Hoop fans have a chance to see U20s in action (From Echo)

Hoop fans have a chance to see U20s in action

1:13pm Friday 10th July 2009 in

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The area’s hoop fans were treated to an evening of top international court action on Wednesday night.

It was a taste of what the town will have in store when pro hoop playing arrives September in the shape of the newly-formed Essex Pirates.

As an occasional park hoop shooter myself I dragged along my 13-year-old son and his school pal for our first live international game and came away enthused.

As a jump start for the Garon-based Pirates, the international did the trick.

On Wednesday the Great Britain U20 Men’s team triumphed over a quick-passing France U18 side at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Eastern Avenue.

But the real winner in the international friendly was the sport and if you don’t believe me get along to Garon Park today (Friday) at 4pm when the two teams meet again.

At just £3 for adults and £2 for under 12s this is exceptional value for a top-notch pay-on-the-door event.

Sky television coverage on Friday will no doubt boost interest further.

The midweek encounter was preceeded by DJ and shooting session with the home nation keen to impress coaching staff in advance of next week’s vital Division B international clashes with Norway, Finland and Poland in Macedonia.

With a number of last year’s players too old for the new U20 team, only four members of the 2008 campaign returned to action in white GB vests.

But these included relative old hands Devan Bailey, Southend’s Alhadji Fullah, Benjamin Mockford and Liverpool’s Colin Sing.

Head coach Tim Lewis was on his players’ tails throughout the warm-up and game, keen to hone their skills further in what promises to be a tough summer of internationals against European opponents. He said: “There are some really talented younger players and key second year players on the squad list. It promises to be an exciting summer.”

Head of basketball operations for British Basketball, Ron Wuotila, added: “Once again, we have a talented group of players on the squad lists and it’s an encouraging sign that the future of British Basketball can be found across top colleges and clubs throughout the world.”

The French were out of the traps first and racking up points faster than their home opponents who were slightly slower getting back and lacked the incisive passing in the key.

Great Britain trailed for the first two quarters, perhaps finding the relative quietness of the crowd uninspiring, but the GB unit was also hampered by the occasional mistake when attacking the hoop.

Britain’s U20s trailed at the midway point by 36-47, and as Lewis went over the plays and reworked his team the crowd of partisan supporters, travelling basketball fans — including other counties’ basketball teams — and a fair smattering of locals, often with kids or teenagers, reflected on the action.

Having only really witnessed the free-for-all nature of park basketball before, the positional aspect of international play was a revelation to this reporter, along with the long distance passing.

The use of the shot clock, limiting the attacking team to 25 seconds before players have to go for the hoop, keeps the pressure on the attacking team and here the GB stars of the second half included local favourite Alhadji Fullah, William Neighbour, playmaker Colin Sing, Andrew Lawrence, Barking Abbey’s Lee Greenan and Robert Gilchrist, and Nigel van Oostrum.

Sparking off each other better after the restart the GB U20s team pegged back their rivals despite a 15-point gap, but then fought back, spurred on by an increasingly vocal management.

By the end of the quarter the gap was down to just eight points. And in the final 15 minutes, GB cranked up a gear and reduced the mistakes, as the French looked to have lost their earlier fizz.

With seven minutes remaining Britain drew level, and then overhauled their opponents — to the restrained delight of the crowd.

And in the last six minutes, they overhauled the French, finally posting 82 with the French unable to close down the gap and having to settle on 77.