Gaylon Moore can't wait to show what he can do against top BBL opposition.
Worthing Thunder host play-off champions Leicester Riders on Wednesday (7.30pm) in a National Cup first round tie. It could provide a reminder of great nights of yesteryear at the Sports Centre.
Moore, scorer of 27 points in last week's thriller with Interbasket, reckons his NBL Conference outfit can spring a surprise.
The 6ft 7ins forward from Tennessee said: "I don't fear Leicester and I don't think any of the guys in the dressing room do either.
"Just because they are a BBL team doesn't mean that much to us.
"They have probably got players making more money than us but that doesn't matter when you step out on the court."
Moore has experience of the top flight, albeit brief. He had four games with Edinburgh Rocks at the start of last season before suffering a foot injury.
That's where Thunder stepped in and Moore said: "I always tell people that was the best move I ever made since I came over here.
"They were bottom of the league and I went to a team that was top of their league.
"They finished their season a month early and we still had games to play because we got to the championship final. We didn't bring it home but we will try and do that this time.
"I feel like our team could perform in the BBL. I'm not going to say we are going to win it outright but I don't think we would be easy to beat."
They might be if they defend like they did in the first half against Interbasket, when they leaked 50 points.
That did not worry the big man. He insisted: "We have been working on defence.
"We have been trying to iron out the wrinkles and at the end things started to turn round and we got the job done.
"It's early in the season. Like I tell the guys, we've just got to keep sharpening the pencil each game."
Whether they can erase the Riders remains to be seen.
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