Ross Wilson poised to be Eagles debutant
Nov 26 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
NEWCASTLE Eagles will unleash 17-year-old wonder kid Ross Wilson on the BBL tonight as they look to get over their Cup semi-final heartbreak.
Fab Flournoy’s men were sent tumbling out by a very strong Mersey Tigers side on Wednesday as they surrendered a seven-point first-leg advantage at the Echo Arena.
However, the disappointed Eagles do not have much time to lick their wounds with Worthing Thunder due at Sport Central tonight (7.30 tip-off).
Standing six points behind league leaders Cheshire, Newcastle need to continue their steady progress if they are to retain the title they have won for the last three years.
Against that backdrop, the Eagles are preparing to hand senior minutes to a development player regarded as one of the best to come through Newcastle’s youth system.
The 6ft 6ins Wilson is a number three who has been training with the senior players for the past week – and Flournoy and assistant coach Dave Forrester reckon he is ready for the rough and tumble of the BBL.
Eagles MD Paul Blake said: “Ross will play tonight and that is an exciting moment for him and the club.
“I do not want to put too much pressure on him, but he is a talented kid.
“He has been with us since he was 11, he was originally a Gosforth High School pupil.
“He played for Newcastle East – where we spotted him and recruited him to our centre of excellence.
“He has been playing for the Eagles in the Area League for the past four years and it has always been clear he is going to be a talent.
“He just needed to come out of his shell a little bit – something he has done over the last few months.
“With his size he is a natural ‘three’ and it looks like he is going to grow a bit more.”
Blake added: “He is very, very athletic and he has applied himself well recently.
“Ross has come on in leaps and bounds, so this is a reflection of that really.
“He will sit on the bench and, depending on how the game goes, I would hope he will get minutes, which Dave and Fab are agreed he merits.”
Although Wilson is in line to play tonight, player-coach Flournoy looks likely to miss out again.
Joe Chapman is also a doubt with an ankle injury suffered in the first half.
Flournoy had been expected to play some part against the Tigers after an improvement in his knee injury, but the New Yorker took a long-erm view and decided not to risk it.
Reflecting on the disappointment of Wednesday, Blake admitted it had been tough to take as Newcastle again missed out on Cup glory.
The Eagles were again poor as they struggled on their travels – unable to cope with another virtuoso display from GB skipper Andrew Sullivan as well as home debutant Nate Reinking.
