Basketball: McGee must be on guard

Basketball

Renault Leicester Riders' coach, Bob Donewald, has put the pressure on his playmakers for tonight's Classic Cola National Cup tie with Newcastle Eagles, and hopes his players will do the same to the former Granby Halls crowd-pleaser Leon McGee.

The 26-year-old McGee, from Battle Creek, Michigan, spent much of last season at war with Donewald. So, despite leading Leicester's scorers with 22 points a game, there was little surprise when McGee moved on during the summer.

Donewald, engaging in one of his familiar psychological skirmishes, is playing up McGee's qualities at the expense of his own backcourt men.

Donewald said of McGee: "I hope he plays well but we win. He's not as wound up as some people make him out to be. He's a smart man.

"With Rob Phelps alongside him, I think Newcastle's guards are better than ours."

Leicester won 94-84 at Newcastle in the Budweiser League in their second game of the season, but under new coach Craig Lynch the Eagles have won four of their last five matches.

Lynch said: "Generally we are playing as a team now and not like a collection of individuals". That could be a key factor tonight if McGee decides to prove a point to his former coach.

Richard Taylor