Battle of the unbeaten as Storm travel to Reading
The British Championship Basketball league’s only two remaining unbeaten sides come face to face this weekend as Hemel Storm travel to Reading Rockets on Saturday.
Tom Baker’s side recovered from a scare to complete a thrilling Halloween victory against Yorkshire Dragons on Saturday, prolonging their perfect start to the season and advancing their league record to 5-0.
The Rockets, meanwhile, claimed their fifth consecutive league win with a 22-point victory in Loughborough.
In the battle between two of British basketball’s most prestigious franchises, one has to falter for the first time this season, and you can guarantee neither will go down without a fight.
Opposition Focus
Like Storm, the Rockets have made the perfect start to their season, progressing to the BCB Trophy quarter-finals with four group-stage wins and beginning their league defence with five straight successes.
Most recently, a Mo Walker double-double led them to a convincing victory over Loughborough Riders, and the former Leicester Riders big man leads the side in both points and rebounds, with averages of 20.2 and 11.2 respectively.
Head Coach Samit Nuruzade also has a trio of Americans to call on, in returning guard Jax Bouknight and rookie forwards Jaylen Curry and Jaxon Nap, the latter of whom is averaging 20 points.
Dynamic Sudanese-British guard Yusef Salih and Bracknell-born Toby Holmes, fresh from a spell in Spain, are among the other assets that have helped the Rockets lift off in style so far this season.
Key Matchup
Fresh from leading Storm to a hard-fought victory over Yorkshire Dragons on Saturday, Ty Nsangu and Victor Olarerin will return to their old stomping ground this weekend.
Both men switched Reading for Hemel after two years with the Rockets over the summer and have wasted no time in making their mark in Hertfordshire.
They combined for 50 points against Yorkshire, with Nsangu making the BCB Team of the Week, and both have already picked up Player of the Week honours this season.
The Rockets are much changed since the pair’s departure, but one familiar foe will be Jax Bouknight, with the American back in Reading for a second season.
Nsangu’s replacement in the paint comes in the form of Mo Walker, formerly of Leicester Riders and Derby Trailblazers, and the battle under the basket is set to be an intriguing one.
The pair have good memories of Loddon Valley, having won four trophies in their time with the Rockets, but they’ll be looking to make some new ones with Storm on Saturday.
In Numbers
Head-to-Head Record:
Storm wins: 10
Rockets wins: 6
*All competitions, since the start of the 2021/22 season.
BCB League Position:
Storm: 3rd (5–0)
Rockets: 1st (5–0)
League Top Scorer:
Storm: Jabari Nurse – 18.0 PPG
Rockets: Mo Walker – 20.2 PPG
From the Locker Room - Alex McNaught
“We are very excited for the opportunity to take on the top of the league
“Last weekend we snuck by with a valiant all-round effort, and now we’re looking to build on that.
“This will be a heavyweight match with some very talented players on both sides, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we rise to the occasion.”
Did You Know?
These sides have a history of undefeated campaigns.
Reading Rockets became the first side to complete a perfect NBL campaign in the 2008/09 season, winning four trophies along the way.
Then, in the 2022/23 season, Storm became the second to achieve that feat, as they romped to a 41-0 record in all competitions and their own quadruple of silverware under Head Coach Dru Spinks.
So a record with a zero at the end is nothing new to these clubs, but that streak has to end for someone on Saturday.
Game Information
Tip-off at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm, and tickets are available here.
If you can’t make the trip, you can follow along via our social media channels, the livestream or the livestats.
Written by Callum Humphrey