Bottom club won’t be pushover, says Basi Eagles need to Force the issue
ON the face of it, tonight’s BBL Championship match-up for Esh Group Eagles Newcastle against bottom team Leeds Force has a look of inevitability about it, writes JEFF KING.
The Eagles have already thumped Force twice this season and the Yorkshire-based outfit’s 1-23 record leans towards a Newcastle clean sweep of the league fixtures.
However, look a bit deeper and it is perhaps not as straightforward as it seems.
The home side goes in to the game at Northumbria University Sport Central still without captain Darius Defoe and now without his replacement as skipper Drew Lasker.
Lasker has flown out to Australia’s Gold Coast to be part of the England Commonwealth Games basketball squad which is looking to bring home a medal from that competition.
Add in the fact player-coach Fab Flournoy is sweating on a late fitness test following the ankle injury he picked up in last weekend’s fantastic come-from-behind win over Bristol Flyers and suddenly the game is not as certain as it may have seemed.
A fact back-up guard A J Basi referred to when he previewed tonight’s clash - a game where he is aware of the depletion within the Eagles’ ranks.
Basi said: “We had a quality team win last week.
“It is nice to get a little streak going, playing good at home, playing good as a team, moving the ball and finishing well.
“I think we are looking to do the same tonight and this weekend.
“I will be strange going into this game and the ones to follow without Darius and Drew.
“Every time you are down a few bodies it makes things tougher.
“Not just on court but in practice preparing for the game.”
“Those two guys are a huge focal point for us and they are leaders for us - and having a new team in terms of BBL experience means it is a challenge to be without them.
“Everyone including myself is excited and glad of the opportunity.”
Opportunity is a great word and one which sums up the possibility of Basi’s role tonight as the team and coaching staff will be looking to him to step up - a fact he acknowledges.
Basi added: “Ever since we knew Drew had been selected for England he has been on me a little bit extra in practice as well as the rest of the guys.
“He has been telling us to be ready for the opportunity which is going to be coming our way.”
“I have been looking forward to it, preparing for it and I am ready to step in to help the team this late in the season.”
One player who hopefully is ready to step up is youngster Themba Yabantu, whom the Eagles have promoted from their under-23 side and who will be on the bench tonight.
Basi has been impressed with Yabantu who has trained regularly with the seniors this season.
He said: “It is exciting and I am happy for him.
“He is definitely one of the better younger guys I have seen around the Newcastle programme.
“I think it is cool and a testament to the Eagles’ Foundation having a local kid come up through the programme and being promoted to the jersey with the big boys. I think he has deserved it.”
Just around the corner after Leeds tonight is a tough trip to Surrey on Sunday and then back-to-back games at Leicester and London next week.
Basi said: “We will take every point as it comes and right now it is about Leeds tonight. We need to get this win and then move on.”