MARJON Plymouth Raiders believe they boast the best basketball facility in the BBL after fitting a new floor ahead of the 2011/12 season.

Raiders will unveil the new surface at their opening pre-season friendly at their home court the Pavilions on Sunday (4pm).

Touring team USA Select are the visitors.

Raiders will also wear their new kit for the forthcoming campaign.

Raiders chief executive Dave Briggs said: "The Pavilions is a great arena, one of the best basketball specific in the country.

"But we wanted to update it, so we bought new baskets and shot clocks, and we already had a new scoreboard.

"But the one thing we were disappointed with last season and grated on us was the court.

"It was old and originally bought for the World Student Games in Sheffield in 1991.

"It was a basketball floor, but it was grubby and not a particularly good one.

"Players found it hard to fall on and didn't really get any spring on it, so this summer we decided to buy a new one."

Raiders' new floor is made by the manufacturers of their old one, Gerflor.

Briggs said: "We shopped around and spoke to Gerflor, who make sport specific floors which can be rolled up and down in between games.

"Gerflor also make the floors for the Netball Superleague, which look fantastic on TV.

"They are made of four different types of material – our old one was like solid rubber – so the players will get a lot more spring out of it.

"It is the best floor they do and will be a much better quality floor to play on.

"The keys (underneath each basket) have been painted green and the overall floor has a wood effect and beach colour, and it looks absolutely fantastic."

Raiders coach Gavin Love said: "The Pavilions is looking fantastic now we've got the new floor in. Everything's coming together nicely."

Briggs added: "It finishes off the arena and keeps us at the forefront of basketball in the UK.

"Other arenas in the BBL have nice floors or clubs have good game-night presentation, but no one has the two together, except perhaps Newcastle, but now we have. This helps enhance our whole package and we believe makes the Pavilions the best overall arena in the league.

"It's helped us commercially as well. We were set to have seven sponsors' logos on the floor, but now we're going to have nine, because they can see how great it looks."

Raiders' new kit is made by Macron, which marks a switch from former suppliers Errea.

Briggs said: "The home kit will be green with white flashes and away it will be white with green flashes.

"Macron have just opened a new store in Plympton, so it makes sense for us to work with them and for them to work with us. It's the best quality kit we've ever had."