The Bench Units Podcast

It's not every day we're joined by one of the most era-defining players of their generation, especially when they're now immersed full-time in helping to steer the next generation of talent.  In our latest guest spot, James & Mark are joined by Paralympic and World Champion, and Aussie Rollers legend, Brad Ness.  Brad talks us through his entire playing career, from his early da...

This week, James is once again joined by Rose Hollerman, as all the other people he wanted to do this with were busy.  Join James and his 4th choice podcast co-host, 36th favourite Minnesotan to break down all this weekend's games in varying levels of detail, and get their insight on what went right and wrong for teams in yet another big weekend for the leagues in Spain, Germany, and France. ...

  This week, James is joined by Rose Hollermann to talk about this week's games. Not bad timing, considering it was just off the back of a big win this weekend. It feels like subbing a 1.5 for a 3.5 should put this week's podcast over points, but tune in anyway to hear James and Rose talk about all the action from last weekend, and to find out who gets the belt this week! Get full access...

As is a well-acknowledged fact in Bench Units circles, we have to face the truth that all the basketball nuts & bolts that us and our listeners live for are almost entirely irrelevant without some level of competent shooting.  With neither of our hosts being qualified to lecture you on the subject, we've brought in not only one of the best to ever do it, but one of the best to tell others...

With another weekend of action in the books, James and Mark break down a series of upset wins that took place.  Bilbao continue to play spoiler to the powers in the Spanish league, while Valladolid notch their second consecutive close win and force Mark into a more sincere apology than last week.  Elsewhere, Trier scored a surprise blowout over Koln and Vigo came away with a nail-biter win over Ma...

What a weekend of action.  James and Mark start with the Spanish League, where a last-second basket gave league-leading Albacete their first defeat of the season, Ilunion settled a score from earlier in the season, and Valladolid finally ended their slide.  Over in Germany: an upset win for BBC Muensterland, a close shave for Rhine River Rhinos, and the expected overwhelming of underequipped oppon...

With a game that was circled on the Bundesliga calendar all season now in the books, we are joined by none other than Lahn-Dill lifer and German National Team superstar Tommy Böhme.  Tommy talks us through his beginnings in wheelchair basketball that lead to him joining the world's most professional wheelchair basketball club, at age 18, and training against legends of the game on a daily bas...

After another wild week, James and Mark are back to bring you all the juice!  We talk about a range of games in the Spanish League, including a grudge match of teams that we have branded as disappointing at some point in the season, that will see one of them mathematically compelled to get a win. We're also treated to not one, but TWO of one of our favourite sub-topics: "why was this so...

After another busy week of wheelchair basketball action, James and Mark belatedly jump on the record to spill their every thought as if someone had actually asked them to.  This week's episode comes down to some themes such as good shots vs bad shots, easy shots vs tough shots, made shots vs missed shots, shot quality vs shot quantity, and number of shots taken by desirable vs undesirable sho...

You asked. We delivered.  Following a barrage of requests from our listeners, we've been able to track down and rope in the man himself: the most in-demand guest in Bench Units history!  Aussie Rollers superstar Tom O'Neill-Thorne joins Bench Units to talk about his basketball experiences, from growing up in rural Australia and winning a World Championships at age 17, to two solid weeks...

Another week of games in the books!  With a relatively quiet week of games, due to weekends off in both the German and Italian leagues, James and Mark get in-depth on a range of both offense-optional and defense-optional games in Spain, and an intensity-not-in-any-way-optional bloodbath from the French League.  Make sure you catch our guest spot this Thursday! Listen in to find out who will be joi...

After another weekend of action, we're back to bring you the low-down!  We dive in to cover a couple of blowouts, a basketball sleepwalk by Ilunion, an almost statement by Burgos, a showcase in scouting and maintenance of basketball hierarchy, and a defense-optional double-OT thriller in Hamburg.  Check it out, and let us know what you want to hear about for next Thursday's episode! Get...

It's not every day you get a reigning European, World and Paralympic Champion stop by to talk you through her entire career.  Netherlands and Hanover United star Mariska Beijer joins James and Mark in the middle of her recovery from COVID-19, and tells us all about her ascent from first trying wheelchair basketball to becoming a triple-crown champion and winning five straight major internatio...

With another weekend of surprising results and scoreboards in the books, James and Mark break down all the action from around Europe.  The guys discuss an eye-watering blowout in Gran Canaria, a first look at the reinforced Servigest Burgos, and a couple of German League performances that have us really questioning who holds the Bench Units Belt right now. With all that accounted for, we answer yo...

Even in a weekend with so many games postponed due to COVID cases, we still manage to find a stat-sheet detail that we deem worthy of picking a bone with.  We run through games from this past weekend, as well as a couple of the headliners from the weekend prior.  Following the usual round-up, we give you a peek behind the curtain into how Bench Units is looking to continue expanding and how we nee...

Over three years later, James has finally felt ready enough to confront his "fix it in post" demons, which can only mean it was time for the return of Amy Conroy!  Amy has been on a basketball hiatus since finishing the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and has used the time to move to London in pursuit of opportunities parallel to basketball. She talks us through how to make friends on the tube,...

After a little over a month of unexcused absences, we're back!  We start off 2022 by recapping the mild calamity that was the 2021 European Championships and looking at how it will impact this year's World Championships.  To make sure we haven't missed anything crucial, we answer questions from our adoring fans. Get full access to Bench Units at benchunits.substack.com/subscribe

Just in time, we're here to bring you the low-down on the upcoming European Championships 2021! Mendel joins us from on-site in Madrid to talk about his preparation for the upcoming tournament, and give some insight into the reality of the Netherlands needing to secure a top-5 finish in order to qualify for next year's World Championships. Mendel and James break down their experience in...

After several hours of picking through audio spoiled by terrible internet connection, we're able to bring you the round-up on the action that didn't get aired along with our last episode.  If you're still in the dark as to what happened back on the 13th of November, think of this belated bootleg special as us having your back!  We haven't been able to do a round-up of the most...

Due to the fact that the first half of this week's round-up was effectively rained off (James' WiFi was affected by some heavy rain in Bilbao), we have managed to salvage our takes on two of the most important games of the week.  James and Mark deep-dive the outcomes of both Bilbao's win over Ilunion and showdown of Spain's two remaining undefeated teams, Mideba Extremadura and...

Wow, what a weekend of games.  Coppa Italia Final. One-point wins. One-point losses. Double-figure comebacks. Double-figure almost-comebacks. Intentionally missed freethrows. Unintentionally missed freethrows.  It was a lot. Listen in! Get full access to Bench Units at benchunits.substack.com/subscribe

As promised, we are joined by a battle-scarred participant of the latest RSV Lahn-Dill vs Thuringia Bulls showdown!  We catch up with Lahn-Dill and Australia Men's National Team player Jannik Blair, who catches up on his first few months in Germany and his first taste of the rivalry between two of the powerhouses in Europe.  Jannik talks us through getting settled with his new team, the level...

Another week of wheelchair basketball, another Sunday Round-Up. On Monday.  What we lack in time-keeping and organisation, we make up for in shameless presentation of half-baked opinions.  We check in on the wheelchair basketball results from Spain, France, Germany and Italy, and break down the result of James's grudge match against his former team.  With all of that accounted for, we debut t...

It's a big week for James, as he prepares to take on his former team in ADM Econy Gran Canaria on Saturday.  To help stoke the flames for James' revenge tour, we are joined by none other than his former teammate and friend, Rose Hollermann.  Rose joins us to talk about her evolution as a player as she has gained a reputation in the Spanish League over the last 2 seasons, as well as discu...

After another Saturday packed full of Wheelchair Basketball action from around Europe, Bench Units is here with our usual Sunday Round-Up. We cover a day of results from Spain that really had it all: blow-outs, nailbiters, convincing wins, surprise upsets, and maybe the best shooting performance of the season. We also get James' thoughts on what is arguably the most important game of the seas...