Two of the surprise packages of this season’s BBL Championship meet at Worcester University on Saturday evening in the last of the four BBL Championship quarter-final first legs.

Wolves recorded their highest ever finish in the regular season as their 22-8 record was enough to take third spot, only missing out on the runners-up medal on the head-to-head tiebreaker with Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders.  Meanwhile, the Jets’ post-season hopes looked dead and buried in late March, but six wins in their final seven games saw the Cheshire side finish the season with a 13-17 record to edge out One Health Sharks Sheffield for sixth place. [read more]

As the Jets get ready to face Worcester Wolves in the playoff quarter-finals tomorrow we caught up with Adam Brown to ask about the team’s preparation and, more importantly, what are those mohawks all about!?

“They started as a joke at first,” Adam says.  “Then became a team bonding type of thing. We were all just chilling and Colin asked Bill if could he give him a Mohawk.  Bill said “let’s do it” and Colin started acting like he was cutting him one, but I grabbed the clippers and took off half his hair.  There was no turning back after that.”

“Bill’s looked decent,” Adam continued.  “So I cut Colin’s next, then gave myself one.  I recently gave Kai Williams one as well, but Matt went to the barber to get his.”

This story says less about Adam’s barber skills than it does about the Jets’ team chemistry and how they all get along off the court.  “We all get along very well on this team – there’s lots of laughter and good times,” says Adam.  “Also we all can talk too each other on the court without having attitudes, which is a huge difference from other teams I have been on.”

After a generally frustrating season the Jets are hitting form right when it counts – playoff time – and the challenges and obstacles they’ve faced as a team during the season have brought them closer together, which is now showing on the court.  “This season has been nothing short of frustrating,” agreed Adam. “We have all come from winning programs and are used to winning, so losing hasn’t been normal for us.  I believe we have one of the most talented teams in the league as individuals and team wise, so the struggle we have had was surprising.  Having five guys to play a whole game while others have 8 to 10 players was a challenge in itself, but all excuses aside we should have done better.”

A run of four straight wins (and six out of seven) heading in to the playoffs could hardly have been better preparation to launch an assault as the dark horses of the playoffs.  “ Our team chemistry is at a season high and were playing great basketball,” admits Adam.  ”Our confidence in our team is very high right now and will remain like this throughout the playoffs.  We are at the peak of our performance as a team and individually, so we do believe we will make a run in the playoffs.”

The first hurdle in the playoff run is a trip to Worcester to face the Wolves in the quarter-finals – a team the Jets have struggled with this season.  “Our team is playing the best basketball we have played all year and even though the Wolves have beaten us three times we are confident we can play with them and will give them a run for their money,” says Adam.  “Losing is never the plan when the Cheshire Jets step on the floor.”

The Jets visit Worcester tomorrow (Saturday 28^th April) in the BBL Playoff quarter-final first leg, with the second leg on Sunday 29^th April at the Northgate [buy tickets].

The Worcester Wolves closed the gap to just two points at the top of the BBL Championship table thanks to a comfortable 65-94 victory over the Cheshire Jets at the Northgate Arena. [read more]

Two sides in need of BBL Championship victories for different reasons meet at Northgate Arena on Sunday evening as Cheshire Jets host Worcester Wolves.

The Jets go into the game in tenth spot chasing a place in the play-offs.  They have seven wins from 22 games, and are one win behind eighth placed Prestige Homes MK Lions with two games in hand.  Meanwhile the Wolves are still in with a shout of the BBL Championship. [read more]

BBL Championship 

Worcester Wolves 95 (26,44,68) (Gordon 23, Kazlauskas 22, Freeman 15)

Cheshire Jets 79 (20,39,62) (Cole 18, O’Reilly 16, Williams 16)

Worcester Wolves enjoyed another success to stay in the title race as they overpowered Cheshire Jets in the final quarter to rack up a comfortable win.

Some terrific three-point shooting and a great all-round team performance were the main features as Wolves finished with five players in double-digits.

And yet the visitors had started pretty well with an inside score by Matt Schneck and a triple by Kai Williams giving them the first five points of the game but Wolves responded with the next seven points as both teams got the scoreboard ticking over during the opening few minutes. [read more]

WORCESTER Wolves coach Paul James is preparing his side to face a Jets side that – Sunday aside – have shown signs that on their day they could humble any team in the BBL Championship this month.

The Jets go to Worcester on Saturday evening and James said: “The Jets are a team with a lot of talent that has not fired consistently this season.

“However they have shown in recent weeks that if they get it together they can compete with any team in the league.

Read More…

The Worcester Wolves have won four league games in a row – and eight of their last nine – in beating the Cheshire Jets 97-87 on Saturday night, thereby condemning the Jets to a fourth straight defeat. [read more]