With the new BBL season under way, it is shaping up to be a very busy time for one of the country's leading coaches. Sheffield's Peter Scantlebury has to keep his own Sharks squad in the hunt for domestic trophies while also keeping an eye on the members of the England team he will take to the Commonwealth Games in March.
During the summer, he assessed a total of 23 players as England played 19 games against 12 different European nations, winning eight of them.
"The one thing they learned was to play the more responsible international style of basketball," he told BBC Sport. "It's a lot different from the up and down style we play in this league."
The Commonwealths are set to be a swansong for England's all-time leading scorer Steve Bucknall, who will turn 40 on the opening day of the Melbourne tournament, and former NBA player John Amaechi.
"That experience will be invaluable," adds Scantlebury. "They've both got a lot to give on court and off as leaders - especially if we get to the position of playing for a medal."
 |  I'm confident that we're moving on - we've made big strides this year |
It is the first time basketball has been included in the Commonwealth Games and although Australia will be the clear favourites, England have their eyes on a medal.
But the timing of the Games rules out foreign-based players, who will be in mid-season, so six players - centre Robert Reed and Bucknall (Leicester), guards Germayne Forbes and Julius Joseph (Scottish Rocks), Andrew Sullivan (Newcastle) and Michael Martin (Guildford) - have received central funding to be available in March.
All except Sullivan played abroad last season.
"I'm certain about 80 to 90% of the squad," says Scantlebury. "Maybe there are one or two players who haven't been on the radar or maybe will make a big improvement in the BBL this season."
The draw for Melbourne has seen England avoid Australia but be grouped with New Zealand, Barbados and South Africa.
| England's Games schedule
16 March v Barbados 18 March v New Zealand 20 March v South Africa |
"It's not bad," says the coach. "New Zealand will be tough but if they're not at full strength then maybe we have a chance to win the group and avoid Australia in the semi-finals."
Scantlebury, who won 132 England caps as a player, is hoping a strong showing in Melbourne will help deliver the funding to get England back into European Championship qualifying for the first time since 2003.
"I'm confident that we're moving on - we've made big strides this year," he says.
"There's talk of going back into Europe and we're still waiting to hear about that. Hopefully there will be a decision by the end of the season."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
