AS Worcester Wolves players prepare for their first fixtures of 2012, they will be proud to have been part of the club’s best-ever start to a season in the British Basketball League.

In previous years, Wolves have struggled to achieve an even number of wins and losses, and have usually occupied the lower levels of the league.

In stark contrast this season, the team has a 9-3 win-loss record and sit second in the table, four points behind leaders Newcastle Eagles.

Worcester have also performed creditably in other competitions. Only a loss to Plymouth Raiders led to an exit from the BBL Trophy after the group stages and then a points-aggregate defeat to the same opponents meant Wolves failed to make the BBL Cup final.

However hopeful of success director of basketball Paul James must have been when assembling this season’s squad, he admits that it was a gamble to bring so many new faces to Worcester.

“I made the decision to move quite a few players out and bring quite a few players in. Last season’s team did not perform to its potential. I wanted to try and get a better balance of players who are hungry and wanted to be a part of the Wolves programme.”

Two of those new faces, point guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and small forward Tommy Freeman, have already gained recognition with several appearances in the BBL team of the week. Prezzie-Blue moved to Wolves from Worthing Thunder, where he was the team’s leading scorer.

At Wolves, it has not been necessary for him to carry such a heavy scoring responsibility, freeing up more opportunity to distribute the ball, leading to his topping the BBL in assists for December with 5.5 per game.

Much of Worcester’s scoring punch is provided by Freeman.

Fresh out of the University of Ohio, he has impressed with some stunning bursts of quick-fire scoring.

Averaging more than 23 points a game to stand fourth best in the BBL, he stunned Newcastle Eagles when pouring in 12 points in less than two minutes when helping his side to an upset victory over the league leaders.

The set of new Americans is completed by Richie Gordon.

He came to Worcester to take over centre duties from the highly-regarded Justin Dobbins – a considerable task for any player.

However, Gordon has shown Wolves supporters there is now a new sheriff in town.

Averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game in December led to three consecutive appearances in the BBL team of the week and he was named the BBL’s best player in the last month of 2011.

The first chance in 2012 to see this Wolves trio in action will be a trip to Mersey Tigers on Friday, followed by a meeting with the Durham Wildcats at the University of Worcester the day after (7pm).