Oscar proving his worth for Thunder

Despite a difficult start, not to mention the adjustment to life with the Worthing Thunder, point guard Oscar Wilkins is now enjoying his basketball more than ever.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Feb 2017, 15:04 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:13 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Oscar Wilkins in action for Worthing Thunder against London Lituanica. Picture by Kyle HemsleyOscar Wilkins in action for Worthing Thunder against London Lituanica. Picture by Kyle Hemsley
Oscar Wilkins in action for Worthing Thunder against London Lituanica. Picture by Kyle Hemsley

Wilkins joined Thunder from NBL Development League side Folkestone Saints last summer. The transition and move up three tiers of Basketball England's league pyramid to begin with was not smooth sailing, with the 27-year-old having to travel to training and games from his home just outside of Guildford.

Admittedly it was harder than he anticipated but Wilkins remained committed, wanting to prove himself on a Division 1 roster.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The travel was harder than I thought as I don’t actually live in Worthing or Sussex, I live about an hour away,” Wilkins explained.

“Getting to Worthing for games can be hard sometimes, but after the first few weeks of the season, I grew accustomed to it and I’m cool with it. Lots of people travel further for their day jobs, so I got used to it.”

And upon his arrival, Wilkins immediately noticed the strong competition for places at the guard spots, mainly competing alongside regular starters Brendan Okoronkwo, Tom Ward and Jack Sunderland.

However, Wilkins’ spirited nature and heavy contributions on the court has caught the attention of the Thunder supporters and head coach Daniel Hildreth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His hard work was noticed last Saturday night when Wilkins claimed the Barkers Tarring MVP award in the Thunder’s National Trophy semi-final against London Lituanica, as he posted seven points and three assists.

Even though Worthing lost their semi-final encounter with London, Wilkins most of all impressed off the bench as his energy provided a much needed boost, leaving coach Hildreth with plenty to think about in regards to distribution of minutes heading into Saturday’s clash with Bradford Dragons at the Worthing Leisure Centre.

“Oscar plays with a lot of energy and he is a fantastic addition to the group,” Hildreth said.

“He plays with no fear and is always 100 per cent committed to the team.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Don't miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you'll be amongst the first to know what's going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on 'sign in' (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don't miss out!

Related topics:Worthing Thunder