Basketball On The Internet.

FINALLY it's here, the round so many have been waiting for especially in the NBL where Sam Young (Kings) and Mustapha Farrakhan (Tigers) will make their debuts.

That's not all though. It's first versus second when Perth visits Adelaide Arena, Cairns looking to take a step along the road to redemption, Townsville out to make it a hat-trick of wins over New Zealand while the Breakers battle to avoid irrelevance. 

Kings-Wildcats in the Jungle, Tigers-Crocs in The Cage - the round will end strongly too.

Bendigo (1st) versus Adelaide (4th) to start the WNBL also looks great on paper and should finish in front of a raucous crowd at Adelaide Arena, the match being part of a blockbuster double-header with the 36ers-Wildcats NBL showdown.

Sydney Flames are on a two-win "streak" after a six-loss run, and this road trip will be challenging for Guy Molloy's Boomers crew.

If Melbourne wins this, even at this early stage of the season, I'd say "Lock them in Eddie" for the playoffs.

Canberra faces Mango Madness in Queensland against Townsville and Logan.

No matter how you look at it, this will be a round to remember.

Unless you follow West Coast.

 

CONGRATULATIONS to tonight's inductees at the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame celebrations in Melbourne which, it appears, I am not alone in boycotting.

That though is in no way any reflection on the inductees.

Not that it will bother anyone greatly but I just cannot support a process where only people nominated by clubs, associations etcetera ever get a look in.

For a Hall of Fame selection panel to have any credibility in its own right, surely it too should have to investigate possible inductees who - perhaps because they have been forgotten or have no club or association affiliations any longer or groundswell to help them win nomination - will forever be overlooked.

The late Michael Ahmatt - our first indigenous Olympian - was inexplicably long overlooked, as Werner Linde and Alan Dawe and a holy host of others who have no-one to champion their causes continue to be.

That's where a Hall of Fame selection panel worth its reputation would be empowered to additionally review this game's history and nominate personnel it additionally deems worthy of consideration, outside those with some weight already behind them.

And let's not even talk about Rocky Smith or Robert Rose or Ken Richardson or Bill Mildenhall or the 20 other worthy NBL nominations who won't see the light of day because this rare spotlight has to be shared so diversely.

Time for the NBL to reclaim its own Hall. But you know that.

 

ROHANEE Cox did, indeed, collect the WNBL Player of the Week accolade this round after leading Sydney to a 76-67 win over Dandewrong.

Cox had a match-high 19 points, six boards and two blocks and is still getting it done at 33, averaging 16.4 ppg, No.5 in the league.

 

NBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

8 (8) HAWKS - Will no doubt play smarter than last week but Cairns has its mojo back.

7 (7) BREAKERS - OK, man the panic stations. Lose this one and the road back is too far.

6 (5) CROCODILES - Wow, that was a mess in Sydney. Maybe confidence can help in NZ.

5 (6) TAIPANS - Two losses last round, yes. But started to turn corner and must win.

4 (4) TIGERS - Escaped Cairns' clutches but mustapha chance now to roar up the table.

3 (3) KINGS - Oh yeah, #3 with a bullet. Young at heart now and ready to move up.

2 (2) 36ERS - Great win, feeling good. Time for the ultimate test.

1 (1) WILDCATS - Challenging weekend and the streak will be thoroughly tested.

WNBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

9 (9) WAVES - What a nightmare this season is becoming (again). Welcome Bendigo...

8 (8) THUNDER - If they can't cap the Caps, this season is ready for the scraps.

7 (5) CAPITALS - Playing better is one thing, winning another. A split this week, perhaps.

6 (7) FLAMES - A win over Dandenong isn't enough but nailing Boomers would be.

5 (4) FIRE - Never led in Adelaide but Canberra in Townsville should go into W column.

4 (6) LIGHTNING - Bounced back under new management but Bendigo is the test.

3 (3) RANGERS - The slide continues, except this week it's a bye to regroup.

2 (2) BOOMERS - Keep chalking up great wins but Sydney will have their measure.

1 (1) SPIRIT - Getting the job done though Adelaide will be a handful.

 

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

THE bell will start to toll on New Zealand if the Breakers cannot reverse two road losses to Townsville by beating the Crocs at home. Townsville has had the Breakers' number but the pressure-cooker in Auckland will start to scream with a home loss. NZ must stand-and-deliver. It will.

BEEN waiting for Perth at Adelaide since Round One, the NBL's oldest and most fierce rivalry to add a new chapter. Some say the Wildcats are ripe for a loss. I say, why? They have everything going for them. Any loss here only will be because the 36ers have the right answers. Sixers. 

WOLLONGONG is doing it hard without Larry Davidson and at press time (yeah, like this even goes to "press" ... but you know what I mean) Tim Coenraad was questionable, trying to add a "U" to his name to complete the vowel-set. Cairns was on the way back last round and will continue it here.

POOR Townsville, running into a Melbourne with Lucas Walker expected back and new import Mustapha Farrakhan ready to make a big first impression. And on the back end of a trip across the Tasman for the Crocs. No, this won't be a Townsville "upset" but it may be tighter than expected.

WHAT a game to round off the round, with Sydney and its answer for James Ennis in Sam Young, ready to play 40 minutes against Perth. A few poor Kings minutes equalled a 15-0 Wildcats' run in Perth's first win over Sydney, then in Sydney it was the same but only a 14-0 hiccup. Such a wonderful match-up to conclude this great round where homecourt will clinch it for Perth. 

THE aftermath of the Peter Buckle dismissal having died away and a week of Richard Dickel's influence as new coach should make Adelaide an interesting proposition at home against Bendigo. But the Spirit are back climbing those heights again and Lightning won't quite last the distance.

WITHOUT necessarily winning, Canberra has picked up its play in the past three weeks but not sufficiently to ruffle the Fire in Townsville. Steph Cumming will cause the Caps a few issues and the Fire backcourt is upto Canberra's challenge. Abby and Co against Suzy and Co will be fun. Fire.

HAVING beaten Dandenong in its best performance of the season, Sydney will be liking its chances against Melbourne. How much the Flames have improved as opposed to how much the Rangers have slumped will be answered here should Sydney win. It looks like it will, too.

CANBERRA desperately needs a few wins and Logan is ripe for the plucking. At home though, if the Thunder are to stay in any sort of contention - they're already out of it in my view - this is precisely the type of game Logan must win. I can't see it though, the Caps with too many weapons.

EACH weekend the search continues for a winnable game for Waste Coast but unless some (low ranked) SEABL teams are added to the schedule, it isn't going to happen. Against Bendigo? It could get truly ugly. 

DEAR Man,
It’s cute, but can you pick up peanuts with it?
Sincerely,
Elephant