We often say, “it was better before!” As for the Men’s National 1, many coaches are not far from thinking it when asked what credit to give to this convoluted and overhauled championship during the 2018-2019 season.
End of the first phase for Chartres with a victory in Avignon
That season, Chartres was in ProB, and the N1 had gone, for the first time in its short history, to completion, at the end of its three phases – a first geographical one with 14 clubs, a second with a chicken high, intermediate and relegation and a third of play-offs.
Three N1 coaches give their opinion
The last two seasons, the CCBM had, until then, only experienced the first phase before the championship was truncated by the Covid-19. There, the CCBM, which finished 5th in the East pool (B), is preparing to explore the second phase where it will meet the top five from the West (pool A).
Before the championship restarts, we asked three N1 coaches and adventurers (Chartrain Sébastien Lambert, Le Havrais Hervé Coudray and Lorient Philippe Maucourant) to find out their opinion on this complex N1, especially in terms of its formula, and their level of play.
To reduce travel
By reforming the N1 in 2018, one of the FFBB’s wishes was to reduce the cost of travel for clubs having difficulty surviving when this N1 was in a single format with 18 clubs (28 now). Sébastien Lambert is categorical: “We don’t travel less. We had 17 before the reform on the regular season, there, we have already had 13, and we will play another five times outside in the Top 10, not to mention the play-offs… ”His Le Havre counterpart, Hervé Coudray , is of the same opinion: “When you count the number of bus hours already this season, you can’t say that we have shortened travel times. In 2018-2019, when the N1 had been up to its play-off phase, we had played 55 matches in total with the preparation, the cup and the play-offs… ”Le Havre, finalist, had to play eight matches of playoffs. His colleague from Lorient, Philippe Maucourant, is the most explicit: “Given our geographical position, we are still closer to New York! »
Favor French players
During the N1 season, clubs had the right to hire a maximum of three foreigners. With the new version, the federal authorities have reduced it to two, wishing to give the opportunity to locally trained players (JFL) to evolve in a high championship. “By increasing the number of clubs, obviously that increases the chances of these young French people. We saw it with Kaysersberg who integrated two players from the training centers of Nancy and Paris Basket. Nevertheless, continues Sébastien Lambert, I remain skeptical: are there more young people today in N1? “This possibility is interesting for some young people who were blocked from evolving into ProA or ProB, the N1 opens up an escape route for them”, says Hervé Coudray.
“The budgets of the big teams have increased”
Sebastien Lambert (coach of C’Chartres BM)
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Has the level weakened?
Chartres played three first phases and discovered unequal worlds, especially during the 2019-2020 season when he outrageously dominated his group (3 defeats in 26 matches). But Sébastien Lambert agrees, “the budgets of the big teams have increased; you have to see the workforce of Caen and Le Havre who are evolving with ten pros (note: the health crisis has had a downward impact on the budget of the CCBM)”. Philippe Maucourant remains on the same wavelength. “Although losing a foreigner, I don’t think the level has dropped, on the contrary. Maybe the first season, but not there. When you go to play in Dax or Les Sables-d’Olonne (note: 10th and 11th in pool B), these are not matches won in advance… ”And we saw it in the East pool with the Center Federal, which achieved its best course (7 victories) since the 2006-2007 edition, or with Kaysersberg, which will play the relegation pool and which “hit” Caen and Chartres.
A convoluted formula
After having concocted it, the FFBB admitted it, the format of the N1 is not easy to understand. “It is illegible for the general public, even us coaches, we sometimes got lost in it,” says Maucourant. This formula, where each club keeps its results against its top 5, Sébastien Lambert will not complain about it this season. “We finish 5th and we start with the best in terms of win/loss quota. It’s a fair return, after having prevented us from climbing two years ago and after the change of rules during the season last year! » Hervé Coudray, 1st in his pool but who will start 3 points behind the best, remains stoic: « The formula is probably to be reviewed but we knew the rules at the start, we are not discovering it! »
It now remains for the players in the Top 10 to swallow another ten matches between March 11 and April 16 to reach the Grail, the ProB. Just for the first before a new marathon!
The ranking of the Top 10 (before the 2nd phase). 1. Poitiers, Angers, Chartres 14 points (6 wins/2 losses); 4. Lyon, Lorient, Mulhouse 12 points (4V/4D); 7. Le Havre, Caen, Rueil 11 points (3V/5D); 10. La Rochelle 9pts (1V/7D).
The Chartres calendar:
J1 (11 or 12/03): Poitiers – CCBM.
J2 (15 or 16/03): CCBM – Lorient.
J3 (18 or 19/03): La Rochelle – CCBM.
J4 (22 or 23/03): CCBM – Rueil.
J5 (25 or 26/03): Angers – CCBM.
J6 (1 or 2/04): CCBM – Poitiers.
J7 (5 or 6/04): Lorient – CCBM.
J8 (8 or 9/04): CCBM – La Rochelle.
J9 (12 or 13/04): Rueil – CCBM.
J10 (15 or 16/04): CCBM – Angers.
Rules: the 1st goes up in ProB, the 9 others qualified for the play-offs (the clubs ranked from 2nd to 5th place host the trays of the 8th and quarter-finals).
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Jean-Andre Provost
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