Rocks look to clip Eagles’ wings in 2012 opener

The Glasgow Rocks will be taking on their familiar foes, the Newcastle Eagles, in an enticing clash in the north-east on Friday night.

While Glasgow will be looking to solidify a top four spot in the Championship while key players E.J. Harrison and player-coach Sterling Davis remain injured, the Eagles will be aiming to remain ahead of the pack having rebounded admirably from their first league defeat of the season with a hard fought victory over the Guildford Heat last weekend.

This will be the fifth time the two teams have met this season, with Newcastle holding a 3-1 advantage thus far. Barring the first BBL Trophy game, a match Newcastle won by 22 points, each game has been a tight, close and low scoring affair and we should expect that trend to continue at Sport Central on Friday as two of the best defensive teams in the BBL prepare to do battle.

Speaking after a morale boosting victory over Sheffield on Sunday, Rocks coach Sterling Davis commented that his team ‘know what Newcastle are about…it will be a tough test for us.’ Of course, as every BBL coach has learnt, it’s one thing knowing what the Eagles are about, but another thing entirely trying to stop them.

Flournoy has moulded a team full of dangerous players and he has a slew of weapons at his disposal. While Joe Chapman may be the star of the team, he has a cast around him that has proven itself more than capable of carrying the can. Forward Andrew Thomson has excelled since his summer move from Mersey, averaging 15 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while the likes of Defoe and Charles Smith are always capable of putting up big numbers and will cause the Rocks inconsistent defence problems.

While the Eagles have had a relatively fit squad, ensuring that Fab has been able to rotate in order to avoid burnout, the same cannot be said for the Rocks, who have been short-handed following the ankle injury sustained by E.J. Harrison in early November. Since then it’s very much been a case of when it rains it pours for coach Davis. He himself has been sidelined twice, including an MCL tear that is due to keep him out of action until the start of February at the earliest.

Meanwhile, star guard Mychal Green has battled a hand injury and DeAundrae Cranston has twice injured the same ankle. Indeed, the injuries were such that the last time these two teams met, in early December, the Rocks had four players with 37 or more minutes on court. The Eagles had none.

In the last two defeats to Newcastle, the Rocks have had unforgiveable runs that have ultimately cost them the game. In the BBL Cup clash in November the Rocks threw away the tie by allowing Newcastle to go on a 25-4 run late on, while at the Kelvin Hall a couple of weeks later, a 25-2 Eagles run proved too much to overcome despite an heroic comeback. Such runs have blighted the Rocks season right from the off and Davis will need to find a way to eradicate this problem should the Scots want to climb the Championship table.

It goes without saying that the Rocks will need to be at their very best to get the victory, but it will be their defensive display that ultimately decides if the two points will be travelling up north. The Rocks have, at times, played outstanding defence, none more so than their sole victory over the Eagles this season. That day the defence harassed and hustled the Eagles shooters, forcing hurried shots under pressure. More of the same will be required, and if defensive specialist Danny Huffor and big man DeAundrae Cranston put in a good shift, the Rocks might just sneak a victory, but it’s a brave man that bets against the Eagles.

Key Player – For the reasons mentioned above Danny Huffor could be the catalyst for the Rocks. It seems that the defence clicks if Huffor clicks and despite his defensive determination and hustle, he’s always capable of putting up the points too. The Rocks will also be looking for Gareth Murray to rebound from a disappointing December.

Prediction – I do think that the Rocks match-up well against the Eagles and they have caused them problems this season. I’m sure it will be a close encounter and Coach Davis must be sick of losing to Newcastle, but the head has to rule the heart. Eagles by 5pts,