The waiting game is over.
And not a minute too soon, Sterling Davis declares. From the moment in mid-April when the previous season flickered out like a damp squib, the Glasgow Rocks player-coach's attentions have been focused on day one of the next campaign. His wedding and the small matter of agreeing a new contract apart, piecing together a jigsaw that could be in the picture in the British Basketball League's title race has been almost completely consuming.
At the Emirates Arena tomorrow, the American will see the fruits of his labour in competitive action for the first time as the Rocks' campaign proper begins against Surrey United. After a month of pre-season to integrate a roster which underwent a major overhaul in the summer months, the fine-tuning is at an end. Let the games begin.
"At this point, the plays are in, guys know the system," Davis said. "It's about getting us to the level we need in a game. I like the beginning [of preparations] to see how the team is coming together. Then the part just before the season starts is kind of stagnant. You're really ready to get out and play games, so I'm looking forward to competing."
The 35-year-old is in his seventh year of juggling the twin demands of playing and coaching. At the outset, he was a surprise appointee. Although his father was a high school coach, even that grounding made him a gamble when he was handed the playcalling reins in Glasgow at the relatively young age of 28.
Continuing to play, and to be a central figure in the thick of the action, remains as exhausting as it appears. "There are so many emotions going through your head," Davis said. "You hold yourself accountable individually. You look at your coaching. And you analyse the big picture of the team. But you still try to judge what you could have done better as a coach and on the floor."
It is 11 years since the Rocks last claimed a trophy, something that preys on the mind, as Davis acknowledges. Holding himself accountable for coming up short, there is an acute personal pain with every loss. "It can be frustrating. It can become consuming. There's so much to think about.
"But there's also so much gratification in it and that's the beauty of it and what I get joy from. Hopefully I get more of the joy and the sense of accomplishment because I juggle both jobs.
"Regardless of how I play, if we win, I'm over the moon. If we lose I couldn't care less if I have played OK because I'm the coach of the team. The only compete gratification comes from winning."
To that end, Davis has brought in Chez Marks, the league's leading scorer last term while with Cheshire Phoenix, and the proven centre Daniel Northern, addressing two evident past weaknesses.
On paper, his squad looks the equal of the defending champions Leicester and the ever-consistent Newcastle but the real evidence will arrive when the Rocks enter the fray.
Surrey, humiliated by 56 points by Worcester in their opener, will be the initial test in what will be the first game screened live on the BBL's new online TV service.
As the training session ends, Davis screams mantras at his charges. "Be precise in what you're doing," he barks. "Have discipline." "The phoney war over, it's time to go."
He adds: "I told the guys before practice how important our start to the season is for us mentally. I want us to be in that race and to stay in it."
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