Basketball On The Internet.

LITTLE bit excited at NBL plans to expand to 12 teams in 2015-16 for a proposed 44-game regular season.

League CEO Fraser Neill has put it out there – not for the first time – that he will review any tenders for NBL clubs and personally has followed that up with trips to Brisbane and Hobart.

The Melbourne basketball heartland also beckons and begs for a second team – South East Melbourne Magic? South Dragons? Let’s revive a known brand rather than concoct another newie – and I am sure former basketball strongholds in Canberra, Newcastle and Gold Coast also have taken notice.

Wellington Saints of the NZNBL also previously have made a few overtures.

What are they doing in Geelong?

I know from interviewing him today, Anthony Stewart was very pumped about the prospect of NBL basketball returning to Tasmania, even believing old wounds between regional centres across the island could be healed.

Here’s today’s News Corp story about it: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/tasmania-gears-up-for-a-201516-nbl-return-as-league-looks-at-44game-regular-season/story-fnii09gt-1226803243232

THE WNBL got it right again with Adelaide Lightning’s Laura Hodges claiming its Player of the Week honors after scoring 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting before fouling out in 22:48, plus a couple of assists in a sterling 73-62 win over the Caps in Canberra.

“I went straight to Opals camp and was informed there (of the PotW award),” Laura told me. “I guess I should get fouled off more often!”

The triple-Olympian said she had “felt really good” in the game and it showed in the second quarter which she started with a 10-0 run of her own before a feed to Chay Shegog for a 12-0 burst.

“Frankly, I didn’t think we went to Laura enough,” Lightning coach Richard Dickel said.

Hard to argue when she was going like that.

GIVEN how well television caller Casey Frank performed in his NBL comeback with the Breakers at 36, New Zealand is considering activating Tony Ronaldson for its match in Perth this round.

Steve Carfino is having a rub-down in case the Kings need a point guard from the commentary booth.

Speaking of Steve, must admit I really enjoyed his NBL season summary at nbl.com.au this week. It is really worth the read, and I am not being disingenuous in saying that.

Check out some of his best work here: http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/1l3nkh4wvtsri15c2mwzb81cv2

And yes, maybe writing was what The Carf was best cut-out for! … Ulp.

ERIN Phillips, the 2012 WNBA champion, 2008 WNBL champion, 2006 world champion – notice a consistent word in those descriptions? – has returned to the Opals squad hugely impressed with what new coach Brendan Joyce brings to the table.

“I love the offences he is installing,” Erin said after sitting through the three-day camp in Canberra this week.

“Everybody is playing quickly now - the Americans, Europe - and Brendan wants us pushing the ball hard in transition.

“He wants to wear teams down – leave them with no petrol in the tank.

“The offences are free-flowing, made for a lot of penetration, drive and dish.

“I love it and the core values of the Opals. It’s a great time to be involved.”

RELIABLY informed Adrian Preposterous, er, Adrian Proszenko, the "chief rugby league writer" for Fairfax Media, who recently magnanimously dubbed Kings' import Sam Young as "the best basketballer to step foot on to an Australian court" agrees with the ABC's Darren Boyd that Phil Brown is one of the greatest coaches in Australian history.

Apparently some of Brown's sketches were used in the planning and layout of Canberra as our capital.



NBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

8 (4) TAIPANS – It’s a volatile table right now and fluctuations can be huge. A win would salvage everything.

7 (8) CROCODILES – Finished with a flurry and can shake the 36ers while they’re second-guessing themselves.

6 (5) HAWKS – Yeah, they won on the road and I dropped them one spot. Did you see the other results?

5 (7) KINGS – If you don’t love the NBL this season, you must be crazy. Now Sydney is ready for a roll.

4 (6) BREAKERS – Competent win over the Tigers and Perth’s scalp would be huge.

3 (3) TIGERS – Took a jolt but can erase that by stopping the Kings in Sydney.

2 (2) 36ERS – Now the challenge becomes to bounce back after a losing in front of the faithful.

1 (1) WILDCATS – That’s right. No-one even recalls those two straight losses anymore.

WNBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

9 (9) WAVES – Really wish there was something positive to say but the end of the season cannot come soon enough.

8 (8) THUNDER – Have another tough ask on the road with more troops joining the M.A.S.H. unit.

7 (7) FLAMES – Will get a ‘W’ this round but, as usual, their only award this year will be “greatest under-achievers”.

6 (5) CAPITALS – Hardly a fitting celebration for Carly’s life achievement last week, but the Waves will be dumped.

5 (6) LIGHTNING – Can add Jess to the wounded ranks but have found a new self-belief and are firing.

4 (4) BOOMERS – Chance to shore up third place while Fire is on the road, and must beat Logan.

3 (2) FIRE – Didn’t see that coming after Rangers’ rout in Adelaide but must bounce straight back.

2 (3) RANGERS – Two very solid road wins in Qld but it’s the ones they’re supposed to win that they drop.

1 (1) SPIRIT – Righto. Who do we tick off next on the old dance card?



THIS WEEK'S TIPS

WHEN Cairns beat the Kings in Sydney, most of us thought the Taipans had arrived and Sydney was done. Here we are a little later and it is Sydney coming off a 102-point game in a win over the 36ers and Cairns still figuring out how it lost at home to the Hawks. Sydney to win.

THIS will be a humdinger, Perth expecting 12,000-plus, with $1 per seat going toward the bushfire relief. Let’s hope all 13,710 seats are occupied then. This is the NBL’s hottest rivalry, was clinched on a James Ennis 3-point banker last time and should be a ripper. Perth to hold on.

OK, the boxscore shows Adelaide lost to Townsville by four and won by one but the Crocs hit a three at the bell so it was pretty much four-points each way. Those numbers suggest another great contest in Adelaide, both teams with something to prove now. At home? The 36ers.

MELBOURNE suffered an unexpected lump from the supposedly slumping Breakers but will be back to show Sydney their best at the Kingdome. A third Kings win wraps the season-series so the Tigers need this. With Sydney coming in off a game in Cairns, I like Melbourne to snatch the upset.

KINDA fun that Wollongong has beaten Cairns 13 times in Cairns and the Taipans have won 11 times in Wollongong. This time the Hawks should buck the trend, given the Taipans first have to host Sydney, then travel to Wollongong to get sand kicked in their faces.

WEST Coast losing at Sydney once again will revive some nonsensical talk of playoffs but the Flames are almost out of contention for next year’s post-season too. They will grab a solid win here though, the Waves again working at simply avoiding a single-digit quarter.

LOGAN starts its trip south at Melbourne where the Boomers are settling into the prospect of life without Rachel Jarry and relishing the early wins they accrued to ensure a return to the playoffs. Now also down Hanna Zavecz, the Thunder have little beyond pride to play for. Boom times.

FOR Townsville to have a real shot at unseating Bendigo from its position as unbackable Championship favorite, it must reproduce the form of Round One when it inflicted the Spirit’s solitary loss of the 2013-14 season. After losing at home to Dandenong, it is hard to see it happening.

WHAT a great road win for Adelaide in Canberra, although it cost them Jess Foley (cheekbone) for the next few games. Logan being down Zavecz evens that score somewhat and with a big crowd rolling in for the double-header at Adelaide Arena, a Thunder upset is unlikely.

CANBERRA lost its focus and its finals hopes against Adelaide but will have no difficulties taking care of the league’s welcome mat, West Coast. The recent form of Abby Bishop and multitude of Caps guns will fire holes in the Waves, reminding their NZ contingent of the Oceania Series.

BARRING the unforeseen – such as injury, illness, sudden pregnancy – I’m tipping Townsville will reverse its home loss to Dandenong and in so doing, return its focus to seizing the double-chance behind the Spirit. The Rangers have everything in their favor which is why they will most likely foul it up.


DEAR Voldemort,
So they screwed up your nose too?
Sincerely, Michael Jackson