2011–12 British Basketball League season explained

2011–12 BBL season
League:	British Basketball League
Sport:	Basketball
Playoffs:	Roll of Honour
Conf1:	BBL
Conf1 Champ:	Newcastle Eagles
Conf2:	Play Off's
Conf2 Champ:	Newcastle Eagles
Conf3:	BBL Cup
Conf3 Champ:	Newcastle Eagles
Conf4:	BBL Trophy
Conf4 Champ:	Newcastle Eagles
Seasonslist:	List of British Basketball League seasons
Seasonslistnames:	British Basketball League
Prevseason Year:	2010–11
Nextseason Year:	2012–13

The 2011–12 BBL season was the 25th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 11 teams from across England and Scotland, with Durham Wildcats appearing in their first campaign after election from EBL Division 1.^[1] The League did not feature two teams from the previous season; Worthing Thunder had stepped down to the EBL,^[2] whilst Essex Pirates withdrew just two weeks prior to the season starting due to the loss of a major sponsor.^[3] There was also uncertainty regarding the participation of reigning champions Mersey Tigers, who had to postpone their first game due to off-court problems and operational issues.^{[4] [5]}

Newcastle Eagles opened the season with an 85–63 victory over Northern rivals Glasgow Rocks in the BBL Cup, on September 30, 2011. The Championship regular season didn't commence until mid-October, whilst the initial stages of the Trophy and BBL Cup were played out prior to the Championship beginning. Newcastle were victorious in the BBL Cup and BBL Trophy after beating Plymouth Raiders in the finals of both competitions. The Eagles also went on to clinch their 5th BBL Championship after Plymouth lost to Leicester Riders on April 11, setting a new record for the most Championships won in the history of the BBL. Eagles' 5th title beat the previous record of four Championship's held by Kingston Kings from the 1980s and 1990s. The season was wrapped up with Eagles stamping their dominance on the play-offs, defeating Leicester in the Final on May 12, 2012, and going on to win all four titles for the 2011–12 campaign.

Following the season's climax the British Basketball League, along with several other basketball governing bodies, united to form the British Basketball Union, a new organisation created to promote the commercial development of basketball within Great Britain.^[6]

Teams

width=25%	Team	width=19%	City/Area	width=29%	Arena	width=12%	Capacity	width=15%	Last season
Cheshire Jets	Chester	Northgate Arena	1,000	4th
Durham Wildcats	Newton Aycliffe	Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre	1,200	New
Glasgow Rocks	Glasgow	Kelvin Hall	1,200	6th
Guildford Heat	Guildford	Surrey Sports Park	1,000	7th
Leicester Riders	Leicester	John Sandford Centre	800	8th
Mersey Tigers	Liverpool	Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park	450	1st
Milton Keynes Lions	Milton Keynes	Prestige Homes Arena	1,400	10th
Newcastle Eagles	Newcastle upon Tyne	Sport Central	3,000	2nd
Plymouth Raiders	Plymouth	Plymouth Pavilions	1,480	5th
Sheffield Sharks	Sheffield	English Institute of Sport	1,200	3rd
Worcester Wolves	Worcester	University of Worcester	600	9th

Notable occurrences

• Durham Wildcats were the newest additions to the BBL, having been elected to join from EBL Division 1.^[1]
• Pre-season transfer speculation centred around the possibility of Los Angeles Lakers star Ron Artest signing for Cheshire Jets during the NBA lockout, after announcing on his Twitter account that he was in discussions with the club,^[7] who had reportedly offered him shares in the franchise.^[8] Other reports also linked Artest to Glasgow Rocks.^[9]
• After ten years at Cheshire Jets, Paul Smith stepped down from his position as Head Coach prior to the season opening, leaving Assistant John Lavery to take the reins.^[10]
• The Mersey Tigers franchise changed ownership following Liverpool-based businessman Steve Brookfield's acquisition from former owner Gary Townsend, who set up the club in 2007.^[11]
• Essex Pirates officially withdrew from the BBL on September 16, just two weeks before the start of the season.^[3] The loss of a major sponsor was a major factor, and it was revealed the owners even looked at relocating to Crystal Palace NSC Arena in London before the decision was made to disband.^[12]
• Mersey Tigers were forced to postpone their first game of the season amid fears of the franchise's imminent collapse.^[13] Off-court problems and operational issues were later cited as the reason for postponement, but the franchise eventually fielded a team and resumed play the following week.^{[4] [5]}
• A sell-out 1,200 crowd at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre saw Durham play host to their first BBL game, losing 66–88 to local rivals Newcastle Eagles.^[14]
• An incident between Guildford Heat's Martelle McLemore and Plymouth Raiders mascot Foxy during a game on October 22 was the subject of a League inquiry after the mascot entered the court and pulled McLemore's shorts down during a break in play.^{[15] [16] [17]} Following the league's inquiry, Plymouth Raiders were given a "small fine" whilst McLemore was awarded with 5 penalty points for his involvement by pushing the Raiders mascot.^{[18] [19]}
• Glasgow Rocks' veteran player-coach Sterling Davis reached two personal milestones in October, making his 1000th BBL Championship free-throw and 5000th point scored.^[20]
• After a 12-game losing streak, Guildford Heat finally recorded their first win of the season on December 16, with an 82–76 victory away to current Champions Mersey Tigers.^[21]
• Nathan Schall, of Milton Keynes Lions, was the winner of the Kickz.co.uk Slam Dunk Contest 2012 which took place on January 15, prior to the BBL Cup Final.
• Newcastle Eagles collected their first piece of silverware for the season on January 15, 2012, with a 115–94 victory over Plymouth Raiders in the BBL Cup final at the National Indoor Arena. Newcastle's Charles Smith set a new BBL Cup Final record by posting a 39 points, whilst Newcastle also broke the previous record of 103 for points scored.^[22]
• Leicester Riders announced in January that their point guard Flinder Boyd had decided to leave the club with immediate effect "in order to pursue interests way from basketball."^[23] It was reported in March that the Great Britain international has officially retired from playing, just months before Team GB's Olympic Games tournament.^[24]
• Newcastle Eagles scooped their second title of the season with another victory over Plymouth Raiders in the BBL Trophy final. The Eagles won the Trophy with a 184–177 aggregate victory in the two-game series, winning the second leg 96–80 at Sport Central on March 24.^[25]
• With title-challengers Plymouth Raiders losing 96–72 away to Leicester Riders on April 11, the Championship trophy returned to Newcastle Eagles, becoming the Northeastern club's third title of the season.^[26] The trophy was presented to the Eagles at Sport Central on April 14 at their home game with Mersey Tigers, but celebrations were dampened as Eagles were unexpectedly defeated 74–82 by Mersey.^[27]
• Due to the unsuitability of the John Sandford Centre venue for television broadcasting,^[28] Leicester Riders were forced to switch venues for their Play-off homes games from their usual home to their former home at the Sports Centre on the campus of Loughborough University.^[29]
• Newcastle Eagles completed a 'clean sweep' of titles by claiming the Play-off crown with a 71–62 victory over Leicester Riders in the Grand Final at the National Indoor Arena, on 12 May. Newcastle's Charles Smith was awarded the Final's MVP, scoring 21 points.^[30]
• Following the conclusion of the season, the BBL entered into a joint venture with other basketball governing bodies to establish the British Basketball Union (BBU), a new organisation created to promote the commercial development of basketball within Great Britain.^[6]
• After four seasons in charge of Mersey Tigers, Head Coach Tony Garbelotto left the club at the end of the season to coach German Pro A team Heidelberg.^[31]

BBL Championship (Tier 1)

Final standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	%	Pts
1	Newcastle Eagles	30	23	7	0.766	46
2	Leicester Riders	30	22	8	0.733	44
3	Worcester Wolves	30	22	8	0.733	44
4	Plymouth Raiders	30	21	9	0.700	42
5	Glasgow Rocks	30	16	14	0.533	32
6	Cheshire Jets	30	13	17	0.433	26
7	Sheffield Sharks	30	13	17	0.433	26
8	Guildford Heat	30	12	18	0.400	24
9	Milton Keynes Lions	30	10	20	0.333	20
10	Mersey Tigers	30	10	20	0.333	20
11	Durham Wildcats	30	3	27	0.100	6

	= League winners
	= Qualified for the play-offs

Playoffs

Quarter-finals

(1) Newcastle Eagles vs. (8) Guildford Heat

(2) Leicester Riders vs. (7) Sheffield Sharks

(3) Worcester Wolves vs. (6) Cheshire Jets

(4) Plymouth Raiders vs. (5) Glasgow Rocks

Semi-finals

(1) Newcastle Eagles vs. (6) Cheshire Jets

(2) Leicester Riders vs. (5) Glasgow Rocks

Final

EBL National League Division 1 (Tier 2)

Final standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	%	Pts
1	London Leopards	24	20	4	0.833	40
2	Bristol Academy Flyers	24	18	6	0.750	36
3	Derby Trailblazers	24	16	8	0.667	32
4	Worthing Thunder	24	16	8	0.667	32
5	Bradford Dragons	24	15	9	0.625	30
6	Leicester Warriors	24	15	9	0.625	30
7	Reading Rockets	24	14	10	0.583	28
8	Medway Park Crusaders	24	12	12	0.500	24
9	Brixton TopCats	24	11	13	0.458	22
10	Leeds Carnegie	24	10	14	0.417	20
11	Tees Valley Mohawks	24	4	20	0.167	8
12	Westminster Warriors	24	3	21	0.125	6
13	PAWS London Capital	24	2	22	0.083	4

	= League winners
	= Qualified for the play-offs

EBL National League Division 2 (Tier 3)

Final standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	%	Pts
1	Team Northumbria	20	18	2	0.900	36
2	Hemel Storm	20	16	4	0.800	32
3	Glamorgan Gladiators	20	14	6	0.700	28
4	Birmingham Mets	20	12	8	0.600	24
5	Team Solent	20	11	9	0.550	22
6	Derbyshire Arrows	20	10	10	0.500	20
7	Eastside Eagles	20	9	11	0.450	18
8	London Westside	20	9	11	0.450	18
9	Mansfield Giants	20	6	14	0.300	12
10	London United	20	3	17	0.150	6
11	Birmingham A's	20	2	18	0.100	4

	= League winners
	= Qualified for the play-offs

BBL Cup

Semi-finals

Leicester Riders vs. Newcastle Eagles

Plymouth Raiders vs. Worcester Wolves

Final

BBL Trophy

Group stage

Group 1

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	Percent
1.Newcastle Eagles	6	4	3	1	0.750
2.Glasgow Rocks	6	4	3	1	0.750
3.Durham Wildcats	0	4	0	4	0.000

Group 3

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	Percent
1.Milton Keynes Lions	6	4	3	1	0.750
2.Leicester Riders	6	4	3	1	0.750
3.London Leopards	0	4	0	4	0.000

Group 2

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	Percent
1.Sheffield Sharks	8	4	4	0	1.000
2.Mersey Tigers	2	4	1	3	0.250
3.Cheshire Jets	2	4	1	3	0.250

Group 4

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	Percent
1.Plymouth Raiders	6	4	3	1	0.750
2.Worcester Wolves	6	4	3	1	0.750
3.Guildford Heat	0	4	0	4	0.000

Semi-finals

Newcastle Eagles vs. Sheffield Sharks

Milton Keynes Lions vs. Plymouth Raiders

Final

Statistics leaders

Category	Player	Stat
Points per game	Demarius Bolds (Milton Keynes Lions)	23.9
Rebounds per game	Daniel Northern (Milton Keynes Lions)	12.3
Assists per game	Adam Brown (Cheshire Jets)	5.0
Steals per game	Demarius Bolds (Milton Keynes Lions)	2.8
Blocks per game	Bill Cole (Cheshire Jets)	2.3

Monthly awards

Month	Coach	Player
October	Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles)	Ayron Hardy (Leicester Riders)
November	Rob Paternostro (Leicester Riders)	Mychal Green (Glasgow Rocks)
December	Gavin Love (Plymouth Raiders)	Richie Gordon (Worcester Wolves)
January	Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles)	Charles Smith (Newcastle Eagles)
February	Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles)	Tommy Freeman (Worcester Wolves)
March	Gavin Love (Plymouth Raiders)	Ayron Hardy (Leicester Riders)
April	John Lavery (Cheshire Jets)	Ayron Hardy (Leicester Riders)

Seasonal awards

• Molten Most Valuable Player:^[32] Joe Chapman (Newcastle Eagles)
• Molten Coach of the Year:^[33] Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles)
• Team of the Year:^[34]
  • Cameron Rundles (Leicester Riders)
  • Joe Chapman (Newcastle Eagles)
  • Ayron Hardy (Leicester Riders)
  • Richie Gordon (Worcester Wolves)
  • Paul Williams (Plymouth Raiders)
• Defensive Team of the Year:^[34]
  • Paul Gause (Newcastle Eagles)
  • Demarius Bolds (Milton Keynes Lions)
  • Ayron Hardy (Leicester Riders)
  • Richie Gordon (Worcester Wolves)
  • Bill Cole (Cheshire Jets)
• British Team of the Year:^[34]
  • Myles Hesson (Mersey Tigers)
  • Tayo Ogedengbe (Guildford Heat)
  • Andrew Sullivan (Leicester Riders)
  • Anthony Rowe (Plymouth Raiders)
  • Andrew Thomson (Newcastle Eagles)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Durham Wildcats join British Basketball League . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBC Sport.
2. Web site: Worthing Thunder to drop into English Basketball League . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBC Sport.
3. Web site: Essex Pirates . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBL.
4. Web site: Mark Woods . Sullivan exit addes to Mersey woes . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
5. Web site: Mark Woods . Mersey back in the game . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
6. Web site: New basketball Union looks to create Olympic legacy . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141027040411/http://www.bblfans.com/2012/latest-news/new-basketball-union-looks-to-create-olympic-legacy.html . October 27, 2014 . mdy .
7. Web site: Ron Artest to play for Cheshire Jets . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . Los Angeles Times.
8. Web site: Cheshire Jets official: Team has offered Ron Artest a stake . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . Los Angeles Times.
9. Web site: Mark Woods . Rocks join Jets in race for Ron Artest . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
10. Web site: Mark Woods . Lavery to coach Jets as Smith steps down . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
11. Web site: Mark Woods . Mersey have new owner . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
12. Web site: Mark Woods . Only way is out for Essex . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
13. Web site: Mark Woods . Mersey put on hold as talks continue . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
14. Web site: Mark Woods . Durham defeated on BBL debut . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
15. Web site: Mark Woods . Not so Foxy move lands Plymouth in jam? . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . MVP 24–7.
16. Web site: Plymouth Raiders mascot Foxy investigated for pulling down opponent's shorts . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . The Herald (Plymouth) . https://web.archive.org/web/20111127053140/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Plymouth-Raiders-mascot-Foxy-investigated-pulling/story-13656034-detail/story.html . November 27, 2011 . dead .
17. Web site: Raiders mascot causes on-court controversy . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBLfans.com.
18. Web site: Plymouth fined for mascot incident . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBLfans.com.
19. Web site: Plymouth Raiders are fined for not controlling mascot . 2011 . 2011-11-16 . BBC Sport.
20. Web site: Davis ticks off the milestones . 2011 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
21. Web site: Guildford end drought in Champions backyard . 2011 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
22. Web site: Newcastle win BBL Cup Final . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
23. Web site: Boyd announces Leicester exit . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
24. Web site: Mark Woods . No londer Boyd, Flinder quits . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . MVP 24–7.
25. Web site: Newcastle win BBL Trophy, play-off boost for Mersey . https://archive.today/20130117175014/http://www.bblfans.com/2012/mersey-tigers/newcastle-win-bbl-trophy-play-off-boost-for-mersey.html . dead . 2013-01-17 . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com .
26. Web site: Newcastle are the BBL Champions after Plymouth's defeat . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
27. Web site: Mersey Tigers spoil Newcastle's BBL Championship crowning . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
28. Web site: Riders head to Loughborough for Play-offs . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . Soar Magazine .
29. Web site: Riders return to Loughborough for basketball play-offs . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . Loughborough University.
30. Web site: Nick Moore . Newcastle Eagles complete clean sweep . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . HoopsFix.com.
31. Web site: Garbelotto quits Tigers . 2012 . 2012-07-03 . BBLfans.com.
32. Web site: Joe Chapman wins Molten BBL MVP award . 2012 . 2012-06-28 . BBL.org.uk.
33. Web site: Flournoy wins Molten Coach of the Year award . 2012 . 2012-06-28 . BBL.org.uk.
34. Web site: BBL Team of the Year 2012 . 2012 . 2012-06-28 . BBL.org.uk.