London Towers coach Nick Lindstrom has joined Brighton Bears' growing band of admirers ahead of Sunday's National Trophy group game at the Triangle.

Bears won just one of the five meetings with their old rivals last season, but Lindstrom admits it could be hard for his side to maintain that trend at Burgess Hill this weekend.

While other BBL clubs try and bed in new-look squads, Bears have retained much of last season's line-up with only Ralph Blalock, Rico Alderson and Emiko Etete added to their roster.

And Lindstrom believes that continuity will give Bears the edge on their rivals as they chase domestic success on three different fronts.

Unbeaten in the league after two games, Bears are also through to the quarter-finals of the National Cup while victory on Sunday will improve their chances of progressing from their qualifying group in the Trophy which also includes Thames Valley Tigers.

Lindstrom said: "Brighton have all their key players back from last year and I think the adjustments that Nick has made have made them even better. Bringing in Rico Alderson was a smart move.

"They are pretty settled too because they have just added a player or two here and there, it's not a case with them of bringing in ten guys and changing everything.

"I expected them to get off to a good start. Nick has done a good job with them and I think they will be one of the top teams this year."

Lindstrom admits his side is still in a state of flux as team re-building continues and Bears will be hoping to make the most of their instability.

"We've had a pretty chaotic four or five weeks. We haven't decided on the number three man or point guard. There is a juggling act going on right now and it's going to be a little unsettling."

Nurse is aware of the importance of winning the two home games in the group stage of the competition. They play the return against Towers on November 23 and entertain Tigers on December 3. He said: "With only three teams in each group it's vital you win your two home matches and try and sneak a win on the road."