Friday 15 November 2013 – Worcester Wolves vs Surrey United

Worcester Wolves will face a sharp contrast in their opponents this weekend. On Friday they will welcome winless Surrey United to the University of Worcester Arena (tip off 7.30pm). The next day the Wolves will make a challenging trip to joint-top of the table Leicester Riders.

Wolves will find out just how tough they really are by the end of a month which sees them face a number of title rivals on the road, according to their guard Zaire Taylor. Despite a gutsy win over Glasgow on Sunday, Taylor feels their true strength is still to be revealed:

“The mental toughness of this Worcester team has yet to be determined. We’ve been given a tough schedule this month. We have Leicester twice, Newcastle and Sheffield, all on the road, along with a solid Plymouth team and a Glasgow team I expect to be competitive this season. How we finish the month will tell us just how tough we are, but either way I believe you build strength through struggle and it will make us stronger.”

Wolves’ strength shone last time they faced United, a 117-60 rout – but Taylor believes there are signs of promise from Surrey, and their leader Elvisi Dusha.

“It’s good for them kids as individuals to play in the BBL and I hope they get better, tougher, stronger, and learn from each loss, because I think a couple of them have some potential.

“In particular I like their point guard, not necessarily what he is but what he could be. Going up against myself, Matt Pressey, Anthony Downing, BJ Holmes, Paul Gause, and EJ Harrison, he’s playing against some high level players night-in and night-out.”

United coach Jack Majewski commented: “We look okay in spells and then we have periods of catastrophic mistakes which cost us dearly. Worcester absolutely murdered us in the first game of the season scoring over 60 points in the paint. Hopefully the presence of Ceslovas Kucinskas will help us in that department but we absolutely cannot rely on him solely when it comes to inside game.”

Meanwhile Wolves coach Paul James remarked: “Surrey have steadily improved with every game and they now have in Ceslovas Kucinskas a solid inside presence, which they did not have when we played them at the start of the season. We need to take the momentum of the Glasgow game into this one and approach it with the right attitude.”

There will be extra entertainment taking place off the court this Friday when, in support of the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal, the Wolves are asking fans to come along dressed as their favourite superheroes, with prizes to be awarded for the best-dressed. A half-time display by a gymnastics group is also planned, alongside various competitions to help the appeal.