THUNDER HINTING AT SOMETHING BIG

THUNDER'S defence of their National Trophy basketball sweeps straight into its first decisive stage at Reading Rockets on Sunday. The group top dogs, both possible finalists, meet in the first of two clashes which must result in one being eliminated from the competition.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Oct 2004, 13:50 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 01:00 BST

Thunder will go to the Rivermead the night after a trip in the English League to Essex & Herts Leopards at Ware, having on Saturday sealed Kingston's exit in the Trophy.

However, vital playmaking point-guard Daniel Hildreth will play both matches with a broken nose. It was reset under local anaesthetic at Worthing Hospital on Monday after he had collided with the outheld arm of Kingston's Pemble Bristol near the halfway line during Saturday's match.

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Hildreth afterwards said he suspected no malice in Bristol's challenge but added: "I do think the referees feared trouble might follow and they seemed to foul me out with three really strange decisions."

This was Thunder's first competitive game of the season and their manner of victory would have displayed absolute authority but for a lackadaisical final quarter.

They began it 78-52 ahead and became intoxicated by their ease of dominance. Already they had shown enough evidence that they have the personnel to be title contenders.

Key news was that Thunder have added Virgin Islander Steve Parillon (pronounced Per-rill-an), a productive 6ft 3in forward on a British passport, to a roster already containing the League MVP in captain Gaylon Moore, their fifth-season, 6ft 7in American power-forward, and newly recruited, debut-making 6ft 8in, 19st centre Teon Knox, from Arkansas.

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Each of these exciting big men will allow each other space as they suck in opposition defensive cover and on Saturday, in the play of the night, they gave a foretaste of what is in store for other teams and their court furniture.

In the second quarter, Knox dunked from a behind-the-back Moore pass with such power that the 5,000 basket and backboard collapsed. Knox showed mobility, court awareness, distribution speed and vision, the ability to drive and dish, and an impregnable lay-up.

Coach Gary "Chicken" Smith said afterwards: "This team is balanced and deep. We've got the firepower and there's going to be competition for court time. But we've got to learn to play together and we've got to do that as we win. Don't be fooled by Teon's size. He moves the ball well."

Add Okolie Ugbana and David Butterworth and Thunder have four forwards who could start. In Steven Gayle they have the potential next league MVP, and in James Brame and Sam Mead, they can cover Gayle and Hildreth.