|
LEICESTER PLAYER NEWS, 2008-09 |
15/09/08
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have signed Tony Windless, one of the BBL's most successful players, to their roster for the 2008/09 season.
The 6'5" forward has won every trophy on offer in British basketball during a glittering career that ironically began in Leicester when he made his BBL debut for London Towers in 1994.
"Obviously when you sign Tony Windless you are getting valuable experience, leadership and someone who knows what it takes to be successful," said Coach Rob Paternostro. "He's been there and done it in the BBL and has a clutch of medals to prove it.
"But to me that stuff is just a bonus, because what I'm excited about is we are getting one heck of a player. Tony still has an awful lot to give in this league and I think he's going to make a huge impact for us this season."
In January, Windless helped Milton Keynes Lions claim their first trophy in club history when he netted 22 points in their BBL Cup final victory over Newcastle Eagles.
It was the latest medal in a career that has also included stops in Derby, Newcastle, Scottish Rocks and three years in France with Besancon, Gravelines and Montpellier.
With over 5,000 career points to his name, Windless ranks in the top 20 scorers in the history of British basketball and is also amongst the elite for rebounds and floor shots as well. Last season he averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds a contest for the Lions.
Windless signed in time to play for the Riders against USA Select in the Leicester International Tournament on Saturday. He had an impressive debut as he poured in 17 points off 60% shooting in only 21 minutes of action as Riders won the trophy.
10/09/08
Last season's captain Roderick Wellington has returned to Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders for a second season.
The 30-year-old Londoner averaged over 11 points whilst making almost 50% of his shot attempts for the Riders last season.
"Rod brings a lot of experience to the squad," said Coach Rob Paternostro. "He's a really versatile player, who offers many different options to the team. Rod has also won trophies in this league, so he knows what it takes to be successful in the BBL."
Prior to joining the Riders, Wellington was part of the Guildford Heat squad that won the league and cup double two seasons ago. Prior to that he also had spells with Plymouth, Thames Valley and Sutton and also won 7 England caps.
Wellington also plays a key role for the club off the court, leading the successful delivery of the 'Hoops for Health' programme in schools last season.
"I'm glad to be back with the team and am hoping we can get back to winning ways," said Wellington. "We have a good unit here and have the opportunity to do some exciting things. We are planning to play an up- tempo brand of basketball and I hope the fans can give the players their full support like last year, and hopefully, enjoy the ride!"
Riders' first pre-season action will be when they host a four-team international tournament at John Sandford Sports Centre this weekend. Riders take on Team Meresta of Lithuania on Friday (7.30), before facing a USA Select side on Saturday (7.30). Also on Saturday, Milton Keynes Lions will play Team Meresta (5.30). Tickets are available at www.leicesterriders.co.uk.
02/09/08
Riders add Missere
Rob Paternostro has added forward Phil Missere to his Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders roster for the 2008/09 season.
The 6'9" New Yorker briefly played alongside Paternostro at Birmingham last season, including an impressive debut against the Riders.
"We are very happy to have Phil working with us," said Paternostro. "He is an athletic player who will give us flexibility on our front line. Whenever I have seen him play I have been impressed with how hard he plays and his ability to rebound at both ends of the floor."
Prior to coming to the BBL, the Missere attended top American college St John's University in New York and he is really looking forward to returning to Britain.
"The opportunity to play for Leicester was something I couldn't pass up," said the 25-year-old. "In my talks with Coach Paternostro and General Manager Russell Levenston it was clear they had a common goal and that was putting together a team that can be very competitive in the BBL.
"Leicester is a nice place for me and my family to live. I am looking forward to competing and seeing what we as a team can accomplish. We have very lofty goals for us and for the fans, we just want to get out on the court and compete day in and day out."
Riders' first pre-season action will be when they host a four-team international tournament at John Sandford Sports Centre on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September. Following the withdrawal of Joniskis Delikatesas, Riders will now face another Lithuanian side, Team Meresta, in the opening game.
27/08/08
'MD' Back For Another Season With Riders
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have resigned guard Mindaugas Janiska for a second season at the club.
The 26-year-old Lithuanian, known as 'MD', averaged over 9 points per game for the Riders last season, as well as being the team's leader in steals with almost 2 per contest.
"MD showed at times last season that he can be an effective player in the BBL, he had some big games" said Coach Rob Paternostro. "He can handle the ball, he is strong and can shoot with some range. He also has the ability to play both guard positions which is valuable at this level.
"MD and I have spoken at length about the importance of being more consistent night in and night out this season and we are looking forward to him helping us in many different areas this year."
As well as playing a big role on the court, Janiska is also set to have a key role off it in the Riders community programme.
"He is an important part of what we are doing off the court," continued Paternostro. "He made a major impact in Leicester last year with his work in schools and we as an organisation are looking forward to him continuing that."
Russell Levenston GM commented "It is great to have MD back with us. The community development programme has a major role in the growth of our club. Having high quality professional players, as coaches in schools, is vital for the programme to succeed. Since the beginning of last season the programme has gone from strength to strength, of which MD has played a key part.
With the majority of his line-up now in place, Paternostro is expecting to finalise the final few signings shortly, with the season opener against London Capital at John Sanford Sports Centre now exactly a month away.
21/08/08
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have re-signed Emile Hopkins and Mike Martin to their roster for the 2008/09 season.
The pair both made their BBL debuts for the Riders last season and Coach Rob Paternostro is hoping to see them push for even more playing time this year.
"I'm happy to have Emile and Mike working with us this year," he said. "Both guys have really been working hard to get better this off season. Having spent a season in the BBL, they know what is expected and I'm hoping they will both be able to play an important role in the team.
"Emile can really run the floor and is tremendously athletic, whilst Mike can really shoot the ball and he has shown a great work ethic in his time at the Riders."
Martin, 23, who is studying for a Masters degree at De Montfort University, made three appearances last season and will also be part of Riders community coaching programme in local schools.
Hopkins, 22, saw action 16 times in the last campaign, notching up 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Riders first pre-season action is now only three weeks away when they host a four-team international tournament at John Sandford Sports Centre on the 12th and 13th September. Tickets for those games and Riders season-opener against London Capital on Saturday 28th September are available at www.leicesterriders.co.uk
19/08/08
Swanson Latest Addition For Riders
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders Rob Paternostro has added American forward Tommy Swanson to his line-up for the 2008/09 BBL season.
At 6'10", the 24-year-old will offer Riders plenty of size inside, but he is also capable of making outside shots as well.
"When I set out to get an inside player this year I was looking for a guy to do a variety of things and Tommy Swanson is that the type of player," said Paternostro, speaking from his scouting trip in America. "He can get out and run the floor, which is something we are looking to do, and he offers some real versatility at both ends of the court.
"To get a player who played major minutes in the Big 12 Conference is a step in the right direction for us. That's American college basketball at its highest level."
Swanson played four years at Baylor University in Alabama before being drafted to the NBA's development league. Last season he trained with the then reigning NBA champions, San Antonio, in his role as Player Development Assistant with the Spurs.
With two of his overseas signings secured, plus another couple of domestic signings all but completed, Paternostro is pleased with how things are going in his first summer as coach.
"I'm excited about the way things are shaping up and really forward to getting our pre-season under way.
"It has been challenging coming in and building a new team, but I'm looking forward to working with the guys we are bringing in."
28/07/08
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have re-signed centre Barry Lamble for the 2008/09 season.
The 6'10" Englishman becomes the second signing by new head coach Rob Paternostro after last week's capture of Matt Martin. "I'm excited about working with Barry," Paternostro said. "I had a chance to play alongside him for the Riders two years ago, so I saw firsthand that he is a talented player.
"He has been working hard on his game this summer and he needs to come in with confidence from day one."
The 25-year-old from Somerset averaged almost 7 points and 5 rebounds per game for the Riders last season, both up on his first campaign with the club and he is looking forward to another productive year for the Riders.
"It's great to be back in Leicester for another season," said Lamble. "Having played with Rob, I know what he was like as a player and I don't think there are many people who know the game as well as he does. His experience and knowledge should make it a very successful season and one which the Riders' fans really deserve.
"I've been looking forward to next season for a couple of months now and have been training hard to be in peak condition. My plan for next season is to carry on giving the fans what they want and expect from me, which is 100% commitment, passion and hard work whenever I get on the court"
23/07/08
Rob Paternostro has made his first signing as Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders head coach with the capture of American Matt Martin.
The 23-year-old, 6'0" guard, joins the Riders after four years at the University of Montana in America.
"Matt is multi-talented guard who over his four-year career at Montana was able to excel at both guard positions," said Paternostro. "I think he has the type of game our fans will really enjoy watching. Montana is a solid Division I team and he helped them reach the NCAA tournament twice.
"Everyone I spoke with had great things to say about his competitive nature, so I think he'll be a great fit for us. I'm looking forward to working with Matt both on and off the floor."
Last season he averaged 11 points per game for the Grizzlies and he left the university as one of their all- time assist leaders. He also posted a career average of almost 38% in three-point shooting.
For his part, Martin, who also was a star American football quarterback in high school, is looking forward to coming to Leicester.
"I am really excited to have the opportunity to play professional basketball in the UK," he said. "It has been a dream of mine to play professionally and I am very happy for this opportunity.
"The Leicester Riders are an up and coming team in the BBL and I look forward to playing for Head Coach Rob Paternostro. Coach Paternostro is a player's coach, who will encourage the up-tempo style, which will fit my game perfectly. I look forward to helping the Riders become the best team possible."
Paternostro is continuing to assemble his side ahead of the new season, with further announcements expected shortly. Riders are also finalising their pre- season plans with further details to be confirmed this week.
24/06/08
Jelson Homes
DMU Leicester Riders are delighted to announce the appointment of Rob
Paternostro as their head coach for the 2008/09 season.
Paternostro, 35, will also keep open the option to play for the Riders and become the club's first player- coach since Dip Donaldson in 1992.
Riders Chairman Mark Ellis said, "We are obviously delighted to get our man and are very confident Rob will do a top job for the Club. Of course, we know Rob well from his previous stint with the Riders and his leadership qualities are there for all to see. A year ago he was one of the candidates we had considered as a player-coach, but Rob had already committed himself to Birmingham and thus was not in the final reckoning."
As well as playing for the Riders in 2006-07, Paternostro had three stints with Birmingham interspersed with spells on the continent. During his time in the BBL he has a career average of just over 10 points per game, whilst his 5.2 assists per game average ranks him in the top dozen of all time in that category.
Paternostro follows a long line of former Riders players to be appointed to the top job including the likes of Karl Brown, Dave Harris, Jerry Jenkins and Donaldson.
"This will be Rob's first shot in a BBL hot seat, but we have a long, long history of giving our former players a chance to prove themselves as a coach. From Bob Wilson to Carl Olsson to Karl Brown, we have always looked at former players to make the step up," added Ellis.
"Rob also has previous assistant coaching experience in the US and has stepped in at BBL level for short periods, when there were suspensions, etc. As an archetypal point guard, all of his coaches have looked to Rob for input, so throughout his playing career, he was effectively being groomed to take over.
"With a playing career that has spanned Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Greece, as well as England, he has a very wide experience and we were very impressed with his clear strategies and ideas. Plus he is still a quality BBL player, so that gives extra flexibility as well".
For his part, Paternostro is thrilled at the prospect of moving into the coaching ranks, "To be a head coach is something I've aspired to do, so to be given the opportunity by a club such as Leicester, who I've had the fortune of playing for and I'm familiar with, is a wonderful thing.
"There is a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season, but I will certainly be excited to step up and take this challenge. To do it in place like Leicester where I know from experience the support the fans give their team is definitely going to be exciting."
Ellis confirmed that Paternostro will be starting immediately in building for next season. "We will be meeting with Rob this week to look at player options and understand his thoughts in terms of last season's squad. Rob will be off to the US in a couple of weeks and we hope to make rapid progress in nailing down our playing options for the new season".
29/05/08
Riders Start Search for Head Coach
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have decided not to extend the contract of Head Coach Martin Ford and have commenced the search for a replacement for the 2008/09 season.
Riders Chairman Mark Ellis said, "We want to express the greatest thanks to Martin for the job he has done this last season. He stepped into the position at very short notice last September, had little time for preparation and has been very professional in all his work for the Club.
“We recognised that Martin has a number of other commitments, including to the English Universities program and felt the Club needed a more dedicated resource. We are hopeful that Martin will continue to play a role in a senior capacity with the Club in the future."
Ellis also signaled the Club's determination to move forward from last season's up and down performances, "Overall the Board were very disappointed with results last season and we will be very active through the summer to have a much better preparation for the new season. We are committed to getting a new coach in place by the end of June, so that team building can then proceed".
Martin Ford said, "I have really enjoyed my time with the Riders, and particularly the support I received from the Board and the fans. I hope to continue to provide support to the Club in whatever role they have in mind".