Martin Yabsley is flying again, thanks to a couple of former Lakers and some veteran British League knowhow.

The Genesis Brighton Bears back-up centre goes into tonight's clash with his previous club Birmingham Bullets at the Brighton Centre (7pm) fresh from arguably his two best performances of the season.

His display in regulation time at Leicester 11 days ago was certainly the best he has played for the club.

And he ran that effort pretty close with a seven-point showing against Guildford on Rodmania-night before running into foul trouble.

It just shows what a bit of illustrious company can do. Yabsley was up against Steve Bucknall at Leicester and playing alongside Dennis Rodman last Saturday, both of whom are former Lakers.

Both challenges got him fired up. But the 25-year-old from Guernsey puts his improvement down to the influence of team mate Andrew Alleyne and stinging criticism several Bears players received from coach Nick Nurse.

He said: "I've been going against Drew for four or five months now and obviously that's going to make you better. Drew gets a lot of attention during games and it's up to me to take a bit of pressure off him now and then.

"He's constantly talking through practice. It's not always constructive, sometimes he's joking around.

"But he's always talking, in games as well, helping me out. He's definitely a good role model to have."

Asked if he was stung by Nurse's comments that Yabsley and other Bears should be playing better, the 6ft 9in giant from Guernsey said: "Of course, you always take it personally. I took it as a criticism and I've been working hard in practice.

"I work as hard as any player in the team. I want to get to that stage where I am one of the premier big men in England and moving further afield so the next three months are vital for me.

"I'm going to work hard and hopefully I can take a bit of pressure off Drew in the post as well.

"It's time for me to step up, play my role.

"It's about confidence, that's all it is. I'm getting confidence from point guard, from Jerry (Williams), from the whole team really."

Yabsley finished the Leicester game with nine points, on four-for-six shooting, two rebounds and two steals, one of which was presumably recorded when he dived on the floor under his own basket to grab the ball off Bucknall and send his team away to score in transition.

Many of his contributions did not show up on the stats sheet but he said: "I don't think they ever really do.

"I'm a role player in this team and I have to do things that don't always get statted up.

"Set good screens, box out hard, it's something I try to do week in week out but it doesn't always work out."

Then came the chance to work in tandem with Rodman.

The Bears giant said: "I did my job. I got in a stack of foul trouble but, apart from that, it was the experience of a lifetime.

"Dennis is a really a nice guy and he was looking to pass the ball. I got an assist off him."

Tonight's game goes ahead after the BBL agreed to look into bans handed to Bullets duo Skouson Harker and Yorick Williams, both of whom play.

Fans at the game get their first chance to buy tickets for the return of Rodman, who faces Newcastle with Bears on February 14.