Sheffield Sharks: First look at new roster as Atiba Lyons explains some key absentees
It will be a much-changed Sheffield Sharks team that takes to the court for the tip-off to the new Super League Basketball season next Friday night.
Of the 11 players who claimed a winners’ medal in March’s SLB Cup final - Sharks’ high watermark of the season - only five are coming back: Prentiss Nixon, Jordan Ratinho, Rodney Glasgow Jnr, Mike Ochereobia and Reyad West.
Rickey McGill and Donovan Clay announced their intention to move to international leagues early in the summer, while James Reese V excelled in the TBT tournament in America in July which Sheffield debuted in.
More prominent figures from last season’s squad have also moved on. Drake Jeffries has taken a coaching role at Lake Land College in America, while Jacob Groves will play in the Czech Republic for a team competing in the EuroCup. Great Britain international Jamell Anderson is pursuing other interests away from 5-on-5 basketball.
“Jacob wanted to explore his options and has found a team in the Czech Republic,” said Sharks head coach Atiba Lyons ahead of next Friday’s trip to Bristol Flyers.
“He’s very talented, fun to coach, I know he’ll do great this season.
“Jamell has chosen to focus on other things professionally, we did have the conversation, he just wanted to try something different. He’s a consummate professional.”
The man Lyons would have loved to have brought back from last season was forward Clay, even saying to The Yorkshire Post during the summer, ‘if you know where to find someone like him, give me a call’.
Despite bringing in Dirk Williams, Mervin James, William Lee, Jalen DeLoach, Nick Kern Jnr and bringing back Rodney Chatman III following his season-ending injury in January, Lyons in the end opted not to go with a like-for-like replacement for Clay. “Donovan has a very unique skillset with his size, athleticism and ball-handling, and the way he could play point-centre,” said Lyons.
“This year I feel like it’s a more complete team, very talented. I can start any number of ways and feel confident with that, so this team will have a different feel and a different look about it. We’ll play a little more up-tempo, more pace, more guys that can score in different ways. There’s won’t be any Donovans per se, but there’ll be a lot of talent on the court.
“We were fortunate to get someone like Dirk back who is extremely talented and he brings some different elements the way he can play in transition and shoot the ball.”
One name still missing that will pique Sharks fans’ interest is Bennett Koch. The 6ft 10in centre from Wisconsin spent five seasons with the Sharks and had become a fan favourite, but a back injury cut him down midway through the 2023-24 campaign and after months of rehab, he has not returned.
“Bennett is not coming back this year,” confirmed Lyons. “I’m not sure what the future holds for him, he has some decisions to make. He’s had some tough injuries to overcome. It’s a tough life choice to make when you have to stop, he needs the space and time to make that decision.”