Boss would go through a wall for us, says star

LARRY Austin Jr insists Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles head coach Marc Steutel would ‘go through a wall’ for a group of players he’s tipping to go deep in the postseason.

The US guard was a long-term target of the Great Britain playcaller before he finally inked a deal on Tyneside last summer.

And ahead of tonight’s clash against Surrey Storm, Austin Jr revealed he’s loved every minute of a rollercoaster season working with Steutel.

“I really enjoy the day-to-day with Marc,” explained the former Cheshire Phoenix favourite.

“He’s a great guy on and off the court. He knows his stuff and he’s a player’s coach.

“Marc understands what we go through and what we’re doing and things like that.

“Then there’s the way wants us to play. Marc’s a high-energy guy, a high-character guy and that’s reflected in his approach to basketball.

“He has a will to win and that mentality he and enthusiasm trickles down from the top to everyone else. “Marc’s a passionate guy and we’re a passionate group. We all get along – through the highs and lows – and that’s what will make the difference towards the end of the season.”

Steutel only retained one senior player from the 2022/23 campaign as he built a new look roster around record-breaking forward Darius Defoe.

And despite a series of injury setbacks, the former Northumbria University playcaller has fashioned a team as focused as it’s talented.

But Austin Jr claims it’s Steutel’s unwavering belief in his players that sets the Merseysider apart. “We know that Marc will go the extra mile for us,” added the North’s All Star skipper.

“He’d go through a wall for us just like we’ll go through a wall for him.

“You can see that he really enjoys working with his players and the feeling’s mutual. This is one of the closest groups I’ve ever worked with and that comes from the top.”

Surrey head to the Vertu Motors Arena as one of the British Basketball’s League’s most underrated disruptors.

The Scorchers have already claimed one win on Tyneside this season to square their Championship series with the Eagles.

And Austin Jr is taking nothing for granted as Newcastle look to snap an ugly three-game losing streak.

“It wasn’t too long ago that Surrey beat us up here and that loss still hurts,” he added.

“Every team is dangerous in this league but the Scorchers are in a battle to make the playoffs and every point counts for both sides.

“We know we have to pick things up again after the last few games. We’ve played a lot of minutes in a short period of time but we can’t allow fatigue to affect our focus.

“All season we’ve learnt from the losses and proved we can bounce back.”

Newcastle are locked in a tense battle to claim a top four regular season finish and the Eagles can’t afford to drop more points at home after slipping up against Sheffield last Friday.

But Austin Jr is determined to enjoy the final few weeks of his debut season as a man in black and won’t allow the pressure to dampen his enthusiasm.

“It’s the business end of the season and we should enjoy this time together,” he added.

“We’re fighting to shoot as high as we can in the playoffs and we’re in a good spot.

“As a player you have to make the most of these opportunities.”

Remaining tickets for tonight’s clash are available via boxoffice. newcastle-eagles.com

Coach Marc Steutel