DAVE Elderkin has made breaking down Newcastle Eagles’ defence a top priority for his Durham Wildcats as he plots a major BBL Trophy upset.
The Wildcats were doughty opponents for the long-established Eagles last weekend but fell away in the second half, partly because they could not handle the relentless defence of Fab Flournoy’s side.
Elderkin hopes long hours on the court and in video analysis sessions have come up with a way of unlocking the Eagles – and points to new arrival Mario Flaherty as key to their dreams of earning a memorable victory.
The 23-year-old is eligible to make his debut tonight after his licence was initially held up by the New Zealand federation.
Elderkin is looking forward to seeing his impact in a Wildcats vest – especially as the 6ft 9ins centre brings the kind of attacking instincts which can unsettle their illustrious opponents.
The head coach said: “The Eagles did a good job on us with their defence.
“The prime concern is how we handle that defence.
“We have done plenty of work on the court and looked through all the videos and we hope we have come up with a way of combating that. Hopefully, Mario will play a big part in that.
“As with anyone coming in and making his debut, the worry is he will try to do much and beat the Eagles on his own – but we have worked on trying to integrate him into the team all week.
“I have enjoyed working with him so far.
“He is a very intelligent kid and he is surprisingly athletic for such a big guy, so I think he can make an impact in the BBL.”
Edlerkin’s other priority was making sure the Wildcats were not too reliant on Ralph Bucci, who made a big contribution on his BBL debut. That would come as no surprise to those who have tracked the former Teesside Mohawk’s career – but Elderkin wants his team to find other ways of scoring.
He added: “I though Ralph was outstanding on Saturday, but if anything we were maybe a little reliant on him.
“He is a gentleman and an excellent athlete and he is a genuine BBL player already.”
This weekend will be key to Durham’s hopes of progressing to the Trophy knockout rounds, with tonight’s trip to the Eagles followed by an away game against the Glasgow Rocks on Sunday.
