Homegrown hero Sauveur Kande believes there’s never been a better time to boost his basketball brain as the hotshot guard gains invaluable experience at home and abroad.

The product of the same Newcastle Eagles’ Academy programme that spawned NBA star Tosan Evbuomwan is in the form of his life following standout back-to-back displays.

And Kande’s can-do attitude points to more key minutes against Donar Groningen as European North Basketball League action returns to Tyneside.

“I’m always watching basketball and looking to better my game,” explained the in-form 22-year-old.

“I love learning about this sport every single day and the best way I can learn is by coming face to face with new players on court.

“The ENBL’s been a steep learning curve but I’m fascinated by the way European teams play.

“It’s more about the collective actions than the individual players. I think we focus more on the individual in Super League Basketball so the ENBL’s been a real eye opener.

“It’s been a great competition for the club. We’ve waited so long to test ourselves at this level and it felt good to finally make it happen last season.”

As ENBL returnees, Newcastle are less of an unknown quantity second time around.

On the flipside the Eagles are far better placed to understand what’s required to make this season’s knockout stages.

A flawless start to the ENBL season sees Marc Steutel’s men take a 2-0 record into this week’s clash against winless Groningen.

And Kande is convinced the men in black can equal — if not better — last season’s stunning run to the quarter-finals.

“The ENBL is a competition that we should be looking to progress in,” he added. “As a group we trust and believe in each other every time we hit the court.

“The Groningen game will be no different.”

Kande followed up last Friday’s MVP display against a physical Manchester Basketball with another eight-and-a-half minutes in Sunday’s Championship opener at Caledonia Gladiators.

And a trademark triple was just one of the many highlights on a night when Steutel’s short-handed roster gave the Scots a painful lesson in focused hoops.

Newcastle’s stunning 94-71 win extended this season’s record against the Gladiators to 3-0 in all competitions.

And Kande relishes his role within an eye-catching roster after waiting patiently to prove his worth.

“Last Friday wasn’t the result we wanted but it was fun to start the game and play for long periods in front of our fans,” he added.

“I just went out there looking to rise to the opportunity as best I could and I was pleased with my performance.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity like that so I couldn’t afford to pass it up.

“In terms of what I was expected to do, it’s nothing I haven’t done before — basketball is my life and I play it every day.

“I know our system inside out and fully understand the role coach wants me to play.

“But having said all of that, it’s very different starting a Friday night game at the Vertu Motors Arena.

“In the end I felt very comfortable out there. The nerves don’t affect me like they used to when I was younger and I feel my game’s improving across the board.”

Given that Newcastle are missing both Darius Defoe and Will Neighbour for the foreseeable future, it’s guaranteed Kande will be called upon to play more key minutes this month.

And his workload could increase significantly if Josh Ward-Hibbert is added to the Eagles’ injury list.

The Great Britain international appeared to twist his right ankle in the first half of Sunday’s win north of the border and managed just five minutes against the Gladiators.

Tickets for the game are still available from the box office and the game is free to watch live at newcastle-eagles.com/live