Wildcats at Wolves – BBL Championship preview

Saturday 22 September 2012

Worcester Wolves v Durham Wildcats

There are very different expectations surrounding these two teams at the start of the 2012/13 season. The Wildcats may not be the new boys anymore, but their roster does not look as strong on paper as either the repackaged London Lions or the returning Manchester Giants.

Bucci is back in Durham and will obviously be key to any success they have, but what Bucci has in support will come to light in Worcester tonight. There’s no Mike Capocci or Mario Flaherty this season, with Dave Elderkin bringing in a host of new faces with forwards Mike Baldarelli, Andrew Keister and Brad Guinane joining from the US collegiate system. Keister joins coming off a few games of competitive ball in Hungary. Dave’s son Paul Elderkin who was an important player for the Wildcats last season, will once again don the Durham uniform wth several young British and Irish players along with former Jet Keith Page making up the Wildcats roster.

Page played a supporting role towards the end of the Jets season and in their playoff run, and averaged under five points per game in 37 appearances and 665 minutes. Those numbers don’t suggest a big impact in terms of points, but his league experience will be important to Elderkin’s new look side. How well the Durham boss has recruited from across the pond will ultimately determine how successful the next few months will be for the Wildcats. Baldarelli and Guinane bring solid Senior year performances in to the professional game and Keister averaged almost ten points a game and just shy of five rebounds in just four games with Kaposvari.

Paul James has retained the services of three of last season’s starting five and looks to have brought in more strength in depth with the acquisitions of Ocitti, Owumi, Masiulis and Stuart Thomson. James continues the Lithuanian tradition at the Wolves with the returning Kasluaskas joined bythe 6′ 11″ Masiulis. The center is a player James knows well, and along with fellow new guy Stan Ocitti brings a lot of experience to the Worcester roster.

Thomson (age 24) is a former England Junior who will provide cover in the back court and Owumi (age 27) will complement Carlos Fernandez at small forward. Fernandez was the Wolves most improved player in his first season in the league and promises to develop his game further in 2012/13.

Coach James has a reputation for getting the best out of his guys, and that aim is further boosted by the return of point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue. His temperament on the court and ability with the ball make for the perfect guy to control the Wolves offense and to utilise the strengths of his team mates.

Tip-off 7pm.