It’ll be a slightly new look for the Leicester Riders when they face the Manchester Giants at Morningside Arena in the British Basketball League on Saturday.
But regardless, the game remains the same as both teams look to push their way up the standings.
Used to the heady heights of being at the top, Leicester have had a subpar start by their usually high standards, dropping four of their last five games and thus have made reinforcements.
The return of the Sesan Russell to the Riders’ family has undoubtedly given them a considerable boost, and coach Rob Paternostro hopes they can turn the corner heading into the Christmas schedule.
For Manchester, they come into this game having won a nailbiter against Plymouth City Patriots 91-90.
Trailing by as many as 18 points, the Giants fought and were made to sweat in the last seconds but came away victorious as Elvisi Dusha’s last-gasp lay-up attempt under pressure missed its mark.
What can Sesan bring and how he could make others better?
When Russell was part of the 2018 title-winning Loughborough Riders side in the National Basketball League, he led the team in scoring at 12.6 points a game.
And he did that mainly coming off the bench, but his all-around basketball IQ also made him a strong prospect.
He only averaged 2.7 assists a game with Loughborough, but that doesn’t reflect how good of a passer he was before he went Stateside.
Defensively, he has always been aggressive and intelligent, and that’s what his team needs.
With four years under his belt at Florida Tech, where he posted 18.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds in his senior campaign, he will facilitate players such as Kimbal Mackenzie, Mo Walker and give Riders that edge.
And with Leicester second in points a game at 90.9, the addition of Russell should help at both ends.
Manchester war-ready, perhaps?
Manchester Giants were in a physical battle on Friday night in the North-West and, despite trailing by as many as 18 points, came away with an exciting 91-90 victory.
Nick Lewis led the way again for Manchester with 20 points, and even though it’ll give his side confidence heading to the Midlands but, the question remains: How much did this game take it out of them?
There is no doubt the Giants have the star power to get the job done with Lewis, Jamell Anderson and ex-Rider William Lee leading the way, and they will look to build on Friday’s thrilling win.
With the season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.
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