RUSSELL’S RIDERS UPDATE SPRING 2011/12
“After being rescued from financial collapse by Midlands housing giant Jelson Homes, last season saw us record our highest-ever league position and best ever win-loss record under the guidance of former point guard Rob Paternostro.
Our quest to become one of the forerunners in Britain’s top flight continues. The 2011/12 British Basketball League (BBL) season has started in incredible fashion and head coach Rob Paternostro has put together a squad filled with exciting talent, whilst also being able to add the country’s top British player to his roster.
In December 2011 Leicester Riders announced a deal which saw Great Britain captain Andrew Sullivan signing with us, for the season ahead of the eagerly-anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games. A veteran forward, who has played across the continent, Sullivan is a player who seems to have won silverware wherever he has played, having previously lifted the BBL Championship and Cup whilst with Newcastle Eagles and Mersey Tigers.
Local businesses in Leicester helped snap up Andrew Sullivan for the duration of the BBL season. These latest sponsors include Jamie Lewis of Jamie Lewis Residential, Vic Sethi of Anand Daewoo International, Romail Gulzar of Pukaar News and Paul Levenston of Laurick Jewellery.
In addition to Sullivan, Leicester Riders have recruited some incredible talent from across the Atlantic. Enigmatic point guard Cameron Rundles won NCAA tournaments whilst with Wofford College in America – and has shown early on that his talent and enthusiasm for the game of basketball could ensure that he is a winner with Riders.
Alongside Rundles, fellow American Ayron Hardy has set the league alight, winning the Molton Player of the Month award for October following an incredible start for the rookie in Britain. Hardy’s ability to score at one end of the floor and defend strongly at the other has made him a key part of the Riders team, winning rebound after rebound en route to becoming a regular name in the BBL’s Team of the Week.
In guards Flinder Boyd, Bradd Weirzbicki and John Griffin, Riders have players that can dictate the pace of games, whilst also calling upon the ability of being able to sink crucial shots at vital times in games.
Big men Brett Royster, Barry Lamble and Tom Sherlock emphasise the depth of the Riders squad – making them one of the toughest teams in the BBL this season. It’s certainly an exciting time to be a Riders fan!”
