Cheshire Phoenix star Kinu Rochford has set his sights on further success having scooped the BBL Player of the Month Award for January.
The forward was head and shoulders above the rest during January in terms of his performance efficiency valuation, averging 17.8 points, 14 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his side’s six games.
And the Brooklyn native, who joined the club in October having played professionally in France last season, is now focused on continuing his good form and helping his Cheshire teammates secure a play-off berth come the end of the season.
Rochford said: “I was really happy as it was the hard work that doesn’t always get seen pays off. January was a great month for me. I took a lot of time and I worked hard on what I do to make me more efficient and to try and help my team out.
“I need another one of them. I just wanted my mom to know I got this for her, it’s really a blessing for me and I hope that it continues.”
And Rochford believes that togetherness in the group will be key to success for his side, who host Glasgow Rocks on Sunday.
“I feel like we have to come more together and stay together during times when we break down,” said Rochford.
“We have just got to move the ball a little better and continue playing our defence and also rebound better.
“Every time I look at the league at the moment it is like somebody goes up and somebody goes down, I feel like we have to win these games that we have coming up.”
Having had first-hand experience of the BBL for four months, Rochford believes the settled nature of Newcastle Eagles’ and Leicester Riders’ squads is something that Cheshire should be striving for in the future if they are wanting to re-establish themselves among the top four and challenge for honours.
“I noticed with Newcastle and Leicester that it’s a core, they’ve been together more than one year,” said Rochford.
“They know each other and you can see that they stick together, even down to the bench. I feel like if we used that to inspire us and be able to compete with those kind of teams in the future.”
