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MIGHTY Mites and Crown - could there be better sponsors for the Kings this season?

Any success the Kings have will be based around their mightiest mite, Corin Henry, who cut up Melbourne to get Sydney its first win of the 2012-13 iiNet NBL Championship.

The Kings now are also sponsored by Crown (I mean, who could make stuff like this up? Just too rich a vein). But personally, I still have them sitting alone on the throne at the end of the season.

TWO rounds in and just two clubs in the men and two clubs in the women remain undefeated.

(And you thought it was just the usual preseason rhetoric when coaches were saying these would be the most even seasons on record!)

In the NBL, PSST grand finalists Perth and Wollongong are the only clubs still with a clean slate, although winning twice on the road and in New Zealand and Townsville - can they travel much further?? - means the Wildcats remain the more impressive.

But you can't take anything away from the Hawkers who have won at home against Sydney and on the road over Cairns for their 2-0 start. And they haven't fielded their full team yet.

Now unless your name is Nostra Damus, there's no way you could have picked Bendigo and Townsville to be your only undefeated WNBL teams after round two.

For a start, look at the draw the Spirit copped with Adelaide, West Coast, Bulleen and Dandenong and ALL on the road. They've played the top three teams from last season, starting with a smarting Adelaide on the road, and this past weekend played the grand finallists!

Their only "pencil-it-in" win was in Perth and they had to beat West Coast after travelling from Adelaide the same day.

Hats, toupees and feather boas off to Bendigo coach Bernie Harrower for a start which almost guarantees post-season action for his Spirit. On the past two weekends, has there ever been a more appropriate nickname than Spirit?

Let's not forget the Fire, who Bendigo absolutely smashed at the PSST, are the only other unbeaten team in the WNBL after logging Logan and capping the Caps so far this season.

Who'd a thunk it?

IF anyone is putting up their hand for MVP of either league this season, the stand-out is Kristi Harrower.

Player of the Week in Round 1, this week she only hit the winning shots to sink Bulleen, then had a game-high 24 points as Bendigo whipped the champs in Dandenong.

The only other even remote shot at an MVP this early would be Kings guard Corin Henry.   

And the myth remains you have to be tall to play basketball...

REVIEWS

Breakers v 36ers (M)

Cedric the Entertainer was at his most entertaining best with 10 points in just a few minutes (including two threes and a dunk) plus a few steals and assists for good measure as the Breakers turned a 46-47 three-quarter-time deficit into a 73-59 win.

It was a sizzling solo performance which rallied the New Zealand troops and left Adelaide wondering what happened after it had seized the initiative with an 18-10 third quarter.

Maybe some inordinate court-time hindered the 36ers, maybe not grasping the game by the throat when they had their hands on it, maybe just giving up too much cheap inside stuff and soft defence at times.

No, it's answer d) All of the above.

The 59 points was Adelaide's all-time second lowest, only 57 against Brisbane in 1983 worse.

Fire v Capitals (W)

A 41-22 first half including holding Canberra to just eight second-period points, set up Townsville's surprisingly comfortable 78-66 home win.

Townsville led by 24 points at the last break and only some consolation scoring allowed the Caps to even make this look remotely respectable.

It wasn't.

I guess once you think you have a Lauren Jackson safety-net, it is no surprise you can tip off the high-wire.

Make no mistake though, the Fire shoved the Caps aside, Olivia Thompson with 20 points at 64 per cent and Kayla Standish 16 at 60.

Kings v Tigers (M)

This one was cruising along pretty smoothly for the Tigers, considering they travelled again without Adam Ballinger (toe fractures) and with Lucas Walker nursing the shoulder he hurt against Adelaide.

Melbourne was doing all it needed to get the road W when the game took a sudden left-turn for Tiger fans.

James Harvey and Darnell Lazare kept the Kings in the hunt until Corin Henry cut loose with a 23-point second half to ignite the Kingdome.

Henry had the fans going crazy as he set up an 85-82 win with steals, flashes of lightning, reverses and frenetic play which ignites all and sundry. He even cooked the barbecue at three quarter-time.

Melbourne had 19 turnovers to seven which, in itself, tells a damning tale.

For what it's worth, when Kings coach Shane Heal and Tigers coach Chris Anstey first competed as players, Heal won that one too.

Pretty sure we know who had the more successful NBL career from there though.

Boomers v Spirit (W)

Bulleen had this one locked up with a four-point lead going into the final clicks.

But the irrepressible Kristi Harrower - who had been well-contained - just cannot be held for the duration.

First she drained a three over Elyse Penaluna's outstretched arm, then she hit the match-winning jumpshot, again over Penaluna.

Graciously, as the teams went into a final time-out huddle, Kristi handed Penaluna back her face.

Tom Maher drew up a final strategy, the ball went to a wide open Rachel Jarry - how that even happened is a mystery - and she shot a three-metre baseline jumpshot two-and-a-half metres, preserving a 70-69 Bendigo boilover.

D'oh!

Taipans v Hawks (M)

OK, let's get something straight up front. Cairns prides itself on its defence, and holding a team to 68 usually means you should get the win done, especially at home.

But shooting 58 yourself?

Uh-uh. That's not going to beat anyone.

Especially when you shoot at 38 per cent, hit 4-of-16 threes, 4-of-11 free throws and get beaten on the boards.

Maybe a little less time on the defence at practice this week and a little more on putting the ball in the hole which, as any golfer will tell you, is how you win.

Wollongong kept Cairns in the teens in every quarter - 12, 13, 15, 18 ... at least the Taipans were getting better - and had too many weapons.

The Hawks had Shaggy, Big O, Rhys and 2Hard2Guard all in double digits while for Cairns, if you subtract Cam Tragardh's 20 points at 63 per cent, its shooting as a team looks even more horrendous.

I guarantee this. Jamar Wilson won't be that poor again.

Memo Alex Loughton. The season has started.

Waves v Flames (W)

They want to develop a winning culture out West so winning helps that somewhat.

Beating Sydney 78-70 makes up for the opening night loss to Bendigo, Toni Edmondson coming off the West Coast bench for 14 points that surprised the Flames. (Especially if they watched tape of last season's preliminary final.)

Deanna Smith had another 23 as the Waves put out the Flames and left them bickering. How unusual.

Smith, by the way, then gave an assurance that this would not be West Coast's only win of the season!

My god girl, let's hope not.

Not sure that's really sticking your neck out though...

Rangers v Spirit (W)

Not sure rushing Jenna O'Hea straight back into the opening line-up was the right strategy for Dandenong.

Let's recall the Rangers last week in the grand final rematch beat Bulleen without her so maybe the haste to start her against Bendigo wasn't essential.

Maybe it even unsettled the team a little, and that's not to take anything from Bendigo's 70-58 and fourth straight road victory.

Then again, the Rangers led 36-29 at halftime so that doesn't explain Bendigo's withering 41-22 second half.

Kristi (doing a Corin) and going off for all 24 of her points after halftime might explain it, considering she alone outscored the Rangers after the main interval.

Pretty sure Bendigo is looking forward to hosting West Coast at home on Saturday.

Lightning v Flames (W)

Suzy Batkovic had Adelaide's first eight points (including consecutive three-point plays) as it set up a comfortable 86-60 victory.

Sydney turned the ball over at inopportune times but looked an unhappy, out-of-sync group.

You'll get that when your point guard is mouthing off at your bigs with impunity while she, too, has an off night.

The Flames may be the league's most dysfunctional team. Is there an award for that?

This was a welcome return-to-form for Adelaide, with kids such as Steph Talbot, Lauren Mansfield and Nadeen Payne looking very sharp at times.

Thunder v Capitals (W)

Here's one Canberra definitely had pencilled in but Logan had other ideas, winning 68-60.

Logan jumped out at the start and were never headed, although Canberra made a late run behind Jessica Bibby.

Emma Langford led the home team which held on to its lead this time around, unlike a week earlier in Townsville.

Langford had 19 points, Nat Taylor 18 and Kristen Veal was her all-round brilliant self with seven rebounds, six assists, seven points.

Crocodiles v Wildcats (M)

Gary Ervin and Larry Abney ran out for their first runs with Townsville but Jacob Holmes (knee injury - MRI today) did not, taking some gloss off the Crocs' day.

Townsville hung tough with Perth until threes by Shawn Redhage (two) and Everard Bartlett swept the Wildcats' lead from 57-52 to 66-52 and whoops, apocalypse.

The 82-58 rout reflected the fact if you let Perth get rolling, you will get steamrolled.

Coach Paul Woolpert was pretty flat after the game.

Asked what positives he could draw from the game, he deadpanned: "The fact it's over."

I have a man-crush on him.

BEEF of the WEEK

Come on now, it is high time NBL and WNBL clubs stopped putting little kids on the sidelines as floor wipers.

We're talking a professional and a semi-professional league which rely on eight and nine-year-olds to be watching the play and spotting sweat patches, then studiously wiping them while play is at the other end.

Often they have to be called out by refs and players because, they are kids! They have short attention spans. They're chatting. Having fun. Or feeling embarrassed. Or unable to get the spot completely anyway.

It doesn't matter what the reason is, they should not be put in that situation. If clubs advertised for floor wipers, offering them a free and great seat at the game, and maybe a soft drink, I am sure they could improve on this absurd weekly situation we see as players - some worth $150,000+ to their clubs - left at the mercy of a little kid doing his/her best.

The only young person floor wiper I have ever seen who REALLY did a great job was a young fella at Ballarat for the Under-18 Nationals about four years ago.

This young man was efficiency personified and clearly relished his role and its importance. 

But usually, this job calls for adults.

OK. I have to go now and watch Erin Phillips and the Indiana Fever take on Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals.

Spoke with her the other day and the upshot can be found at adelaidenow.com.au. Just follow the link: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/erin-phillips-hopes-to-do-australia-proud-in-wnba-finals-series/story-fndekpx4-1226495842049

The Big Winners

BENDIGO continue to be the front-runners in the women, Perth starring in the men.

Cairns was the biggest NBL loser of the weekend, losing at home to Wollongong and managing just 58 points. In the women, Sydney was just plain ugly this round and has a lot of work ahead.  

PS

ADELAIDE icon Brett Maher, who before the NBL season tipped off said the 2012-13 line-up was the best 36ers team since the 1998-99 champion has now amended that to 1982 West Adelaide.