Wilbur Johnson is playing for a losing team for only the second time in his career.

But the former Brighton Bears favourite insists that is where the similarity ends between his first season in Sussex and his current challenge in the German league.

Johnson became an instant star for Giessen 46ers with the game-winning shot to beat Alba Berlin at the start of the season.

Since then life has become a lot tougher for Johnson, ex-Bear Sterling Davis and former Chester playmaker John Thomas.

They have won just three of 12 games and are one place above the bottom two, who will be relgated if they stay there.

Johnson said: "I've only ever been on two losing teams but at Brighton we did not have the talent.

"Here we've got the talent to win but we haven't really done it yet.

"We've been injury-plagued, we've lost two games in overtime and some other close ones.

"That's what is so frustrating. We're good enough to make the play-offs."

This weekend marks the first anniversary of Johnson's finest moment in England, when he helped Bears win the National Cup and took MVP honours as Chester, and Thomas, were defeated.

Although he admits he misses the Bears fans and keeps in touch with the team via the internet, the decision to go to Europe was the right one.

He added: "As much as I miss England this is a couple of levels up. It's a different style of basketball here.

"England is more guard orientated. Here you've got 7ft centres and NBA-style basketball.

"I'm up against guys a few inches taller than myself but I'm holding my own and playing fairly well."

The only thing Johnson, who is on a one-year contract, has not done is learn German. Nein, ja and danke are about the extent of his repertoire.

Still the fans are quite happy to chat in English.

He said: "They seem to have taken to me pretty well. But then they are going to when you make the winning shot against Berlin."

Johnson is 24th in the league for scoring (15.1 points per game) and 14th for rebounds (7.0) while Davis averages 12.7 and 5.0.