of the play-offs.
Hewitt, Director of Basketball at the university as well as men’s head coach, said: “We have really turned things around lately and we are hoping to keep building on this.
“I am delighted with our progress this year, both as a team and as a club.
“We keep setting the bar higher each year and the lads did it again this year.”
Building on a series of successful campaigns, which saw them blitz their way into the top leagues, the Knights recruited top players to stay competitive in Division One.
Two of their new faces from the USA are power forward/centre Patrick Wrencher Junior and shooting guard Joey Bennett.
Wrencher, 22, is from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Bennett, 23, hails from California.
They both joined the Knights in September, Wrencher scoring 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 70-63 away win over Loughborough University.
He said: “I have had an excellent experience playing for the Knights thus far.
“The beginning of the season had a lot of ups and downs as we struggled to find our identity as a team.
“I struggled at times and coach Hewitt had high expectations of me.
“These challenges helped me progress and elevate my game in a way which benefits both myself as a player and the team.
“I think we have found some rhythm as a squad and I fully expect this winning streak to continue as we start to make noise in the NBL.
“My team-mates are great and I love this city.”
Bennett, who played three years for California State University, Stanislaus, added: “I am enjoying the competitiveness of the National Basketball League.
“I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to continue playing the game I love and am passionate about while at the same time advancing my education.
“Playing in Europe is a bit different to playing in the United States, the style and pace of the game here taking me a few weeks to adapt to.
“Having said that, being a part of the Knights is everything I hoped it would be.
“The club have embraced my talents while at the same time challenging me to continue developing my game and leadership skills.
“I can see our team making it to the play-offs and from there anything can happen.”
The Knights gained NBL Division One promotion last summer after finishing second in Division Two with a 19-4 record.
The student squad is emerging as a legitimate powerhouse since it stormed into the NBL and gained successive promotions from Division Four all the way through to the top echelon.