THE 'DREW ON THE TOON' BLOG
09/25/2008

Wow! It takes a lot for a BBL transfer story to make me sit up and really take notice but Newcastle's scoop signing of the summer is nothing sort of sensational.

To say I nearly fell of my chair with shock when Basketball247 ran the 'Sulli back to the Toon' story is an understatement. Having picked my jaw off the floor I was nursing at least two painful strains and a nasty gash. In fact it brought back memories of the time Ronnie Baker flattened me at the Metro Radio Arena…but then that's another story.

So Sulli might only be here for a matter of days. So what? When was the last time a BBL franchise brought back a homegrown star with bags of international experience and the Team GB captain's armband to boot?

Newcastle's latest signing is not only a statement from the Eagles, it is a statement from the league. It sends out a message to the pessimists and ne'er do wells, the doubters and the disrespecters that the BBL is a serious player on the sporting scene. It's a signing to excite Eagles fans and their rivals alike - until, that is, the day Fab Flournoy's men hit town.

On reflection it could be the addition which puts Newcastle out of reach. Already boasting two league MVPs in the shape of Trey Moore and Lynard Stewart, the men in black have now claimed a third. Try containing that trio night after night - and if you do then don't forget to keep an eye on rookies Reggie Jackson and Tafari Toney. And Darius Defoe. And Andrew Bridge. And Charles Smith. And Fab himself.

This is a Newcastle roster that really does go NINE deep. Yes, NINE deep. And after that there's a quartet of kids capable of muscling their way onto many lesser teams. It is difficult to recall a BBL roster which could call on quite so much strength in depth and if they gel…well, it's game over.

The Eagles took last season's Playoff semi-final defeat badly and this is their chilling response. Winning the league at a canter was scant consolation for a club chasing a fourth Playoff title on the bounce and Sullivan's short-term signing is the final piece in a star-studded jigsaw aimed at securing a second clean sweep.

Newcastle lost a mere four league games last season and that was without Moore and Sullivan. Would it be putting my neck on the line to say they'll better that this time around? Maybe so. But on the eve of the new BBL season I firmly believe there is only one contender in UK hoops this season. And that's the Eagles.