See the Game Differently
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Is Basketball’s Academy System Being Left Behind?
Every sport needs a bridge between education and the professional game. When government funding arrived through the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) in 2004 — and later its successor, the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) in 2018 — it gave young athletes across multiple sports a dual path: to train like professionals while completing
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Inside Newcastle’s Small-Ball Identity
Small-ball isn’t new. For nearly a decade it has shaped modern basketball — faster line-ups that trade size for shooting, spread the floor, and switch defensively. Newcastle have taken it in a distinctive direction. They often play without a true big, trusting mobility and strength over size in the frontcourt. Their version is about pressure
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Matthew Ragsdale Knows What He Is
Some skills fade as the competition gets tougher — size evens out, speed meets its match, athleticism stops being an advantage. Shooting isn’t one of those skills. It scales. The higher the level, the more it matters. Matthew Ragsdale plays like he knows it. He’s one of the most willing shooters in the league —
