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Photo's Given to Us by Worthing Thunder
League Table:
|
Pos |
Team |
Pld
|
W
|
L |
Pts
|
|
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
-- |
2 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
|
0
|
0 |
0
|
|
|
4 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
|
0 |
0
|
0 |
|
|
6 |
|
0 |
0 | 0 |
|
7 | |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
8 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
9 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
10 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
11 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
12 |
Worthing
Thunder |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Worthing Thunder Basketball Club
are pleased to announce the addition of their third and
final American player for the upcoming season with the
arrival of 6'5" guard/forward Colby
Bargeman.
Bargeman played four years for
NCAA I team Northwestern State University, averaging 11
points and 6 rebounds per game in his senior year,
placing him second in the team in both categories.
Thunder Operations Director Alan Sweetman-Hicks
is looking forward to seeing Bargeman in Thunder
colours: "Colby is an exciting prospect, coming to us
straight from College. There is a lot of
experience in the team this year, so we felt it was
right to give a chance to someone starting out in the
professional game. From what we have seen of Colby
he is someone we think our fans will respond
to and is the kind of player we think will thrive in the
BBL."
In addition to Bargeman, the club
also announces the return of local 6'1" guard Ian Berry
for his second season with the club.
Berry impressed in
limited minutes last year and has earned the right to
join the team for another season.
For up to
date Thunder news, please check the website
- www.worthing-thunder.org.uk
Worthing Thunder’s team building
plans ahead of their first season in the BBL took
another step towards completion today with the
announcement that Ryan Patton will lead the team from
the point guard position. The 6’0” guard fromOhio was EBL Division
1 MVP with Sheffield Arrows in 2004/5 where he averaged
30 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists a game, hitting 42%
of his three point attempts. A serious car
accident curtailed his career, but now fully fit again,
he will join Thunder having just finished a spell in
Qatar where
he averaged 15 points and 6 assists per game.
Thunder Operations Director
Alan Sweetman-Hicks is pleased that Patton has chosen to
join Thunder: ”I’m sure most Thunder fans will remember
Ryan from his performances with the Arrows, particularly
his last second shot to beat us in the National Cup semi
finals and then controlling the National Trophy Final at
the Brighton Centre. Had it not been for his
accident I’m sure he would have moved onto better
things, but he is now rebuilding his career and comes
fresh to us from a spell in Qatar.
From people we’ve spoken to he is in the best shape of
his life and is looking forward to returning to
England.
I can’t wait to see what kind of impact he will make in
the BBL”.
A further, no less important
announcement is that Chris Mayes will return to the club
as assistant coach, having left due to personal reasons
on the eve of the 2007/8 campaign. Mayes, who
assisted Coach Gary Smith in the title winning 2005/6
and 2006/7 seasons, spent part of last season assisting
legendary former Brighton and Crystal Palace coach Jimmie Guymon at
Solent Kestrels and has visited the programmes at Gran
Canaria and Oklahoma this
summer. He will be combining his role at the
Thunder with a project he is undertaking for the
Euroleague. Head Coach Gary Smith is pleased to
have Chris back on board: “Chris and I work really well
together; we bounce ideas off each other and have a lot
of mutual respect. I’m glad Chris has returned to
us, the experience he has gained these past 12 months
will prove invaluable this coming
season.”
For all the news and updates on
Worthing Thunder, please check the club website –
www.worthing-thunder.org.uk
Worthing Thunder is pleased
to announce their 7th
signing of this busy summer ahead of their first season
in the British Basketball League (BBL).
6’3” Guard Dan Wardrope has
agreed to join Thunder from local rivals Guildford Heat
and brings his recent BBL experience to the
squad.
The Scotland International
was the leading scorer in the 2006 Commonwealth Games,
averaging 20 points per game, and has played in the BBL
for the Scottish Rocks as well as the Heat.
Consistently averaging 35% from three point range, Dan
will be a useful addition to Thunder’s back
court.
Thunder Operations Director Alan
Sweetman-Hicks is delighted that Wardrope has joined the
Sussex team: ”Whilst all the British players we’ve
retained from the EBL team played BBL prior to joining
us, we’ve been keen to recruit someone with current BBL
experience. Dan fits that role well. As well
as playing domestically forGuildford, he was
part of their ULEB Cup squad last year, averaging 5
points per game and making 9 of his 13 three point
shots. He also has experience internationally with
Scotland, so
we’re looking forward to him joining
us!”
Wardrope will make his
Worthing debut in the
“Thunder Cup” on Saturday 13th September at
Worthing Leisure Centre – tickets for 8 hours of
international basketball action cost
£3.
Thunder expect to announce
their second American signing within the next 72 hours
with more signings to
come.
For more details check out our
website – www.worthing-thunder.org.uk
Up for the Thunder Cup?
Worthing Thunder
Basketball Club is
pleased to announce their first ever international
tournament, with news that the “Thunder Cup” will be
played at the Worthing Leisure Centre on Saturday 13th September.
Joining the Thunder in the
competition as they prepare for their first season in
the British Basketball League will be current Irish
Superleague Champions DART Killester, 11 time Irish
Superleague winners Neptune fromCork, and EBL Division
1 side London Leopards.
The action will start
at 2pm and continues throughout the day with two semi
finals, a 3/4th play-off
and the final due to tip off at 8pm. Tickets for
all or part of the day are priced at £3.
Worthing Thunder head
coach Gary Smith is looking forward to the opportunity
to pit his BBL team against two of the best sides in
Ireland and a London Leopards team that could be
challenging for honours in Division 1 this year: “This
is an exciting prospect for the team ahead of the
challenge of competing in the BBL for the first
time. Whoever we play will be a tough match-up and
just what we need to get us focussed on the task we have
ahead of us in the coming months. It gives the
players a chance to put the things we do in practice
into the game situation and to show me that they are
ready for the likes of Plymouth and Newcastle, who will be
coming to the Thunderdome in the first two weeks of the
regular season. This tournament should set us up
nicely!”
Woods? You Believe It!
As Worthing Thunder look ahead
to their first season in the British Basketball League
(BBL), they have again looked back to their successful
EBL Division 1 title winning teams for their latest
signing.
Popular
forwa onathan Woods has put pen to paper
on a contract for the 2008/9 season, and the club are
now awaiting a work permit for the 6’8” forward from
Fresno
State who averaged
17 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in Thunder’s
successful 2005/6 campaign.
Director of Coaching Gary Smith is looking
forward to being reunited with ones of the stars of
Thunder’s first title win: “Jonathan was one of the
first names I put down as soon as I heard we were going
to be in the BBL. He is quick, and gives me
options at the forward spots. I’m looking forward
to seeing him link up with Janis (Ivanovskis), as
although they both played at power forward for me in the
past, Jonathan can certainly play small forward
too. Defensively, he gives me cover at four
positions from shooting guard to centre if required, as
he did on a number of occasions when he was here
before.”
Thunder’s new signing is subject to receiving a
work permit and will fill one of the three spots
available to non EU players.
Woods is the 6th
player to commit this season, following James Brame,
Janis Ivanovskis, Daniel Hildreth, Daniel Midgley and
Ciaran Burns, who have all been part of Division 1
winning teams at the Thunderdome.
Further signings will be
revealed in the coming weeks
WORTHING BASKETBALL
LIMITED
Club Office – 68 St Andrews
Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 1HL Phone/Fax (01903)
261261
Email office@worthing-thunder.org.uk
Reg’d Office – Links House,
Unit 11 Bridge Road Business Park, Haywards Heath, West
Sussex RH16 1TX
Company Number 06551256
(England & Wales)
BBL Fixture List
2008-09
Sat 27 Sep Plymouth Raiders
(CH)
Sat 4 Oct Newcastle Eagles
(CH) Home games in bold
Sun 12 Oct Cheshire
Jets (CH) 5.30 pm CH – BBL League
matches
Sat 18 Oct Leicester
Riders (CUP) 7.30 pm TRO –
BBL Trophy matches
Sat 25 Oct Scottish Rocks
(CH) CUP – BBL Cup matches
Sun 26 Oct Sheffield Sharks
(CH) 4.00 pm
Wed 29 Oct Plymouth
Raiders (CUP) 8.00pm All home games to be played at
Worthing Leisure
Centre
(if Win v Leicester
Riders) Tip off 7.00 pm Saturdays, 5.00 pm
Sundays
Sun 2 Nov Worcester Wolves
(CH)
Fri 7 Nov Newcastle Eagles
(CH) 7.30 pm
Fri 14 Nov Everton Tigers
(CH) 7.30 pm Ticket prices:
Sat 15 Nov Sheffield Sharks
(CH) Adults £8
Sat 22 Nov London Capitals
(CH) Students/Senior Citizens £6
Sat 29 Nov Milton Keynes
Lions (CH) Juniors £5
Sat 6 Dec Leicester
Riders (CH) 7.30 pm
Sat 13 Dec Worcester Wolves
(CH)
Sun 21 Dec Milton Keynes
Lions (CH) 4.00 pm
Sun 28 Dec Guildford Heat
(CH) 3.00 pm
Sat 3 Jan 2009 Plymouth
Raiders (TRO) 7.30 pm
Sun 4 Jan Worcester Wolves
(TRO)
Sun 11 Jan London
Capitals (CH) 4.00 pm
Sat 17 Jan Plymouth Raiders
(TRO)
Sun 18 Jan BBL CUP
FINAL (National
Indoor Arena,
Birmingham)
Sat 24 Jan Worcester Wolves
(TRO) 7.00 pm
Fri 30 Jan Sheffield Sharks
(CH) 7.30 pm
Sat 31 Jan Guildford Heat
(CH)
Sat 7 Feb Leicester Riders
(CH)
Sat 14 Feb Everton Tigers
(CH)
Sun 15 Feb Plymouth
Raiders (CH) 4.00 pm
Sat 21 Feb Cheshire Jets
(CH)
Fri 27 Feb
Worcester Wolves (CH) 7.00 pm
Sun 1 Mar Milton Keynes
Lions (CH)
Fri 6 Mar Newcastle
Eagles (CH) 7.30 pm
Sat 14 Mar Scottish Rocks
(CH)
Sun 15 Mar BBL
TROPHY FINAL (Guildford
Spectrum)
Sat 21 Mar Plymouth Raiders
(CH) 7.30 pm
Sat 28 Mar Leicester Riders
(CH) 7.30 pm
Fri 3 Apr Everton Tigers
(CH) 7.30 pm
Sat 4 Apr London Capitals
(CH)
Sat 18 Apr Guildford Heat
(CH)
Sun 19 Apr Cheshire Jets
(CH) 5.30 pm
Scottish Rocks (CH)
TBA
ks.
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On Andrew Raine/Com