Head coaches confirmed for #HASC23

The head coaches that will lead the Under-19 rosters at the 2023 Hoopsfix All-Star Classic have now been confirmed.

Cristina Stanciuca and Rob Fairley will go head-to-head in the Under-19 Women’s game, while Vince Macaulay and Liam Jefferson are on the sidelines for the Under-19 Men’s game with both contests taking place at Crystal Palace on Sunday 28th May (limited tickets still remaining, buy now!).

Macaulay is one of the great names of British Basketball with decades of service to the game – predominantly associated with London Lions after a decade at the helm – and will take charge of Team Black.

The veteran play-caller is a two-time BBL Coach of the Year winner after claiming the award in the 2007/08 and 2018/19 seasons and took over at Manchester Giants last summer.

Meanwhile, Jefferson is in the earlier stages of his coaching career but it hasn’t stopped his success as he heads up Team White. The four time BUCS National Champion and NBL D1 league champion with Loughborough, led Loughborough II to the BUCS National Trophy this year with a 28-4 overall record, and will have a keen eye on both sides ahead of a role as assistant coach with GB’s Under-20s this summer.

Fairley will take the reins of Team Black off the back of picking up WEABL Coach of the Year honours in the Northern Conference after leading Manchester Mystics back to the playoffs with a 6-3 record in the regular season, and had success in the national league winning the U16 girls National Cup and playoff title with the Mystics.

The Manchester native previously led the Mystics in the inaugural season of the WBBL back in 2014/15 and took charge of the academy programme last summer.

Stanciuca – who hails from Romania – will lead Team White and has been part of the Kent Crusaders programme for a number of years having stopped playing due to injury a decade ago. The former GB U20 Women’s assistant, lead the England Under-15 girls national team programmes for three straight years and last month, Stanciuca led England’s Under-16 Women to the Four Nations title as they won all three games in Cardiff.

All four coaches were allowed to choose their assistants, with Macaulay selecting Jo Maignomo, Jefferson taking Jesse Sazant, Fairley selecting Hannah Alty and Stanciuca pairing with Annie Scanlon.

Limited tickets are still remaining and available to buy here.

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