Marc Steutel has hailed one of the ‘toughest shot makers’ in Super League Basketball after reinforcing the value of shining light Seneca Knight.

The US star bounced back from a bout of illness last weekend to bag a combined 34 points and 12 boards in back-to-back games against title contenders Sheffield Sharks.

And as Newcastle prepare for a brutal slate of 10 games in just 23 days — starting with a homecourt clash against Surrey 89ers tonight — Knight will need to be at his consistent best for the men in black.

“We know we can move the ball, find Seneca and he’s able to make difficult shots deep into a possession,” said Steutel.

“He’s a tough shot maker and I don’t think people realise just how good he is.

“I’ve spoken to Seneca about that several times — about what his game is and where he can impact best for this team.

“And overall he’s one of the best in the business when it comes to hitting big baskets.

“What maybe looks like a difficult shot for a lot of guys is a good shot for Seneca. It’s about him understanding the balance of that.

“I was really proud of him last weekend against a very good Sheffield team. He’s a top professional.”

Knight has another week of practice under his belt heading into an exhausting stretch of games through April.

Newcastle are still very much in the mix at home and abroad with next week’s European North Basketball League (ENBL) Final Fours looming large.

And the Eagles will be looking to Knight to lead the club through a slew of tough match-ups this month as the 2025 SLB Trophy winners look to seal a fourth-place regular season finish.

“Seneca cares about basketball,” added Steutel. “You know, he’s always trying to make little improvements here and there with his individual game and his collective game.

“His decision making is so good. Even if we don’t quite get the look we want from any one play he’ll look for another opportunity.

“If we don’t see the ball going in first time around then that doesn’t faze Seneca. Our best possessions are often the possessions where he’s involved.”

Knight looked like he’d never been away as Newcastle squared last weekend’s March mini series with the Sharks 1-1.

And now the Eagles need Mike Okauru back firing on all cylinders as they bid to add to this season’s silverware.

Knight and Okauru have both settled seamlessly into SLB basketball and the pair can be Newcastle’s most potent weapon heading into the business end of a thrilling season.

“I’m pleased with the way Seneca’s made his presence felt and it was good to see that he was able to shrug off his sickness last weekend,” added Steutel.

“He’s super skilled, possesses amazing athleticism and uses those long arms to great effect.

“But even with that skillset and a fantastic attitude he knows there’s still room for improvement. Mostly he manages to find the right balance week in, week out but I want to see him become even better with his decision making — especially on initial entries.”

Tonight’s clash against the playoff chasing 89ers tips off at 7.30pm at the Vertu Motors Arena with remaining tickets available via boxoffice.newcastle-eagles.com