Surrey have built their season on the glass — everything they do starts there. As Surrey fan Scott Horsburgh said on the Brits Don’t Jump podcast, rebounding has sat at the heart of the 89ers for years.
For the last two seasons, we’ve had two rebounding machines in Dame and Saiquan.
That focus is still there, just carried by new faces. Isiah Small leads the league in rebounds per game, and Surrey’s centre rotation means the work never drops. Graham starts, Ling follows, and both give Surrey a continuous presence on the glass.
Total rebounding percentage shows how often a player collects a rebound out of every available opportunity while on the floor — a measure of impact rather than volume.
| Player | Total Rebounding % |
|---|---|
| Darnell Brodie | 18.46% |
| Isiah Small | 18.23% |
| Michael Graham | 18.13% |
| Nate Martin | 17.83% |
| Aaron Menzies | 17.42% |
| Haydn Ling | 16.99% |
| William Lee | 16.85% |
| Matt Nicholson | 16.49% |
| Marcus Delpeche | 15.62% |
| Kevin Allen | 15.34% |
*Only players who have played more than two games this season are included.
Two Surrey players rank in the league’s top three for total rebounding percentage, and Haydn Ling ranks just outside the top five — a clear sign of how deeply that emphasis runs through the roster.
Owning the Offensive Glass
Surrey’s work on the offensive boards is what really sets them apart. They send numbers forward, hunt second chances, and turn rebounds into momentum.
Rebounding isn’t just a habit for Surrey — it’s a strategy. Every shot is a trigger. The moment the ball leaves a shooter’s hand, two or three players are already on the move. They recover well over one in every three of their own missed shots — a mark that only London come close to.
| Team | Offensive Rebounding % |
|---|---|
| Surrey 89ers | 37.3% |
| London Lions | 35.9% |
| Cheshire Phoenix | 32.1% |
| Bristol Flyers | 31.7% |
| Manchester Basketball | 30.8% |
| Caledonia Gladiators | 29.5% |
| Leicester Riders | 25.6% |
| Sheffield Sharks | 25.4% |
| Newcastle Eagles | 24.4% |
That dominance translates directly to scoring. Surrey are second in the league in second-chance points per game with 11.9 — their aggression on the glass builds extra possessions and points into their offence.
The Cost of Crashing
That commitment comes with a cost. Surrey’s aggression on the offensive glass leaves their defence exposed the other way. When multiple players crash the rim, opponents can break quickly, and Surrey often find themselves defending in transition with numbers down.
| Team | Opponent Fast Break PTS Per Game |
|---|---|
| Surrey 89ers | 15.78 |
| Bristol Flyers | 15.15 |
| Newcastle Eagles | 14.25 |
| Caledonia Gladiators | 14.23 |
| Leicester Riders | 11.18 |
| London Lions | 10.70 |
| Sheffield Sharks | 10.00 |
| Manchester Basketball | 10.00 |
| Cheshire Phoenix | 9.38 |
It’s the trade-off built into their style: the same effort that wins extra possessions can also open the floor behind them. When Surrey control the glass, they dictate the game. When they don’t, that aggression can turn against them — a reminder that effort alone doesn’t always translate to wins.
It’s Who They Are
Rebounding has become Surrey’s constant in a season where much else has wavered — the one area where they still dictate terms. They crash, they chase, and they keep coming, even when the rest of the game slips beyond their control.
