2022/23 Season Preview
The Island’s Basketball League takes flight on Thursday as the first games of the 2022/23 Season tip off. There will be plenty of action for all ages this year as a refreshed Junior League runs alongside the Senior League every Thursday night. The Junior League will have a renewed emphasis on maximising game time for younger players, with an aspiration to help them develop their game and establish a formal second division of the Senior Leagues. Players in school years 7 to 11 are welcome to the NSC Main Hall every Thursday from 18:00-20:00, even if they have no affiliation with an existing club.
The Senior side sees a reduced roster of teams, with Eagles withdrawing as many of their players flew the nest to further their studies at university. With 6-teams entered, the league format has been set as a triple round robin leading into play-off finals in April 2023. Many of the teams have been around for several years and ahead of the start of the Senior campaign it is worth taking a closer look at each Club.
Forget Me Not Jets
Having featured in every final since their founding in 2018, Jets finally sealed the deal this year with a convincing win over Cavaliers capping off an impressive undefeated 2021/22 season. Eager to maintain their momentum, they have been one of the few teams to train consistently over the summer and will no doubt attack the new season with the same high intensity before. With a solid bench and unshakable belief, Jets are the team to beat.
MicroGaming Cavaliers
Cavaliers have been a mainstay of the league for many years but are no longer the all-conquering force they once were after the team split at the end of the 2017/18 season. Consistency has been an issue since then with flashes of their former glory (including a league win two seasons ago) featuring alongside disappointing losses. Still a threat to any team, it will depend what Cavaliers turn up as to whether they can go all the way this year.
Wolves
Some impressive performances last season had this team as a favourite to get to the final but a disappointing performance in the quarter-finals saw them spectating rather than competing. There is plenty of talent here and they have proved themselves against every team in the past, but consistency will be key for the road ahead. With a renewed focus and some changes to the roster, this could be year that the Wolves go all the way.
Turkeys
The longest surviving Club in the Basketball Association, many of the Turkeys players have been together for more than 20 years. Some new blood several years ago has kept Turkeys competitive and they continue to chalk up some impressive wins. Trouble with bench depth and an aging side made some games more difficult than they might have been but there is still potential for a finals appearance this year.
PWC Hoops
A team with many players from the Island Ladies squad, Hoops have developed well over the last few seasons. Quick and aggressive, they are not afraid to get stuck in against any of the Men’s teams and have proven themselves more than capable of capitalising on weak links in their opponent’s defence. Well-disciplined and well drilled, Hoops will have extra momentum this season as players look to hone their skills ahead of the Island Games.
Ravens
New to the Senior league last year, Ravens are the youngest squad consisting of players who have outgrown the Junior leagues and sought a new challenge. Traditional thinking would have written this team off as an easy win given their youth and inexperience, and that complacency shocked many last season. Quick from the get-go, they use their pace to run teams into the ground and, with a season’s worth of experience behind them, Ravens will be no doubt notch up some solid wins in this campaign.
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The opening matches of this season take place in the NSC Main Hall on Thursday 6th October from 20:00-22:00 and will see Wolves take on Turkeys while Forget Me Not Jets face MicroGaming Cavaliers. Spectators are more than welcome to attend, and courtside seating is available free of charge.
