Basketball Returns To Bristol | Bristol Sport

Wednesday, September 9th, 2015

Bristol Flyers v USA Select
Pre-season friendly
SGS WISE Arena
Thursday, September 10th, 7.30pm

Tickets available to purchase on the door

The players have been put through their paces and the sneakers dusted off as basketball returns to Bristol this Thursday night. USA Select are the visitors to SGS WISE for Bristol Flyers’ first game of the season.

Flyers will be hoping to follow up last season’s comfortable 79-65 victory over USA Select with another win to set them up for their second season in the BBL.
USA Select feature a roster of former college players from the states, making this fixture a unique opportunity to see some top talent from across the Atlantic.

The game will also be the first chance to see Flyers two new signings, Daniel Edozie and Cardell McFarland, in action.

The Bristol basketball side are looking to build on a hugely impressive debut season in the BBL, having become the first side since 2008 to qualify for the play-offs at the first attempt.

Head Coach Andreas Kapoulas was duly rewarded for leading the Flyers into the play-offs, being named Molten BBL Coach of the Year.

See Coach K and his charges in action for the first time this season as Bristol Flyers take on USA Select at SGS WISE this Thursday, September 10th at 7.30pm – tickets are available to purchase on the door.

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Manchester Giants: Olu Babalola’s debut display as Gill shows triple threat

Manchester Giants new boy Olu Babalola showed he can attacks well as defend while Stefan Gill has not lost his shooting touch.

Olu Babalola in action against the USA Select. Pic: JACK HINDS

Olu Babalola introduced himself as Manchester Giant with a superb shooting display.

But he has some way to go to overtake Stefan Gill in the three-point stakes.

Babalola’s defensive qualities will serve the Giants well in the new BBL season.

But the former Sheffield Shark showed he is no slouch in on the offensive end either, driving powerfully to the basket in the friendly against a USA Select side and hitting five three-pointers.

Gill bagged himself a stunning ten triples as the Giants went down 94-92 at the Trafford Sportsdome.

Stefan Gill shoots against the USA Select. Pic: JACK HINDS

While new head coach Yorick Williams wasn’t pleased to see his side give up a 20-pont lead, the game was more about him being able to take a look at a number of potential signings ahead of the new season.

Former Newcastle, Durham, Leeds and Surrey guard Sam Attah gave a composed display, while Williams also ran the rule over former Loughborough junior Barry Webster – a 6ft 10ins centre – and one-time Cheshire guard Chris Pearce.

Williams said: “Olu was good and Stef did what we know he can do.

“I’m relatively happy but it was more about me seeing what I needed to see from some of the guys we’ve brought in to look at.”

Williams still has some irons in the fire and will hope to add some size to a squad that looks on the small side so far.

And he will give a chance to more of the players who formed a lengthy bench against the USA side.

“I’ve still got a few players that I’ve identified to come in and not everyone got an opportunity to show what they can do, but we have another game on Saturday.”

Giants face Irish side Templeogue at the same venue in their final scheduled warm-up game before the season starts with a trip to Cheshire Phoenix on Sunday, September 20.

Manchester Magic boss Paul Middleton is ‘satisfied’ with his teams preparations ahead of their season-opening NBL1 Trophy derby with Lancashire Spinners on Saturday.

Young centre Lee Goldsbrough impressed in the competitive defeat to a visiting Sheffield Sharks side on Saturday.

Magic face another USA Select side on Monday night (8.15pm).

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USA Select to tour UK

Thirty-five players will travel with Team USA Select as they return to the UK for another pre-season tour in September.

The side is made up of former NCAA players looking to get a job in Europe, and the squad managed by Sean Kilmartin will play an exhausting schedule of games,.

They last on Thursday September 3 and start playing the following day with the Red team at BBL high-flyers Leicester Riders and a combined Blue/White squad facing NBL champions Essex Leopards at the Brentwood Centre.

The Red squad have a pair of games at Riders the following day, facing their first team and B side while the Blues/Whites play Dagenham Dragons.

Sunday September 6 sees the Reds at Manchester Giants while the Blues/Whites are at Westminster Warriors for a double header. The Reds have their most exhausting day the following Monday as they face a noon game at Glasgow Rocks’ training venue before moving on for an evening game at Manchester Magic. The Blue/White team travel to Cardiff for school PR visits. The Reds stay in the north-west to face Division One newcomers Lancashire Spinners on Tuesday September 8 while the Blues/Whites face Swansea.

Next day sees the Reds on the south coast to visit Worthing Thunder, Blue travel to Ireland for a three day tournament while the Whites play at Mansfield Giant.

Thursday September 10 sees the Reds at Bristol Arrows who have sold out the annual game for the last ten years while the Whites are at Kings Lynn. A double header for the Reds and Whites at Plymouth Raiders follows before both teams compete in the Bexhill World Club Invitational on the weekend of September 12/13.

Monday September 14 sees the Reds at Newcastle Eagles while the Blues return from Ireland and the Whites are looking for a game. The following day sees the Reds in action at Leopards’ training venue while the Blues and Whites are at Reading Rockets.

The Reds stay in London on Wednesday September 16 to face Westminster Warriors with the Whites at Sussex Bears and the Blues playing Mansfield Giants.

After a day’s sightseeing in London and a private tour of the Houses of Parliament for all three teams, the Reds leave the UK on Friday September 18 to fly to Norway while the Blues go to Kings Lynn and the Whites play at Derbyshire Arrows

The final weekend of the tour sees both the Blues and Whites play an all-day event at Plantanos College (London) before wrapping things up on Sunday September 20 with a double header at Leicester Riders.

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Witherspoon wants shot to play overseas

By JOHN DELL Winston-Salem Journal

Only die-hard Winston-Salem State basketball fans will remember Chris Witherspoon.

The 6-foot guard, appropriately nicknamed “Spoon”, spent two seasons with the Rams after a two-year career in junior college. He played sparingly while exhausting his two years of eligibility but the basketball dream hasn’t died yet.

Witherspoon, 26, earned his degree from WSSU in the spring and then embarked on reshaping his body and getting back into basketball shape for a shot at pro basketball.He found his way to a tryout in Raleigh with USA Select, an organization that was formed by a group of previous overseas players.

“I did pretty well in the tryout and they asked me back, and I’ll be going to another camp in Charlotte,” Witherspoon said. “Then, I’ll be part of a team that will go overseas and we are set to play something like 24 games in 26 days.”

The USA Select team and associate head coach Ricky Pitts, a former player at Appalachian State and Averett University, will play in games, and scouts from various overseas teams can see Witherspoon in action.

“It’s a great opportunity, and I really have nothing to lose,” said Witherspoon, who earned his degree in physical education and hopes to teach and coach basketball one day.

Until then, however, he’ll see if he can carve out a pro career overseas.

“We’ll depart for London for a whirlwind trip in September,” Pitts said. “We will have two teams (a combined 20 players) that are travelling over there, and they will participate in a few multi-national tournaments against teams from Ireland, Tunisia, Venezuela and France.”

Pitts said that the players will get to see England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Finland during their time on the USA Select trip.

Witherspoon, who hired a trainer in his hometown of Lenoir, weighs about 10 pounds less at around 170 than when he was at WSSU. His body fat is in the single digits, and he says he’s healthy.

“I feel great and I’m ready for this,” said Witherspoon who joins a long list of former WSSU players who have played pro ball overseas.

Some of the past former WSSU players who have played overseas or are still playing include Julian Murphy-Long, Jamal Durham, Brian Fisher, Paul Davis, Preston Ross, Darrell Wonge and Marcus Wells.

Witherspoon, who was part of the Rams CIAA championship team in 2012, says he knows he has a long way to go to land on a team overseas.

“When I finished playing ball at Winston I focused on getting my degree, and I didn’t play much basketball,” Witherspoon said. “But I started missing it so I saw this as a chance. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do.”

Coach Bobby Collins, who is now at Maryland-Eastern Shore, said that he wasn’t surprised that Witherspoon will get a shot. Collins recruited and coached Witherspoon for his two seasons at WSSU.

“I’m sure Chris wished he could have played more, but if you remember he had a heck of a game when we beat Shaw in the semifinals (of the CIAA Tournament),” Collins said.

Pitts said that Witherspoon’s attitude and commitment landed him a spot on the team.

“We were impressed with his overall play, but his conditioning was exceptional,” Pitts said. “He had a high court IQ, and his craftiness around the basket really opened some eyes at our camp…. He was clearly a leader, and pretty evident that he has been well coached.”

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