WORCESTER Wolves director of basketball Paul James has said his players are raring to go ahead of their first match of the new season.
A new-look Wolves squad begin the new British Basketball League campaign tomorrow night (Saturday, 7pm tip-off) with an away trip to Surrey United after a busy summer saw them bring in half a dozen new players.
The past few months has seen Wolves sign Will Creekmore, Zaire Taylor, Ian Salter, Stefan Djukic, Jamal Williams and former Surrey United player Caylin Raftopoulos as well as secure new deals for key players Alex Owumi and Kalil Irving.
This season is expected to be a special one in the club’s history as it will be their first in their brand new 2,000 capacity home The University of Worcester Arena – which stages its first match next Friday (October 4) against reigning champions Leicester Riders.
Speaking to the Standard, James said the players were relishing returning to action and has given them an initial target of finishing them in the top four of the BBL Championship after ending in fifth place last season.
“Pre-season training has gone very well and the players who I have bought in have been doing really well,” he said. “We are all really excited about getting started now.
“Last year we were disappointing and we underachieved. This season we want to win enough games to get into the BBL Playoffs and we’ve got to be aiming for a top four finish in the league. We also want to push on and try and get into one of the domestic finals.
“This year hopefully, with the team I’ve put together, we can push on and achieve those goals. If we are there or thereabouts at Christmas then we will re-assess those goals.
“We’ve got some young and hungry players that I think will excite the crowd this season. I think we have more athletes this time round and we are fitter than what we were at this stage last season.”
Tomorrow night’s opponents, the newly-named Surrey United, were taken over in the summer in a joint venture between Surrey Sports Park and London United Basketball Club.
“The Surrey United players will be eager to impress their new ownership so I’m expecting a real battle on Saturday,” James added. “They will have something to prove and I’m sure will be ready.”
