Worthing Thunder have added 5'9'' American point guard Vinnie Darpino to their roster. Darpino holds an Italian passport, and therefore counts as a European player. From YouTube videos he looks like an offensive-minded shooter/scorer who should be very exciting to watch.
Thunder's back-court now looks pretty decent; with a starting combo of Darpino and American shooting guard Chris Talley backed up by team captain James Brame. A genuine point guard next to him should allow Talley's sharpshooting to thrive in Worthing's offense, leaving plenty of holes in the defence for Courtney Small to drive through.
I'd still like to see Worthing sign an extra player, probably a big. But I think Darpino solidifies the lineup and will hopefully solve quite a few of the issues.
Showing posts with label Worthing Thunder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worthing Thunder. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Worthing 75 - 79 Brixton Topcats
It was a disappointing night for the Thunder on Saturday, as they lost in close run affair with the Brixton Topcats. A late rally even gave Worthing a three point lead in the final quarter, but some shoddy decision making and lacklusture passing proved to be their ultimate un-doing.
The Thunder started poorly missing a number of open threes and turning the ball over. Courtney Small missed three (yes, three!) fast break dunks that could have been easily finished off as lay-ups. Worthing seemed to struggle to work the ball inside, and would often settle for outside shots, eventually connecting on just 5 from their 27 attempts from downtown.
A couple of strange refereeing decisions including a technical foul, and an apparent unsportsmanlike foul on James Brame, increased both the Thunder's frustration and Brixton's lead. Thunder seemed to be their own worst enemies, often throwing a sloppy pass or jacking up a tough shot, just as they were beginning to go on a run, which would inevitably lead to a fast break from the Topcats.
Things were looking bad in the third quarter, with Courtney Small in foul trouble and Francesco Amato on the bench, the Topcats stretched their lead to double figures. But Thunder finally got their act together in the fourth and despite still needlessly throwing the ball away on a few occasions, they managed to give themselves a 73-70 lead. In the last minute or so the Thunder slipped back into their old ways, turning the ball over, and taking ill-advised shots (including a bizarre panicked, long-range three from James Brame when the Thunder were down 2. It was as if the shot clock was at the last second and he thought he just had to throw the shot up). In the end the Topcats didn't win the match; the Thunder lost it.
Brixton played as expected; like a typical London team. The defense was constantly pressurising the ball-handlers, and Worthing's lack of a natural point guard became apparent. The Topcats ran double-teams and traps and forced the Thunder into a final tally of 18 turnovers.
The Topcats were led by a triangle offence; the aggressive drives of 6'4'' forward Sam Toluwase, the slashing and shooting of Arturo Noha-Pascual, and the inside presence of big Tom Adorian. These three combined for 66 of the Topcats 79 points, with Toluwase leading the way on 26.
Worthing were once again reliant on their main six, and it was slightly worrying that Courtney Small, and his 18-point performance, laced though it was with errors, was by far Thunder's most effective player.
Young Liam Mitchell once again impressed, although his defence was occasionally prone to over-aggressiveness, perhaps in an attempt to match the rough style of play employed by the South Londoners.
Captain James Brame, riled by some poor refereeing decisions, had a quiet and inconsequential night.
Greek big-mam Frankie Amato, is as strong as an ox and matched up well with Adorian, who scored the majority of his points with Amato sat on the bench. The Thunder didn't get the ball inside enough, were you feel Amato could have scored well.
American guard Chris Talley is yet to impress me in either of his performances I've seen. He can certainly shoot the ball (even though he was badly off today) but he's not a playmaker and can't create his own shot. In my humble opinion he doesn't give enough that an import guard should be looking to do.
Super-athletic Marcus Tullis had some nice blocks, and seemed to have a decent touch inside. Unfortunately my praise for him ends here. He never imposed himself on the game, despite being by far the most athletic big on the court. Too many of his points came from put-back layups. He attempted high risk moves and flashly passes constantly, even when he had failed to pull off previous ones. He forced a couple of threes beyond his range. It's still early in the season, but he needs to step up his game quickly and start playing to his strengths.
Okolie Ugbana and Dominic Baker played a small role, but were largely ineffectual.
It might be too early to judge, but I feel that Thunder need a couple more competant players who can give solid minutes, including a genuine point guard and a big. Either that, or the Americans need to start taking over the game in a way that only Canadian/Brit Courtney Small appears to be capable of so far.
The Thunder started poorly missing a number of open threes and turning the ball over. Courtney Small missed three (yes, three!) fast break dunks that could have been easily finished off as lay-ups. Worthing seemed to struggle to work the ball inside, and would often settle for outside shots, eventually connecting on just 5 from their 27 attempts from downtown.
A couple of strange refereeing decisions including a technical foul, and an apparent unsportsmanlike foul on James Brame, increased both the Thunder's frustration and Brixton's lead. Thunder seemed to be their own worst enemies, often throwing a sloppy pass or jacking up a tough shot, just as they were beginning to go on a run, which would inevitably lead to a fast break from the Topcats.
Things were looking bad in the third quarter, with Courtney Small in foul trouble and Francesco Amato on the bench, the Topcats stretched their lead to double figures. But Thunder finally got their act together in the fourth and despite still needlessly throwing the ball away on a few occasions, they managed to give themselves a 73-70 lead. In the last minute or so the Thunder slipped back into their old ways, turning the ball over, and taking ill-advised shots (including a bizarre panicked, long-range three from James Brame when the Thunder were down 2. It was as if the shot clock was at the last second and he thought he just had to throw the shot up). In the end the Topcats didn't win the match; the Thunder lost it.
Brixton played as expected; like a typical London team. The defense was constantly pressurising the ball-handlers, and Worthing's lack of a natural point guard became apparent. The Topcats ran double-teams and traps and forced the Thunder into a final tally of 18 turnovers.
The Topcats were led by a triangle offence; the aggressive drives of 6'4'' forward Sam Toluwase, the slashing and shooting of Arturo Noha-Pascual, and the inside presence of big Tom Adorian. These three combined for 66 of the Topcats 79 points, with Toluwase leading the way on 26.
Worthing were once again reliant on their main six, and it was slightly worrying that Courtney Small, and his 18-point performance, laced though it was with errors, was by far Thunder's most effective player.
Young Liam Mitchell once again impressed, although his defence was occasionally prone to over-aggressiveness, perhaps in an attempt to match the rough style of play employed by the South Londoners.
Captain James Brame, riled by some poor refereeing decisions, had a quiet and inconsequential night.
Greek big-mam Frankie Amato, is as strong as an ox and matched up well with Adorian, who scored the majority of his points with Amato sat on the bench. The Thunder didn't get the ball inside enough, were you feel Amato could have scored well.
American guard Chris Talley is yet to impress me in either of his performances I've seen. He can certainly shoot the ball (even though he was badly off today) but he's not a playmaker and can't create his own shot. In my humble opinion he doesn't give enough that an import guard should be looking to do.
Super-athletic Marcus Tullis had some nice blocks, and seemed to have a decent touch inside. Unfortunately my praise for him ends here. He never imposed himself on the game, despite being by far the most athletic big on the court. Too many of his points came from put-back layups. He attempted high risk moves and flashly passes constantly, even when he had failed to pull off previous ones. He forced a couple of threes beyond his range. It's still early in the season, but he needs to step up his game quickly and start playing to his strengths.
Okolie Ugbana and Dominic Baker played a small role, but were largely ineffectual.
It might be too early to judge, but I feel that Thunder need a couple more competant players who can give solid minutes, including a genuine point guard and a big. Either that, or the Americans need to start taking over the game in a way that only Canadian/Brit Courtney Small appears to be capable of so far.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Saturday 1st October - Worthing Thunder vs Brixton Topcats
On Saturday at The ThunderDome (or Worthing Leisure Centre, to give its less-glamorous-but-technically-correct title) will host a match between the home town Worthing Thunder and one of London's finest and most well known clubs; the Brixton Topcats.
The Topcats are famous for having developing the youthful talents of current GB internationals Luol Deng, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Justin Robinson and Ogo Adegboye. Fortunately for the Thunder none of these 4 will be making an appearance on court, but the Topcats are likely to put out a strong side, brimming with the kind of confidence and aggression that is synonymous with London basketball.
With the Essex Pirates pulling out of the BBL, 6'4'' athletic forward Samuel Toluwase has moved back to his home hardwood of London. His raucous dunks and flashy style will serve as a talisman for the Topcats. However, there is no doubt that on paper Worthing will have the pick of the talent. Brixton are unlikely to field import players, relying wholly on locals.
The Topcats might lack "star power" as much, but Brixton are a stereotypical London team, and they are guaranteed to play defense with endless energy and enthusiasm making up for any gaps in talent. They wont punish Thunder from the outside, but they will be muscular and athletic, and Worthing will have to match their intensity from the tip-off.
Big men Tom Adorian and Laurie Lewis will be a force inside, and it will be up to Amato and Tullis to work their hardest and stop them. Ultimate I think Thunder's guards should have the better of the Topcats', but this will depend on who is on Brixton's teamsheet at the start of the game. 6'2'' veteran Marcus Knight was a Brixton player last season, and is consistently one of the best British players outside of the BBL. If he plays on Saturday, the Thunder will have really have to work hard.
The Topcats are famous for having developing the youthful talents of current GB internationals Luol Deng, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Justin Robinson and Ogo Adegboye. Fortunately for the Thunder none of these 4 will be making an appearance on court, but the Topcats are likely to put out a strong side, brimming with the kind of confidence and aggression that is synonymous with London basketball.
With the Essex Pirates pulling out of the BBL, 6'4'' athletic forward Samuel Toluwase has moved back to his home hardwood of London. His raucous dunks and flashy style will serve as a talisman for the Topcats. However, there is no doubt that on paper Worthing will have the pick of the talent. Brixton are unlikely to field import players, relying wholly on locals.
The Topcats might lack "star power" as much, but Brixton are a stereotypical London team, and they are guaranteed to play defense with endless energy and enthusiasm making up for any gaps in talent. They wont punish Thunder from the outside, but they will be muscular and athletic, and Worthing will have to match their intensity from the tip-off.
Big men Tom Adorian and Laurie Lewis will be a force inside, and it will be up to Amato and Tullis to work their hardest and stop them. Ultimate I think Thunder's guards should have the better of the Topcats', but this will depend on who is on Brixton's teamsheet at the start of the game. 6'2'' veteran Marcus Knight was a Brixton player last season, and is consistently one of the best British players outside of the BBL. If he plays on Saturday, the Thunder will have really have to work hard.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Welcome to the 2011-2012 Season
The Thunder Chronicle tailed off completely last season when I got a job. This year I'm planning on doing a much better job.
Worthing have taken the step of moving from the BBL (Britain's professional basketball league) to EBL1, the top tier of the semi-professional leagues below. This seems to be a wise move for now, as the Thunder where getting thumped pretty badly last season, so a step down to re-group and re-evaluate seems a good idea.
I watched the first pre-season game, a close affair with understrength BBL side Guildford Heat, which Worthing won 100-87. But I missed the first game of the season proper; another win, this time against Bristol Academy Flyers.
From now on I should make most of the home games and might even catch an away fixture or two. We shall see.
Shortly I will complete a roster preview for the season. Then a preview for Worthing's next home game against Brixton Topcats.
Worthing have taken the step of moving from the BBL (Britain's professional basketball league) to EBL1, the top tier of the semi-professional leagues below. This seems to be a wise move for now, as the Thunder where getting thumped pretty badly last season, so a step down to re-group and re-evaluate seems a good idea.
I watched the first pre-season game, a close affair with understrength BBL side Guildford Heat, which Worthing won 100-87. But I missed the first game of the season proper; another win, this time against Bristol Academy Flyers.
From now on I should make most of the home games and might even catch an away fixture or two. We shall see.
Shortly I will complete a roster preview for the season. Then a preview for Worthing's next home game against Brixton Topcats.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Early Christmas Prezzie.
Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has officially returned to the Worthing Thunder.
He signalled his return with two big games against Glasgow at home and Cheshire away.
Sherrad had 19 points, 2 assists and 3 steals against the Glasgow Rocks. Statistically he was the strongest player. Unfortunately despite a good game from him, and from the 14 points and 13 rebounds of Shaun Durant, Worthing lost 84-68.
Fundamentally the structure of Worthing's current line-up means we need to have at least three players playing very well to have a chance of winning. Adam Williams, John Nottley and Marlin Capers all had off-nights, and in general Thunder's shooting was very poor. 11/32 from inside the arc and 7/23 just isn't good enough, and it was free throws that appears to have kept us in the match, going 25/27.
Nevertheless, I think this shows good things. When the team has a few full games together I think they will compete with anyone in the league.
Cheshire Jets, even without bigman Matt Schneck, must still be considered one of the best teams in the BBL this season. Thunder lost the close encounter up north 81-75, and Prezzie-Blue produced once again with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Incredably, Jets went through the match and only turned the ball over once. It seems that this was the key difference, as the Thunder matched Jets in scoring and reboudning fairly well.
He signalled his return with two big games against Glasgow at home and Cheshire away.
Sherrad had 19 points, 2 assists and 3 steals against the Glasgow Rocks. Statistically he was the strongest player. Unfortunately despite a good game from him, and from the 14 points and 13 rebounds of Shaun Durant, Worthing lost 84-68.
Fundamentally the structure of Worthing's current line-up means we need to have at least three players playing very well to have a chance of winning. Adam Williams, John Nottley and Marlin Capers all had off-nights, and in general Thunder's shooting was very poor. 11/32 from inside the arc and 7/23 just isn't good enough, and it was free throws that appears to have kept us in the match, going 25/27.
Nevertheless, I think this shows good things. When the team has a few full games together I think they will compete with anyone in the league.
Cheshire Jets, even without bigman Matt Schneck, must still be considered one of the best teams in the BBL this season. Thunder lost the close encounter up north 81-75, and Prezzie-Blue produced once again with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Incredably, Jets went through the match and only turned the ball over once. It seems that this was the key difference, as the Thunder matched Jets in scoring and reboudning fairly well.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
If Thunder are going to beat Glasgow Rocks on Sunday...
Worthing Thunder take on the Glasgow Rocks on Saturday in a BBL championship game.
Rocks have had a decent start to the season going 4-3, compared to Worthing's record of 1-3 so far. I think it's important to remember, though, that their four wins have all been against four of the weaker teams in the BBL, including a tight contest with Essex Pirates.
In short, Rocks are a decent team, but they are far from unbeatable.
The obvious dangerman is EJ Harrison the veteran guard who joined the Rocks from MK Lions. He's averaging 15 ppg and 4 apg, so not what you can call fantastic numbers, especially on a team that isn't exactly stacked with offensive talent.
6'8'' forward/centre Mike Copeland is the inside threat. He's averaging 18 ppg. 6'6'' American/Greek Nick Livas has been the other main offense player, he has added 15 ppg.
Rocks other main players are 6'4'' French swingman Moses Mubarak, 6'3'' American guard Brice Fantazia, and naturalised player/coach Sterling Davis. They have also just added Australian big-man Michael Kingma who counts as a non-permit player due to the virtue of a Dutch passport.
So what do Thunder need to do if they want to beat Glasgow?
I think the best bet is going inside early. Get it to Nottley and Durant down low and let them go to work, and get Adam Williams and Mansour Mbye to drive in. I say this because Kingma is new to the team and so will not yet be completely comfortable with the defensive plays. Copeland is certainly talented and may well be the best big-man in the match, but he is also highly prone to foul trouble. 6'6'' Sterling Davis is a fantastic player, I remember him from his days as the Bears, but he is a little underized to guard Nottley, and probably doesn't have the athleticism any more to guard Durant.
If Prezzie-Blue is in the Worthing line-up it will improve us both defensively and offensively. But whoever is guarding EJ Harrison needs to keep him in check. Harrison can really put up a lot of points very quickly, and was the catalyst in the Rocks pulling away from Essex Pirates in the fourth quarter last week. Brice Fantazia, on the other hand, shouldn't be too much of an offensive threat and we can let him have his points.
The signing of Kingma could actually work to Worthing's advantage. It's not a big surprise to find that when Sterling Davis plays more minutes, Rocks have a better record. Kingma will take minutes away from Davis, and currently I don't think he will give Thunder as much to worry about.
Adam Williams needs to play big minutes again, he is crucial to our success. Nottley and Durant need to pound the ball inside. Marlin Capers should use his veteran savvy to outmanuevere the less experienced Mubrak and Livas. And a mature performance from Mbye could be the difference for Thunder.
Rocks have had a decent start to the season going 4-3, compared to Worthing's record of 1-3 so far. I think it's important to remember, though, that their four wins have all been against four of the weaker teams in the BBL, including a tight contest with Essex Pirates.
In short, Rocks are a decent team, but they are far from unbeatable.
The obvious dangerman is EJ Harrison the veteran guard who joined the Rocks from MK Lions. He's averaging 15 ppg and 4 apg, so not what you can call fantastic numbers, especially on a team that isn't exactly stacked with offensive talent.
6'8'' forward/centre Mike Copeland is the inside threat. He's averaging 18 ppg. 6'6'' American/Greek Nick Livas has been the other main offense player, he has added 15 ppg.
Rocks other main players are 6'4'' French swingman Moses Mubarak, 6'3'' American guard Brice Fantazia, and naturalised player/coach Sterling Davis. They have also just added Australian big-man Michael Kingma who counts as a non-permit player due to the virtue of a Dutch passport.
So what do Thunder need to do if they want to beat Glasgow?
I think the best bet is going inside early. Get it to Nottley and Durant down low and let them go to work, and get Adam Williams and Mansour Mbye to drive in. I say this because Kingma is new to the team and so will not yet be completely comfortable with the defensive plays. Copeland is certainly talented and may well be the best big-man in the match, but he is also highly prone to foul trouble. 6'6'' Sterling Davis is a fantastic player, I remember him from his days as the Bears, but he is a little underized to guard Nottley, and probably doesn't have the athleticism any more to guard Durant.
If Prezzie-Blue is in the Worthing line-up it will improve us both defensively and offensively. But whoever is guarding EJ Harrison needs to keep him in check. Harrison can really put up a lot of points very quickly, and was the catalyst in the Rocks pulling away from Essex Pirates in the fourth quarter last week. Brice Fantazia, on the other hand, shouldn't be too much of an offensive threat and we can let him have his points.
The signing of Kingma could actually work to Worthing's advantage. It's not a big surprise to find that when Sterling Davis plays more minutes, Rocks have a better record. Kingma will take minutes away from Davis, and currently I don't think he will give Thunder as much to worry about.
Adam Williams needs to play big minutes again, he is crucial to our success. Nottley and Durant need to pound the ball inside. Marlin Capers should use his veteran savvy to outmanuevere the less experienced Mubrak and Livas. And a mature performance from Mbye could be the difference for Thunder.
Monday, 15 November 2010
What do the Thunder need to compete?
Worthing Thunder have had a pretty poor start to the season. Two wins have come at the expense of two of the (arguably) weakest teams, Essex and Plymouth, and there have been some pretty bad performances, notably a heavy loss away to Sheffield.
So what has gone wrong? Let's look at the recruitment process:
Local boy Samuel Cricelli who played his debut professional season last year at Thunder was snapped up by Plymouth Raiders in the off-season. Cricelli, a 6'7'' combo-forward, had a successful college career and was a high point in Thunder's season last year. He was capped by England over the summer and it's a shame Thunder couldn't retain him.
As for the imports, swingman Reggie Bratton signed to an LEB-Silver club in Spain and big-man Kadiri Richard was picked up by BBL giants Newcastle Eagles. Point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue moved back to the States, but has recently returned to the Thunder.
Evaldas Zabas, the Lithuanian point guard, returned from last year and was taking most of the weight of scoring, but he has since moved west to Plymouth. Our other Europeans (who don't require a permit) were Latvian forward Janis Ivanofskis and 6'5'' Finland international Ville Makalainen. Makalainen has moved back home and signed for Korisliiga club Honka Espoo Playboys. Ivanovskis doesn't appear to be playing professionally this year.
So lets look at this years squad:
Point guard: Thunder need a point guard. At the time of writing, rumours are abound that 5'11'' American Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has been re-signed to replace Zabas. This is a fantastic move, if true, but if not then Thunder need to immediately look for a new guard. We will struggle to pull out close games without a floor general out there.
Athletic power forward: I think Thunder could do with an athletic power forward, to give a bit of variety to the offence inside. So far we have Nottley, something of a finesse centre who gets his points from long range shooting, hooks and on the virtue of usually being the tallest guy on the court. We have Durant, who gets his points from muscling his way inside or from put-backs. We have Zafirov who seems to prefer shooting the three, and isn't really a natural big. If we had a good athletic forward, who likes to hustle in the paint, pick up rebounds and has some decent post moves (think Guildford's Mike Martin or Sheffield's Olu Babalola). Mbye perhaps should be filling this role, but appears to spend much of his time on the perimeter.
Heart: Dan Hildreth had it. Janis Ivanovskis had it. Ville Makalainen had it. So did Kadiri Richard. But this year we seem to be missing a bit of heart. Someone ready to do whatever it takes to win, throw himself on every loose ball, battle on when we're 20 points down. We need to sign a Dru Spinks or a Yorick Williams.
So what has gone wrong? Let's look at the recruitment process:
Local boy Samuel Cricelli who played his debut professional season last year at Thunder was snapped up by Plymouth Raiders in the off-season. Cricelli, a 6'7'' combo-forward, had a successful college career and was a high point in Thunder's season last year. He was capped by England over the summer and it's a shame Thunder couldn't retain him.
As for the imports, swingman Reggie Bratton signed to an LEB-Silver club in Spain and big-man Kadiri Richard was picked up by BBL giants Newcastle Eagles. Point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue moved back to the States, but has recently returned to the Thunder.
Evaldas Zabas, the Lithuanian point guard, returned from last year and was taking most of the weight of scoring, but he has since moved west to Plymouth. Our other Europeans (who don't require a permit) were Latvian forward Janis Ivanofskis and 6'5'' Finland international Ville Makalainen. Makalainen has moved back home and signed for Korisliiga club Honka Espoo Playboys. Ivanovskis doesn't appear to be playing professionally this year.
So lets look at this years squad:
- Veteran American forward Marlin Capers is the only new import and has scored well, even if he is lacking a little in athleticism these days.
- Bruising big-man Shaun Durant is known for his rebounding skills, and he has been putting them to good use.
- 6'6'' Londoner Mansour Mbye's talent is not in doubt, but at times his decision making is.
- Rumours have been flying around that Thunder's other big, John Nottley, will be heading State-side as soon he gets a visa to work there, and that will be a blow if he goes.
- Club captain James Brame has been steady and reliable as ever.
- Bulgarian Pepe Zafirov show flashes of real talent, followed by stretches of mediocrity and occasional technical-foul-earning outbursts.
- Welsh guard Adam Williams has impressed, and occasionally looks disheartened when things are going badly.
Point guard: Thunder need a point guard. At the time of writing, rumours are abound that 5'11'' American Sherrad Prezzie-Blue has been re-signed to replace Zabas. This is a fantastic move, if true, but if not then Thunder need to immediately look for a new guard. We will struggle to pull out close games without a floor general out there.
Athletic power forward: I think Thunder could do with an athletic power forward, to give a bit of variety to the offence inside. So far we have Nottley, something of a finesse centre who gets his points from long range shooting, hooks and on the virtue of usually being the tallest guy on the court. We have Durant, who gets his points from muscling his way inside or from put-backs. We have Zafirov who seems to prefer shooting the three, and isn't really a natural big. If we had a good athletic forward, who likes to hustle in the paint, pick up rebounds and has some decent post moves (think Guildford's Mike Martin or Sheffield's Olu Babalola). Mbye perhaps should be filling this role, but appears to spend much of his time on the perimeter.
Heart: Dan Hildreth had it. Janis Ivanovskis had it. Ville Makalainen had it. So did Kadiri Richard. But this year we seem to be missing a bit of heart. Someone ready to do whatever it takes to win, throw himself on every loose ball, battle on when we're 20 points down. We need to sign a Dru Spinks or a Yorick Williams.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Worthing Thunder 95 - 92 Essex Pirates (OT)
Worthing Thunder bagged their first win of these season as they truimphed in a thrilling overtime victory over the Essex Pirates 95-92.
Adam Williams was the difference maker for Thunder. He had 18 points, including arguably the game winning basket, and the Thunder looked much better with him on the floor. John Nottley also had a big game with 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Shaun Durant added a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.
Essex returnee Taner Adu scored 31, almost carrying his team to victory.
Pirates had the right gameplan early on, really hassling Thunder so they could not get into any type of rhythm. Thunder sometimes stuggled to get the ball up the court and gave the ball away plenty of times. Worthing's lack of a genuine point guard was very apparent, but the return of Sherrad Prezzie-Blue should really help this team compete.
When Thunder were down 14 I thought they were out of it, but they showed fantastic character with a run that was inspired by the play of Adam Williams, who was my MVP for the night.
Pirates couldn't contain Durant and Nottley downlow, so it was a little frustrating that too often Thunder settled for drives or long shots. Mbye and Capers, in particular, missed quite a few shots (although they worked tirelessly defensively, and did make some big shots during Thunder's run in the third)
I felt a bit sorry for Essex by the end because they did work very hard, although in the end I always felt that Thunder's superior experience would pull them through. They really relied on Taner Adu. He was their go-to-guy whenever they needed points, and duly delivered especially in the first half.
Felt like they could do with a couple of genuine big guys as Sturt really looked dangerous from deep, but despite working hard, is not a natural big. The match was probably theirs for the taking in the third, and perhaps lacked a killer instinct.
It was a messy game, with lots of turnovers and sloppy play. Nevertheless, it was thrilling towards the end with the lead changing hands all the time in the final quarter and overtime. The refereeing was a bit odd, inconsistency seemed to be the key word. Questionable calls on travelling and fouls, admittedly I think a lot went in favour of Thunder.
Worthing Thunder
Adam Williams - sparked Thunder's comeback and was the key player for Thunder. He really came up big at the end, and I feel he was as important to Worthing as Adu was to Essex. 8 out of 10
John Nottley - did a good job inside again, was surprised to read the stats and see he had 18 points, he certainly scored them quietly. 7
Marlin Capers - also quiet, but scored steadily. Looked out of sorts in the first half and the energetic Pirates defense pushed him out of his comfort zone, but came back strong in the second half. 6
Mansour Mbye - missed a few open threes early on and seemed very wasteful in possession. To his credit he was very important in containing Essex in the final part of the match and hit some massive free throws. 6
Shaun Durant - great on the boards and scored efficiently inside. Felt he should have been fed the ball a little more than he was, but his double-double made him probably our 2nd best player on the night. 8
James Brame - did his best at the point but didn't look comfortable. He defended hard. 5
Pepe Zafirov - did okay as a backup for the big guys, but fouled out. 5
Gareth Laws - seemed a good veteran presence, but didn't see a lot of time. 6
Dominic Baker - thought he did a decent job with the time given to him and didn't look out of his depth. 6
Essex Pirates
Taner Adu - really was their most important player and if they had won he would have deserved credit for the victory. Seemed like he was being asked to do too much though, seemed to be relied on as the point guard and the go-to scorer. 8
Adrien Sturt - anchored Pirates defense inside, when he fouled out they couldn't stop the Thunder bigs. Has a nice shooting touch from deep and punished us a few times for leaving him open. 7
Jamell Anderson - young, athletic and enthuasiastic but really lacked killer instinct. Scored well, though, and played some good D. 7
Samuel Toluwase - undersized, but strong and aggressive, worked hard for his points. Fouled out. 5
Daniel Briglia - looked okay, but nothing special. Didn't appear to have any weapons. 5
Colin Sing - expected to see better from him. Didn't look very confident and passed up a few open shots. 4
Zach Gachette - has potential, but probably isn't ready for big minutes at BBL level. 5
Tom Woods - ineffectual. 5
Adam Williams was the difference maker for Thunder. He had 18 points, including arguably the game winning basket, and the Thunder looked much better with him on the floor. John Nottley also had a big game with 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Shaun Durant added a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.
Essex returnee Taner Adu scored 31, almost carrying his team to victory.
Pirates had the right gameplan early on, really hassling Thunder so they could not get into any type of rhythm. Thunder sometimes stuggled to get the ball up the court and gave the ball away plenty of times. Worthing's lack of a genuine point guard was very apparent, but the return of Sherrad Prezzie-Blue should really help this team compete.
When Thunder were down 14 I thought they were out of it, but they showed fantastic character with a run that was inspired by the play of Adam Williams, who was my MVP for the night.
Pirates couldn't contain Durant and Nottley downlow, so it was a little frustrating that too often Thunder settled for drives or long shots. Mbye and Capers, in particular, missed quite a few shots (although they worked tirelessly defensively, and did make some big shots during Thunder's run in the third)
I felt a bit sorry for Essex by the end because they did work very hard, although in the end I always felt that Thunder's superior experience would pull them through. They really relied on Taner Adu. He was their go-to-guy whenever they needed points, and duly delivered especially in the first half.
Felt like they could do with a couple of genuine big guys as Sturt really looked dangerous from deep, but despite working hard, is not a natural big. The match was probably theirs for the taking in the third, and perhaps lacked a killer instinct.
It was a messy game, with lots of turnovers and sloppy play. Nevertheless, it was thrilling towards the end with the lead changing hands all the time in the final quarter and overtime. The refereeing was a bit odd, inconsistency seemed to be the key word. Questionable calls on travelling and fouls, admittedly I think a lot went in favour of Thunder.
Worthing Thunder
Adam Williams - sparked Thunder's comeback and was the key player for Thunder. He really came up big at the end, and I feel he was as important to Worthing as Adu was to Essex. 8 out of 10
John Nottley - did a good job inside again, was surprised to read the stats and see he had 18 points, he certainly scored them quietly. 7
Marlin Capers - also quiet, but scored steadily. Looked out of sorts in the first half and the energetic Pirates defense pushed him out of his comfort zone, but came back strong in the second half. 6
Mansour Mbye - missed a few open threes early on and seemed very wasteful in possession. To his credit he was very important in containing Essex in the final part of the match and hit some massive free throws. 6
Shaun Durant - great on the boards and scored efficiently inside. Felt he should have been fed the ball a little more than he was, but his double-double made him probably our 2nd best player on the night. 8
James Brame - did his best at the point but didn't look comfortable. He defended hard. 5
Pepe Zafirov - did okay as a backup for the big guys, but fouled out. 5
Gareth Laws - seemed a good veteran presence, but didn't see a lot of time. 6
Dominic Baker - thought he did a decent job with the time given to him and didn't look out of his depth. 6
Essex Pirates
Taner Adu - really was their most important player and if they had won he would have deserved credit for the victory. Seemed like he was being asked to do too much though, seemed to be relied on as the point guard and the go-to scorer. 8
Adrien Sturt - anchored Pirates defense inside, when he fouled out they couldn't stop the Thunder bigs. Has a nice shooting touch from deep and punished us a few times for leaving him open. 7
Jamell Anderson - young, athletic and enthuasiastic but really lacked killer instinct. Scored well, though, and played some good D. 7
Samuel Toluwase - undersized, but strong and aggressive, worked hard for his points. Fouled out. 5
Daniel Briglia - looked okay, but nothing special. Didn't appear to have any weapons. 5
Colin Sing - expected to see better from him. Didn't look very confident and passed up a few open shots. 4
Zach Gachette - has potential, but probably isn't ready for big minutes at BBL level. 5
Tom Woods - ineffectual. 5
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Thunder win a trophy game, then lose a championship game ... and Zabas.
Worthing Thunder, spurred by a fantastic peformance from Marlin Capers, logged their first win of the season as they triumphed 92-79 over the Plymouth Raiders. Capers had 28 points from an 11/17 shooting performance and was backed up by double-doubles from Durant and Nottley plus a great game and 21 points from Mansour Mbye.
This win came without star guard Evaldas Zabas who was suspiciously absent.
The next day, Thunder travelled north to Cheshire, where they lost to the Jets 74-67. It was a close game, with Thunder working hard to draw level in the final quarter, but in the end the deeper Jets had a little too much. Capers once again impressed, dropping 31 points, nearly half of Worthing's total. Another decent double-double performance from Nottley was useful, but Mbye was woeful, missing all 12 of his shots and turning over the ball 7 times.
Worthing also received the news that Evaldas Zabas had submitted a request to transfer to another BBL side. The side turned out to be the conquered Plymouth Raiders who have released England international Taner Adu.
This win came without star guard Evaldas Zabas who was suspiciously absent.
The next day, Thunder travelled north to Cheshire, where they lost to the Jets 74-67. It was a close game, with Thunder working hard to draw level in the final quarter, but in the end the deeper Jets had a little too much. Capers once again impressed, dropping 31 points, nearly half of Worthing's total. Another decent double-double performance from Nottley was useful, but Mbye was woeful, missing all 12 of his shots and turning over the ball 7 times.
Worthing also received the news that Evaldas Zabas had submitted a request to transfer to another BBL side. The side turned out to be the conquered Plymouth Raiders who have released England international Taner Adu.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Lightning strikes twice as Heat beat Thunder again
A hardworking performance from the Worthing Thunder wasn't enough for them to stave off victory, as the Guildford Heat took last nights BBL Trophy game 86-67. Lithanian guard Evaldas Zabas was once again the most important player for Thunder, he finished with 17 points.
The first quarter was fairly erratic, the teams traded baskets with Heat briefly pulling into a small lead. Some great defending from inside duo Shaun Durant and John Nottley kept Thunder close. Bulgarian Pepe Zafirov also impressed with a fine spin move down low.
In the second Thunder looked a much better team. It was here we saw the quality of little Lithuanian Evaldas Zabas who scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half. The Heat had no answer for him as Schneider, McLemore and even the usually reliable Julius Joseph all fell victim to his superior moves. Thunder pulled themselves ahead, and actually built a decent 7-point lead before a 3-pointer from Schneider ended the half.
After half-time things started to fall to pieces for the West Sussex outfit. As the Heat began guarding Zabas out of the match. With Zabas' creavity gone Worthing looked out of ideas. John Nottley consistantly settled for long range efforts, of which he missed a lot. Perhaps this was just an off shooting night for him, as he was open for those shots and I remember him as having a nice shooting touch.
Durant and Mbye especially were too often forcing things, and in the end it was just simple good defence and sensible offense that allowed Guildford to pull away. Zafirov was ejected not too long after and after that there was no way back for Thunder.
Worthing threatened to go on a run, but this was stifled by a very poor call of charging into what was both a moving screen and inside the key (NOTE: although to be fair I thought the referees were good in general, probably favouring Thunder in the first half). Tiredness appeared to affect the undermanned Thunder as the clock ran down they could not lift themselves.
A good win for the Heat and a frustrating result for the Thunder as once again limited numbers appeared to be the key to the loss.
Player Review
Thunder
Evaldas Zabas - in the first half he looked a level above anyone else on the court, with some fine driving moves he breezed past every defender. When he was off the court Thunder looked a bit lost. 8 out of 10
John Nottley - had a good double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, but looked far more effective when he was aggressive. Too often settled for long shots. 7
Mansour Mbye - quite regularly disrupted Worthing's offence by jacking up an ill-advised shot or driving too early in the possession. Has an plenty of talent and strength, but needs to get his teammates more involved. Tried to be a go-to-guy but it didn't work. 5
Shaun Durant - really worked hard on the glass pulled down 10 rebouds. Had a decent couple of post-moves, but turned the ball over a few times looking for a foul that didn't happen. Defended well. 6
James Brame - dependable and consistant. Found himself playing point guard sometimes, while his talents would have been put to better use elsewhere. 6
Pepe Zafirov - came up with some big threes during Thunder's run in the second. Looked useful and intune with the offense but felt he would benefit more coming on as a back-up. Was ejected in the third. 6
Marlin Capers - veteran American who hasn't played professionally for a while. Looked a little rusty and noticably out-of-sync with the offence. Will do better once he's had more time with the team, I'm sure, but last night he was poor. 4
Dominic Baker - local born guard (NOTE: who I have played against. Yay) showed promise. Had one nice drive to the basket, and looked good when he played with confidence. 6
Guildford Heat
Martelle McLemore - solid performance from the American, although it was noticable that he never took over the game like BBL Americans from the past might have. Had 17 points. 8
Mike Martin - still very good into his 30's. Quietly racked up points and rebounds and worked hard for Heat defensively. 8
David Schneider - missed a few threes early on, but contributed big in Heat's third quarter revival. Wasn't quite as much of a point guard as I had thought. 6
Julius Joseph - dependable veteran, Heat rotated quite often and had a lot of depth. Felt he would have contributed more with a few more minutes. 7
Tomas Janusauskas - big Lithanian was a handful for Thunder's big men. Looks a good non-permit pick up for the Heat. 7
James Porter - the weakest of Heat's Americans, and one of the weaker players on the court. Missed an easy dunk. 4
Tayo Ogedengbe - looked good. Athletic, defended well, should be a dependable starter. 8
Dean Williams - another good veteran presence for the Heat. 6
Lekan Popoola - weakest player on the court, including the kids. Every defensive play he was beaten off the dribble or fouled. Have seen better from him though, so was just an off day. 3
Oscar Ociepa & Richard Green - got a couple minutes at the end, but didn't do anything. 5
The first quarter was fairly erratic, the teams traded baskets with Heat briefly pulling into a small lead. Some great defending from inside duo Shaun Durant and John Nottley kept Thunder close. Bulgarian Pepe Zafirov also impressed with a fine spin move down low.
In the second Thunder looked a much better team. It was here we saw the quality of little Lithuanian Evaldas Zabas who scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half. The Heat had no answer for him as Schneider, McLemore and even the usually reliable Julius Joseph all fell victim to his superior moves. Thunder pulled themselves ahead, and actually built a decent 7-point lead before a 3-pointer from Schneider ended the half.
After half-time things started to fall to pieces for the West Sussex outfit. As the Heat began guarding Zabas out of the match. With Zabas' creavity gone Worthing looked out of ideas. John Nottley consistantly settled for long range efforts, of which he missed a lot. Perhaps this was just an off shooting night for him, as he was open for those shots and I remember him as having a nice shooting touch.
Durant and Mbye especially were too often forcing things, and in the end it was just simple good defence and sensible offense that allowed Guildford to pull away. Zafirov was ejected not too long after and after that there was no way back for Thunder.
Worthing threatened to go on a run, but this was stifled by a very poor call of charging into what was both a moving screen and inside the key (NOTE: although to be fair I thought the referees were good in general, probably favouring Thunder in the first half). Tiredness appeared to affect the undermanned Thunder as the clock ran down they could not lift themselves.
A good win for the Heat and a frustrating result for the Thunder as once again limited numbers appeared to be the key to the loss.
Player Review
Thunder
Evaldas Zabas - in the first half he looked a level above anyone else on the court, with some fine driving moves he breezed past every defender. When he was off the court Thunder looked a bit lost. 8 out of 10
John Nottley - had a good double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, but looked far more effective when he was aggressive. Too often settled for long shots. 7
Mansour Mbye - quite regularly disrupted Worthing's offence by jacking up an ill-advised shot or driving too early in the possession. Has an plenty of talent and strength, but needs to get his teammates more involved. Tried to be a go-to-guy but it didn't work. 5
Shaun Durant - really worked hard on the glass pulled down 10 rebouds. Had a decent couple of post-moves, but turned the ball over a few times looking for a foul that didn't happen. Defended well. 6
James Brame - dependable and consistant. Found himself playing point guard sometimes, while his talents would have been put to better use elsewhere. 6
Pepe Zafirov - came up with some big threes during Thunder's run in the second. Looked useful and intune with the offense but felt he would benefit more coming on as a back-up. Was ejected in the third. 6
Marlin Capers - veteran American who hasn't played professionally for a while. Looked a little rusty and noticably out-of-sync with the offence. Will do better once he's had more time with the team, I'm sure, but last night he was poor. 4
Dominic Baker - local born guard (NOTE: who I have played against. Yay) showed promise. Had one nice drive to the basket, and looked good when he played with confidence. 6
Guildford Heat
Martelle McLemore - solid performance from the American, although it was noticable that he never took over the game like BBL Americans from the past might have. Had 17 points. 8
Mike Martin - still very good into his 30's. Quietly racked up points and rebounds and worked hard for Heat defensively. 8
David Schneider - missed a few threes early on, but contributed big in Heat's third quarter revival. Wasn't quite as much of a point guard as I had thought. 6
Julius Joseph - dependable veteran, Heat rotated quite often and had a lot of depth. Felt he would have contributed more with a few more minutes. 7
Tomas Janusauskas - big Lithanian was a handful for Thunder's big men. Looks a good non-permit pick up for the Heat. 7
James Porter - the weakest of Heat's Americans, and one of the weaker players on the court. Missed an easy dunk. 4
Tayo Ogedengbe - looked good. Athletic, defended well, should be a dependable starter. 8
Dean Williams - another good veteran presence for the Heat. 6
Lekan Popoola - weakest player on the court, including the kids. Every defensive play he was beaten off the dribble or fouled. Have seen better from him though, so was just an off day. 3
Oscar Ociepa & Richard Green - got a couple minutes at the end, but didn't do anything. 5
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Guildford Heat 79 - 76 Worthing Thunder
Once again a great performance from Lithuanian point guard Evaldas Zabas was not enough to lift the Thunder above a shaky Guildford Heat. Zabas contributed 27 points and 5 rebounds including an impressive 9/12 from the free throw line, but the only other Thunder player to reach double-figures was debutant John Nottley who added 17 points and 15 rebounds indicating his quality for the season ahead.
It's notable that the Thunder played without key guards James Brame and Adam Williams, and also foul trouble for 6'9'' big-man Shaun Durant meant Worthing were a little shorted handed in the second half. Forward Mansour Mbye did a lot of the little things, adding 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists, but his poor shooting, especially from the charity stripe prevented him from being a key factor.
Guildford are very deep, something that can be a bit of a hinderance at times on a BBL team, and this shows up a little in the statistics. As the saying goes: "too many cooks spoil the broth", and if we translate this into basketball we get "too many players means that the players don't get to play enough time together to reach a good level of team chemistry on the floor".
Statistically, at least, it was a good game for Mike Martin, who scored 21 points, adding 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Julius Joseph put up 20, and Americans Martelle McLemore and David Schneider added 12 and 10 respectively. A dissapointing performance from veteran Dean Williams who, given 14 minutes, managed nothing but 1 missed field goal attempt, and 1 turn-over. Big-men James Porter and Tomas Janusauskas were a bit of a non-factor, really, with Nottley being the pick of the 6'10''+ players.
Zabas appears to be playing the role of a free-scorer rather than a natural point guard, and this shows up with his single assist in nearly 39 minutes of running the team. I won't be able to make a fair assessment of the Thunder until I see them next week, but it seems to me that if Durant and Nottley can contribute and play together, and have a full compliment of guards available they could really be a handful for the Raiders team.
It's notable that the Thunder played without key guards James Brame and Adam Williams, and also foul trouble for 6'9'' big-man Shaun Durant meant Worthing were a little shorted handed in the second half. Forward Mansour Mbye did a lot of the little things, adding 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists, but his poor shooting, especially from the charity stripe prevented him from being a key factor.
Guildford are very deep, something that can be a bit of a hinderance at times on a BBL team, and this shows up a little in the statistics. As the saying goes: "too many cooks spoil the broth", and if we translate this into basketball we get "too many players means that the players don't get to play enough time together to reach a good level of team chemistry on the floor".
Statistically, at least, it was a good game for Mike Martin, who scored 21 points, adding 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Julius Joseph put up 20, and Americans Martelle McLemore and David Schneider added 12 and 10 respectively. A dissapointing performance from veteran Dean Williams who, given 14 minutes, managed nothing but 1 missed field goal attempt, and 1 turn-over. Big-men James Porter and Tomas Janusauskas were a bit of a non-factor, really, with Nottley being the pick of the 6'10''+ players.
Zabas appears to be playing the role of a free-scorer rather than a natural point guard, and this shows up with his single assist in nearly 39 minutes of running the team. I won't be able to make a fair assessment of the Thunder until I see them next week, but it seems to me that if Durant and Nottley can contribute and play together, and have a full compliment of guards available they could really be a handful for the Raiders team.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Plymouth Raiders 79 - 77 Worthing Thunder
31 from Evaldas Zabas was not enough to save a depleted team losing the first game of their season; a trophy match away at Plymouth. Missing 2 starters (not to mention the 3 potential Americans who are still yet to be offcially mentioned), Worthing put up a spirited performance keeping it close and even having the lead for portions of the 4th quarter. When Zabas fouled out late in the game, however, the Radiers had a little too much, and some strong play from England international Taner Adu saw them through.
I wasn't at the game, but the statistics reveal that veteran Shoreham-born guard James Brame played out of his skin, scoring 14 points on 6/9 shooting, he also added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a phonomenal 5 steals.
Zabas was the primary scorer for Thunder, and shot very well from inside the ark, going 10/14, but was less than impressive from 3-point-land, hitting just 2/12. Nevertheless, it was a huge performance for the young Lithuanian, but in the end it was not enough.
Big-man Shaun Durant had a mixed game, scoring 17 points and adding 11 rebounds, but his production could not be called efficient, especially for a centre, going 6 from 14 from the field; not awful, but room for improvement, and it was a similar story for Mansour Mbye who clearly took up the challenge of starting, and added 12 points, again on unimpressive shooting.
The low point for the game was Pepe Zafirov, starting in place of the abscent John Nottley. Zafirov appears to be out of his depth at BBL level, shooting just 1/8 including all 5 three point shots missed, and also fouling out.
Young Sussex guard Dominic Baker (who I have played against, yay) and former streetballer and London stalwart Gareth Laws were non-factors, although they played bravely out of position, and doing unusual jobs.
It was a brave performance, and special credit must go to stand-in head coach Alan Sweetman-Hicks, long-time Thunder assistant coach who certainly got the best out of Brame, and rallied the team close to an upset over a team who have been training together for much longer than the Thunder.
Raiders appear to be weak this year, and without a genuine point they will struggle to beat most teams. I would say that a full Thunder team would probably have beaten them on the day, as, aside from Lehmon Colbert, their new Americans appeared ineffectual.
I wasn't at the game, but the statistics reveal that veteran Shoreham-born guard James Brame played out of his skin, scoring 14 points on 6/9 shooting, he also added 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a phonomenal 5 steals.
Zabas was the primary scorer for Thunder, and shot very well from inside the ark, going 10/14, but was less than impressive from 3-point-land, hitting just 2/12. Nevertheless, it was a huge performance for the young Lithuanian, but in the end it was not enough.
Big-man Shaun Durant had a mixed game, scoring 17 points and adding 11 rebounds, but his production could not be called efficient, especially for a centre, going 6 from 14 from the field; not awful, but room for improvement, and it was a similar story for Mansour Mbye who clearly took up the challenge of starting, and added 12 points, again on unimpressive shooting.
The low point for the game was Pepe Zafirov, starting in place of the abscent John Nottley. Zafirov appears to be out of his depth at BBL level, shooting just 1/8 including all 5 three point shots missed, and also fouling out.
Young Sussex guard Dominic Baker (who I have played against, yay) and former streetballer and London stalwart Gareth Laws were non-factors, although they played bravely out of position, and doing unusual jobs.
It was a brave performance, and special credit must go to stand-in head coach Alan Sweetman-Hicks, long-time Thunder assistant coach who certainly got the best out of Brame, and rallied the team close to an upset over a team who have been training together for much longer than the Thunder.
Raiders appear to be weak this year, and without a genuine point they will struggle to beat most teams. I would say that a full Thunder team would probably have beaten them on the day, as, aside from Lehmon Colbert, their new Americans appeared ineffectual.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Welcome!
I was quite surprised to find that the worthingthunder.blogspot.com address was available. I mean, I know there is not really a good reason for Worthing Thunder to have an official blog but just I would have imagined that some Worthing Thunder fan would have grabbed it by now.
Well, now I have.
I should first say that I am not affiliated with the Worthing Thunder, I am just a highly dedicated fan planning to blog all my thoughts about the Thunder and the BBL in general throughout the season.
Worthing Thunder have been my team ever since the Brighton Bears sadly ceased to exist. I haven't followed them as much as I would have liked due to having been away at university throughout the previous three seasons. But now I'm back, and supporting basketball is what I do, so let's just get on with it.
This blog will be a chronicle of not only game reports, news and team analysis regarding the Worthing Thunder, but also an overview of the British Basketball League, a look forward to Team GB hopefully playing in the 2012 Olympics, and all other aspects of basketball in England.
Well, now I have.
I should first say that I am not affiliated with the Worthing Thunder, I am just a highly dedicated fan planning to blog all my thoughts about the Thunder and the BBL in general throughout the season.
Worthing Thunder have been my team ever since the Brighton Bears sadly ceased to exist. I haven't followed them as much as I would have liked due to having been away at university throughout the previous three seasons. But now I'm back, and supporting basketball is what I do, so let's just get on with it.
This blog will be a chronicle of not only game reports, news and team analysis regarding the Worthing Thunder, but also an overview of the British Basketball League, a look forward to Team GB hopefully playing in the 2012 Olympics, and all other aspects of basketball in England.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)