STRUGGLING champions Chester Jets have boosted their side by signing former Bradley University stand-out guard Philip Gilbert.

Following a poor start to their defence of the BBL title, Jets' player/coach Billy Singleton has replaced Dave Fanning with the 6ft 3ins combination guard.

Gilbert has an impressive history of high scoring, having averaged 16 points in his senior year to become one of Bradley's all-time leading scorers.

Singleton said: 'He's a good player and a hard worker. Mostly though, he's a pretty big-time scorer with close to 20 points a game for his last two years in college. He also has great athletic ability.'

Despite Gilbert's credentials, he will face a battle for the point guard role, as young British player Anthony Martin is currently second in the league for assists with 8.67 per game.

But Singleton is convinced Gilbert can make an impact on his struggling team, and added: 'I definitely think that Philip is a player that can bring some stability to the team.'

Gilbert is likely to feature in Jets' next fixture at home to Westfield Sharks on Sunday, tip off 5.30pm.