Gary Smith insists the NBL Conference is not a three-horse race.

The new campaign gets underway to-night with Worthing Thunder expected to figure in the shake-up.

Teesside and Plymouth have made a habit of pipping the Sussex side to honours in the last two years and will be their main rivals again, but Smith suspects they are not the only dangers.

Thunder were facing a test tonight away to a Coventry side who have fared well in the Trophy.

They will then expect to see off Reading Rockets at Durrington next Saturday.

But Smith warned: "There might be some surprises this season.

"Solent have got two good Americans and they always have pretty decent English guys so they might do well.

"Manchester Magic will get better and Inter-basket have a young team who play hard. If you do that all game you are bound to get something out of it."

Solent were a threadbare outfit when they were hammered 109-86 at Worthing at the start of the season.

Their four-point win over Thunder at Eastleigh last month was a better indication of what they have to offer.

Thunder must wait until next Sunday night to discover whether they host Plymouth or Coventry in the last eight of the Trophy on November 24.

They rounded off their group programme with a narrow win at Inter-basket.

Smith made full use of his benchmen and said: "I was pleased to get everyone on in a proper game situation.

"We were up by 20 and eventually won by two but we showed our experience at the end."

Paul Mundy-Castle was highly impressive on that score with 39 points and no fouls.

Old pro Paul Sparrowhawk helped Bognor Pirates to a first away win of the season.

Pirates had seen a 27-16 first quarter lead wiped out by Thames Valley when assistant coach Sparrowhawk called a tactical switch for the final quarter.

Pirates won 85-72 with Sparrowhawk hitting 24 points, Yaz El Hakim 16 and Matt Wakeling and Andy Pleskys nine apiece.