BASKETBALL: Teesside Mohawks

The 25-year-old point guard, who finished the last campaign by being named Most Valuable Player at the championship play off victory at Coventry Skydome, is seen as a major piece in the team building jigsaw in what is going to be the toughest campaign in the club's history, believes general manager Trevor Lowes.

"This is another piece of good news for us with the new season fast-approaching. EJ brought another dimension to us when he first joined us for the 1999/2000 season. He is a specialist in the point guard role and has proved so reliable that the other players have complete trust in him."

Joining him is another familiar face to the club - Corey Jackson.

After finding opportunities limited for much of last season due to governing body England Basketball's two foreigners only rule, the 32 year-old American could now find himself called up for the BBL (British Basketball League) Trophy and National Cup fixtures, which run under BBL rules and allow clubs to play up to five 'foreigners'.

But significantly, like fellow-countryman Ralph Bucci, Jackson is another who becomes eligible for his British passport during the campaign and with it, surely, a place in the regular starting ten.

With such an intense programme ahead, the club might look to recruit a squad of 12, from which ten can be named for any one game. One of the remaining places will be occupied by Dennis Ley on his return from injury, but that still leaves up to three positions to fill.

Club officials are currently running the rule over a number of options to fill those places and expect to reveal names before Mohawks take to the road for the annual pre-season team-building trip to Scotland on the last weekend of August.

One week later the club hopes to host a weekend-long charity event before the real action gets underway on Sunday, September 15 at Eston Sports Academy (4pm), when Mohawks begins the defence of the National Trophy against Manchester Magic.