Cheshire Phoenix coach Ben Thomas has been named Molten Kevin Cadle BBL Coach of the Month for April after leading the Nix through a late season ordeal to their highest BBL Championship since 2015.
After suffering what appear to be season-ending injuries to senior players Tahjai Teague – who only played the first game in April – and Will Neighbor – who hasn’t played since the end of March – Coach Thomas’ seven remaining players have adapted to go 7-2 in a busy month, showing great resilience. With many players playing out of position because the Nix was in first.
That strong finish secured fifth in the BBL championship standings with a 19-17 record, Coach Thomas’ highest-ever finish and best overall record in his sixth year at the helm, with his last two wins in April also securing his first-ever lead. to the BBL semi-finals, and the club’s first appearance there since 2016.
Perhaps even more impressive was how Cheshire bounced back from grief at the end of March, losing the BBL Cup final live on Sky Sports to the Caledonia Gladiators on David Sloane’s memorable three-wicket pointer.
Coach Thomas galvanized his forces for an immediate response, racking up an impressive three straight wins including a North West derby win over Manchester Giants live on Sky Sports in the 2023 Retro Series, ensuring a head-to-head showdown with arch-rivals. This was preceded by a win over B Brown Sheffield Sharks which meant they put themselves in the driving seat for fifth place in front of their closest rivals.
In those tight matches against both Manchester and Sheffield they held off three-point winning efforts that would have had to go into extra work and bring back memories of the cup final, with that intense defensive pressure in those crucial moments that has been the hallmark of Cheshire’s side all season. .
Most important of all, they directly avenged their cup final defeat by knocking Gladiators out of the BBL Play-Off quarter-finals, with victories in both the home and away legs last weekend – including a huge double-digit win at the raucous Cheshire Oaks arena – She is left as the lowest seed remaining in the semi-finals.
The month also saw Cheshire’s best attacking performance of the season in a 105-84 home win over Surrey Scorchers in which they shot 50% from the three-point line, as well as a road win against the Plymouth City Patriots and a final day success over Leicester City. Knights.
Coach Thomas is now leading his side into a double weekend against the league champions London Lions, as they look to create a buzz and reach the BBL Play-off Final at the O2 Arena.