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BRIT ARRIVALS ADD SPICE TO NEW BBL

Glasgow Rocks centre Ali Fraser reckons scoring prizes is going to be tougher than ever because the top Brits keep coming home.

The new season tips off tonight with the Scottish side’s trip to Manchester Giants in the group stages of the BBL Cup officially firing the starting gun on the 2019-20 campaign.

French boss Vincent Lavandier has revamped his side to try and bring a first trophy back to the Emirates Arena in 16 years.

Andrew Lawrence’s arrival at London City Royals has been the league’s headline capture this off-season with Ovie Soko’s move to London Lions still understood to be in the pipeline.

And Fraser, who played in Germany and the USA before joining Glasgow, reckons bigger budgets and tougher competition will tempt more homegrown heroes to sign on.

“A lot of people under-estimate the talent that’s in the UK with guys over in Europe playing at really high levels,” he said.

“But I’m sure they’d love to play in the UK, if the reputation and the money offered was higher. So, if we can continue to push for that, then it just raises the bar for everything.”

The BBL’s games will all be shown on YouTube this season and although the domestic league might not ever rival the NBA, Fraser reckons the prospect of a real scrap for silverware for every club will keep the Rocks and their rivals on their toes.

“I think everyone has a picture of the BBL until you actually play in it. It is a completely different thing.

“There are good players and good coaches in it. And here’s an interesting style of basketball between what you find in Germany with athletic guys running up and down a bit, and what you might find watching the NBA.

“It’s a great product and it should be commercially more successful.”

Friday

BBL Cup, group stage. Manchester Giants v Glasgow Rocks (7pm), Newcastle Eagles v Cheshire Phoenix (7.30pm), Leicester Riders v Sheffield Sharks (7.30pm), Bristol Flyers v Surrey Scorchers (7.30pm), Worcester Wolves v London Lions (7.30pm)

Sunday

BBL Cup, group stage. Glasgow Rocks v Newcastle Eagles (6pm), Plymouth Raiders v London City Royals (4pm), Sheffield Sharks v Manchester Giants (5pm)

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