Five I Watch With Interest

John Gilchrist cannot afford to be a zero for the Adelaide 36ers.

The 2009/10 NBL season is only a week away. Like any season there is always speculation about what will happen and who will emerge as the champion.

Here are five players I'm going to watch with interest throughout the season.

1. Cameron Tragardh (Wollongong Hawks) - The preseason MVP is looking the goods, but is he ready to elevate his game to a new level this season?

The former Most Improved winner has his body in the best shape I have seen it, ever, so this will only help as he strives to be a consistent night in, night out player.

There is no doubt the QABL Player of the Year has plenty of confidence going into this Hawks campaign. Averaging a Kobe Bryant like 42 points per outing to go along with a Michael Cage like 14 rebounds, Tragardh seems primed for a great season.

Helping his cause is the addition of Wollongong legend Gordie McLeod to the sideline. McLeod's motion style offense plays to the strengths of "Trigger's" arsenal at the offensive end.

What I actually believe is the biggest help to Tragardh's cause is the lose of Dusty Rychart to the Cairns Taipans. Tragardh no longer has to look over his shoulder for solid playing time. This situation gives a player confidence in knowing that they are required to perform at a high level if the team is to reach any worthwhile goal.

MVP may be a little stretch for the Brisbane native, but I'm looking for the scoring machine to have an impact on the upcoming season.

2. Jesse (Kendall) Wagstaff (Perth Wildcats) - One of two guys who I think will compete for the Rookie of the Year award, Wagstaff has come onto the NBL scene after a solid college career at Metro St in the USA. (Same school that produced Melbourne Tiger pairing of Luke Kendall and Mark Worthingon.)

The 3/4 man is very active and shows a good nose for the ball at both ends of the floor.

I have only seen the kid play three games but he plays with energy and a pose that will see him have nights where he looks like a seasoned pro. (Sure there will be those rookie nights.)

Heading west Wagstaff will get an education everyday at Wildcats practice as he goes against Olympians Martin Cattilini and Shawn Redhage.

Coach Rob Beveridge loves what the kid is about and so do I. Look for the Canberra junior to be around the mark when the ROY is announced.

3. Second Fiddle Croc (Townsville Crocodiles) - Point guard Corey Williams will always accumulate his stats and win some games on his sheer determination but the bigger question for the Crocs, who becomes the next best consistent option.

If you look through the roster, it is full of players that have been asked to perform a particular "role" over their career. (I hate to use the word role because everyone has a role to play within the team, but I know you understand what I'm saying here.)

Now there is an opportunity for someone to grasp with two hands and run with it.
Peter Crawford or Michael Cedar are the obvious choice to me to ride shotgun with "Homicide", but these two guys are going to be battling each other for court time. Tough gig right there.

Crawford comes back to the Crocs after a holiday with the Perth Wildcats for the past five years and there is an expectation placed upon "PC". With a disrupted preseason due to national team commitments it may take Crawford a little time to settle back in at home.

Cedar has been performing at a high level over the preseason but the majority of his minutes have been a the point guard position. With the return of Williams from a "mystery" illness and Kelvin Robertson slowly regaining his confidence from a long term knee injury, Cedar will slide back to his natural two guard position.

For the Crocs to reach the playoffs this year they will need someone to be able to step up on a nightly basis and become Robin to Williams' Superman.

Who will it be? That is the money question if the Crocs are to advance in the playoffs this season.

4. Tim Coenraad (Wollongong Hawks) - My other favourite for the Rookie of the Year award. This Queensland product returns from a college experience at Nova Southeastern University where he averaged 13.3 pts and led his team with 85 assists his senior year.

The 6'7 small forward will see some minutes at the four spot as well.

After seeing him perform in Darwin what I liked was the swagger he played with or as one coach told me, "Tim always plays with a chip on his shoulder."

I love that and that is why he will surprise a lot of people this year.

Look out, this kid will have a very productive NBL career. Think a cross between Shawn Redhage and Kent Lockhart.

5. John Gilchrist (Adelaide 36ers) - The new kid on the block has been thrown the keys to drive the 36ers back to prominence. The former Maryland product has been impressive during the preseason but now we are playing for keeps, so lets see what he's got.

I was a fan of the aggressive point guard during his college days under Gary Williams and he has shown he is capable of dropping a triple double on your in a heartbeat.

To date, how Gilchrist goes, so do the 36ers.

Sure, Adam Ballinger and Cortez Groves will explode for huge numbers on certain nights, but it will be Gilchrist's level of play that dictates where the Sixers end up on the ladder.

If he is a consistent performer, I believe the Sixers are top four material, otherwise they fall back to the pack just like so many teams this year.

**Thank you readers for picking up on my cartoon reference mishap. As many of you pointed out, it should read Batman and Robin, not Superman. I was never one for cartoons as I was too busy working on my "J" early on a Saturday morning.