Andrew Alleyne is the most improved player in the dark blue of Brighton Bears.

Now he aims to turn that improvement into the hard currency of winners medals, starting in the BBL Trophy.

Bears will tip-off as favourites when they tackle Chester Jets in Saturday's final at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield (6pm).

They will anticipate a tough battle against a club who have won the Trophy in each of the past three years and are in the elite band of teams to have beaten Bears this season.

Bears, though, will feel they need to take at least two of the three remaining prizes on offer to reflect their efforts this season and they will not be lacking in motivation on final day.

Coach Nick Nurse and six of his players have been cast by the wayside at some stage or other of Jets' march to a Trophy treble.

For Alleyne, that meant a 90-89 defeat with Milton Keynes Lions in the 2002 final.

The 35-year-old from Barbados admitted: "We didn't play as well as we could and they had a pretty good team. They won every competition that year.

"You can't compare Milton Keynes with us though. The Brighton team is far better.

"I can't remember what I had that day but I know I had a pretty good game. We were down by four with a couple of seconds left and Nigel Lloyd shot a three for us."

Signed as a no-frills rebound and put-back merchant, Alleyne has proved he has a lot more to his game and has grown in confidence as the weeks have passed.

He was MVP in the win over London Towers last week, was outstanding in the north east last night, and is showing a range of moves many fans probably did not expect from him.

Add to that his left-handed shooting and he has proved a handful for defences both at home and in Europe.

The 6ft 8ins centre said: "I am more confident this year. Last year was a real down year for me with Milton Keynes.

"I was playing the three spot and I'm not comfortable playing there.

"It helps that I'm playing here with a great bunch of guys. Everyone knows their role."

Nurse agrees teamwork has played its part in Alleyne's contribution.

He said: "Drew fits in here and our guys take the credit for that.

"They like him, he has a role and he's going to play better.

"That's important. If you look at Ralph Blalock, for example, that dude was awesome with us last year.

"Now at London Towers he's an ordinary guy, or worse, just because of the setting or whatever.

"Drew has a lot of talent inside him and he finally gets to an organisation than can use him."

Alleyne might not have got here at all. As a teenager, his sporting dream would have included opening the bowling in the first Test against England at Sabina Park today.

Like many compatriots, he drifted away from cricket when the chance to try other sports came along.

He said: "I picked up basketball when I was 16. We've got ESPN and different channels and more and more people see different sports and end up trying them. A lot of people are playing basketball now. For one thing it's a way out and a chance to get a scholarship at an American college.

"I was good at both games but I'm better at basketball."

Until now, two Caribbean Championships with Barbados, each of them as MVP, take pride of place in Alleyne's medal collection but there is room for plenty more.

As there is with his colleagues. None of the current team have ever won the BBL Trophy and nor have Bears as a club.

Bears came up against four of Chester's six senior players in final action at the NIA in Birmingham last season.

John McCord hit 28 points and Calvin Davis three as Bears beat Chester 89-79 in the National Cup final. Four months later, Billy Singleton and Ryan Huntley scored 13 apiece for Scottish Rocks as they shocked Nurse's men 83-76 in the BBL Championship final.

McCord is rated by Bears centre Jason Siemon as one of the best players he has come across in the BBL.

He was also the first big man against whom Alleyne pitted his wits in this country, on the first Saturday night of the 2000/01 season.

Alleyne was an instant hit with 15 first-half points on his debut as Milton Keynes won at Thames Valley Tigers.

The next afternoon, McCord led the Tigers to a 29-point win before a sparse and subdued crowd at the Brighton Centre.

The balance of power in the world of British basketball is somewhat different these days.

If Bears get their way, the ownership of Trophy will be the next thing to change come Saturday evening.