27/08/05

14/08/05

BUTTERS AND HURST RECOMMIT 

Max Hurst and Lee Butters have restated their commitment to play for the Crusaders next season.  

Butters is a 6’2 forward who lead the league in the key area of rebounds last season as well as being the third highest scorer on the team. 

The signing of 6’10 Canadian Walter Moyse at centre frees up Butters to play in his favoured position of forward this season. 

Head coach Jesse Sazant praised Butters intensity on the court “Lee is an intense competitor in everything he does. His ability to play much bigger than his actual size was very important to us last season.” 

Sazant describes 5’8 point guard Max Hurst as a “key asset” having worked hard all summer to improve his shooting range and general speed and strength. 

Hurst, like many of his Crusaders team mates played junior basketball for Canterbury Jazz before moving on to play at senior level with Crusaders.

22/07/05

CRUSADERS ADD ANOTHER SHOOTER 

East Kent Crusaders have signed their second new player of the coming season, 22-year-old guard James Harris. 

Harris, a civil engineering graduate from Canterbury, is a former Kent Young Player of the year and was a four times Kent Cup schools champion at the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. 

Crusaders' head coach Jesse Sazant believes Harris to be one of the finest 3 point shooters in the league; "James will definitely add to our offensive firepower, his shooting ability will help to open up defences." 

Harris developed a love of basketball whilst as a junior with Canterbury Jazz team, but left for university the year before Sazant took over as head coach of the club and renamed it the East Kent Crusaders. 

An industrial placement in East Kent gave Harris the opportunity to play under Sazant then coaching basketball in Whitstable. Harris was immediately impressed by the Canadian's professional approach to the game; "Jesse is a pretty exciting guy to have as a coach, his professional attitude to the game really gives you the impression that things are happening.” 

When he returned to university in Loughborough and began playing for the university basketball club he almost had the opportunity to play against his former coach but was sidelined due to a snowboarding injury. 

He is delighted to be once again playing for the East Kent Crusaders, alongside many familiar faces from his days playing for Canterbury Jazz. 

"About fifty percent of the guys playing for Canterbury are guys I used to look up when I was learning the game; it's really nice to be able to play alongside them now as an equal." He is also bullish about the clubs chances for promotion this season, "Any club which gets into the promotion playoffs in its first season in a league is doing well, I think we will be able to go one step better this season and get promoted"

15/07/05

Four of the East Kent Crusaders key players, Paul Jessop, Pete Ayling, Mike Webber and Nick Hubble, have re-signed to the club. 

The four, including Crusader’s defensive anchorman Paul Jessop, should form the backbone of the Crusaders squad as it pushes for promotion. 

6’3 forward Mike Webber said he was pleased to re-sign to the club because he felt his game has improved with his time at the club; “Any sportsman enjoys his sport better when he feels his game is improving and I feel like I’m at a point where I can really improve.” 

Webber says that the improvements made to the Crusader’s game by head coach Jesse Sazant should make the Canterbury based outfit a tougher to beat. 

“Jesse has picked up on some of the weak points of the weak points of our game and has changed the way the way that we play for the better. Last season we played a very structured style of offence, this year we have introduced a ‘motion’ style of offence, every time someone gets the ball they will try to attack the basket, which will help to break down opposition defences." 

Webber, a product of the Crusader’s junior system has impressed in preseason training and Sazant hopes that his attacking flair will add greater cut and thrust to the Crusaders attacking play. 

“Mike will play a key role for us in the up tempo game we want to play this year. His ability to penetrate and break down defences will be crucial for us.” 

Defensively Crusaders will be bolstered by the return of Division 3 East player of the Year Paul Jessop. 

Jessop, a 6’5 forward from Folkestone was named as the Crusaders' defensive player of the year; “Paul is really looking to raise his game this year and take on more of a leadership role. He will be a key player as far as achieving our goals,” said Sazant. 

Last year Jessop was the Crusaders’ second leading scorer and rebounder and featured in the league top ten in a variety of categories.  One of the league’s deadliest shooters, Jessop will again be looked at to stretch opposing defences. 

6’1 guard, Ayling is another returning starter for East Kent.  After being named the team’s most improved player last season, Ayling will be looked upon to raise his game to another level again.  "Pete really developed over the course of last season.  He brings great intensity and hustle to our training sessions and really raises the level of play," said Sazant. 

Sazant stated that Hubble (a 6’2 forward) "has really showed up in pre-season training.  His fitness and work rate have really been noticed by the coaches as he tries to get more minutes." 

Crusaders hope that all the hard work in preseason training will lead to them playing not only a more attractive style of basketball this season, but a winning one also.