Wolves looking for sixth straight win

Worcester Wolves host a Glasgow Rocks side Saturday night who have been boosted by the return of EJ Harrison in recent weeks. With NCAA conference championship games being played out tonight, one of Harrison’s crowning career achievements is winning the NCAA tourney with UConn in 1999.

The former Huskie has helped his team to wins in their last three outings and they will come to campus in Worcester confident they can get the job done. Currently sitting in fifth place in the BBL, the Rocks are just two points off third. However, games in hand for the teams above them may mean that fifth is the position that Glasgow will realistically look to consolidate.

Wolves face a different fight with the same teams that are above Glasgow, and that battle is to keep them out of second place, a position the Wolves will be aiming to make their own come the middle of April. And it may not be decided until just then, as the Riders and Raiders both matchup against the Wolves on the final weekend of the regular season. Recent results have seen any advantage slip however, as both of the chasing teams can now only go level with Wolves if they were to win all of their four games in hand.

Worcester have won their last five since the narrowest of defeats (by 2 points) at home to Newcastle in early February and while they will come at this one with a healthy respect for Sterling Davis’ men, they will also be confident the win will be theirs.

Worcester’s reputation is beginning to work in their favour; as is Tommy Freeman’s reputation from 20 feet. Both Arnas Kaslauskas and David Watts were freed up to punish the opposition from behind the arc last weekend. Freeman is a real luxury to a coach in this league and hard to keep quiet for long. His self professed MO is to shoot the threes, but he also has an excellent ability to make his way to the net for deuce after deuce in spells.

Richie Gordon is averaging 18 points a game this term, and Worcester’s Mr Consistent averaged 21 points in the games last Saturday and Sunday. He is a nothing short of a nightmare to defend and also draws the attentions of defenders to the benefit of others. Gordon often sets the tone for Wolves victories by putting points up early as Fernandez and others dish him the ball. Carlos Fernandez returns to the starting five tonight after his clash of heads with Freeman against the Jets last Saturday.

Wolves are 2-0 against the Rocks. The battle between Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and Mychal Green will be a key matchup in deciding this one. Prezzie-Blue’s temperement is as important to this Wolves outfit as his ball skills. Never phased, he always resets and calls his team through their offensive sets whatever is going on around him. And when Coach James calls upon his five to remember their defensive duties, he knows he can rely on Prezzie-Blue to be in his opposite numbers face guarding from the front.