Date Time League Season
January 3, 2025 7:30 pm Men's SLB Championship 2024-25

Marc Steutel expects rough diamond De’Sean Allen-Eikens to take 2025 by storm after reaffirming his faith in the explosive rookie.

Newcastle’s all-action American has emerged as one of the breakout stars of Super League Basketball after signing for the men in black last summer.


But Allen-Eikens was quieter than usual towards the end of December — a period that coincided with the Eagles’ dip in form.

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Allen-Eikens has had a huge impact for our Eagles in his first SLB season. (Photo: Logan Forster, Featured Image: Gary Forster)

And a player averaging 12 points across all competitions heads into this eye-catching Friday night Championship clash against Leicester Riders looking to rediscover his very best form.

“Let’s not forget that De’Sean is a rookie who came into this team and has been exceptional from day one,” said Steutel.


“He’s shown incredible attributes and, as a team, we need the best of him if we’re going to get through another tough period.

“I think De’Sean’s one hell of a player and we’re lucky to have such a special talent.

“He’s a cerebral guy with a great feel for the game and what I love about him most is that he’s tough first and skilled second.”

Allen-Eikens has managed just 22 points in three games against Leicester and lost his starting five spot to Cole Long last month.


But Stuetel insists that tactical tweak is no reflection on the do-it-all forward’s all-round ability and attitude.

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Coach Steutel will lead his Eagles into a eye-catching clash as they look to level things in the league. (Photo: Gary Forster)

“I love working with De’Sean, he wants to get better every day and his team-mates love him,” added Newcastle’s playcaller.

“He set an incredibly high standard for himself when he first came over here but we all know that performances go up and down.

“The thing about De’Sean is that he continues to impact the game in so many ways even if he isn’t scoring the ball at a high level in a certain situation.

“Right now he’s managing his body, getting to grips with what it means to be a professional basketball player and doing a fantastic job.

“As a group we love him and I know that he’ll get back to his best and help to get us to where we need to be.”

Newcastle and Leicester lock horns for the fourth time in four weeks with the hosts looking to halt a five-game winless streak.

The Eagles punched their ticket for the SLB Trophy final during that period, following a hard-fought semi-final second leg at the Riders.

But Steutel’s men head into the first of three games in five days keen to get back to winning ways.

Newcastle’s last victory was against Leicester on December 6 — a night when the Vertu Motors Arena faithful were treated to a fabulous first half of total team basketball, prior to a late Leicester fightback.

“Ultimately we’re measured against winning,” added Steutel. “And we measure ourselves in terms of wins on the board.

“As professional athletes and coaches everybody wants to win but the margins between winning and losing can be very fine.

“There are circumstances and context behind every performance and sometimes it’s only those within the group that are aware of that.

“We’ve taken some massive steps forward this season and our European wins, in particular, have given us real belief and confidence.

“But we’re prepared for the bumps in the road and we still have half a season to play.

“We’ve built some solid foundations but it’s down to us to ensure that our baselines, our base habits and our base behaviours don’t fluctuate between now and the end of the season.”

Remaining tickets for this clash against Leicester with a 7:30pm tip are available from the box office.