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WORCESTER WOLVES' TEAM NEWS, 2008-09 |
15/10/08
Worcester Wolves are thrilled to announce the return of Anthony Paez to their squad with immediate effect. All the paperwork is in place and Anthony will suit up in the next game which is at home on Sunday afternoon against the Sheffield Sharks. Tickets are available, on the door for this BBL cup game which starts at 4.00 pm at the University of Worcester.
Paez himself, who was at training last night, and indeed watched the Wolves last game at the weekend as an interested spectator, said "I'm real excited to be back playing again in Worcester. I had a phenomenal year last year with great support from the Wolves family and our fans and I am just looking forward to helping the Wolves have a successful year in the BBL."
Wolves owner Roger Clarke went on "Anthony is a player that you know what you are going to get from in every game. He was a BBL All star last year and he knows this year, even though we are happy for him to score massive points, our expectations are much higher than least season from a team perspective. We are pleased to have him back. Last year we competed hard and had some relative success but have yet to win BBL silverware, so do have work to do. Bringing back Anthony shows our intent to our fans and the rest of the BBL. We plan to add one more top quality British or European shooter as we are still evaluating players now. These changes should put us in the hunt.
Player coach Skouson Harker added" We had an opportunity this week to sign Anthony and we are absolutely delighted to sign him for the season ahead. As a player, Anthony lets his actions lead and he will be one of our captains this season along side Justin. Anthony is a winner and he is the type of guy that plays every game as he has something to prove to himself, his opponents and most importantly his team mates. To have him back is a massive credit to the Wolves Management team, fans, sponsors and the city of Worcester. Anthony Paez is an elite player in the BBL and he was the leading points scorer in the 2007 / 8 BBL season; he was the Slam Dunk champion at the NIA last spring and was the second player into the BBL coaches all star team. I am sure he will prove this once again and in doing so, we are sure to climb up the BBL table exactly as we did last year.
Paez's worth to the Wolves can easily be seen by last years stats which show that he played all 40 games; played the most minutes in each game at 37.8 (out of 40;)scored the most points at 960 at an average of 24; contributed 7 rebounds a game; 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals. His work at the defensive end of the court cannot be under estimated either. Wolves have struggled with three point shooting this year and the return of Anthony will be a big bonus in this area. It is no wonder that he was in demand with other clubs in the BBL, major European sides and even teams from all around the world expressed an interest in gaining his signature.
20/08/08
The Worcester Wolves Basketball Club have made Jamaal Caterina their final import signing for the up and coming season.
The 6'6'' American small forward comes off a very productive season with Southern Maine. While at the NCAA Division Three school Caterina led the team in Scoring (18 ppg) Rebounding (9.4 rpg) and free throw percentage (83%). Often used in a 'point forward' role, Caterina also tallied 3 assists per game. Caterina developed his outside game as well shooting 33% from three point range. He was named LEC All-Conference First Team, All-Maine by the Coaches Association as well as a New England Coaches Association All-Star.
Prior to his senior season with Southern Maine Caterina played one season at NCAA Division One school University of New Hampshire. Over 29 games he averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds shooting 47% from the field. Caterina Started his NCAA career with Division One school American University for two seasons (2002- 2004.)
Worcester Wolves head Coach Skouson Harker is very enthusiastic about his newest signing. "Jamaal is very athletic and will be a very good BBL player. He had a tough college career, but at the NCAA level the coaches system is King, so to speak, and if your game is not the 'right fit' for certain coaches systems sometimes you need to move on. This is what Jamaal did in going to Southern Maine, and he was able to play his game, which is very free flowing. He is a great ball handler and can hurt you from anywhere on the court. Our system will allow Jamaal to continue to play his style of ball, and for a player to be confident and productive they need to be comfortable. As a rookie a lot will be expected of Jamaal, but we are very confident he can do the job. Obviously we have tremendous belief in him as a BBL player. We feel he was a fantastic find and he will be a great fit for the Wolves."
Worcester Wolves have nearly completed their off season recruiting and are preparing for the new season. The Club is very optimistic that they can produce a break out year, and compete with the BBL's best. Coach Harker confirms "We really wanted to improve our size this year as well as our defensive presence and overall defensive attitude. With the team we are putting together we can do just that. In the open court we have two very good defenders with quick hands in Will and Tommy. Harry and Justin, along with Jamaal and myself will give us some very solid wing and inside defending. We want get over the 'hump' so to speak and make defensive stops down the stretch that will win games. Offensively I expect us to be well rounded with multiple options. To win the big games I think we needed to be more versatile as a unit as far a scoring the basketball is concerned."
Wolves Begin their BBL Championship campaign away at the Big Storage Chester Jets Sunday Sept. 28th tipping off at 5:30 pm. There first home match of the season is Saturday Oct. 4th at 4 pm versus the Scottish Rocks. Please contact the Wolves General Manager Susie Hart on s.hart@worc.ac.uk for Wolves season ticket prices.
19/08/08
American/British guard for Wolves
The Worcester Wolves are pleased to announce the signing of American/British 6'5'' Guard Tommy Johnson.
Johnson, a versatile swingman who provides the complete package, has the ability to do multiple things on the basketball court. His shooting range saw him set six school records, including 109 three pointers made in a season to go along with 80 steals while earning NAIA All-America honours at Texas Wesleyan University in 2004.
Johnson began his professional career in Belgium 1st Division in 2005. During his first season while playing for Basket Groot Leuven he scored 8.5 points per game (ppg) from the field. While competing in the FIBA Euro Cup, he also averaged 8.5 ppg. Before the 2006/2007 season Johnson moved to Royal Atomia Brussels and became the clubs top scorer off the bench, while backing up the leagues top scorer. He averaged 8.3 points while shooting 62% for the field. Johnson's fine Belgian League play saw him secure a contract with Keflavik of Iceland's top division. While at the club Johnson scored over 20 ppg a while leading the team to the League Championship, as well as the Playoff Championship, in which Johnson was named Playoff Finals MVP. He was also named to the All-Bosman 1st Team.
As the non-import player, Johnson will look to make his mark on the eve- improving Wolves side. Head Coach Skouson Harker feels that Johnson is a key factor in the clubs success. "As a British passport holder Tommy brings a lot to the table. He has done very well in Belgium, which we all know is extremely competitive. He led Keflavik to a title, and he is an All- American. We expect Tommy to be a major factor for us this season. His offensive ability coupled with the fact that he is a very good defender, will make him a very effective player in the BBL. He will be in a leadership role for us, and we will rely on him to lead our team. As a coach I fully anticipate that Tommy, along with point Guard Will Funn, will be a top backcourt tandem in the BBL. Both players have very good size, strength and skills that will see them do very well in our system."
13/08/08
Frenchman Signs for Wolves
The Worcester Wolves have added some French flavour with the capture of 6'7" forward Harry Disy ahead of the 2008/09 BBL Championship season.
The native of Fort-de-France is renowned for his athleticism and hustle. Last season, Disy won the French ProB Championship with JL Bourg Basket whilst averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9 minutes per game. Prior to that the 24-year-old played in NCAA Division 1 with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and in his senior season at college he posted 7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Worcester's Head Coach Skouson Harker says, "Harry will be a great fit for the BBL. He is long, lean, athletic and he knows how to work hard. We think he is a great fit for our style of play and for the BBL in general.
"Harry is very versatile and can play multiple positions for us. He has a real desire to do well at the professional level, and we really believe he can have success here in Worcester.
"He did a very nice job for the Bulldogs and he plays with great energy. Once he finds his way in our system he can be a solid contributor for us. Defensively is where we really want to improve this season, and as with Justin Brown, signing Harry has us continuing in the right direction."
Chairman Roger Clarke adds, "Harry was a real find for us. We have had him in our plans for a few weeks now, and we are absolutely delighted that things fell into place and he is our newest member of the Pack."
With the BBL season just weeks away, the Club has other key signings that will be announced in the days to come.
08/08/08
Wolves Sign Seven-Footer
The Worcester Wolves are pleased to announce the signing of 7'0" Australian/British centre Justin Brown.
The experienced big-man has a pedigree that includes a Championship four year NCAA Division One career for the powerful University of Connecticut Huskies (UCONN.) Brown has also played for European powerhouses Snaidero Udine in Italy, and ALBA Berlin in Germany. A little further afield, he has spent the last two seasons in Australia's NBL with the Perth Wildcats and Brisbane Bullets and also previously turned out for Liaining Panpan Hunters in China. Brown has also been in the Australian 'Boomers' National Team programme on three occasions.
Worcester's Head Coach Skouson Harker noticed the big man during his extensive summer recruitment campaign, "Justin has been involved in some very high level basketball in his career. We are confident that he can bring his experience and leadership to our club.
“I think Justin has his best basketball ahead of him and I am excited that he will be in a Wolves vest this season. He will bring a real inside presence for us this year and I know our point guard Will Funn is already creating for Justin in his mind's eye!"
The Wolves were in need of some inside defensive presence last season as they scored freely, but at times had trouble on the defensive end. This season the club hopes Brown will provide some much needed height to defend the interior.
Chairman Roger Clarke explains, "We are delighted to have Justin on board. I like to see big guys like Justin banging about under the basket. Justin will be the backbone of our frontcourt, on offence, but more importantly he will be our last line of defence."
The Wolves add Brown to American Point Guard Will Funn, British Guard Andrew Wallace, and Player/Head Coach Skouson Harker.
The Club will announce further signings shortly as Coach Harker explains, "This has been a very good off-season for us. We have had a chance to reflect on what did and did not work last year. Even though continuity-wise we will be a work in progress, we did in fact address some key on-court issues. We will be more balanced this season, and focus on defending, without compromising the style of basketball that ours fans love."
The Wolves' season unofficially tips off with a friendly, visiting Plymouth Raiders on Saturday Sept. 14th. Their first BBL home game is set for Oct. 4th versus the visiting Scottish Rocks.
12/07/08
Wolves just wanna have Funn
The Worcester
Wolves have secured the signature of 6’ 2’’ American point guard Will Funn.
Funn has shown throughout his career he is a quality point guard that is one of
the top passer in the game.
As an NCAA Division 1 player Funn led Portland State to the 2005 Big Sky Conference title. Remarkably, Funn led NCAA Division 1 (over 300 teams) in assists per game with 8.0. This helped him be named Big Sky All-Conference. His 2.2 steals per game saw him finish second in the conference.
Funn has had impressive stops since his collegiate days including 16 assists per game in the 2005/06 season with the Gallup Tallons of the American Basketball Association (ABA). That season saw him tally 24 assists twice which is an ABA record. He was named an ABA All-Star in 2006 as well as in 2007 as he led the ABA again with 11 assists per game with the Tijauna Dragons.
Funn then went on to lead the competitive International Basketball League in assists in the summer 2007 with 14.9 per game to go along with 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. 2007/08 saw Will compete in the ABA with the top ranked San Diego Wildcats. He finished the 2008 season being called in late to help out Frayles de Guasave of the top flight CIBACOPA in Mexico. He took the 7th ranked team all the way to the 7th and final game of the CIBACOPA Finals while scoring 16.5 points per game and dishing out nearly 7 assists per game.
Worcester Wolves are delighted to have Funn at the head of the offense. Coach Skouson Harker explains “Will is our new floor general and he has shown he can run a team as good as anyone. Will can be a top player in the BBL. He has a great attitude and is focused on his ultimate dream of playing at the highest level in the future. As a coach you want guys to be focused and determined on achieving their dreams. I am happy that Will has decided on Worcester as another step in the right direction for him.”
Funn has shown throughout his career that he can make his teammates better and he thinks Worcester will be no different as he comments “Coach Harker told me where he thought we stood in the BBL, and in my mind you only shoot for the top spot. This is my mentality and I plan to bring this attitude to Worcester. We will set our sights very high as winning is what I am all about.”
Director of Basketball Mick Donovan added, “ This is always an exciting part of the season as we rebuild the team and finding the court leader for the Wolves is always one of the biggest challenges. The capture of Will Funn is genuinely exciting and Skouson has worked hard to find a player he really believes in – we cannot wait to introduce him to the Wolves fans”
As the 2008/09 season draws near the Worcester Wolves look to secure other major signings in the weeks to come.
09/07/08
Wolves sign exciting young England prospect
The Worcester Wolves have
signed 18-year-old Andrew Wallace, one of the most exciting English young
talents who many believe has the potential to play in the 2012 Olympics. Several
top BBL sides have been interested in signing Wallace once it became known that
he intended to begin his professional career in the United Kingdom.
Director of Basketball, Mick Donovan, made the trip to Peterborough at the weekend to meet with the player and the national coaches who are preparing for the forthcoming European Championships in Hungary.
Mick Donovan said, "This is a brave and certainly one of the most exciting moves in British Basketball for many years, as we actually have a young player with genuine potential coming to this country to get better rather than travelling to Europe or the United States to try and improve. We have the expertise at Worcester to support Andrew as a player and as a student and are delighted to be involved in such a significant breakthrough for British sport."
The youngster was born in Paris and has a British father. His career to date has included representing Dijon (one of the strongest clubs in Europe) in 2007, who finished 2nd in the pro A French under 21's League. In 2007/ 08, he captained the England under 18s National team at the Cherbourg tournament; significantly it was first time England won the tournament in the 21 year history. Also with the Under18s England squad, he participated at the European championships in Bulgaria in 2006/07. The previous year he was named the under 16's English Player of the Year. In the earlier years of his career he had great experience with the renowned Cote d'Azur program and has attended several United Sates prestigious camps.
The Wolves and the University of Worcester have a great reputation for encouraging the younger generation to grow within selected sports and this unique partnership clearly had an influence over his final decision. The university's commitment to supporting elite student athletes is gaining international recognition.
Andrew Wallace on 'Why Worcester': "Well it's very simple, I have set myself three simple goals over the next four years: to play professional basketball, to be selected for the GB squad for the 2012 Olympics, and to achieve a solid education. Worcester can help me tick all these boxes. There are only a handful of pro clubs in France that could offer pro basketball with a solid program for student athletes, hence my reason for looking at offers back in the UK. So when the offer from the Wolves presented itself it was a dream come true.
"This is a fantastic place for me to start my professional career and I am really looking forward to proving myself in the BBL."
Head Coach Skouson Harker: "Andrew Wallace's signing shows our club's commitment to quality British talent. Andrew is a top young player that has an exciting future in professional basketball. We realize that Andrew could have had his pick among top BBL sides and we are very proud that he has chosen the Wolves' set-up to get him ready for big time International and professional basketball. Providing Andrew with the stage for him to showcase his talent is an achievement that Wolves, and I'm sure the BBL, can be proud of."
The Wolves are now moving very quickly to confirm other key signings and more announcements are expected in the next week.
03/04/08
The Wolves
retain Skouson Harker
The Worcester Wolves have extended the contract of Head Coach Skouson
Harker for another two years.
In their first season in the BBL in 2006/07, the Wolves won 5 games out of a total of 39. The highest team score was 94. The highest point’s scorers made 16.55 and 15.89 points per game, respectively.
Under Harker, at the end of March 2008, they have won 16 out of 33 games and the Wolves have scored 100 points or more on 9 occasions. They progressed to the BBL Trophy semi-final and acquitted themselves well against Guildford Heat … losing by just 6 points to the team who went on to win the Trophy.
Harker’s recruitment of players, after some early casualties, include the league’s highest point’s scorers - James Life with 25.15 points per game (which is the highest scoring rate in the league) and Anthony Paez with 24.21 points per game (and he is the highest total points scorer in the league). Shaun Durant is the top rebounder in the league, with 10.81 rebounds per game. Chuck Evans is the second best assists man in the league with an average of 5.85 per game.
Skouson’s personal game has improved too, as he has settled into his dual role. Before Christmas he scored 13 points per game and pulled down 6.75 rebounds at each outing. In the New Year he has recorded 15.07 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
The Wolves are the third top scoring team in the Championship, averaging 90.3 points per game; have the third best 3-point scoring record and the second best average of rebounds taken per game.
Another notable achievement for Skouson was that, after a huge (33-point) defeat at Everton on 4 January 2008, he raised the team to record a 6-point win at home the following night against league-leaders Newcastle Eagles.
Skouson Harker said, “I am absolutely delighted to be back with the club for another two seasons. The reason I came to Wolves is the fact that the entire organisation is fully committed to improving each year. I knew that Mick Donovan and Roger Clarke’s model could and would succeed with some good recruiting and patience. We have a long way to go but we all feel that we can continue to improve and perform at a higher level.
"This year has been positive. We made a BBL Trophy Semi Final and we have made massive strides in the right direction as far as the BBL Championship Table is concerned. We are one win away from solidifying a playoff position and with five games to play, we can realistically move up the table to 7th and if things go our way even 6th. The BBL Playoff Championship is still out there, up for grabs, and all eight playoff teams will feel they can win it.
"Things have been good, but our BBL silverware cabinet is still empty, so the club is still very hungry. This is what it is all about.”
Roger Clarke added, “On the court, we needed to improve after a difficult first season and whilst we still believe that we have a long way to go in our attempt to become a force in the BBL, it is clear that Skouson has made a big impact in terms of generating passion amongst a talented group of players. He is still learning in his role, yet his progress has been impressive and he is always prepared to meet all challenges head on.
"Off the court – the Wolves continue to grow with our expanding community program and as Skouson has settled in this country – he is now making his own mark and building some great relationships.
Skouson Harker concluded, “I am looking forward to next year, but, for now, I don’t want to look past this season, or even this weekend for that matter. We are playing solid basketball at the moment. This week we have a lot of work to do to get some wins this weekend.”