2012–13 British Basketball League season

The 2012–13 season was the 26th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland including a new entrant, the reformed Manchester Giants, who were based on the original franchise of the same name that folded in 2001.[1] East London Royals were due to become the 13th member of the League, but after their financial backing fell through weeks before the start of the season, the League deferred their entry until the 2013–14 season.[2] The pre-season also saw long-time member franchise Milton Keynes Lions relocate to London and rebrand itself as the London Lions,[3] whilst Cheshire Jets – encountering severe financial difficulties and threatened with the franchise being dissolved – were saved by campaigning local fans and businessmen and renamed as Cheshire Phoenix midway through the season.[4]

2012–13 BBL season
LeagueBritish Basketball League
SportBasketball
DurationSeptember 21, 2012 – April 7, 2013
April 12, 2013 – April 28, 2013 (Playoffs)
Number of games33
Number of teams12
Regular Season
Top seedLeicester Riders
Season MVPAndrew Sullivan (Leicester Riders)
Top scorerChez Marks (Cheshire Phoenix)
BBL Tournaments
BBL Playoffs championsLeicester Riders
  BBL Playoffs runners-upNewcastle Eagles
BBL Cup championsLeicester Riders
  BBL Cup runners-upNewcastle Eagles
BBL Trophy championsSheffield Sharks
  BBL Trophy runners-upLeicester Riders

The Championship regular season commenced on 21 September 2012 with reigning Champions Newcastle Eagles beginning the defence of their title with a 72–65 victory over Glasgow Rocks. The regular season saw all teams face each other three times during the campaign, playing either two games at home and once on the road or vice versa, with the top-eight placed teams advancing to the Play-offs, which took place in April 2013.[5] The season climaxed on 28 April with the showpiece Play-off Final, which returned to its former home at Wembley Arena, for the first time since 2002.[6] Leicester Riders dominated the campaign, and were successful in three of the BBL's four annual competition's, claiming the League title, BBL Cup and Play-off title. Sheffield Sharks thwarted the possibility of a "clean sweep" with a victory against the odds over the Riders in the BBL Trophy Final.

Teams
Locations of the 2012–13 BBL teams
Team City/Area Arena Capacity Last season
Cheshire Phoenix Chester Northgate Arena 1,000 6th
Durham Wildcats Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre 1,200 11th
Glasgow Rocks Glasgow Emirates Arena 6,500 5th
Leicester Riders Leicester John Sandford Centre 800 2nd
London Lions London Crystal Palace National Sports Centre 1,500 9th
Manchester Giants Manchester Wright Robinson College 900 New
Mersey Tigers Liverpool Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park 450 10th
Newcastle Eagles Newcastle upon Tyne Sport Central 3,000 1st
Plymouth Raiders Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions 1,480 4th
Sheffield Sharks Sheffield English Institute of Sport 1,200 7th
Surrey Heat Guildford Surrey Sports Park 1,000 8th
Worcester Wolves Worcester University of Worcester 600 3rd

Notable occurrences
  • New entrant Manchester Giants joined as the League's 12th franchise[1] whilst East London Royals, who were due to become the 13th member, deferred entry to the 2013–14 season after their financial backing fell through prior to the start of the season.[2] Reading Rockets also had a bid to join the league rejected earlier in the year.[7]
  • Although initially planning to enter as new franchises for the 2012–13 season, both BBL Birmingham and Essex Leopards postponed their entry until the 2013–14 season.[8][9]
  • Long-time member franchise Milton Keynes Lions relocated to London after their previous home venue was sold off by its owners, and rebranded itself as the London Lions. Initially they will use the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre for home games but will eventually move to the Copper Box – built for the 2012 Summer Olympics – from 2013.[3]
  • Guildford Heat rebranded its franchise as the Surrey Heat to reflect its geographical reach in terms of fan base and community programmes.[10]
  • New rules introduced prior to the start of the season now allows team's to field only a maximum of five non-British players per game (including up to three work permitted players), demonstrating the League's commitment towards developing British players.[11]
  • On 10 August, Cheshire Jets owner Pete Hawkins announced that the franchise was up for sale after negotiations with a proposed new owner collapsed.[12] With the help of a "Save the Jets" campaign ran by local newspaper the Chester Chronicle, local businessman Haydn Cook stepped-in as the new owner of the franchise just weeks before the start of the new season, ensuring the immediate future of the franchise.[13]
  • More than 5,000 fans attended Glasgow Rocks' inaugural game at their new Emirates Arena home on 7 October. Glasgow were defeated 84–106 by arch-rivals Newcastle Eagles.[14]
  • After less than a month in the role, Cheshire's James Hamilton resigned as the team's player-coach on 15 October, due to his suspension following an altercation at a junior game.[15]
  • On 30 October it was announced that the Cheshire Jets franchise had been withdrawn by the League after new-owner Haydn Cook reported severe financial difficulties and requested to postpone upcoming fixtures and make all staff and players redundant with immediate effect.[16] The following day it was revealed that the League had reinstated the franchise and would manage its operation centrally whilst trying to find a new owner.[17] The club was temporarily renamed Cheshire Basketball Club as previous owner Cook retained the Jets name, logo, kits and branding.[18] A "Save the Jets" campaign led by local fans and businessmen secured the required £50,000 needed to take over the franchise within the League's deadline of 30 November, and guaranteed the immediate future of the club. Renamed as Cheshire Phoenix, the franchise will operate as a not-for-profit Community Interest Club, whilst linking up with Chester (who faced a similar situation two years earlier) in a supporting partnership."[4]
  • Worthing Thunder – of the English Basketball League – became the first ever non-BBL team to progress past the 1st Round of the BBL Trophy after an 84–64 win at home to Mersey Tigers on 6 January 2013.[19]
  • Leicester Riders won their first silverware in 12 years on 13 January, with an 85–80 victory over Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Cup Final. Jay Cousinard, who scored 17 points, was named as the game's MVP.[20][21]
  • Leicester's 84–59 regular season victory over Manchester Giants on 19 February made the Riders only the fifth team in League history to go unbeaten for a whole year, having last been defeated on 25 February 2012 (Their upcoming schedule mean that the landmark date would pass before their next game).[22]
  • Sheffield Sharks claimed the BBL Trophy after a narrow two-point win over Leicester in front of over 5,000 fans at Glasgow's Emirates Arena, on 9 March. Sheffield's 71–69 victory prevented Leicester from winning a Cup-Trophy double, whilst it was Sharks' first Trophy final win for 15 years.[23]
  • Mersey Tigers secured the record for the longest losing-sreak in League history on 22 March. Their 92–79 defeat to Plymouth Raiders was their 31st consecutive loss, having last won a game against Milton Keynes on 15 April 2012.[24]
  • Leicester Riders were crowned League Champions for the first time in their history following their 93–70 home victory over Durham Wildcats on 31 March.[25]
  • Riders finished the campaign with a historic 65-57 win over Newcastle in the Play-off Final at a packed-out Wembley Arena on 28 April.[26]

BBL Championship (Tier 1)

Final standings
PosTeamPldWL%Pts
1Leicester Riders 333030.90960
2Newcastle Eagles 332580.75850
3Glasgow Rocks 3321120.63642
4Surrey Heat 3321120.63642
5Worcester Wolves 3320130.60640
6Plymouth Raiders 3319140.57638
7Sheffield Sharks 3317160.51534
8London Lions 3313200.39426
9Manchester Giants 3312210.36424
10Durham Wildcats 3310230.30320
11Cheshire Phoenix 3310230.30320
12Mersey Tigers 330330.0000
= League winners
= Qualified for the Play-offs

The Play-offs
  Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                             
Leicester Riders 70 73 143  
London Lions 68 61 129  
  Leicester Riders 80 76 156  
  Plymouth Raiders 66 60 126  
Glasgow Rocks 71 78 149
  Plymouth Raiders 82 87 169  
    Leicester Riders  
  Newcastle Eagles  
  Newcastle Eagles 85 84 169  
Sheffield Sharks 70 81 151  
  Newcastle Eagles 110 92 202
  Surrey Heat 82 96 178  
Surrey Heat 78 76 154
  Worcester Wolves 81 70 151  

Quarter-finals

(1) Leicester Riders vs. (8) London Lions

April 13, 2013
Leicester Riders 73–61 London Lions
Leicester wins on aggregate, 143–129
John Sandford Centre, Leicester

(2) Newcastle Eagles vs. (7) Sheffield Sharks

April 15, 2013
Sheffield Sharks 81–84 Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle wins on aggregate, 169–151

(3) Glasgow Rocks vs. (6) Plymouth Raiders

April 14, 2013
Glasgow Rocks 71–82 Plymouth Raiders
Emirates Arena, Glasgow
April 15, 2013
Plymouth Raiders 87–78 Glasgow Rocks
Plymouth wins on aggregate, 169–149

(4) Surrey Heat vs. (5) Worcester Wolves

April 13, 2013
Worcester Wolves 81–78 Surrey Heat
April 14, 2013
Surrey Heat 76–70 Worcester Wolves
Surrey wins on aggregate, 154–151
Surrey Sports Park, Guildford

Semi-finals

(1) Leicester Riders vs. (6) Plymouth Raiders

April 21, 2013
Leicester Riders 76–60 Plymouth Raiders
Leicester wins on aggregate, 156–126
Sir David Wallace Centre, Loughborough

(2) Newcastle Eagles vs. (4) Surrey Heat

April 19, 2013
Newcastle Eagles 110–82 Surrey Heat
April 21, 2013
Surrey Heat 96–92 Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle wins on aggregate, 202–178
Surrey Sports Park, Guildford

Final
April 28, 2013
3.00pm GMT
Leicester Riders 68–57 Newcastle Eagles
Scoring by quarter: 22–11, 18–15, 17–15, 13–16
Pts: Andrew Sullivan, 24
Rebs: Jay Cousinard, 7
Asts: Andrew Sullivan, 6		 Pts: Darius Defoe, 13
Rebs: Kareem Maddox, 8
Asts: Fabulous Flournoy/Damon Huffman, 4

EBL National League Division 1 (Tier 2)

Final standings
PosTeamPldWL%Pts
1Reading Rockets 262240.84644
2Bristol Academy Flyers 261880.69236
3Team Northumbria 261790.65434
4Tees Valley Mohawks 2616100.61532
5Leeds Carnegie 2616100.61532
6Essex Leopards 2616100.61532
7Worthing Thunder 2613130.50026
8Leicester Warriors 2612140.46224
9Medway Park Crusaders 2612140.46224
10Hemel Storm 2611150.42322
11Bradford Dragons 2610160.38520
12Westminster Warriors 2610160.38520
13Derby Trailblazers 266200.23112
14Brixton TopCats 263230.1156
= League winners
= Qualified for the Play-offs

EBL National League Division 2 (Tier 3)

Final standings
PosTeamPldWL%Pts
1Newham Neptunes 221750.77334
2Manchester Magic 221570.68230
3Eastside Eagles 221480.63628
4Derbyshire Arrows 221390.59126
5Loughborough University 2212100.54524
6PAWS London Capital + 221750.77322
7Glamorgan Gladiators 2210120.45520
8Mansfield Giants 228140.36416
9London Westside 227150.31814
10London United 227150.31814
11Team Solent 224180.1828
12Birmingham Mets 223190.1366

+ PAWS London Capital deducted twelve points for fielding an ineligible player during the 2011-12 season.

= League winners
= Qualified for the Play-offs

BBL Cup

The winners of the four 1st Round matches were joined by Newcastle Eagles, Leicester Riders, Plymouth Raiders and Worcester Wolves in the Quarter-finals, who received byes for finishing in the top four BBL Championship positions last season.[27] The Final was played on 13 January 2013 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

1st round
12 October 2012
Mersey Tigers 51–103 Surrey Heat
Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park, Liverpool
12 October 2012
Sheffield Sharks 90–59 Cheshire Jets
14 October 2012
Glasgow Rocks 88–85 Manchester Giants
Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Quarter-finals
3 November 2012
Surrey Heat 74–79 Plymouth Raiders
Surrey Sports Park, Guildford

Semi-finals

Plymouth Raiders vs. Newcastle Eagles

30 November 2012
Newcastle Eagles 83–91 (OT) Plymouth Raiders
Newcastle wins on aggregate, 190–181

Sheffield Sharks vs. Leicester Riders

8 December 2012
Leicester Riders 75–45 Sheffield Sharks
Leicester wins on aggregate, 165–115
John Sanford Centre, Leicester

Final
13 January 2013
3.45pm GMT
Leicester Riders 85–80 Newcastle Eagles
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 25–19, 20–15, 20–29
Pts: Jay Cousinard, 17
Rebs: Anthony Rowe, 13
Asts: Andrew Sullivan, 5		 Pts: Joe Chapman, 29
Rebs: Charles Smith, 7
Asts: Charles Smith, 6
National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

BBL Trophy

The 12 BBL clubs were joined by Essex Leopards and Reading Rockets of the English Basketball League and Edinburgh Kings of the Scottish Basketball League to form a straight knock-out competition. Following the withdrawal of East London Royals prior to the start of the competition, Worthing Thunder from the English Basketball League were invited to take their place and play Mersey Tigers in the 1st Round.[28] The first two rounds featured one-off games whilst the Semi-finals took place over two legs. The Final was held at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow and saw Sheffield Sharks claim their first Trophy in 15 years, after 71-69 victory over Leicester Riders.

1st round
30 December 2012
Essex Leopards 63–105 Leicester Riders
Brentwood Centre, Brentwood
3 January 2013
Manchester Giants 73–85 Sheffield Sharks
Wright Robinson College, Manchester
5 January 2013
Edinburgh Kings 61–72 Glasgow Rocks
Pleasance Sports Centre, Edinburgh
6 January 2013
Reading Rockets 68–86 Surrey Heat
Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading

Quarter-finals
1 February 2013
Surrey Heat 66–82 Leicester Riders
Surrey Sports Park, Guildford

Semi-finals

Cheshire Phoenix vs. Sheffield Sharks

24 February 2013
Cheshire Phoenix 60–74 Sheffield Sharks
Northgate Arena, Chester
1 March 2013
Sheffield Sharks 102–74 Cheshire Phoenix
Sheffield wins on aggregate, 176–134

Leicester Riders vs. Worcester Wolves

2 March 2013
Leicester Riders 66–68 Worcester Wolves
Leicester wins on aggregate, 148–141
John Sandford Centre, Leicester

Final
9 March 2013
3.30pm GMT
Sheffield Sharks 71–69 Leicester Riders
Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 16–15, 22–17, 10–16
Pts: B.J. Holmes, 25
Rebs: B.J. Holmes/Demetrius Jemison/Michael Tuck, 7
Asts: B.J. Holmes, 3		 Pts: Jay Cousinard, 21
Rebs: Andrew Sullivan, 8
Asts: Jorge Calvo/Jay Cousinard/Andrew Sullivan, 2
Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Statistics leaders
CategoryPlayerStat
Points per game Chez Marks (Cheshire Phoenix)22.8
Rebounds per game Kareem Maddox (Newcastle Eagles)10.7
Assists per game Ralph Bucci (Durham Wildcats)5.5
Steals per game Travis Holmes (Surrey Heat)3.0
Blocks per game Alif Bland (Cheshire Phoenix)2.4
Field goal percentage Demetrius Jemison (Sheffield Sharks)61.0%
Free throw percentage B.J. Holmes (Sheffield Sharks)88.3%
Three-point field goal percentage Arnas Kazlauskas (Worcester Wolves)44.6%

Monthly awards
MonthCoachPlayer
October Rob Paternostro (Leicester Riders) Colin O'Reilly (Plymouth Raiders)
November Sterling Davis (Glasgow Rocks) Kareem Maddox (Newcastle Eagles)
December Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles) Ralph Bucci (Durham Wildcats)
January Rob Paternostro (Leicester Riders) Ralph Bucci (Durham Wildcats)
February Paul James (Worcester Wolves) Kareem Maddox (Newcastle Eagles)
March Atiba Lyons (Sheffield Sharks) Travis Holmes (Surrey Heat)

Seasonal awards

References
  1. "Manchester Giants and East London Royals join BBL". HoopsFix.com. 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  2. Mark Woods (2012). "A Royal mess as East London out of BBL". MVP 24–7. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  3. "Lions to leave Milton Keynes for Olympic Park in London". Milton Keynes Citizen. 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  4. Alec Doyle (2012). "New club rises from the ashes of the Jets thanks to efforts of action group, fans and local businesses". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  5. "BBL Champions to take centre stage on opening night". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  6. "BBL Play-off Final is Capital game once again". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  7. Mark Woods (2012). "Reading still game for BBL move". MVP247.com. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  8. "Birmingham franchise confirm their position". BBLfans.com. 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  9. "Another new team lands BBL franchise". BBLfans.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-26.
  10. "Surrey Heat name change reflects club's reach". getSurrey.co.uk. 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  11. "Frequently Asked Questions". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  12. Alec Doyle (2012). "Pete Hawkins puts club up for sale as negotiations with potential new owner break down". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  13. Alec Doyle (2012). "Businessman Haydn Cook steps in to save club following Chronicle campaign". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  14. "Thousands enjoy Glasgow's new sports arena". The Herald. 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  15. Mark Woods (2012). "Hamilton in quick exit as Cheshire coach". MVP 24–7. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  16. Alec Doyle (2012). "Season thrown into doubt as club has BBL Championship franchise withdrawn". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  17. Alec Doyle (2012). "Crisis club will play Mersey Tigers and calls for fans to fill Northgate at time of need". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  18. Alec Doyle (2012). "Fans will decide on new name for Cheshire Jets on Sunday". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  19. Mark Woods (2013). "Thunder drown out weary Mersey". MVP 24–7. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  20. "BBL Cup Final: Leicester Riders beat Newcastle Eagles". BBC Sport. 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  21. "BBL Cup Final: Paternostro praises Leicester Riders spirit". BBC Sport. 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  22. "Riders cap historic year with 23rd win". LeicesterRiders.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  23. Doug Balding (2013). "Sharks have bite in Trophy final". MVP 24–7. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  24. Mark Woods (2013). "Mersey Tigers set new losing streak mark". MVP 24–7. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  25. "We are the Champions". LeicesterRiders.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  26. Chris Mortley (2013). "Riders ecstatic after Playoff win". LeicesterRiders.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  27. "BBL Cup". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  28. "Thunder to compete in BBL Trophy". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  29. Mark Woods (2013). "Sullivan, Paternostro take League honours". MVP24-7.com. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  30. Rob Jeffries (2013). "BBL Team of the Year 2012-13 announced". UKAmericanSportsFans.com. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
Preceded by
2011–12 season		 BBL seasons
2012–13		 Succeeded by
2013–14 season
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