Storm look to build on big Reading win with trip to Newcastle
Hemel Storm will look to build on their impressive victory over Reading Rockets last weekend as they travel to Newcastle Knights on Saturday.
In their last of three straight away games, Baker’s side, who moved top of the BCB table with that win last Saturday, will look to make it seven wins from seven in the league against last season’s playoff champions.
The Knights claimed their first win in four last weekend with a nip-and-tuck victory against Loughborough Riders after a frustrating start to the season.
Hear from Storm captain Sam Newman and get to grips with all you need to know ahead of the clash in our preview below.
Opposition Focus
Newcastle is becoming a fine breeding ground for talented American players looking to further both their basketball and educational careers, and this year’s roster is no different.
Last season brought BCB Player of the Year Jaron Thames, Bradley Dean and Sam Trunley as the Knights secured the inaugural BCB playoff title, and Mark Elderkin has Luke House, AJ McGinnis and Arthur Cox at his disposal this time around.
Drexel University graduate House, in particular, has hit the ground running, winning Player of the Month honours in September, and ranks second in the league with an average of 25.8 points per game.
Alongside former Storm forward Hafeez Abdul and Canadian Jalen Shirley, the Knights have plenty of talent within their ranks and will pose Baker’s side a serious challenge, with their 2-4 record mitigated by a difficult opening set of fixtures.
Key Matchup
Key to Storm’s success this season has been the high tempo present in their play.
Their energetic style, characterised by relentless pressure on the defensive end and a desire to run the floor as quickly as possible in transition, has been made possible by an extremely athletic roster with depth to spare.
Point guard Sam Newman is the director of this tempo, while American Jabari Nurse and BCB British Player of the Season Victor Olarerin offer great pace in the starting lineup, supplemented by the enthusiasm of Kai Walker and Alex McNaught off the bench.
Maintaining this speed could be critical in claiming their 11th straight win in all competitions on Saturday, and to do it they’ll have to push past the discomfort of the long coach journey north.
Additionally, the Knights will be looking to use the intimate environs of their home venue to impose their own pace on the game, another factor Storm will have to mitigate in order to keep up the free-flowing spectacle they’ve enjoyed producing so far this season.
In Numbers
Head-to-Head Record:
Storm wins: 9
Knights wins: 2
*All competitions, since the start of the 2021/22 season.
BCB League Position:
Storm: 1st (6–0)
Knights: 8th (2–4)
League Top Scorer:
Storm: Jabari Nurse and Victor Olarerin – 18 PPG
Knights: Luke House – 25.8 PPG
From the Locker Room - Sam Newman
“The Knights' current record does their team, talent and coaching staff a disservice at this point of the season.
“We have no doubt that this is a team that can and will push everyone in the league all the way.
“We need to build on last week's win and start putting teams away rather than continuing to leave it until the fourth quarter.”
Did You Know?
The trip to Newcastle Knights is officially Storm’s longest away journey, clocking in at around 261 miles each way – just over four hours on the road (in a car, traffic-dependent!).
Here are our longest away journeys this season, ranked in order of one-way distance!
| Team | One-way distance |
| Newcastle Knights | 261 miles |
| Yorkshire Dragons | 184 miles |
| Bristol Hurricanes | 155 miles |
| Bristol Flyers II | 119 miles |
| Derby Trailblazers | 109 miles |
| Nottingham Hoods | 109 miles |
| Birmingham Rockets | 96 miles |
| Loughborough Riders | 92 miles |
| Worthing Thunder | 80 miles |
| Essex Rebels | 79 miles |
| Reading Rockets | 44 miles |
| Milton Keynes Breakers | 24 miles |
| London Cavaliers | 19 miles |
Game Information
Tip-off at Newcastle University Sport and Fitness Centre is at 4pm, and tickets are available here.
If you can’t make the long trip north, you can stay updated via our social media channels, the livestream or LiveStats.
Written by Callum Humphrey