Basketball: Heat turns on Rico

THE DERBY STORM coach Bob Donewald expects London Towers to take the heat out of his team's fiery start to the season at the Moorways Centre tonight, which may be just as well.

Two wins on the first weekend of the season put Derby top of the Budweiser League, but they already face a disciplinary enquiry by the English Basketball Association following Sunday's 87-82 victory at Thames Valley Tigers.

The Association has received referees' and commissioner's reports concerning incidents off the court. Derby's new American, Rico Alderson, is alleged to have ruffled the Tigers fur, as well as scoring 17 points to add to the 25 he scored in Saturday's 103-93 victory over Chester Jets.

Donewald said of his 6ft 5in forward from Tennessee, "Rico is athletic, aggressive, fired up and ready to take on the world. He will settle down after facing London. With the size they have, it will be a question of trying to survive."

Donewald is still trying to replace the 6ft 9in DJ Bose, who suffered a double fracture of the jaw two weeks ago. Alderson is undersized to face London's 6ft 10in Martin Henlan, 6ft 9in Ray Schultz, 6ft 8in Malcolm Leak, plus the 6ft 7in pair of Dwayne Morton and Eric Kubel.

Rick Adelman is the new coach of the Sacramento Kings, who hope he can display the style that helped him twice lead Portland to the National Basketball Association finals. He takes over from Eddie Jordan, who lost his job in August.