Team USA Select return – Aug 30, 2018
POSTED BY: DAVE RYAN
First Round Schedule
Cheshire P. Sep.23 Worcester W
Plymouth R. Sep.23 London Lions
Bristol AF Sep.22 London CR
Surrey S. Sep.22 Glasgow Rock
London Lions Sep.21 Glasgow Rock
Newcastle E Sep.21 Cheshire P.
Sheffield S Sep.21 Manchester G
Worcester W Sep.21 Plymouth R.
Team USA Select are back in the UK for their annual tour.
Now well into its second decade, Sean Klmartin’s touring programme will bring two squads this season, playing (at least) 29 games in 14 days before taking both rosters to Norway for a three-day tournament.
With ‘only’ two sides this season, it’s a little more sane than last year (though the game in Edinburgh on Monday then hammering back to a hotel in Manchester looks epic), and things start tonight with the combined rosters playing in Feltham. Then the Reds are off to Leicester to face Riders while the Blues start a two-day stint on the south coast that sees them play Solent on Friday and both Worthing Thunder & Hemel Storm on Saturday
Obviously their big weekend is when they visit the centre of the basketball world (AKA Brentwood) for the Essex Classic on September 8/9 where as well as playing Leopards and Lions, they’ll face another American side, Libertyville Vipers.
It all ends in London for the Reds and Coventry for the Blues before they have a private tour of the Houses of Parliament and hop on a plane to Oslo.
While the Reds are generally players looking to get a job in the UK (though immediately signing for a team is now extremely difficult), the Blues are here for the experience with the vague possibility of getting a post-grad scholarship at the uni attached to an NBL team. Which makes this https://daveballblog.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/the-more-i-learn-the-more-i-despair/ scratch my head.
Full schedule
Friday August 31: Red to Leicester Riders 7pm Blue Solent
Saturday September 1: Red Leicester Riders 4pm clinic, game at 6. Blue Worthing Thunder & Hemel Storm
Sunday September 2: Red to Manchester Giants, Clinic 3.30 Match 6pm . Blue Ipswich Basketball Club
Monday September 3: Red 7.20pm Edinburgh Kings Clinic, 5 PM, match 7.20 travel back to Manchester same night! Blue TBD
Tuesday September 4: Red TBD Blue to Loughborough and Charnwood 3.30pm then 5.30 pm (back to back)
Wednesday September 5: Red to Mansfield Giants 7-8 clinic, 8pm match Blue Kingston Panthers (Hull) D2
Thursday September 6: Red to Bristol Arrows . Blue Reading Rockets
Friday September 7: Red Wales National Team (clinic, game) Blue Sheffield Arrows
Saturday September 8: Essex Classic Tournament (Leopards/London Lions Libertyville Vipers) Blue Hemel Storm
Sunday September 9: Essex Classic Tournament (Leopards/London Lions Libertyville Vipers) plus Glasgow Rocks Clinic then game
Monday September 10: Red Newcastle Eagles Blue Liverpool Basketball Club
Tuesday September 11: Red Manchester Magic Blue Derby Trailblazers
Wednesday September 12: Red Greenhouse Pioneers, Blue Coventry Elite (Clinic Only) then Coventry Tornadoes (Clinic and Match)