The Medway Park Crusaders have added their 2^nd import for the 2011-12 EBL1 season with the signing of 6’9 Canadian forward Joe Schow.

Schow played for Dalhousie University last year where he was a league all-star and averaged 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Crusaders head coach James Vear is really pleased with the signing, saying, “Joe really impressed us with the tape we have seen of him. He is tall with a huge wing span and alters a lot of opponent’s shots. He is also not your typical big guy as he feels comfortable handling the ball and facing the basket.”

Schow is the 4^th Canadian to play for Crusaders following in the footsteps of Walter Moyse, Simon Mitchell and Brad Smith.

As with previous signings, Vear was keen to find a player who fit the right mould for how Medway intends to play next season.  “One thing we wanted to make sure was we didn’t recruit a one dimensional big guy who was limited to playing with just his back to the basket. We really wanted him to be able to do a range of different things and I really believe Joe will do that to us next season.”

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Medway Park Crusaders have continued to build their EBL1 squad with two key transfers.  Adrian Fenyn (6’6 forward) has joined Crusaders from Leeds Carnegie where he led EBL1 in scoring the past 2 seasons.  Joining Fenyn in Medway will be Damoy Robertson (6’2 guard) who was a key player for Brixton Topcats in their EBL1 campaign last year.

Crusaders Chairman Jesse Sazant think the experience of Fenyn and Robertson in EBL1 will be key in Crusaders first season at this level.  “Getting two players with significant experience in EBL1 will really help us to be competitive from the start in division 1.  Both these guys are impact signings who will make a real difference for us next season.”

Fenyn, who will fill one of Crusaders import positions, is originally from New York where he played at St John Fisher University.  While at university, he was part of a group that won 100 out of 118 games in his 4 years, breaking a school record.  He made a huge impact in his two seasons at Leeds, leading the league in scoring both seasons.  He was also MVP of the British Universities final 8s in 2010 and represented England in the Home Nations university tournament.  Last season he averaged 22 points and 9 rebounds per game for Leeds.

Crusaders head coach James Vear added, “In Adrian we are getting a proven top player in this division.  I have got to see him play numerous times over the past two seasons and I think his work ethic and attitude are second to none. I believe us picking up arguably one of the top 3 players in the division really shows how far the club has come in the past two seasons.”

Fenyn’s versatility was one of the big things that attracted Vear to sign him, saying, “Adrian is a perfect fit for our team and the style of basketball we play. I think he will get to develop his all round game with us and will really enjoy the way we play.  He creates huge match up problems for teams as he has the physical presence to play inside and the speed to blow past bigger defenders.”

Fenyn also felt this was a major reason to sign with Crusaders, “I’m really pleased with signing with the Crusaders.  After contemplating several options, I felt their team and organization gave me the best opportunity to continue a professional career in basketball. I felt it was an ideal fit to allow progression in my skills to reach higher goals for the future.”

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Former Crusader OJ Reed received some excellent news last week as he was officially invited to the NBA D League Draft.  The D League is NBA’s official minor league, with teams linked to NBA franchises.

Reed, a 6’6 Guard/Forward, played for Medway Park in 2010-11.  During his time at Crusaders he established himself as one of the league’s best players and scorers, using his versatility to take advantage of different match-ups.

He may be joined in the D league by another former Crusader, as San Antonio Spurs draft pick Ryan Richards waits to see where he ends up next season.

Reed met a coach from a D League team (Austin Torros) through working out with Richards while in England.  OJ expressed an interest in going to the D league trial and was reassured that he had a real chance to make it at that level.  This gave Reed a boost heading into the trial, “With him being a coach in the league already, his recommendation gave me a lot of confidence I could be successful at the trial.”

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Medway Park Crusaders have continued to build their team for their inaugural season in EBL1 with the signings of Luke Baker and Nathan Ashley.

Baker, a 6’1 guard, joins Crusaders from EBL1 rivals Westminster Warriors.  He started out playing junior basketball at London Towers and Kingston College basketball academy.  He then started his senior career at Westminster Warriors (who were then in EBL3).  His role has grown significantly over the last few seasons as he has consistently developed and improved.

Baker spent most of last season as one of the top scorers in EBL2.  He was known league wide for his deadly outside shooting as he played a key part in Westminster’s promotion to EBL1.

Head Coach James Vear thinks Luke will be a key addition, “We are very pleased Luke has decided to join us for the upcoming season.  I have seen first hand his improvement into a very good player in the last two seasons.  He is another great shooter to add to the team and was one of the top scorer’s in Div 2 last season.  Speaking to him at length I know he is keen to push himself and improve on aspects of his game which will make him a better all round player.”

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