Ward leaves but two juniors sign on

Ward received a last-minute offer to join the Spanish side and Thunder chairman Frank Gainsbury said: “Although the club are extremely disappointed to see Tom leave the club at such a critical time in the year, we fully understand the reasons why he wishes to grasp this fantastic opportunity of playing at such a high level in Europe.

“We are sad to see him go but wish him well for the future and would like to thank him for all his efforts with Worthing Thunder.”

Two junior players, Josh Brown and Selby Hind-Wills, have signed for Thunder for the upcoming campaign.

Thunder coach Daniel Hildreth said: “Josh is another local talent that has come through our junior programme.

“Last season, with a depleted team in Northumbria, Josh top-scored with 21 points. He has a great deal of potential, which was displayed in spells last season.

“He is continually improving and his confidence is growing, so I expect this to translate into games in the season ahead. He was Thunder under-18 MVP two years ago and is adapting well to men’s basketball.

“Selby is a current Thunder under-18 player, who has shown some impressive signs over the summer months.

“He is a big strong kid, who I feel, like Josh, will make a smooth transition into men’s basketball.

“Again, he is a product of our successful junior programme and this further illustrates what we are trying to achieve here in Worthing, in developing local youngsters and giving them a chance to play elite basketball.”