NBL Senior Division Lineups for 2015-16 Season Announced

The structure of the 2015-16 National Basketball League (NBL) season has been announced, with Hoopsfix able to reveal the full list of teams.

The new National Basketball Development Leagues (NBDL) have been implemented as an alternative to the previous Division Four and 12 new teams included in the 40 that make up the five regional groups.

Division 2 top two London Lituanica and Lancashire Spinners earned promotion to Division One to top the league up to 14 teams with NASSA (now East London All Stars) dropping down. They are the newcomers in D2 along with promoted sides Liverpool, Solent Kestrels and Nottingham Hoods.

Eight teams gained promotion from the old Division Four with Brentwood Fire, Barking & Dagenham Thunder, Brunel Ducks, Lougborough Riders and playoff winners Oxford Brookes University joining D3 South, while Doncaster Danum Eagles, Team Newcastle University and Myerscough College moving up to D3 North.

As well as the aforementioned new teams, there have also been some casualties with Hull Wasps, Crawley United and Hackney White Heat not on the list of teams taking part next season, while a couple of clubs have dropped their second teams.

Check out the Q+A with Basketball England’s National Leagues & Events officer, Liam Wordsworth, discussing the structure changes here.

Here is the full list of teams for next season in their respective divisions:

NBL Division 1

Bradford Dragons
Derby Trailblazers
Essex Leopards
Hemel Storm
Kent Crusaders
Lancashire Spinners (promoted)
Leicester Warriors
London Lituanica (promoted)
Manchester Magic
Reading Rockets
Team Northumbria
Tees Valley Mohawks
Westminster Warriors
Worthing Thunder

NBL Division Two

Brixton Topcats
Derbyshire Arrows
East London All Stars (relegated)
Eastside Eagles
Ipswich
Liverpool (promoted)
London Greenhouse Pioneers
London Westside
Loughborough Student Riders
Nottingham Hoods (promoted)
Solent Kestrels (promoted)
Worcester Wolves II

NBL Division Three

North:
Birmingham Mets (relegated)
City of Sheffield Saints
Derby Trailblazers II
Doncaster Danum Eagles (promoted)
Leeds Force Academy
Mansfield Giants
Myerscough College (promoted)
Newcastle Under Lyme College Knights
Sefton Stars
Team Birmingham
Team Newcastle University (promoted)
Tees Valley Mohawks II

South:
Barking Abbey Crusaders
Barking and Dagenham Thunder (promoted)
Brentwood Fire (promoted)
Brunel Ducks (promoted)
London United (relegated)
Loughborough Riders II (promoted)
Middlesex LTBC
Northants Thunder
Oxford Brookes University (promoted)
Plymouth Raiders II
Team Solent Suns
Thames Valley Tigers

National Basketball Development Leagues (NBDL)

North East
Derby Trailblazers III
Doncaster Danum Eagles II (new team)
Gateshead Phoenix
Kingston Panthers
Leeds Tigers
Nottingham Hoods II
Sheffield Hallam Sharks
Sheffield Sabres (relegated)
Sunderland City Predators
University of Nottingham (new team)

North West
Blackburn College Spinners (was Lancashire Spinners II)
Calderdale Explorers (new team)
Carlisle Panthers (new team)
Kendal Warriors
Liverpool II
Manchester Magic II (new team)
Prestons College Titans
Tameside
University of Chester (new team)

South East
Anglia Ruskin University
Cambridge Cats
Dagenham Dragons (new team)
Essex Blades (new team)
Greenwich Titans
Hertfordshire Warriors
Kings Lynn Fury (was College of West Anglia Fury)
London Thunder Lewisham (new team)
Northants Taurus
Southwark Pride (new team)

South
Brighton Cougars
Folkestone Saints
Kent Crusaders II
London United II
Reading Rockets II
Southampton University Sharks
Sussex Bears
Thames Valley Tigers II
Waverley Wolfpack (new team)
Woking Blackhawk Flyers

South West
Birmingham Mets II
Bristol Academy Flyers II
Cardiff City
Cardiff Met Archers (relegated)
City of Birmingham
Coventry Tornadoes (new team)
Oxford City (relegated)
Oxford Stealers
Sporting Club Albion
Swindon Shock
TCAT Shropshire Warriors

Image Credit: Ahmedphotos