Court Vision
@courtvision.bsky.social
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Weekly stories about British 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/
8 months ago
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The SLB started the season in dispute, unrecognised, and missing referees. By the end, it had solved many of its problems, but not all.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/18/h...
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Harder to Ignore
The SLB started the season unrecognised, in dispute with its governing body, missing the referees from the previous season, and with a FIBA taskforce hanging over the sport. However fragile it all …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/18/harder-to-ignore/
25 days ago
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London won everything this season. The league, the Cup, the Trophy and the Play-offs. They did it with the best defence in the league, and with room still to grow.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/17/h...
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How a Dynasty Starts
In the second season of Tesonet’s ownership, London Lions completed the first quadruple in franchise history. Two years after the club needed rescuing, they won everything. The league, the Cup, the…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/17/how-a-dynasty-starts/
25 days ago
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Cheshire got recruitment right first time. The roster fit the style, and it took them to the final game of the year.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/17/l...
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Leaning All the Way In
Pat Robinson dribbled towards the paint before kicking the ball out to Skyler White at the top of the arc. Owen McCormack saw the danger and closed out hard to stop the three. White took one dribbl…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/17/leaning-all-the-way-in/
25 days ago
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Manchester looked like a club that knew who it was this season. That made the near-misses hurt more.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/12/c...
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Close Enough to Hurt
A year ago, Manchester looked like a good team in search of a club. This season, the investment, the European push and Kaiyem Cleary’s return made it easier to see what Manchester were trying to be…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/12/close-enough-to-hurt/
about 1 month ago
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Leicester kept having to become something else this season. Every time one version of the team fell apart, another had to be patched together.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/11/h...
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How Many Rabbits Can Be Pulled Out of a Hat?
Last season, Leicester looked settled, with a clear core and defined roles. This season, Leicester kept having to become something else, until the question became how many times a team can be pulle…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/11/how-many-rabbits-can-be-pulled-out-of-a-hat/
about 1 month ago
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Newcastle looked strongest when responsibility could not be avoided. The club felt together all season but the team only did in spells.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/05/t...
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Together, Sometimes
One Tuesday in March, the Newcastle Eagles invited season ticket holders to the Vertu Motors Arena to discuss the club’s future. Owner Paul Blake, men’s head coach Marc Steutel, women’s player-coac…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/05/together-sometimes/
about 1 month ago
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Surrey look like a club that knows exactly what it is. Young players get real minutes, older players have real responsibility, and there is enough quality in the team to stay competitive.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/05/m...
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More Than They Should
Early in their player development programme video, head coach Lloyd Gardner makes clear that Surrey see its role as bigger than the first team. The professional game within this country needs to un…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/05/more-than-they-should/
about 1 month ago
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Sheffield kept much of last season’s core and stayed competitive. They just never really looked like a team moving forward.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/04/m...
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Mostly Fine
Sheffield were not bad this season. They finished fourth in the Championship and stayed competitive. But this was the second season after Vaughn Millette arrived as the club’s new owner. His first …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/04/mostly-fine/
about 1 month ago
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Bristol changed a lot last summer, and for a while it worked. When the league caught up, they could not change again quickly enough.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/04/t...
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The Reinvention Came Too Late
Bristol brought back less of last season’s rotation than almost anyone else in the league. Early on, it looked like they had changed well. The ball moved, the scoring was shared, and the defence wa…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/05/04/the-reinvention-came-too-late/
about 1 month ago
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The SLB Championship began without any of last season’s referees. By the end of it, referees from last season were back in most games.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/30/s...
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SLB Officiating Looks More Settled
This season tipped off without any of the referees from last season. In those early weeks, officiating looked unsettled at times as the league’s opening games tested a completely new group. Early r…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/30/slb-officiating-looks-more-settled/
about 1 month ago
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The season recaps start with Caledonia. Nino Satha’s debut offered a glimpse of the future, but two straight ninth-place finishes are making the wait harder to sell.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/27/a...
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A League That Won’t Wait
In February, for a few seconds, there was pure joy. Sixteen-year-old Caledonia Blues prospect Nino Satha stepped onto the court for his professional debut for the Caledonia Gladiators. He ran to hi…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/27/a-league-that-wont-wait/
about 2 months ago
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Who has actually been the most impactful player in the SLB this season? Court Vision’s latest guest post from
@jumpshot-theory.bsky.social
uses BPM to map the league’s standout performers, from two-way stars to the MVP:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/24/g..
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Guest Post: BPM Leaders in the SLB
What is BPM? BPM stands for “box plus minus” and it’s a way of converting basketball box scores into a single value that represents a player’s overall contribution. It can also be presented as both…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/24/g..
about 2 months ago
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I’ve spent the season writing about youth basketball in Britain. This is what I’ve learned.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/22/2...
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20 Things I’ve Learned About the Youth Pathway
Every other week this season, I published an article on youth basketball in Britain. I started out knowing very little. What I did have was time, curiosity, and a willingness to knock on doors, tal…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/22/20-things-ive-learned-about-the-youth-pathway/
about 2 months ago
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The final Youth Pathway piece of the season goes back to where basketball begins, in the gyms where young players find out what the game can mean.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/21/n...
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North West Regional Finals
The Manchester Basketball Centre is hosting the North West Regional Finals, the culmination of the North West regional league season. A banner of Trafford-born Georgia Anderson — the all-time leadi…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/21/north-west-regional-finals/
about 2 months ago
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The box score says one thing. Leicester’s impact data says something very different about Tomiwa Sulaiman. Read the full breakdown (with data from
@prophesyprod.bsky.social
)
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/17/w...
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What Does Tomiwa Sulaiman Give Leicester?
Tomiwa Sulaiman’s individual offensive numbers are poor. He uses few possessions and has not scored efficiently when he does. Leicester’s impact data suggests he has still been helping them. That i…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/17/what-does-tomiwa-sulaiman-give-leicester/
about 2 months ago
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Bristol have scorers across the team, but too much of the creation still rests on Joe Anderson and Cam Holden.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/10/b...
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Bristol’s Scoring Is Shared. The Creation Is Not
Bristol’s offence can look balanced at first glance. The ball moves, different players score, and no one player dominates the shots. But the passing behind those baskets is much less evenly spread.…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/10/bristols-scoring-is-shared-the-creation-is-not/
2 months ago
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The penultimate post in the Youth Pathway series looks at the different kinds of SLB clubs that exist beyond the first team.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/07/w...
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What Should an SLB Club Be?
When Bristol Flyers were founded, the ambition was bigger than simply putting a professional team on the floor. Speaking on The Bristol Flyers Podcast last season about the club’s early days, forme…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/07/what-should-an-slb-club-be/
2 months ago
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Kino Lilly Jr leads the SLB in minutes. Surrey have needed his shooting, his ball-handling, and often both at once. Read the full piece
courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/03/k...
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Kino Lilly Jr’s Burden
No player in the SLB has spent more time on court this season than Kino Lilly Jr. Surrey have leaned on him more than anyone else in the league, not just because of his shooting, but because he can…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/04/03/kino-lilly-jrs-burden/
2 months ago
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A five-man lineup no team has solved. Cheshire have the most effective unit in the SLB this season. Read the full breakdown (with data from
@prophesyprod.bsky.social
)
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/27/c...
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Cheshire’s Death Lineup
No five-man lineup in the SLB has been more effective this season than Cheshire Phoenix’s Pat Robinson, LaQuincy Rideau, Michael Diggins, Frankie Policelli and Skyler White. It offers a useful pict…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/27/cheshires-death-lineup/
3 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series looks at the women’s side of the Hoopsfix data to show what British women can expect from different college starting points.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/25/b...
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Brits in College Through the Years (Women)
Every year since 2017/18, Hoopsfix has published a Brits in College article tracking which British women are playing in North American college basketball. Each season also includes a list of player…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/25/brits-in-college-through-the-years-women/
3 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series looks at more than a decade of Hoopsfix data to show what British players can expect from different college starting points.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/24/b...
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Brits in College Through the Years (Men)
Every year since 2010/11, Hoopsfix has published a Brits in College article tracking which British men are playing in North American college basketball. Each season also includes a list of players …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/24/brits-in-college-through-the-years-men/
3 months ago
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London are the team to beat. Manchester are one of the few teams able to live with them. The SLB Cup Final is a glimpse of where the league wants to go.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/20/s...
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SLB Cup Final Preview
The Great Britain Men’s long list for the most recent FIBA World Cup qualifiers included 20 names. Five were from London Lions. Two were from Manchester Basketball. Only one other Super Leagu…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/20/slb-cup-final-preview/
3 months ago
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What do the current GBE rules for basketball reward? This piece breaks down the criteria and looks at why the “top domestic” clause does not really measure league strength.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/13/w...
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When National Rankings Decide Domestic Value
Governing Body Endorsements (GBE) were impossible to ignore last summer. Visas, eligibility, and league recognition became flashpoints that shaped roster construction and even the start of the seas…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/13/when-national-rankings-decide-domestic-value/
3 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series looks at national scale in junior basketball. A club nearby is one thing, but a club that can support players as they get older is another.
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/10/m...
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Mapping Access to Basketball in England
Every weekend across England, junior basketball teams load into cars, pile into minibuses, and travel to play competitive games across the country. Hundreds of fixtures. Dozens of towns and cities.…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/10/mapping-access-to-basketball-in-england/
3 months ago
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A defensive footprint you can see. Nicholson’s minutes push opponents away from the rim and into tougher twos. But the scoreboard hasn’t caught up yet. Read the full breakdown (with data from
@prophesyprod.bsky.social
)
courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/06/m...
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Matt Nicholson’s Defensive Footprint
Manchester’s numbers with Matt Nicholson on the floor tell a story that is both encouraging and frustrating. When he plays, opponents’ shot selection shifts away from the rim and towards less effic…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/03/06/matt-nicholsons-defensive-footprint/
3 months ago
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Cam Christon fits multiple Bristol needs at once:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/20/w...
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Why Cam Christon Fits Bristol
Before Cam Christon signed, Bristol sat second-bottom in Super League Basketball for offensive rating. They were generating fewer efficient possessions than almost everyone else in the league. At t…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/20/why-cam-christon-fits-bristol/
4 months ago
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If Europe can be earned through the standings, why should it stop at first place?
courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/13/m...
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Making the SLB Table Mean More
European basketball isn’t a rarity in the SLB. Four clubs have been competing in two different European competitions this season. ClubCompetitionLondon LionsEuroCupBristol FlyersENBLManchester Bask…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/13/making-the-slb-table-mean-more/
4 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series heads to Nottingham to understand how an elite academy actually works:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/10/i...
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Inside the Nottingham Academy Wildcats
The academy players were running a practice drill for their base man-to-man offence on the sprung wooden court of the Wildcats Arena. The rule was simple: every possession had to start with a wing …
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/10/inside-the-nottingham-academy-wildcats/
4 months ago
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Surrey’s season changed the moment Tyrin Lawrence arrived. The tactical shift behind their turnaround:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/06/o...
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One Extra Guard Changed Surrey’s Season
Surrey’s season has a clear dividing line. Before Tyrin Lawrence arrived, they looked like a bottom-two team. Since then, they have played like one of the league’s best. Lawrence’s arrival at the s…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/02/06/one-extra-guard-changed-surreys-season/
4 months ago
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NBA Europe has investors lined up. Now it has to turn that money into real clubs in real cities:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/30/f...
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Funds Can’t Play Basketball
The day after the NBA brought a regular-season game to the O2, a different room in London hosted a different kind of audience. 250 invite-only guests gathered at the Raffles Hotel for private brief…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/30/funds-cant-play-basketball/
4 months ago
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The Youth Pathway series returns to Britain, mapping how playing time is distributed in SLB and BCB for players aged 18 to 23:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/27/t...
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The Missing Years in British Basketball
Ages 18 to 23 are a decisive phase in a basketball player’s development. This is when players begin the transition from prospect to contributor, completing their physical growth and learning to sur…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/27/the-missing-years-in-british-basketball/
5 months ago
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The MVP race looked settled early. Joel Scott’s injury reopened it. Here are the contenders:
courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/23/c...
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Court Vision MVP Race: 2025–26
For the first two months of the season, the MVP conversation looked to be settling before it had fully formed. Joel Scott’s early performances stood out, quickly establishing him as the standard ev…
https://courtvision.co.uk/2026/01/23/court-vision-mvp-race-2025-26/
5 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/
5 months 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 months 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/
5 months 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/
5 months 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/
5 months 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/
6 months 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/
6 months 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/
6 months 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/
6 months 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/
6 months 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/
6 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/
7 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/
7 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/
7 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/
7 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/
7 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/
7 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/
7 months ago
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