Saturday sees Hemel Storm back in home action, bidding to continue their unbeaten start to the league campaign. Bristol Hurricanes are the visitors for the very first time as they start out life in Division One following last year’s promotion.
Storm have two wins from two so far in the league, following their successful progression to the KitKing Trophy semi-finals in what has been a positive start to the season for Mark Clark and his men.
As expected, it has taken time for the team to adapt and for new faces to settle in, but there was a feeling that the 28-point victory over Newcastle Knights showed signs that the pieces are beginning to come together.
A shining light thus far has been Veron Eze; his 24 points seeing him claim a place in NBL’s Team of the Week for the second time this year. A summer spent with GB basketball’s 3x3 setup seems to have put him in good stead for the new campaign with Storm and he is adding to an already impressive NBL record - racking up his 1,000th point at the weekend.
Storm will be especially pleased that they put in such a strong performance despite the absence of Canadian Trent Monkman, who is nursing a leg injury, and will hope that a possible return to action for him will boost their performance a step further.
American Tra’Michael Moton is starting to find his feet in England, showing greater confidence in shooting the ball and facilitating play at the weekend and his tenacious defensive work was also noticeable.
The Hurricanes, formed in only 2017, were almightily impressive in their Division One bow on Saturday, overcoming a strong Loughborough Riders roster to bag their first win.
Daniel Edozie, former captain of BBL outfit Bristol Flyers, dominated with 24 points and 13 rebounds, also finding himself in the Team of the Week. The 6’ 8 forward captains the side and was a major factor in their success last season - winning the Division Two Player of the Year.
Another face familiar to the top flight is Sol Rolls-Tyson. The 30-year old has had spells with Cheshire Phoenix, Surrey Scorchers and Sheffield Sharks, as well as international experience in Norway and Spain. Also featuring in a brief stint with Division One Derby Trailblazers, Rolls-Tyson looks as though he’ll be an important man for Bristol and standing at 6’ 8, he adds to a very physically strong roster.
Evidence of their ambition to make an impact in the league, the Hurricanes continued their recruitment process into last week. Denzel Ubiario, most recently of Maastricht Rebels in the Netherlands, was announced as a late addition to the side and with a plethora of talent and knowhow to his name, Storm can be sure Bristol will have the tools to challenge them on Saturday evening.
The key battles look as though they will come inside the paint, with Darien Nelson-Henry and Matt Ellis having their hands full in controlling the Hurricanes threatening inside presence.
Bristol will look to assert themselves early and thrive off second chance points and strong defence, so Storm must be prepared to match their visitors punch for punch. If they can withstand their visitors' physical threat, their quality should be enough to get them over the line in this one.
A destructive, chaotic affair is sure to unfurl as the Hurricanes battle the Storm. Tickets are available for the fierce clash via the Fanbase app.
By Callum Humphrey