Court Vision
@courtvision.bsky.social
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📥 73
📝 109
Weekly stories about Super League Basketball at
https://courtvision.co.uk/
pinned post!
This is the first piece in a season-long Youth Pathway series tracing how British basketball develops its players — from park courts to the professional game, and the forces that influence players along the way.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/07/t...
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Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Isn’t
British basketball has no problem getting kids onto the court. Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People survey shows basketball is the second most-played team sport among children, he…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/07/talent-is-everywhere-opportunity-isnt/
3 months ago
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The league’s assist leader and its leading scorer share a backcourt. Why Carey and Battle fit so cleanly together:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/16/d...
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Don Carey Jr and RaeQuan Battle Fit Together
Don Carey Jr leads the league in assists per game. RayQuan Battle leads it in points per game. That alone would make Leicester’s backcourt stand out. What elevates it is how cleanly those roles are…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/16/don-carey-jr-and-raequan-battle-fit-together/
2 days ago
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The Youth Pathway series looks to Europe, where different leagues have built structures to carry players through the hardest years of development:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/13/h...
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How Europe Helps Young Players Find Minutes
The years after junior basketball are not self-sustaining. Without structure, they break down. Across Europe, leagues respond by building explicit mechanisms for this phase. The examples below show…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/13/how-europe-helps-young-players-find-minutes/
5 days ago
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There’s only one ball. Sheffield’s offence is testing how many finishers a team can carry at the same time:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/09/t...
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There’s Only One Ball for Sheffield
How many players can one team carry who all expect to finish possessions? Sheffield’s offence this season is built around that question. Rather than spreading responsibility across contrasting role…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/09/theres-only-one-ball-for-sheffield/
9 days ago
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Depth is an advantage in the SLB. In Europe, it’s the minimum. A breakdown of how London’s line-ups adapt across leagues:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/02/l...
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London’s Rotation Logic
Coaching philosophies are easy to articulate in isolation. They are harder to sustain when the environment changes. For teams competing across multiple leagues, the real test is not whether a coach…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/02/londons-rotation-logic/
16 days ago
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The Youth Pathway series continues with Victor Ndoukou, where time and structure mattered more than rushing the next step:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/30/v...
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Victor Ndoukou’s Long Route
Leicester run one of the few pathways in the country that carries players from junior basketball all the way to the professional game. The structure is simple, with each stage feeding the next clea…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/30/victor-ndoukous-long-route/
19 days ago
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A small change in the SLB rulebook has quietly shaped the quality of play this season. Here’s what removing back-to-backs actually changes:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/26/a...
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A Subtle Shift in the SLB Calendar
Buried in this season’s regulations is a small change to how games are scheduled. Under 17.9 in the SLB operating rules, teams will no longer be required to play two domestic fixtures on consecutiv…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/26/a-subtle-shift-in-the-slb-calendar/
23 days ago
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Zak Irvin was Manchester’s quiet constant to start the season. He returns now to a team that has started to click without him. Can he find his fit again?
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/19/c...
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Can Zak Irvin Find His Fit Again?
Every team has a fifth option. The player defences are happy to leave alone, the one who is not meant to swing games. For Manchester, that role belonged to Zak Irvin — measured, selective and quiet…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/19/can-zak-irvin-find-his-fit-again/
about 1 month ago
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Newcastle opened the doors for a full day of basketball at the Vertu Motors Arena, from U12 games in the morning to the senior women at night:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/16/o...
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One Sunday at Vertu Motors Arena
Doors to the Vertu Motors Arena open at 8:30am. The night before, Cage Warriors filled the arena; a fighter’s mask is cleared as three courts are set up for basketball. Scoreboards flicker on. Tabl…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/16/one-sunday-at-vertu-motors-arena/
about 1 month ago
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Surrey crash, feed on second-chance points, and live with the consequences:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/12/w...
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When Everything Wavers, Surrey Rebound
Surrey have built their season on the glass — everything they do starts there. As Surrey fan Scott Horsburgh said on the Brits Don’t Jump podcast, rebounding has sat at the heart of the 89ers for y…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/12/when-everything-wavers-surrey-rebound/
about 1 month ago
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Last year’s stability already feels like a long time ago — the story of Leicester’s difficult start and early reset
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/05/l...
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Leicester’s Early-Season Reset
Leicester opened last season with a clarity few teams in the league could match. Their starting lineup stayed untouched for nine straight games, the rotation barely shifted, and then Rob Paternostr…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/05/leicesters-early-season-reset/
about 1 month ago
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The Youth Pathway series heads to Edinburgh. Blaze show what’s possible when court access, coaching development and a real pathway all sit in the same place.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/02/b...
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Blaze Basketball and the Power of Belonging
Blaze Basketball stand out because of what sits underneath the teams you see on the court. Access to the Crags Centre, coaches who’ve come through the club and a pathway that stays steady from the …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/12/02/blaze-basketball-and-the-power-of-belonging/
about 2 months ago
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A new page is live for the Youth Pathway series, a season-long look at how young players move from grassroots to the professional game. I'm really proud of the articles so far and can't wait to share what's coming next.
courtvision.co.uk/youth-pathway/
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Youth Pathway
The Youth Pathway series is a season-long look at how young players in Britain move from grassroots basketball to the professional game. Through profiles, data analysis, research and reporting, it …
https://courtvision.co.uk/youth-pathway/
about 2 months ago
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Newcastle built their summer around size. What they’ve become is something different — small, fast, constantly shifting. Eight games, seven starting line-ups.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/21/n...
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Newcastle Keep Searching
Few teams in the SLB have shifted more in the opening weeks than Newcastle. Line-ups, roles and rotations have changed almost game by game. Through eight fixtures they have already started seven di…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/21/newcastle-keep-searching/
about 2 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series continues with a look at how basketball’s academies compare to rugby union and netball.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/18/i...
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Is Basketball’s Academy System Being Left Behind?
Every sport needs a bridge between education and the professional game. When government funding arrived through the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) in 2004 — and later its suc…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/18/is-basketballs-academy-system-being-left-behind/
2 months ago
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Newcastle have one of the most distinct identities in the SLB. They switch, pressure and isolate. It doesn’t always click, but it always makes sense.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/14/i...
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Inside Newcastle’s Small-Ball Identity
Small-ball isn’t new. For nearly a decade it has shaped modern basketball — faster line-ups that trade size for shooting, spread the floor, and switch defensively. Newcastle have taken it in a dist…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/14/inside-newcastles-small-ball-identity/
2 months ago
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Shooting is one skill that scales. The higher the level, the more it matters. Matthew Ragsdale plays like he knows it.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/07/m...
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Matthew Ragsdale Knows What He Is
Some skills fade as the competition gets tougher — size evens out, speed meets its match, athleticism stops being an advantage. Shooting isn’t one of those skills. It scales. The higher the level, …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/07/matthew-ragsdale-knows-what-he-is/
2 months ago
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College basketball isn’t just an American story anymore. NIL has redrawn the global map — and it’s starting to pull Europe’s next generation away from home.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/04/e...
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Europe Is Losing Talent to the NCAA
College basketball is no longer just an American story. It is redrawing the global map. In the last two years, U.S. programmes have begun to lure Europe’s best young talent with offers that combine…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/11/04/europe-is-losing-talent-to-the-ncaa/
3 months ago
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Manchester were denied entry to the Basketball Champions League by the BBF. They built for it anyway.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/31/b...
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Becoming the Manchester They Want to Be
Manchester Basketball began this summer with a plan that reached beyond domestic competition. Their intended entry into the Basketball Champions League was blocked when the British Basketball Feder…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/31/becoming-the-manchester-they-want-to-be/
3 months ago
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Pat Robinson plays one way — downhill. Cheshire have built a roster that lets him do it again and again and again.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/24/p...
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Pat Robinson’s One Thing
Before the season, Cheshire’s guard hierarchy looked set. LaQuincy Rideau was back — returning after a season away, a homecoming for the leader of the Cheshire team that had pushed the 777-era Lion…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/24/pat-robinsons-one-thing/
3 months ago
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At 19, Nedas Cholevinskas was the SLB’s youngest regular last season — and its most convincing argument for trusting youth.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/21/n...
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Nedas Cholevinskas Chose to Stay
At 19, Nedas Cholevinskas logged 633 minutes in Super League Basketball last season. No other under-21 came close. Only one other player even broke 300 minutes, and most barely cracked double digit…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/21/nedas-cholevinskas-chose-to-stay/
3 months ago
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Kevin Allen bends everything around him — but are Caledonia finding a version of him that brings everyone else in?
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/17/k...
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Kevin Allen Is the Structure
Some players give you structure. Kevin Allen is the structure. Four games into the season, Caledonia are learning how to make that work. Allen’s arrival has defined their offence — first as a seduc…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/17/kevin-allen-is-the-structure/
3 months ago
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London have built a team that doesn’t belong anywhere — too strong for the SLB, too weak for EuroCup.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/10/w...
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What To Do With the London Lions?
The London Lions have built a team that fits neither competition. In the SLB they’re steady; in EuroCup they’re struggling to stay afloat. The same roster that never looked like losing against Bris…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/10/what-to-do-with-the-london-lions/
3 months ago
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This is the first piece in a season-long Youth Pathway series tracing how British basketball develops its players — from park courts to the professional game, and the forces that influence players along the way.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/07/t...
loading . . .
Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Isn’t
British basketball has no problem getting kids onto the court. Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People survey shows basketball is the second most-played team sport among children, he…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/07/talent-is-everywhere-opportunity-isnt/
3 months ago
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In Bristol, it’s not about who takes the shot — it’s that every player can.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/03/b...
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Bristol Are Trusting the Game Itself
Bristol have started the season with a different kind of rhythm. Three SLB games so far have produced four different leading scorers — Zach Anderson in the opener, Cameron Holden and Jonathan Brown…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/10/03/bristol-are-trusting-the-game-itself/
4 months ago
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I've set up Court Vision in more places this season so you can follow wherever suits you best. Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram or Facebook. Please like/follow to help get the ball rolling on the new accounts:
linktr.ee/courtvisionuk
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Court Vision | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Linktree. Make your link do more.
https://linktr.ee/courtvisionuk
4 months ago
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Seventeen years of Atiba Lyons. Nearly half the roster returning. Sheffield are doubling down on continuity in a league built on churn.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/09/26/s...
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Sheffield Are Betting on Continuity
Atiba Lyons has been head coach in Sheffield since 2008 — seventeen years on the sideline, a rare constant in British basketball. In a league defined by churn, where imports cycle in and out and ro…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/09/26/sheffield-are-betting-on-continuity/
4 months ago
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The SLB tipped off its second season entangled in the very structures it hoped to escape — from recognition battles to referee appointments.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/09/20/a...
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A Ball in the Air
The opening night of the second season of the SLB was meant to be about the basketball. Six teams took the floor with refreshed rosters and a summer of preparation, eager to prove the league was mo…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/09/20/a-ball-in-the-air/
4 months ago
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Court Vision just got a makeover! The focus was on clearing out the clutter to make the site look better (especially for mobile) as well as updating the colour scheme to make everything easier to read:
courtvision.co.uk
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Court Vision
See the Game Differently
https://courtvision.co.uk/
5 months ago
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There wasn’t meant to be a league. But there was—barely, brilliantly, defiantly. The full story of the SLB's first season:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/19/i...
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It’s Messy and It’s Real
Back in June, there wasn’t supposed to be a league at all. The British Basketball League had collapsed. The British Basketball Federation (BBF) had revoked the league licence. And suddenly, the spo…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/19/its-messy-and-its-real/
8 months ago
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No flash. No margin for error. Leicester won with fit, familiarity—and faith in Paternostro basketball.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/e...
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Eye of the Storm
Since 2008, Rob Paternostro has been the heartbeat of Leicester Riders. Seventeen trophies. Seven Coach of the Year awards. Nearly two decades at the helm. Under his watch, Leicester haven’t just w…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/eye-of-the-storm/
8 months ago
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The dynasty days are gone. The ambition never left. This year, Newcastle reminded us who they are.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/t...
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The Return of Ambition
For years, Newcastle were the centre of British basketball. Trophies weren’t celebrated—they were expected. The Fab Flournoy era built a dynasty. But dynasties fade. And for a while, the Eagles fel…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/the-return-of-ambition/
8 months ago
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Sheffield battled for rhythm early, but it was belief—raw and loud—that changed the game:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/g...
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Game Notes: Sheffield Hatters 83 – 73 Oaklands Wolves
For most of the first half, Sheffield were chasing. Oaklands had rhythm, confidence, and a twelve-point lead to show for it. Sheffield needed to change something. What they found—right before halft…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/18/game-notes-sheffield-hatters-83-73-oaklands-wolves/
8 months ago
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It all comes down to Leicester vs Newcastle in the SLB Play-off Final. Two of British basketball’s most historic clubs, this season built on contrasting styles. A thread on what to watch for today:
8 months ago
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A season built on control, not flash. London didn’t make a single knockout final but they still won the Championship.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/12/n...
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Not Pulling Away Yet
Last year’s Lions were a juggernaut—stacked with EuroCup talent and a budget no one else could touch. This year’s team was different. Still among the league’s top spenders but no longer operating i…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/12/not-pulling-away-yet/
8 months ago
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They had the talent to win it all and the volatility to blow it. Sheffield’s season was brilliant, brittle and almost beautiful.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/11/a...
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Almost Beautiful
Rickey McGill made his Sheffield debut with just over a minute left in the first quarter against Cheshire. The Sharks trailed 11–15. On his first possession, he assisted a Jamell Anderson three. On…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/11/almost-beautiful/
8 months ago
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They’ve found identity on the court. Off it, Manchester are still searching for who they want to be.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/06/t...
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The Hard Part Starts Now
A new team, an old city, and a crowd that hasn’t quite arrived yet. That’s Manchester Basketball’s debut SLB season. After the Giants disappeared, a new club was rushed into being—launched just in …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/06/the-hard-part-starts-now/
9 months ago
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Nedas Cholevinskas gave Surrey a moment that will last. But what comes after magic?
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/06/r...
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Romance Needs Roots
It was one of those moments you watch sport for. A 19-year-old GB guard, playing in his first SLB season, erupting in the Cup semi-final—knocking down threes at a rate he hadn’t shown all year to t…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/06/romance-needs-roots/
9 months ago
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750 seats. One lopsided schedule. No clear identity. Bristol's underdog era is starting to fray.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/05/t...
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The Ceiling Is Showing
The Bristol Flyers began in 2006 through a merger between Filton Flyers and Bristol Academy. Starting in EBL Division 2 under coach Andreas Kapoulas, the club climbed to Division 1 within a year an…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/05/the-ceiling-is-showing/
9 months ago
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No team lived closer to the edge than Cheshire. Fast pace, emotional swings, and a club still defined by community. Cheshire's season recap:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/04/e...
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Exactly As They Are
In 2012, the Cheshire Phoenix were on the verge of collapse. The league had withdrawn their franchise from the owner after he threatened to cancel contracts and fixtures. The club needed £50,000 to…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/05/04/exactly-as-they-are/
9 months ago
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Four coaches. One murder suspect. Bottom of the table. But the course has corrected and the Caledonia project continues:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/28/o...
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Only a Stumble
By the time Caledonia found stability, the season had already slipped away. Four head coaches, a full roster shuffle, and months of damage control—all before March. It started with a rocky run and …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/28/only-a-stumble/
9 months ago
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reposted by
Court Vision
Grant Hill
9 months ago
Had fun after
@courtvision.bsky.social
challenged me to make Mcr shot heat maps before and after the coaching change. Under Mandole they are now taking “analytically efficient” shots, almost all in the paint or from three-point-land.
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+14.2 net rating since Mandole arrived. A coach who knows what he’s doing and a team that finally does too.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/21/m...
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Manchester Have Found Their Identity
When Manchester Basketball appointed Herman Mandole at the end of February, they weren’t just changing coaches—they were searching for clarity. Up to that point, they’d been a team of interesting p…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/21/manchester-have-found-their-identity/
9 months ago
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205cm, 43% from three and 24 years old. Jacob Groves has the game every modern team wants:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/16/j...
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Jacob Groves Belongs at the Next Level
In basketball, it’s easy to focus on production. Players who dominate the ball, lead the league in scoring, or fill the box score often command the spotlight. But the more important question—especi…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/16/jacob-groves-belongs-at-the-next-level/
9 months ago
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reposted by
Court Vision
British Basketball Fans Association
9 months ago
By joining together as a united voice, fans can send a clear message to the BBF to stop ignoring us and act in the best interest of the game. The movement has started. Thank you to the 50+ members who've signed up already.
thebbfa.substack.com
#BBFA
#BritishBasketball
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reposted by
Court Vision
Daniel Routledge
10 months ago
What a week for Caledonia as they take down Sheffield and Leicester and Surrey win twice as well.
@shieldsbrief.bsky.social
and I look back at all the games and, apologies in advance, I had to invoke my James Joyce card for the licence discussions
linktr.ee/sundaynightb...
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Sunday Night Breakdown - Listen on YouTube, Spotify - Linktree
View sundaynightbreakdown’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like YouTube, Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a click away!
https://linktr.ee/sundaynightbreakdown
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It’s not about making the play-offs smaller. It’s about making the season matter.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/07/t...
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The SLB Play-offs Need a Better Structure
You can’t manufacture legitimacy. You earn it. And if the SLB wants to keep earning it, the play-off format has to change. The regular season has had its moments—but they’re the exception, not the …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/07/the-slb-play-offs-need-a-better-structure/
10 months ago
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reposted by
Court Vision
BallinEurope
10 months ago
For NBA Europe to succeed, it needs to attract Europe's top clubs but will they like what is being offered? Part 3 of my series is live now. Read it here
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Will Europe’s Top Clubs Join NBA Europe?
If FIBA and the NBA want NBA Europe to succeed, then they need to convince the biggest names in European basketball to get on board early.
https://www.ballineurope.com/will-europes-top-clubs-join-nba-europe-8531/
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In a league dominated by North American imports, Albert Ventura’s arrival from Spain shows what’s possible when SLB teams think differently.
courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/01/a...
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Albert Ventura is a Different Kind of Import
In a league where nearly 90% of import minutes go to North Americans, Albert Ventura stands out—not just for his passport, but for his purpose. The 32-year-old Spaniard has spent his career in the …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/04/01/albert-ventura-is-a-different-kind-of-import/
10 months ago
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According to agent Tom Politi "Ben Thomas always knows exactly what he wants. If a player doesn’t fit, he won’t take them." Cheshire’s identity is clear. The question now is whether it still works?
courtvision.co.uk/2025/03/28/c...
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Cheshire Refuse to Change
In a league defined by parity, a clear identity can be a competitive edge. Cheshire have leaned into theirs more than anyone—playing faster, shooting more, and living with the consequences. But as …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/03/28/cheshire-refuse-to-change/
10 months ago
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What do you do when you don’t have the best roster anymore? If you’re Božić, you build the best defence in the league:
courtvision.co.uk/2025/03/22/l...
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London Are Grit Over Glamour
Peter Božić was at the helm at London last season during the 777-era, leading a talent-laden London squad that had clear advantages over the rest of the league. Now, the budget is smaller, the rost…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2025/03/22/london-are-grit-over-glamour/
10 months ago
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