Basketball: Nemeth in hunt for talent

WHILE THE England coach, Laszlo Nemeth, was in Italy checking the scoring credentials of players for next month's European Championship games, Derby Storm's Yorick Williams boosted his claims with another potent performance.

Williams' 19 points could not save Derby from a 105-92 defeat which made Manchester Giants the Saturday night leaders of the Budweiser League. But the 6ft 3in 23-year-old is one of only two Englishmen in the League's top 20 scorers, alongside the Worthing Bears' veteran Steve Nelson.

This lack of scoring ability in a league flooded by up to five Americans per team sent Nemeth scurrying to Italy to watch squad members Steve Hansell and Andy Betts and, possibly, Steve Bucknall.

England open this season's semi-final rounds against Denmark at Birmingham's NIA on 25 November. Nemeth's provisional squad of 25 includes 12 playing abroad, plus John Amaechi in the US waiting for the NBA lock-out to end. Nemeth must also look abroad for his rebounders as London Towers' Martin Henlan is the only squad member among the league's top 20.