Reading Rockets

The Reading Rockets are an English semi-professional basketball club based in the town of Reading, England. Founded in 1997, the Rockets compete in NBL Division 1, the second tier of the British basketball system.

This article is about the English Basketball League club based in Reading, Berkshire. For the Professional Lacrosse League team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, see Reading Rockets (PLL).

Reading Rockets
LeagueNBL Division 1
Established1997 (1997)
HistoryReading Rockets
(1997–present)
ArenaLoddon Valley Leisure Centre
Capacity600
LocationReading, Berkshire
Team colours     
Head coachSamit Nuruzade
OwnershipGary Johnson, Helen Johnson
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The Rockets were formed in 1997[1] by current owner Gary Johnson together with his son Matt, starting in Division 3. The club won promotion at the first attempt, and in the National Basketball League reorganisation of 2000, England Basketball replaced Division 1 with the eight-team NBL Conference as the second-tier. Subsequently, Division 2 became Division 1 where the Rockets found themselves.

The Rockets remained in Division 1 for just one season, finishing second and beating Oxford in the Championship Final, thus winning promotion to the NBL Conference. In the 2001-02 season they finished seventh in the NBL Conference. In the following season, the Rockets continued their rise, finishing in third place. In 2003, the National Basketball League was rebranded as the English Basketball League, and once again was restructured with a new format, with Rockets finishing in second place in the new EBL Division 1. In the following season the Rockets finished third and were runners-up to Worthing Thunder in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.

The club completed its most successful season ever in 2008-09, going undefeated to win all four national championships. The club applied to join the British Basketball League (Top division of the British Basketball System) as a member franchise for the 2012–13 season but was unsuccessful.[2] In the 2013-14 season the Rockets completed the treble and were Play Off Championship finalists. Rockets’ Ladies won the Division 2 Southern league in 2014. As a stepping stone into the Senior Men’s team, the Rockets’ run academies at the John Madejski Academy and the Henley College.

The club has squads ranging from developing Under-12s to the Division 1 senior men's side, and coaching staff regularly visit local schools and run satellite clubs as part of the Community Rockets scheme.[3]

In 2022, the Rockets applied to join the British Basketball League starting from the 2023–24 season.[4]

Elite Basketball Academy

Reading Rockets are also partnered with John Madejski Academy, Of whom run one of the Elite Basketball Academies in the country. Since The Academy started in 2013, many players have come through the academy and have gone on to achieve many things since. Here are some notable former academy Students. Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Position Player
G Latrell Maitland
F/C Sam Grant
C Matthew Marsh
F/C Kivuvu Live
F Roniel Oguekwe
G Jacob Stanuel-Taitte
G Carmen Segura Moreno
G Sitota Gines Espinosa
C Anabel Latorre
F Jessie Ford
F Saffie Jarju
G Gabriela Sanchez Parodi Reveron

Men

Honours
  • Men's National League Division 1 League Champions (3): 2008/2009, 2012/13, 2013/14
  • Men's National Cup Winners (3): 2004/05, 2008/09, 2013/14
  • Men's National League Division 1 Play Off Champions (4): 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13
  • Men's National Trophy Winners (5): 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2013/14

Players

Current squad Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Position Player
4 G Jermiah Jenkins
6 F Jawad Adekoya
5 G Reis Pinnock
14 G Zackary Powell
9 F Troy Cracknell
8 G/F Ben Dixon
10 F/C Finleigh Porter
15 C Jordan Jackson
12 G Isaac Round
7 G Lewis Champion
11 F Ashley Kitchen
16 G Peter Walker
13 F/C Rhys Grocott
G/F Antony Corner

Notable former players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.
  • E.J. Harrison
  • Adam Kelly
  • Ted Smith
  • Tyrell Smith
  • David Watts
  • Niko Scott
  • Ryan Lohfink[5]
  • Luke Nelson
  • Matt Johnson
  • Harrison Gamble
  • Andy Powlesland
  • Jermaine Williams
  • Pem Bristol
  • Danny Carter

Staff

Former head coaches

Coach From To Total Games RS Won RS Lost PO Won PO Lost Total Win %
Richard Devereux1997/981997/982612140.462
Dave Aldred1998/991998/99261790.654
Dave Titmuss1999/002000/014231110.738
Matt Johnson2002/032002/03221660.727
Mark Dunning2004/052004/05221660.727
Dave Titmuss2005/062008/0995759920.884
Sasa Punosevac2009/102009/10633––0.500
Matt Johnson2009/102009/101797010.529
Samit Nuruzade2010/112012/13754820610.720
Manuel Pena Garces2013/142017/181349133550.716
Alan Keane2018/192020/21683533--0.514
Dan Pearson2021/222021/22271511-10.555
Samit Nuruzade2022/23Present1486--0.571

Season-by-season records
Season Division Tier Regular Season Post-Season National Cup Kitking Trophy
Finish Played Wins Losses Points Win %
Reading Rockets
1997-98 D3 4 3rd 26 12 14 24 0.462 Quarter Finals - -
1998-99 D2 3 4th 26 17 9 34 0.654 Quarter Finals - -
1999-00 D2 3 5th 24 17 7 34 0.708 Semi Finals - -
2000-01 D1 3 2nd 18 14 4 28 0.778 Winners, beating Oxford - -
2001-02 Conf. 2 7th 18 7 11 14 0.389 Quarter Finals - -
2002-03 Conf. 2 3rd 22 16 6 32 0.727 Runners Up - -
2003-04 D1 2 2nd 22 17 5 34 0.773 Semi Finals Quarter Finals -
2004-05 D1 2 3rd 22 16 6 32 0.727 Runners Up Winners, beating Sheffield -
2005-06 D1 2 2nd 26 22 4 44 0.846 Winners, beating Worthing Runners Up -
2006-07 D1 2 2nd 22 19 3 38 0.864 Semi Finals Semi Finals -
2007-08 D1 2 2nd 18 16 2 32 0.889 Runners Up Semi Finals -
2008-09 D1 2 1st 18 18 0 36 1.000 Winners, beating Manchester Winners, beating Manchester -
2009-10 D1 2 7th 22 12 10 24 0.545 Quarter Finals Quarter Finals -
2010-11 D1 2 3rd 18 12 6 24 0.667 Winners, beating Leeds 3rd Round -
2011-12 D1 2 7th 24 14 10 28 0.583 Quarter Finals Semi Finals -
2012-13 D1 2 1st 26 22 4 44 0.846 Winners, beating Worthing Semi Finals -
2013-14 D1 2 1st 26 22 4 44 0.846 Runners Up Winners, beating Newham -
2014-15 D1 2 5th 24 15 9 30 0.625 Quarter Finals Runners Up -
2015-16 D1 2 3rd 26 19 7 38 0.731 Runners Up Quarter Finals -
2016-17 D1 2 3rd 26 20 6 40 0.769 Quarter Finals Quarter Finals -
2017-18 D1 2 3rd 24 17 7 34 0.708 Semi Finals Quarter Finals -
2018-19 D1 2 6th 26 14 12 28 0.538 Quarter Finals 4th Round -
2019-20 D1 2 7th 23 14 9 28 0.609 No Playoffs Runners Up -
2020-21 D1 2 9th 19 7 12 14 0.368 1st Round No competition -
2021-22 D1 2 8th 26 15 11 28* 0.577 1st Round 4th Round -
2022-23 D1 2 4th 13 8 6 16 0.571 - - Semi-Finals

Record in BBL competitions
Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away
2006–07 BBL Trophy GS Plymouth Raiders
GS Worthing Thunder
GS Guildford Heat
2009–10 BBL Trophy R1 Newcastle Eagles L 60-102
2012–13 BBL Trophy R1 Surrey Heat L 68-86
2013–14 BBL Trophy R1 Sheffield Sharks L 73-85
2014–15 BBL Trophy R1 Newcastle Eagles L 90-112
2015–16 BBL Trophy R1 Surrey Scorchers L 72-82
2016–17 BBL Trophy R1 Bristol Flyers L 74-85

Women

Players

Current squad Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Position Player
9 G Candela Hermida Nunez
5 F Lindsey Cleary
14 F/C Jade Blackburn
7 G Chloe Lammas
8 F/C Maike Meier
10 G/F Tyra Phelan
12 G Tejonah-Sharon Mckay
15 F/C Parfaite Elia Ando
6 G Kristina Karpova
11 G Saioa San Francisco
13 F Eva Luzon Perez
4 F Carlota De Mergelina Alonso
16 G/F Charlotte Devereux

Notable former players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.
  • Cat Lutz-Sadler
  • Steph Johnson
  • Maike Delow
  • Carmen Segura Moreno
  • Sitota Gines Espinosa

Staff

Former head coaches

Coach From To Total Games RS Won RS Lost PO Won PO Lost Total Win %
Josh Thorne2010/112015/16866515-0.755
Patrick Fasbender2016/172016/201720614--0.3
David Sanchez de la Torre2017/182019/2020402218--0.55
Joan Luque Portero2019/20Present633033--0.476

Honours
  • Women's National League Division 2 Champions (1): 2013/14
  • Women's National League Division 2 South West Champions (1): 2015/16 1

Season-by-season records
Season Division Position Played Won Lost Points Play-offs National
Trophy		 National
Cup
Reading Rockets Senior Women
2021–2022D111th224188--1st Round
2020–2021D16th189918---
2019–2020D13rd1511425--Semi-Finals
2018–2019D15th189918Quarter-finals-Runners-up
2017–2018D15th2213926--Quarter-finals
2016–2017D18th2061412Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals
2015–2016D2 SW1st1615128Runners-upRunners-up
2014–2015D2 MSW3rd1411322Quarter-finalsSemi Finals2nd Round
2013–2014D2 MSE1st1413126Semi-finalsSemi-finals2nd Round
2012–2013D2 MSE2nd1612424Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals2nd Round
2011–2012D2 MSW2nd129318Quarter-finalsSemi-finals1st Round
2010–2011D2 MSW5th145910DNQ1st Round1st Round
2009–2010
2008–2009
2007–2008
2006–2007D2 S6th2091118
2005–2006D2 S2nd2114728
  • DNQ denotes Did Not Qualify.

See also

References
  1. "Company details". UK Data. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  2. "Reading Rockets apply to join British Basketball League". getReading. 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  3. "History of Reading Rockets Basketball Club". Reading Rockets. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  4. "Update: Rockets BBL Application | Reading Rockets". Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. "Ryan Lohfink Leaves Rockets after 5 years". 25 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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