PLYMOUTH Raiders coach Gary Stronach has revealed he tried and failed to sign Everton Tigers centre Dzaflo 'Flo' Larkai last season.

The 27-year-old Brit, who moved to Merseyside last month, finally joined Spanish division three club L'Hospitalet.

"Larkai is an exceptional talent for the BBL," said Stronach. "I tried to sign him last summer, but he ended up playing in Spain.

"He's been on the fringes of the Great Britain squad and is very athletic and strong inside with his back to the basket."

Tigers and 6ft 8in Larkai visit the Pavilions in the BBL Championship tomorrow (4pm).

Raiders also entertain Milton Keynes Lions, in the quarter-finals of the BBL Cup, tonight (7.30pm).

Tigers have opened the new season 2-4, ahead of last night's visit of Guildford Heat.

Like the Larkai deal, Tigers did a lot of business late in the off-season when, it is believed, players' wage demands had fallen considerably and clubs who gambled, like Tigers, profited.

Raiders recruited their new line-up, bar the recent addition of guard Anthony Martin, by mid-August.

Tigers are set to field an entirely new starting-five tomorrow, to the one who finished runners-up in the league last season.

Guards Richard Midgley and Marcus Bailey, and forwards Josh Gross and Andre Smith all left Tigers this summer.

Midgley retired through injury, while Bailey, Gross and Smith joined big-time teams in the top-flights in Serbia, Japan and Turkey respectively.

In their spots tomorrow, Tigers are set to start guards Kevin Bell and Jerome Gumbs, forwards Olu Babalola and Andy Thomson, and Larkai.

Bell and Gumbs arrived from, respectively, Turkey's division two and Slovakia's top-flight; Babalola came off Tigers' bench last season; and Thomson came from Spain's division four.

Tigers also bring quality Brits guard James Jones and centre Chris Haslam off the bench in an eight-man rotation.

Stronach said: "Everton are very, very talented, but then again they started 2-4 and have had their own teething problems.

"It's difficult, but tomorrow we have to get up ready to play.

"It should be a great game. We want to get two more points on the board in the league."

Stronach added of Tigers' leading scorer Bell, who is averaging 17.2 points and a team-high 5.7 assists per game this season: "Bell is very explosive. He can shoot the three, but he can attack the rim as well.

"He's a handful, but, after last weekend, we can be a handful as well."

Larkai is Tigers' second option offensively this season, averaging 16.8 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds per game.

He is also shooting an excellent 68 per cent from the field.

Tigers have not played since a 82-74 defeat at Heat on October 24.

They led by as many as nine, 24-15, but faded away after half-time.

Tigers coach Tony Garbelotto said of Raiders: "Gary (Stronach) has had a tough start to the season, but he is a quality coach who has worked tirelessly to get his team playing at a high level.

"Their win against Newcastle last Sunday was testament to that and shows Plymouth are dangerous.

"They have one of the best home courts in the country and, win or lose, I love playing there."

RAIDERS mascot Foxy and his Plymouth Argyle counterpart, Pilgrim Pete, will face-off in a shoot-out over two-legs this weekend.

Today, at Home Park, the mascots will take five penalties each. Then, tomorrow, the duo will take five free-throws each during the break between the first and second quarters.

TICKETS for tomorrow's game at the Pavilions are priced £12 for adults; £6 under-16s, students and OAPs; and £30 for a family of four (two adults and two children, or one adult and three children). For more information, contact the Pavilions box-office on 0845 146 1460.