Hemel Storm travel to league leaders Derby Trailblazers on Saturday before making the trip to London to face Elite in the National Cup Round of 16 the following day.
Their first assignment is a big one, with the two clear title chasers at this stage meeting for the first time this campaign.
The Trailblazers sit top but they have in fact lost a game, unlike Storm who remain second based on the fact they have had less fixtures. Both sides have seven wins but the Blazers’ superior points difference sees them hold the place at the summit.
A victory for Storm on Saturday would change that and give them a huge advantage in the battle for top spot. With the Blazers the only side to have lost just once, if Storm can topple them this weekend they would open out a two game separation between themselves and their nearest competitors and take a commanding hold of the title race.
Their victory over Nottingham Hoods on Saturday was spearheaded by a superb Darien Nelson-Henry, but Mark Clark will still feel his side have several gears to move through to reach their ruthless best, which they will need this time out.
A more finessed end product and controlled closing of the tie would have been ideal, and it’s the small margins Clark and his team will look to perfect to give themselves the best chance of success throughout the remainder of the term, starting this weekend.
Derby Trailblazers are renowned competitors at this level and have been fighting with Storm for silverware for a number of years now. They came into the season off the back of a double-winning campaign, where they claimed both the KitKing Trophy and NBL Division One regular season titles.
Perhaps frustrated not to have ended with Playoff glory, it was instead the side from Hemel who triumphed and it will only increase their motivation to better them on this occasion, after they also saw the 2022/23 National Cup trophy fall away at the final hurdle and into the hands of the quadruple-winning Storm.
Notably, recent weeks have seen their American duo of Malcolm Smith and David Simental sidelined with injury and you feel the health of their starmen could have a stratospheric say on the result of Saturday’s meeting.
Smith needs no introduction and has tormented Storm in the past becoming a well-known, wily competitor throughout Division One, performing at a consistently high standard throughout his years at the club.
Simental is a newer face, arriving in Derby at the start of this season and has already showcased his ability to score big with a 35-point outing against Bradford and another 27-point display against Thames Valley.
While the availability of these two will be important, the Blazers have no shortage of talent elsewhere and have shown they can compete more than capably without them, leading Reading Rockets for the majority of their KitKing Trophy semi-final before they were edged out in the dying embers.
Long-term absentee Leighton Elliot-Sewell has returned from his horrible injury in fantastic form, leading their scoring with 24 points per game, and Jonas Dieterich will again hope to trouble Storm with his accuracy from the three point mark, with memories of his lazer-sharp showing in this fixture last year still fresh in many minds within Hemel.
Raheem May-Thompson will also be looking to leave his imprint on the tie, while Rob Marsden will aim to give Nelson-Henry a good run for his money underneath the basket.
It promises to be a fascinating matchup with two heavyweights of Division One getting their first look at each other for the season. The winner will have the luxury of ending the weekend at the peak of the standings and the result could play a decisive role in the final outcome of the league, as head-to-head may be required to split them upon the season’s close.
Tip-off is at 7.30pm and the game will be held at The Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre - DE24 0BT. Tickets are available to buy online here.
Sunday’s fixture sees a second consecutive visit to London for Storm in the National Cup, following their fourth round victory over Barking Abbey two weeks ago.
It will be their second meeting with London Elite this campaign, who were relegated from Division One last year, after they overcame them in the KitKing Trophy group stage right back at the very beginning of the season.
That night was comfortable enough at the StormDome with the home side easing to a 28-point win and Elite have had a mixed start to life back in Division Two.
With four wins and four losses to their name, they find themselves in seventh place in the Southern segment of the league, which will be somewhat disappointing considering their hopes of an instant return to the top flight.
Storm will be met with a couple of familiar faces, as club legend Walid Mumuni suits up against them alongside Romario Spence who was a part of the undefeated squad of 2022/23.
In their home venue they will be a threat and will hope to cause an upset. Storm must avoid any potential slip-ups and remain motivated and fresh for the tie, despite the potential of tiring legs from their previous evening’s excursions.
The game will be played at Harris Willesden Academy - NW10 3ST - and will tip-off at 4pm. Tickets for the game are available here.
Written by Callum Humphrey