Barnet Bulldogs head into the 2025/26 season with renewed energy, closing their preseason campaign at 2–1. With fresh faces in the squad — including Brit-Australian guard Rob McCowan — and a string of gritty performances, the Bulldogs have shown early signs that they are ready to bite back in the new campaign.
Departures from last season’s team of Brandynn Manning, Conor O’Reilly, Benjy Stewart, Levi Edwards, Aviv Oren and Bintan Delano, as well as assistant coach Olu Adenaike, have given head coach George Gazetas the tough task of building a competitive roster with new talent to replace the invaluable contributions of the departing cohort. A much younger outfit this season poses plenty of questions, but it also provides a fresh challenge for the Greek-native.
The addition of American ex-pro player and coach Michael McDaniel has bolstered the backroom staff, providing further support to Gazetas and newly appointed assistant Soheil Ordouei as the Bulldogs’ coaching unit takes shape for the season ahead.
The first taste of action came at the Barnet Basketball Festival on 7th September at Copthall, where over 250 spectators were treated to a packed day of hoops, supported by sponsors PeopleTree, Wingstop UK and Drip. The seniors took on reigning league champions Hemel Storm in an exhibition fixture after London Cavaliers were unable to field a side. Hemel’s firepower proved too much, running out 111–72 winners, but the game gave fans their first glimpse of the Bulldogs’ revamped roster, which included a blend of returnees, newcomers, and trialists.
The second warm-up fixture had no shortage of drama, as the Bulldogs edged out local rivals London Elite 55–53 in a scrappy contest littered with turnovers (a combined 57 across both sides). Trailing by as many as 16 points, Barnet clawed their way back before a decisive late putback from Prince Lartey sealed the win. Skipper Chuck Duru led by example with 10 points, while summer signings Jordan Gray and Sammy Williams chipped in with 9 and 7 respectively.
The final preseason encounter had the feel of a league clash, as the Bulldogs faced last season’s runners-up Barking Abbey. Barnet led narrowly at the break, but a defensive lapse in the third quarter saw Abbey surge into a 17-point advantage midway through the fourth. Yet, the Bulldogs showed remarkable resilience, closing the game on a stunning 25–6 run. Gray, Duru and new recruit Tobi Ojuru combined for 25 of the Bulldogs’ 27 fourth-quarter points, with Duru’s layup in the dying moments clinching an 82–80 victory.
Gray led all Bulldogs scorers with 19, closely followed by Duru with 18. Importantly, it was also the first chance for fans to see Brit-Australian guard Rob McCowan, who has recently arrived from Australia and notched 11 points in an assured debut. McCowan’s arrival adds depth and dynamism to the backcourt, and the Bulldogs faithful will be eager to see how his blend of international experience and scoring touch develops as the season unfolds.
Reflecting on the team’s preseason showing, captain Duru commented:
“It’s been a very interesting preseason with three tough games. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves very early on and I think we’ve shown we are a gutsy team that teams won’t want to face.”
With momentum on their side, the Bulldogs now turn their focus to the real thing. The season tips off with a home clash against Greenwich Titans on Saturday 4th October, followed by a National Cup meeting with newly-promoted CoLA the very next day.
Tickets for all home fixtures are available at: www.bulldogsbasketball.co.uk/tickets.