Raiders ready for life in Div 2

PLYMOUTH Raiders' preseason preparations are well and truly underway as they ready themselves for life in the NBL Division 2.

- By JACK MAY Basketball correspondent

Despite missing out on automatic promotion last season by only two wins - in what was the closest division in the entire NBL, with only four points separating first and fifth - the NBL’ restructuring for the 25/26 season means that Raiders have been pushed into the second tier regardless.

It's a leap that the club feels they are ready for. They showed at the back end of last season how dominant they can be in the third tier and that, perhaps, a higher level of competition is where they belong.

An injury crisis through December and January saw key men and leading scorers Tom Woods and Tom Elliott-Smith sidelined, resulting in a poor run of three losses from four. When the two finally returned to full fitness in February, the side went on to win their final seven games of the season, often emphatically.

In these final seven games, Raiders totalled 572 points scored and conceded only 449: a points difference of 123 in just seven games, the same as Portsmouth Force in third accumulated over the course of the whole season.

Reflecting on the strength of his side last season, and looking ahead to next term, head coach Gareth Laws said:

“Entering my third year with the club, I couldn’t be more excited for the 25/26 season.

“Each year we've taken big steps forward as a squad, and this year is no different.