Basketball: Redd to face Bullets in new Leopards role

Mike Redd, signed by Essex Leopards yesterday, beating the transfer deadline by 24 hours, will get an early chance to show his former coach at Birmingham Bullets, Tony Garbelotto, that he was wrong to release him.

Mike Redd, signed by Essex Leopards yesterday, beating the transfer deadline by 24 hours, will get an early chance to show his former coach at Birmingham Bullets, Tony Garbelotto, that he was wrong to release him.

Redd, a 30-year-old naturalised American and BBL journeyman, was one of three players released last week by Garbelotto in a bid to lift the ailing Bullets out of the BBL basement and into a play-off quarter-final spot. And at Brentwood next Friday the clubs meet in a fixture which will count heavily towards their hopes of a top-eight finish.

The Leopards, Milton Keynes Lions and the Bullets are the main contenders for the eighth spot, ahead of bottom-placed Leicester Riders who suffered their 21st consecutive defeat on Tuesday, losing 90-81 at Newcastle Eagles.

Leopards' coach Mike Taylor said: "We have been making strides throughout the season and I think Mike will help us to continue that." Redd, a California State graduate, averages 12.7 points in his BBL career but was only a fringe player at Bullets, who also released Americans Kyle Rolston and Michael Jackson. Garbelotto replaced them with Jeff Bolton and Antwan Jones this week and was due to make one more signing before the deadline.