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The Dragons will be travelling to Merseyside on Saturday 22nd September for a pre-season fixture against NBL second division side, Liverpool.
Location: Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College, 55 Long Lane, Liverpool, L9 7BF. Tip-off: 5:30pm We are providing you with an exciting opportunity to sponsor a player, or member of our coaching team, for the 2018/19 season.
This is a fantastic way for you, or your company, to show support for your favourite player/coach. In return you will have your name or company logo displayed on our club website and Match-day Programmes. You will also be entitled to a signed photograph of you and your player/coach, taken by our club photographer at one of ourhome games. The following sponsorship packages are available: Players £100 per player, or £25 for match shirt £25 shorts £25 warm up top £25 training top Coaches £100 each Please contact us at info@bradforddragons.co.uk to arrange your sponsorship.
Bradford Dragons Basketball Club have completed their roster for the 2018/19 season with the capture of experienced big man, Clayfell Harris, who is joined by relative newcomers Andreas Lycoudis and Matthew Armstrong.
30-year-old, 6’8”, London born power forward, Harris, is no stranger to West Yorkshire basketball supporters, having previously completed a couple of seasons with Leeds Force, in the British Basketball League (BBL). Having initially played junior basketball with the London Towers, Harris then spent some time in the United States, attending high school in Houston, Texas, followed by prep school in Maine and then Wagner College in New York. This will be his eighth season as a professional, a career which has included spells in Romania, France, Belgium, Spain and Germany, before finally returning to the United Kingdom, with Leeds, in 2015. Following two seasons with the Yorkshire club, major changes within their management structure prompted Harris to make a move over the Pennines, to rival BBL side Manchester Giants, for the 2016/17 season.
Bradford Dragons basketball club are thrilled to confirm that Joaquín Calvo will be returning to the Dragons’ Den for a second season, whilst experienced British Basketball League (BBL) player, Allie Fullah has also been added to their roster.
21-year-old, 6’4” Spanish forward, Calvo is a product of the Gran Canaria Basketball Academy in Spain who, following his graduation, opted to pursue a playing career in the United Kingdom. Following a successful 2015/16 season with Liverpool Basketball Club, in which they won the National Basketball League (NBL) division two play-offs final, whilst Calvo personally picked up the clubs most improved player award, he then went on to represent Leeds Beckett University in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern premier league. Leeds finished sixth in the regular table and went on to be losing finalists in the end of season play-off championships. Calvo, then made the step up to NBL division one, with the Dragons, for the 2017/18 season, in which he was an ever-present member of the squad, making a valuable contribution from the bench.
Newlywed Fetske returns for the Dragons … joined by fellow American Clark
Bradford Dragons today unveiled their two Americans for the 2018/19 National Basketball League Division One Campaign, with Ricky Fetske II returning for a fifth season with the team and rookie, Drexler Clark also making the transition across the pond. 6’8” American power forward Fetske first arrived at the Dragons for the 2012/13 season. Having then spent a season at Team Northumbria and another at Leeds Force, the New Jersey big man then returned to the Dragons Den in November 2015, where he has been a pivotal figure in the Dragons’ line up ever since. Statistically, Fetske was the standout player of the Dragons’ 2016/17 campaign, averaging 16.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, the only Dragons player to average a double-double across the season, and an impressive 22.3 efficiency, one of the highest in the division. He also picked up the official Taco Bell Player of the Year award at the club’s end of season celebration.
Šulcs was an ever-present player during the 2017/18 season, averaging 15.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and an impressive efficiency rating of 19.9, which was bettered only by American Ricky Fetske. He was also voted as the coaches’ player of the year. On re-signing for the 2018/19 season, Šulcs commented, “I’m really happy to be a part of the Dragons organisation again for my tenth season. “We’ve got a great group of guys, who can all play, and another great year of basketball ahead of us. I’m definitely looking forward to this season and to making some marks in division one again.” Dragons’ head coach, Chris Mellor added, “It’s great to have Rihards back for another season. He’s our longest serving player now and his energy effort and unpredictability means that he is such an important player for us still. The Dragons start their season with a National Trophy Double header weekend, away at Team Newcastle University Knights, on Saturday 29th September and then a home fixture against Manchester Magic the following afternoon. The league campaign commences on Saturday 6th October with a home tie against newly promoted Nottingham Hoods and all home fixtures will once again be played at the Bradford College Sports Hall on Trinity Road. Details of preseason fixtures will be announced shortly.
Bradford Dragons Basketball club are pleased to announce that Jermayne Laing and Rafi Saipe have both committed to another campaign with the club.
This will be Laing’s sixth season with his hometown club, having joined the Dragons from the now defunct Leeds Force at the start of the 2013/14 season and he has since established himself as a regular starter for Chris Mellor’s team. Last season he played in all 24 of the Dragons’ league fixtures, averaging 27.5 minutes per game. Defensively he has proved himself to be an outstanding perimeter player, whilst his speed and agility also provides the team with additional options at the offensive end of the court. The 28-year-old shooting guard, experienced basketball in the United States, where he attended prep school and then went on to attend the highly acclaimed 22ft Basketball Academy, in the south of France. Laing said, “I am really looking forward to playing for Bradford Dragons again this season and taking the team forward with our new players, who are bringing a lot of talent to the team. “I’m looking forward to training and playing hard and hopefully seeing that hard work pay-off and lead us to a successful season for the Dragons. “I’m also looking forward to adding another year with (head coach) Chris Mellor, who has helped me to develop my game in many aspects over the years.” Meanwhile, Saipe, who also made the transition from Leeds Force, will be starting his fifth season in the Dragons’ colours. The 6’2” guard spent most of his first season at the club warming the bench. However, he has since gone on to earn himself a regular starting role on the Dragons’ roster. Although he is best known for his tenacious defending, he has also established himself as an extremely capable shooter, averaging 11.5 points per game last season.
The home side put the first points on the board, taking a 5-0 lead through Jerrod Hendrix and Declan Soukup, before Jermayne Laing recorded the first points for the Dragons. In Laing scored the first seven points for the Dragons, before Ricky Fetske (sponsored by ALW Guitars) sank his only basket of the game to tie the scores at nine apiece.
Details of Bradford Dragons' playoff quarter final have been confirmed. As suspected. the Dragons will face an away fixture, against third placed Reading Rockets. The game will take place at the Rivermead Leisure Centre, Reading on Sunday 8th April, with a 5pm tip-off. Reading are unbeaten in their last nine fixtures and will go into the game as clear favourites. However, Chris Mellor's side have also hit form, at the business end of the season, and are currently on a five game winning streak of their own. Fixtures between the two sides have been split 50-50 during the regular season, with the Rockets taking the honours on their patch (95-74) but then Bradford taking the win in the Dragons' Den (82-67). It's all set to be a closely fought contest as the two sides battle for a place in the final fours.
Another of Dragons' junior players, Olufemi Bright has recently been named in the initial England under 15s squad, with training camps to be held on 15 April and 20 May.
Had it not have been for London Lituanica’s untimely exit from the league last September. meaning that only one side will face the drop this season, the Trailblazers would have still been in the midst of a relegation battle.
Bradford, meanwhile, had already secured their berth in the end of season playoff championship, but were playing for league position, in order to ensure the best possible fixture in the quarter finals. |
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September 2018
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