The rolling Rocks of Glasgow continue to move forward

It’s been a momentous 12 months for the Glasgow Rocks. This time last year they were moving from the out-dated and small Kelvin Hall to the £113m Emirates Arena – the new jewel in the crown of Scottish sports.

They had the privilege of opening the arena, in front of a 6,500 sell-out crowd that eclipsed the franchise attendance record by a considerable margin and found themselves in a media glare that has seldom, if ever, been witnessed in British basketball.

Last year was exciting and hectic in equal measure but Rocks GM, Dan Bajwoluk, is hoping for slightly less of the latter this campaign as Scotland’s only professional basketball team look set for their second season in the BBL’s premier arena.

He said: “It was pretty manic last season. The move was fairly late in the day, so we know what’s going on here now. We’re trying to build on what we did last year. We’re very much riding the wave of the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games and we have to try and cash in on it as best we can, so that down the line when that’s all gone we can keep it going at the pace we have been.”

Of course, just playing in a new, fancy home isn’t enough to put bums on seats, with Bajwoluk adding: “If we build a team that’s going to win and be competitive after the first few games then I’m hoping that the crowds will keep coming back. They’ve definitely been growing since the move and we’re going to keep the fan interaction going as best we can. On that front we’re looking at the possibility of a pre-season tournament that will be bigger and better than we’ve ever done before to really build momentum up to the first game of the season.

“If we can average three or four thousand per game then that’s a big boost to the budget and hopefully we can put that into players and get a winning mentality in Glasgow.”

On the court, both Bajwoluk and coach Sterling Davis admitted to a slight change in approach with the signings of veterans Chez Marks, Daniel Northern and the return of 37-year-old EJ Harrison giving the team more experience than in previous years.

Bajwoluk said: “It’s definitely going to be a bit different for us. We’ve always struggled on that front and we’ve had some young blood in there. Now we’ve got guys who have been around for a while and are hungry to win.

“It’s always a risk to bring young guys in. These guys have been around and they know what’s expected of them and we know what we’re getting so that should make it easier.”

Davis, entering his seventh season in charge at the Rocks, was quick to point out the benefits that having veteran presence on the court brings to his team, saying: “I like the direction we’re going in. We definitely have some knowledge on the floor and that can only be a good thing.”

The Texan was particularly delighted with the signing of Northern, the ex-Lions centre who led the league in rebounds in his last sojourn in the BBL.

Of the 6′ 9’” star he said: “That was a priority for us this off-season. The first thing we wanted to do was get that big man and Northern has proven his worth the last time he was in the league. It’s a big plus for us and hopefully we can reap the rewards of that. I think once we have an established inside presence, with the pieces we have around him we’ll have a good chance of doing well.”

The 36-year-old has also put pen to paper on a new deal that will see him stay in Glasgow until 2015 and could not hide his delight at the contract extension.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here, and that’s an understatement. They’ve really taken care of me here and I think we work well together as a unit. There’s still work to be done here and I’m glad to be part of that. The awareness of basketball in Glasgow is really growing and taking steps forward and that played a part in my decision to stay for another couple of years.”

That awareness and media presence has increased in the last week, also, thanks to Rocks veteran Gareth Murray earning a first Great Britain call-up, one that GM Bajwoluk insisted was long overdue, with Davis saying: “I’m super proud of Gareth for getting that call-up, he definitely deserves it and I’m sure he’ll be good for the GB team. For whatever reason it hasn’t happened before, but he’s there now and I’m sure he’ll take advantage of his opportunity. It’s great for him and it’s great for our organisation to have one of our players representing Team GB.”

The Rocks also changed tactics off the court during the summer with the annual trip to Las Vegas being swapped for a trip to Lithuania, and Davis insists that it has opened his eyes to a whole new market.

“It was a great experience to be over there. The history of basketball in Lithuania is incredible and just to be in a country where they live and breathe basketball was great. The talent at the camps was tremendous at every position. It was a beautiful thing to watch. I learned a lot about the talent that they have in that country and that will definitely be something that I will look at in the future. I’d hopefully be going back there knowing there’s a possibility that I’ll be able to pull something good from there.”

In the last decade the Rocks have been a model franchise, recording eight winning seasons and claiming six runners-up medals in BBL competitions. With a new approach, increased revenue and a fan base that has doubled in the last year, could the Rocks finally shake off their ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ tag this season? It would take a brave man to bet against it.