Jessie Sapp has bright future with Glasgow Rocks

Oct 1 2009 Matthew Leslie

Bright future awaits young Rock

Glasgow Rocks boss Sterling Davis has backed new boy Jessie Sapp to be a success with the club.

The New-Yorker - signed to replace Blake Shelton - top-scored with 26 points in the Rocks' opening day 90-86 loss to reigning champs Newcastle Eagles.

However, 24 of those came in the second half with Jessie in the first at times looking like a rabbit caught in headlamps as the game seemed to pass him by.

But Sapp began to turn on the style and show his gaffer what he can do which Davis believes will bode well for the rest of the season.

He said: "For a second I was wondering what is this boy doing? "But the thing with Jessie is that he was just trying to feel his way in.

"You have to remember he is just out of school and he's playing with some established veterans and that takes time to get used to.

"In the second half he just made up his mind to come and and play better than he did in the first.

"The good thing about his improvement was it came naturally and none of us forced it out of him.

"I didn't say anything to him at half-time because with Jessie being at a very early stage of his career, we don't want to put that kind of pressure on him. I want players like Jessie to come into top league basketball naturally.

"I'm looking at this long-term and if that means one or two blips along the way then so be it but we prefer to let him find his feet naturally as we know - especially from the second half - he has the talent to succeed.

"He also has a lot of courage too and it speaks volumes for his character that he came back to be our topscorer - which surprised me as I didn't think he'd scored that much.

"You have to remember that Maurice Hampton and Moritz Wohlers had a slow start when they came to the club but left with people wishing they were staying so Jessie can develop like they did."

Despite the defeat, Davis was pleased with his side's fighting spirit.

He added: "I was pretty pleased with the way we played.

"Had we had a couple more plays down the line then we would have come out on top.

"Regarding my own performance, I'm sure everyone knows I do all I can - be it defence or attack but certainly in the case of the former.

"As a whole we kept fighting and the game was only over in the final minute."