Basketball: Duck fits bill for new-look Bears

The star point guard from Texas certainly got people talking about the Brighton Bears when he signed for the BBL's perennial strugglers last month.

True, most of the chat was about his unusual name.

Even breakfast show presenters on a Sussex radio station had a very public chuckle.

Now Bears, for too long the laughing stock of British basketball, are ready to turn the joke on their opponents by surging from bottom spot to the play-offs.

Followers of the British Basketball League stopped ridiculing the Bears when Nick Nurse, highly successful with Birmingham, Manchester and London Towers, was appointed as coach last month.

He arrived on the south coast aiming for twice as many wins and twice as many fans as last season and with the ultimate target of Europe.

That adventure starts away to champions Leicester tomorrow night before old foes Thames Valley visit the Triangle in Burgess Hill on Sunday (5pm) for the first home game.

Nurse has combined the best of last season's bunch with new boys such as Sterling Davis and Mark Jackson.

But it is Duck who is expected to prove the most important capture as he leads the team out on the floor.

The 26-year-old was with Nurse at Towers last season and is rated so highly he was offered a three-year deal. That sort of commitment is unprecedented in a game where players rarely look more than six months into the future.

Duck, who has played throughout Europe, appreciates the opportunity. He said: "I've been to a few different countries and I had the option to go again but I figured I would enjoy myself more here.

"I had offers from England and Belgium and some things in Russia but when you put it all down on paper I think have made the best choice becoming a Brighton Bear.

"Everyone here is planning on making this a different atmosphere.

"They have been at the bottom for quite a few years now and that's going to change. I've signed on to do just that."

Quite how close Bears were to another season of misery we will never know. For four long months, the efforts of owner Romek Kriwald to re-structure the club and replace last year's coach Mark Dunning met with little apparent success.

Even when Nurse was contacted, he had to decide between running his own show at Brighton or a back-up role at Real Madrid.

He said: "I came through London to get my things and I had a flight booked to Madrid three days later.

"That's where Romek came in and said 'I want to talk to you'. We met and the rest is history.

"Romek did a lot to make me change my mind. I've coached lots of teams in this league and had a lot of success.

"But he threw something at me that I hadn't had before. He said 'Here's our budget. I don't want to know. Get it done, I trust you'."

Bears crowds held up well last season with attendances at the Brighton Centre into four figures.

The club scored highly last Sunday when the players offered free coaching to young fans on Brighton seafront and more public relations initiatives can be expected.

Nurse has seen the youngsters so keen to play on outdoor courts across the city and said: "Basketball is a really viable proposition here.

"We've got a perfect sized arena, we've got a nice city, we've got some support. There are so many things in place that are untapped."

More technically minded fans will enjoy watching Bears employ the triangle offence run by Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls in the past.

That means all five men on the court seeing plenty of the ball as opposed to last season's ploy of 'Give it to Wilbur Johnson'.

Nurse said: "It's a difficult system to learn. It doesn't necessarily give great shooting opportunities all the time but it brings the intangibles of unselfish play with everybody involved.

"It keeps people happy and in the game and makes them better players as the season progresses."

The arrival of Duck and Jackson at point guard should give Michael Brown more chance to express himself on court while Dave Wahl is stronger and more experienced after a promising rookie year last time out.

The return of Johnson at centre, promising pre-season displays by new forward Davis and the imminent arrival of another American have got fans' hopes sky high. Errol Seaman has tasted success with Nurse at Manchester and will also be keen to play a part.

And then there is the flying Duck, relishing the challenge ahead but warning fans not to get too carried away.

He said: "The BBL is getting stronger. Whereas last year there might have been three top teams, this year there will be six or seven who have a legitimate chance of winning a lot of games.

"That's exciting. Being more competitive against more people is a thrill to me."

Sussex fans have had their fair share of success recently with Albion's progress and Sussex's cricket title. A golden Duck would round it off nicely.

Worthing Thunder's back-up men have told to expect serious action in a National Trophy double bill. Thunder host Interbasket tomorrow (8pm), then go to Westminster on Sunday looking to maintain their perfect record.

The likes of Darren Cheal, Mark Vengoe and James Crabtree spent a long time on the bench in last week's thriller with Ealing.

But coach Gary Smith said: "They are all good players and they will get their chance."

Bognor Pirates coach Dave Goss has called for more from his big men ahead of the NBL trip to Tamar. Pirates lost their first two matches and Goss is disappointed with the contributions of his forwards. Brighton Cougars tackle Swindon at Portslade at the later than usual time of 8.15pm.