Hemel Storm will make their SLB Cup debut on Saturday evening, as they face Manchester Basketball in the first round of the competition.
The game marks a landmark occasion for the club; an opportunity to test themselves against the upper echelon of the British basketball pyramid.
Super League Basketball (SLB), founded at the start of the current campaign to replace the long-standing BBL, made the decision to include seven wildcard teams in their cup competition, with five NBL Division One sides joined by two from Basketball Scotland.
With the majority of first-round fixtures already complete, Storm are the only side outside of the SLB left in the competition after all other external entrees fell to superior opposition, and it offered a glimpse at the supreme challenge facing Storm this weekend.
The sides find themselves at contrasting ends of their respective standings, with Manchester seventh out of eight in the SLB and Storm sitting top of Division One. However, the SLB is deemed as the country’s premier competition so the step up will undoubtedly prove testing for Storm.
Manchester are coached by Callum Jones and, with the help of some recent business in the player market, they claimed a vital victory over Caledonia Gladiators on Sunday - their first of the league season to lift them off the bottom of the table at the expense of their Scottish opponents.
Three new names have headed to Manchester this month, including a pair of signings in the last week, and they’ll add a new dimension to the side that will take on Hemel on Saturday.
First, Elijah Ifejeh was added to the roster, becoming the fourth Canadian-born man to suit up in the Manchester squad, and he was followed through the door by American duo Ian Dubose - poached from the hands of fellow strugglers in the Gladiators - and Eric Williams Jr.
Boosted by an extra week of training with the team before they head to Hemel, the new recruits will have settled in with the squad and be ready to make an impact, bringing a high-level of talent and athleticism with them.
MCR’s roster now looks incredibly deep as they join a side already boasting the experience and skill of the likes of former Cheshire Phoenix and Surrey Scorchers man Kyle Carey, as well as Marcus Delpeche, previously of the Sheffield Sharks and the Bristol Flyers.
Canadian Nathan Cayo is another dangerous name in a long list of talent, and he may already know a thing or two about the Storm after he shared the floor with Aaryn Rai for the Niagara River Lions over the summer.
Storm, on the other hand, are looking to avoid a first defeat at the StormDome since February in their final fixture of the calendar year.
They find themselves in a superb stretch of form, unbeaten in the league and now National Cup semi-finalists after last weekend’s victory over MK Breakers.
Yet, this weekend poses a totally abstract challenge to the Storm who will be keen to see how they fare against top-tier opposition.
Their only recent memory of testing themselves against a side from the country’s top flight came back in 2021, as they fell to the Cheshire Phoenix in the first round of the BBL Trophy.
But they’ve gone from strength to strength ever since, winning consecutive Playoff Championship finals including in a staggering quadruple-winning campaign in 2022/23, where they went an undefeated 41-0.
Such success did not go unnoticed, and products of Hemel, Aaryn Rai and Taylor Johnson, subsequently got a go in the BBL with the Cheshire Phoenix and the Plymouth Patriots respectively.
Rai continues to ply his trade at the highest level with the London Lions and Storm have now built up a strong name for themselves within the British basketball circuit, meaning Manchester are sure to be cautious guests, fully aware of the damage Storm can do to them.
Quite contrary to their visitors, Storm’s side contains just one man with top-flight experience here in England: Darien Nelson-Henry. He, of course, led the Leicester Riders to considerable success in his time as captain of the club and will play a crucial role on Saturday.
Already a big part of the Hemel squad as one of the best big men in the league, Nelson-Henry will take up an additional importance on Saturday due to his familiarity with the challenge of top-tier opposition. He will be the steady head Storm turn to in the tough moments to guide them through the tie and comfort the younger members of the team.
Matt Ellis has also spent some time in the professional game, having competed in Argentina and Portugal, and he’ll be hoping to continue the standout form he’s shown in recent weeks.
Veron Eze has had a fine season to date, using his athleticism and power to good effect, and his side will need him to contribute immensely this weekend should they hope to match Manchester.
Floor general Sam Newman comes into the game off the back of a Team of the Week-winning double-double featuring 15 assists against Worthing, and he is always a vital figure for the team in controlling the tempo of their performance.
Additionally, the club have recently announced the return of Brayden Inger and his first appearance will come on Saturday in a huge boost to the side’s chances. Inger will look to continue where he left off in winning the Playoff final in his last Storm appearance at the back of the 2023/24 campaign.
Head Coach Mark Clark arguably has the most experience of anyone on either side, and he’ll be relishing the opportunity to push his team to the peak of their ability in a mouth-watering contest.
But Clark and his men will need your help. The StormDome has a reputation as the best atmosphere in the NBL and it’s time for us to prove that on the big stage. Get down in your numbers and make plenty of noise ahead of this Christmas cracker, as you get a chance to see Storm in action for the last time in 2024 and witness some stars of the SLB. Tickets are available via the Fanbase app here; make sure you don’t miss out on what promises to be a memorable night!
Written by Callum Humphrey