ASHTON Khan may seem like a laid-back character but on the court the Worcester Wolves point guard knows he is up against the clock.

When the 24-year-old was playing college basketball in the USA, he said time was on his side as the shot clock ticked down from 35 seconds.

However, since arriving at Wolves in the summer, Khan has had to step up the pace as the British Basketball League does not allow teams as much time to strike.

“At the pro level in England you only have 24 seconds to shoot, which makes a big difference,” said Khan, who was playing for Tiffin University in the USA last year.

“In America you have got a lot more time, so you can run a play and if it doesn’t work you can bring the ball back out and run another play.

“Whereas here if you run a play you have got to make something work because you don’t have that extra 11 seconds.

“But it is something I have managed to adapt to quickly and, with the offence we run, it helps us get into a flow early.”

As it was his first season playing professionally in England, the Toronto-born player said he knew he had to knuckle down in pre-season and believed his hard work was paying dividends.

“I just came here with a mindset of working hard and I think the level of play I was able to produce surprised the coach,” he said.

“I knew I was coming here pretty early in the summer, so I put a lot of work and time in the gym to get better.

“At the beginning of the season I was playing maybe 11 minutes per game but, as I gained Paul James’ trust, I was starting a bunch of games. I feel the coach trusts me more than he did in September and now I am finishing games and playing at the crunch times, so it is good to see my hard work is paying off.”

Khan, who has made 21 appearances this season, added: “I feel I am coming on in leaps and bounds.

“I am getting a lot more minutes and my team-mates are also really trusting me as they lean on me as the point guard of the team, so it has been a great first year experience at Wolves.”

Although Khan has been busy on the court, he has found time to watch his cousin Cory Joseph in action for NBA outfit Toronto Raptors and gained some useful advice from him.

“The Raptors played in London a few weeks ago, so I got to spend some time with him ahead of the game,” Khan said.

“We grew up together and played together for many years, so it is just great to see him get to that level.

“He is a real inspiration as I know that if you put in the hard work, dedication and time, you can make it to the top.”