Reading Rockets will return to the court after a weekend off when they travel to Kent on Saturday to face Medway Park Crusaders (5pm tip-off) before returning home to take on Tees Valley Mohawks in an action-packed day on Sunday at Rivermead (4pm tip-off). Rockets currently lie just outside the play-off positions in 9th place with a record of five wins and six losses and will be looking for two wins this weekend to put themselves right back into contention in the run up to the post season. Saturday's opponents Medway Park Crusaders have enjoyed their first season in the top-flight of English basketball as they currently sit in fifth position with eight wins and five losses to their name, whilst Sunday's visitors Tees Valley Mohawks have found wins hard to come by this season as they reside second from bottom with only two wins and eleven losses to their name.
With Rockets having had the weekend free, Head Coach Samit Nuruzade has been able to lend a hand with the club's division four outfit as well as do some extra preparation ahead of this weekend's two games. In speaking about his team's opportunities for the rest of the season, the Azerbaijani native is looking forward to what lies ahead. He said, "I am really pleased with where this club is heading and I believe we are doing the right things and achieving the right goals each time we get together on the floor as well as off it. Although we are outside of the play-offs now, I truly believe we will be in good shape at the end of the regular season and believe we can still be a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses. We have suffered some tough losses in the league recently, two by a single point and it's those type of games we need to turn into wins. All of our players are progressing well, they are learning everyday we see them and that's exactly what being part of this team and club is about. Having had a weekend off, it has given us a chance to rest and recover from all the injuries we have suffered as well as make some alterations and changes in practice that we believe will help us in the second part of the year. It's an exciting time ahead, especially with the National Trophy semi-final just around the corner and I am looking forward to all the challenges that are put in front of us!"
Saturday's meeting against Medway Park will be the third time the two teams have met this season. The very first game of the 2011/2012 campaign was contested at Rivermead and on that occasion it was the Rockets who ran out winners by a narrow margin, winning by 69 points to 67 in the National Trophy pool stage. However, roles were reversed when the team from Kent came back to Reading for their first league meeting when the Crusaders picked up an invaluable away win, defeating the Rockets by 72 points to 59 on their home court. Rockets Performance Analyst Ben Fisher knows that the team from Medway will be tough opposition and will be well prepared going into the game on Saturday. He said, "Coach (James) Vear has done a good job getting his team play the way he wants them to and clearly the addition of his brother Steve at the point guard position has been a massive addition to their roster. He does a great job controlling the team and giving them what they want at crucial times and this has been evident in a number of games I have seen him play, including last weekend's win over PAWS London. They have a nice inside-outside balance with imports Adrain Fenyn and Joe Schow scoring and rebounding well inside as well as some difficult match-ups with Kalil Irving and Disraeli Lufadeju. Luke Baker seems to be shooting the ball very well at the moment so it's going to be an interesting battle but one we are looking forward to because like every team there are weaknesses and that's what we have to look to exploit from a scouting side of things."
Sunday's opponent's Tees Valley Mohawks will provide the Rockets with some food for thought following an interesting weekend in Middlesborough back in November. The Berkshire outfit played two games in the same weekend against the Mohawks but with two very different outcomes with the Rockets winning their league game with great comfort by 92 points to 56 before an astonishing turn around the following day which saw the Teesside outfit win the National Cup quarter-final match-up by 87 points to 82. Performance Analyst Ben Fisher knows that his team can't afford such slip ups this time around. He said, "We (Rockets coaching staff) have studied the tape of our loss to them very closely and there were a number of factors we felt that caused us to lose that day. They do have some good talent and it is surprising they are sitting where they are in the league as they can turn it on when they want to as we saw! It just depends on which team turns up for them and whether all their players will be available. Americans DJ Glaven and DeMarcus Berry have played a prominent part for them all season so I expect that despite their league position they will come to us with the belief they can beat us again so it is up to us to be focused and prepared after our game on Saturday."
Rockets' injuries concerns have eased after the weekend's break with 19 year old Harrison Gamble nearly back to full fitness and Robbie Parker having recovered from a lip injury he sustained in the National Trophy quarter-final win against Brixton Topcats. Steve Vaughan is making considerable progress with his major ankle injury but this weekend comes too soon for the 19 year old centre to be back to action. 16 year old point guard Luke Nelson continues to impress and has managed any soreness or niggles he has been having over the last three weeks. With Rockets back in National Trophy action next weekend, they will be hoping to get some league wins on the board this weekend as they look to move back into a play-off position and challenge for a top four spot.
