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2016–17 British Basketball League season

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2016–17 BBL season
LeagueBritish Basketball League
SportBasketball
Number of teams12
Regular-season
Top seedLeicester Riders
Season MVPRahmon Fletcher
Top scorerRahmon Fletcher (Newcastle Eagles)
(676 points)
BBL Tournaments
BBL Playoffs championsLeicester Riders
  BBL Playoffs runners-upNewcastle Eagles
BBL Cup championsNewcastle Eagles
  BBL Cup runners-upGlasgow Rocks
BBL Trophy championsLeicester Riders
  BBL Trophy runners-upPlymouth Raiders
BBL seasons

The 2016–17 BBL season was the 30th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland. The season started on September 23, 2016, and ended on May 14, 2017.[1]

Apparel

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As of the 2016/17 BBL season Italian sportswear manufacturer Kappa was the kit supplier for all the 12 teams.[2]

Teams

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Locations of the 2016-17 BBL teams
Team City Arena Capacity
Bristol Flyers Bristol SGS WISE Arena 750
Cheshire Phoenix Ellesmere Port Cheshire Oaks Arena 1,400
Glasgow Rocks Glasgow Emirates Arena 6,500
Leeds Force Leeds Carnegie Sports Arena 500
Leicester Riders Leicester Leicester Arena 2,400
London Lions London Copper Box 7,000
Manchester Giants Manchester Trafford Powerleague Arena 1,100
Newcastle Eagles Newcastle upon Tyne Sport Central 3,000
Plymouth Raiders Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions 1,500
Sheffield Sharks Sheffield English Institute of Sport 1,200
Surrey Scorchers Guildford Surrey Sports Park 1,000
Worcester Wolves Worcester University of Worcester Arena 2,000

Notable occurrences

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  • Cheshire Phoenix announced former player Colin O'Reilly as their new head coach. After an unsuccessful start to the season, O'Reilly left the club after just 14 competitive matches. After weeks of searching for a replacement, he was replaced by Cheshire legend Robbie Peers, who himself only lasted a few games before personal reasons forced him to step down. Assistant coach Ben Thomas took the reins for the remainder of the season.
  • Sheffield Sharks head coach Atiba Lyons sparked controversy after the signing of three players from a combine for prospective players he held in the United States. Forward Marquis Mathis didn't play a single game for the club, before signing for English Basketball League side Solent Kestrels, and forward Shaheed Davis lasted only 4 competitive matches. Only point guard Jordan Davis, who had previous professional experience, lasted the season, which was spent mostly on the sidelines due to injury.
  • Glasgow Rocks brought in a new assistant coach in the form of Scotland national team coach Erik Olson.
  • In a major coup for the club Glasgow Rocks signed championship-winning point guard Neil Watson from the Leicester Riders.
  • Newcastle Eagles were to begin a rebuilding process after losing Andrew Thomson to rivals Leicester and club stalwart Charles Smith to retirement at the end of the 2015–16 season. The club signed Orlan Jackman from rivals Worcester Wolves, Deondre Parks from South Dakota State and GB international Joe Hart.
  • On the eve of the new season, Leicester Riders signed former Cheshire standout Taylor King, who became available after leaving Lithuanian side Nevėžis. American rookie Donovan Jack was cut without making an appearance for the club to make space on the roster for King.
  • The league announced a broadcast deal with BBC Sport to show up to 32 games live via the BBC Red Button and BBC Sport website. The first game shown was Worcester Wolves' thrashing of local rivals Bristol Flyers 88–56. The result would kickstart the Flyers' season, who won 7 of their next 8 league matches.
  • Glasgow Rocks set a franchise record of 12 consecutive wins during October, November and December.
  • Worcester Wolves brought in influential big man Maurice Walker after a spell with Valmiera in Latvia. Walker would prove to be a catalyst in kickstarting the Wolves' faltering campaign. The club would go on to win 15 of their next 18 league games after his arrival in November.
  • Newcastle Eagles won the BBL Cup, defeating the Glasgow Rocks 91–83 in the final at the Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham.
  • Manchester Giants became only the third BBL side to have lost a competitive match to a non-BBL team, crashing out of the BBL Trophy 1st Round following an 86–84 away defeat to Essex Leopards. Former BBL player Mike Martin put in a standout performance with 41 points for the Leopards.
  • Scottish National League sideBoroughmuir Blaze competed in the BBL Trophy for the first time, losing 74–108 at home to the visiting Plymouth Raiders.
  • Manchester Giants announced they had received the appropriate UK Home Office documentation to allow them to sign work permit players in the future.
  • Leicester Riders won the BBL Trophy, thrashing Plymouth Raiders 91–58 in the final at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
  • On the eve of the final weekend of the regular season, Plymouth Raiders announced they had been forced to release star forward Anton Grady for a "serious breach of club and league rules". Although the club declined to comment on the exact nature of the breach, it was reported by British basketball media outlet MVP to be due to a failed drugs test taken after the Raiders' Trophy final defeat in March.
  • Plymouth Raiders, despite their healthy playing budget and star studded roster, failed to reach the post season playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
  • Surrey Scorchers reached the post season Playoffs for the first time under their new guise at the second attempt. Finishing 8th with a 15–18 record, the club were drawn against champions Leicester. After a buzzer beating 3 from Gabriel McCray earned the Guildford-based club a rare 73–73 draw in the 1st leg, the Scorchers were comfortably beaten in the return leg at the Leicester Arena.
  • Towards the end of the season it was announced that long term Rocks owner and founder Ian Reid had sold his shares in the club to businessman Duncan Smillie, although staying on at the club as non-executive chairman.
  • At the end of the season, Glasgow Rocks announced that head coach Sterling Davis would be leaving the club, bringing to an end his 11-year association with the club as a player, player-coach and head coach.
  • At the end of the season, Manchester Giants announced that head coach Yorick Williams would not coach the team for the following season after two years at the helm, instead taking on an ambassadorial role within the club. Former assistant coach and Giants' development team head coach Danny Byrne was soon announced as his replacement.
  • Despite one year remaining of a two-year contract, Plymouth Raiders announced Jonathan White would not be returning to the club as head coach. BBC Spotlight revealed concerns raised by Raiders' fans of the authenticity of White's original appointment, namely his claimed experience of coaching in the National Basketball League (Australia). Despite numerous requests for interviews, Spotlight were shut out by White and the club.

BBL Championship

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Regular season

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Standings

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Leicester Riders 33 27 6 2909 2467 +442 54 Qualification to playoffs
2 Newcastle Eagles 33 23 10 3075 2787 +288 46
3 Glasgow Rocks 33 21 12 2724 2523 +201 42
4 Sheffield Sharks 33 20 13 2576 2548 +28 40
5 Worcester Wolves 33 20 13 2911 2745 +166 40
6 London Lions 33 18 15 2871 2774 +97 36
7 Bristol Flyers 33 16 17 2564 2659 −95 32
8 Surrey Scorchers 33 15 18 2651 2762 −111 30
9 Plymouth Raiders 33 14 19 2916 2912 +4 28
10 Cheshire Phoenix 33 11 22 2894 2962 −68 22
11 Leeds Force 33 8 25 2466 2881 −415 16
12 Manchester Giants 33 5 28 2465 3002 −537 10
Source: BBL

Playoffs

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Bracket

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Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
             
1 Leicester Riders 73 94 167
8 Surrey Scorchers 73 58 131
1 Leicester Riders 90 72 162
6 London Lions 71 55 136
3 Glasgow Rocks 70 71 141
6 London Lions 91 62 153
1 Leicester Riders 84
2 Newcastle Eagles 63
2 Newcastle Eagles 97 84 181
7 Bristol Flyers 94 82 176
2 Newcastle Eagles 105 94 199
5 Worcester Wolves 86 111 197
4 Sheffield Sharks 71 84 155
5 Worcester Wolves 73 86 159

Final

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14 May 2017
16:00 GMT
Leicester Riders 84–63 Newcastle Eagles
Scoring by quarter: 29-11, 18-16, 25-17, 12-19
Pts: Thomson 18
Rebs: Hampton 14
Asts: Clark 6		 Pts: Fletcher 16
Rebs: Behrens 9
Asts: Fletcher 3
O2 Arena, London
Attendance: 15,000

Statistics

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  • minimum of 25 games played
As of 20 May 2017
Category Player Team Statistic
Points per game Rahmon Fletcher Newcastle Eagles 20.48
Rebounds per game Maurice Walker Worcester Wolves 9.11
Assists per game Rahmon Fletcher Newcastle Eagles 6.58
Steals per game Zaire Taylor London Lions 2.21
Blocks per game Kieron Achara Glasgow Rocks 1.73
Minutes per game Jamell Anderson Cheshire Phoenix 36.65

Source: [3]

BBL Cup

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1st Round

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Quarter-finals

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Semi-finals

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Glasgow Rocks 87–73 Surrey Scorchers
Glasgow win 168-154
Newcastle Eagles 89–82 London Lions
Newcastle win 176-162

Final

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15 January 2017
15:30 GMT
Newcastle Eagles 91–83 Glasgow Rocks
Scoring by quarter: 20-21, 30-11, 22–17, 19-34
Pts: Rahmon Fletcher (29)
Rebs: Scott Martin (10)
Asts: Rahmon Fletcher (6)		 Pts: Neil Watson (28)
Rebs: Kieron Achara (14)
Asts: Neil Watson (6)
Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
Attendance: 9,000

BBL Trophy

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1st Round

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Quarter-finals

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Semi-finals

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Cheshire Phoenix 64–84 Leicester Riders
Leicester win 175-135

Final

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19 March 2017
15:30 GMT
Leicester Riders 91–58 Plymouth Raiders
Scoring by quarter: 27-7, 20-19, 25-15, 19-17
Pts: Taylor King (20)
Rebs: Taylor King (10)
Asts: Conner Washington (7)		 Pts: Daryl Corletto (20)
Rebs: Cory Dixon (7)
Asts: Cory Dixon (4)
Emirates Arena, Glasgow
Attendance: 6,000

Awards

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Monthly awards

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Month Coach of the Month Player of the Month
October United States Italy Rob Paternostro (Leicester Riders) United States Rashad Hassan (London Lions)
November United States United Kingdom Sterling Davis (Glasgow Rocks) United States Rashad Hassan (London Lions)
December Greece Andreas Kapoulas (Bristol Flyers) United States Donte Nicholas (Plymouth Raiders)
January United Kingdom Paul James (Worcester Wolves) United States Anton Grady (Plymouth Raiders)
February United States Italy Rob Paternostro (Leicester Riders) United Kingdom Kieron Achara (Glasgow Rocks)
March United Kingdom Paul James (Worcester Wolves) Canada United Kingdom Jermel Kennedy (Worcester Wolves)

Season Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Eurobasket.com
  2. ^ "Kappa poised to dominate basketball apparel in UK from 2016-17 - BBL - British Basketball League". Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
  3. ^ BBL League leaders
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Preceded by BBL seasons
2016–17 		Succeeded by
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