The British Basketball League "has reached an agreement for Leeds Carnegie to join BBL competitions" starting with the '14-15 season, according to SKY SPORTS. The club, which is strongly linked to the Leeds Metropolitan University, has "enjoyed a meteoric rise" since its formation in '06 which has seen it jump three divisions to its current home in England Basketball Division One. Carnegie "will get a taste of BBL competition as early as January" when it takes on the Glasgow Rocks in the BBL Trophy first round (SKY SPORTS, 11/21). The YORKSHIRE POST wrote Leeds Carnegie is traditionally a university team, and while the program will retain those roots, it "will also operate as a BBL franchise independent of Leeds Metropolitan University." It hopes to stay true to its ethos of developing homegrown players, despite the competitive nature of professional sports meaning it "may have to recruit imports from the United States and Europe." There are clubs in the BBL like Durham Wildcats and table-toppers Worcester Wolves, that "follow the same principles." Carnegie Dir of Coaching Matt Newby said, "My initial thoughts are to stick with our philosophy and stay student focused. Will we need imports? I certainly think we need players with experience, whether they are domestic, from the U.S. or from Europe. If you're looking at being in the top four, you’re going to have to have players of calibre, however that comes." Leeds has "been working on the bid to join the BBL for two years" (YORKSHIRE POST, 11/21).
