Lavery wants to set bar even higher for next season

Cheshire Phoenix head coach John Lavery believes his side have made huge strides both on and off the court this season – and has set his targets even higher for next season.

Despite a poor start to their BBL campaign this season, where they lost eight of their first 11 games, the Nix rallied and ended the season in fifth place, a BBL Trophy semi-final appearance and a place in the end of season play-offs.

With the club making strides on the court in 2014, coupled with the successful efforts in the community through the Hoops 4 Health campaign and clubs run in high schools across the area, Lavery believes they are in a position to push on to the next level and challenge for honours.

“We didn’t have a great start to the season and if you would have said to us in November that we would finish fifth, be in the BBL Trophy semi-final and make the play-offs, not many people would have believed it,” said Lavery.

“All things considered it has been a successful season on the court, but off it we have been making huge strides in the community through the Hoops 4 Health programme and our engagement with schoolchildren and kids in high schools through our Saturday clubs.

“This is an organisation which is making big strides and we have now set ourselves a bench mark and it is up to us to ensure we continue to build and look to surpass what we have achieved this season when we go again next season.”

Lavery is hopeful of keeping together a nucleus of this year’s squad when the Nix go again in the BBL later this year, but he admits it is out of his hands.

Players such as BBL Team of the Year duo Reggie Middleton and Victor Moses, swingman Dominique Coleman, Lithuanian Donatas Visockis and this season’s Nix MVP Devan Bailey have all impressed – something which will have not escaped the radars of other clubs.

“It’s out of my hands at the moment as the guys have gone away to have a think about what they want to do,” said Lavery.

“We’ve had early discussions with some of the guys but we have nothing in concrete yet as it is very early days.

“I want to keep a nucleus of this squad together and go again for next season, but that isn’t just down to me and it is a bit of a waiting game to see what the players as individuals want to do and where they see themselves.

“They are a great bunch of guys but whatever happens, we will be ensuring we have a side that can help us push on further next season.”