Game 3 Live On Fox Sports

I'm not going to confuse you so I will just give the time that Game 3 between the Wollongong Hawks and the Townsville Crocodiles is at now.

The series deciding game can now be seen live on Fox Sports 1 from 6.30pm (NSW time) which is a considerable upgrade from when we would have been watching it beforehand. (Thank you Fox Sports)

Now for the people of Wollongong who are going to the game. Do not be late, it is a 6.30pm tip off time. Yes, the time has been changed so do not be late.
Now to some news around the league.

Boti Nagy discovers that Luke Schenscher is hoping he has something in common with fellow South Aussies (Paul Rogers,Mark Bradtke and Brett Wheeler) big men.

We will find out in about a week's time if Luke joins the list.

Basketball Australia has asked the Cairns Taipans, "to show them the money" if they wish to participate in the 2010/11 season in the NBL.

Former NBL nomad Matt Shanahan has been lending a helping hand to the Hawthorn Football Club.

Are the Gold Coast sporting franchises "chokers"?

Crawford Joins In War Of Words

Former Perth Wildcat Peter Crawford (pictured) has joined in the hostile conversation that Townsville Crocodile Corey"Homicide" Williams and Wildcat Brad Robbins have engaged in over the past few days.

Crawford told The Western Australian, "Perth have that arrogance and cockiness and carry themselves as if they deserve to be in the finals. Anything less than winning the grand final for Perth is a failure."

It's less than 8 hours till tip off, I cannot wait for this one to get under way.

You can catch all these puffed chests out on Fox Sports 2 from 7.30pm.

**In NBA news, the Milwaukee Bucks have just released former Adelaide 36ers import Mark Tyndale.

No More Mr Magic On Fox

FoxSports Steve Carfino is gone......

When you read this post in the morning as you are having your cereal, toast and coffee do not choke on what you are about to read.

Mr Steve Carfino has been made redundant from Fox Sports. It is my understanding that this decision went down on Tuesday.

That's right people "Mr Magic" will no longer be part of the Fox Sports NBL coverage.

What will be interesting to see is who moves into the main chair now. Does Andrew Gaze slide across and make room for a new face? Does John Casey "get the user friendly roll, with the none preferred left hand" recall and team up with Basketball Australia Board member Gaze?

It will be interesting to see where the cards fall after this bombshell was dropped on me earlier today.

All I know is the new program producer (see trivia question below) has my details.

Quick trivia question. Who started at the point guard spot for the West Sydney Razorbacks in there first ever official NBL game?

Answer (below): The new producer of the FoxSports basketball coverage.

News:

- When other websites are struggling for hits, they bring in a the heavy hitter to help their cause.

- Trial import "Skip" Mills is ready to "knuckle down" with the Cairns Taipans.

- Maori TV is back on board as the TV host of the New Zealand Breakers. Could we see Steve Carfino giving us the "word for the game" during the Maori broadcast.

- Julian Khazzouh signs with Ironi Ramat Gan in the Israeli top league.

- The Aussie Boomers get their first win of their South American tour. They beat international power's Uruguay 101-94.

Spain bound David Barlow was once again the leading scorer for the green and gold with 24.

- Cortez Groves is ready to fire for his new team, the Adelaide 36ers.

- A-League coach takes shot at basketball in Brisbane.

- Trivia Question Answer: Leigh Carlson

Fox Sports Are Back

Steve Carfino and Andrew Gaze will be in your living room twice a week this season.

NBL fans should be dancing in the streets thanks to Fox Sports.

I'm hearing that the NBL will be announcing that Fox Sports will be back on board to the tune of two games per week. (A very big improvement on last year's coverage package.)

Round 2's Wednesday night clash (30th September) between this season's heavy weights, Melbourne Tigers and the New Zealand Breakers, will kick start the 2009/10 season's viewing on the idiot box.

Along with Big Wednesday on most Saturday night's you will be able to sit in the comfort of your lounge chair and catch a live NBL game.

Perth Wildcat fans will be happy to know that Fox will be packing up their cameras and heading west at least five times during the regular season. A much better deal for the wild west fan this time around.

If this is the final deal (the two parties have been at the negotiating table for some time now) that has been done between the NBL and Fox Sports, fans should start to be getting excited for the upcoming season.

Now I will start to get a little greedy and hope that an announcement of a major sponsor is not too far behind either.

NEWS

- The Cairns Post remembers Darnell Mee.

- Phill Jones and family make the move north.

- Corey Williams is looking to bring a title to Townsville.

- Wollongong junior Daniel Jackson is back with the Hawks.

Fox To Pony Up $35M

Will Fox Sports become basketball's saviour? We will find out this weekend.

It has been reported that Fox Sports is prepared to throw $35 million into basketball if the national basketball fraternity is prepared to change its current way of operating.

At first glance this seems like a no brainer, especially when the TV network is talking about televising all national competition games. I'm hearing it would be an eight team competition, with one game per week for each team. A much better situation then what we currently have.

Will this change happen? We will know more after this weekend when it has gone to a vote. Voting includes local associations as well as NBL franchises, with 75% of the vote required for the recommended reform to take place.

If the reform is voted in, this means that basketball in this country will come under one banner, finally and Fox Sport will jump on board.

As I have said, it seems like a no brainer when 35 million is on the table. I do wonder though how associations will vote if they feel that none of the money will come their way.

I have no idea what the majority of the associations are thinking before they head to this polling booth, but it is human nature not to relinquish power. These local associations will want to feel the love before they agree to any change.

I cannot disagree with this way of thinking as it is the grass roots of basketball in this country that holds the key to the future of this sport. We need children playing this game if there is to be any future for a professional national competition.

If we are truly going to come under one banner for the first time, let's do it right this time round so this great sport can climb the food chain in the sporting jungle this country of ours has created.

News

- Adelaide 36ers defeat an undermanned New Zealand Breakers 96-86. Phill Jones missed due to suspension while CJ Bruton sat out because he suffered a back spasm during warm-up.

- Jason Smith to play his first game for the Sydney Spirit.

- Wollongong staying on track during mini-break.

- Kiwis to censor colourful language.

Boomers Have Good Showing and Fox Sports Are Back

Fox will be back on board, just not in the capacity we are used to.

Before I get onto a recap of the Australian Boomers and Team USA game, NBL fans will be happy to know that Fox Sports will once again be on board.

Although we the fans are used to watching two and sometimes three live games a week, my mail is telling me it is being reduced to one live game per week.

"Big Wednesday" is out the door so the NBL and Fox met today (Tuesday) to discuss what day would work for both parties. By my calculations, that means Friday or Saturday becomes the only night we will view the NBL on the tube.

Now to the Boomers game.

What a great showing they put forth against Team USA. The final score, 87-76, doesn't really reflect how the Andrew Bogutless (ankle injury) Aussies hung around in this game for quite some time.

From the jump ball the Boomers made sure the Americans knew they were in for a ball game.

CJ Bruton got the scoring underway for the Aussies with a trademark three and things just flowed from there. Brad Newley scored an early five points, so the fast start allowed the green and gold to gain in confidence and continue to play well.

Sure there where some loose turnovers that led to some easy transition points for the USA team, but the Aussies were showing good patience's on offense.

Boomers coach Brian Goorijan had his troops primed on defense as well. First they took away fast break points, then in the half court they really packed it in to alleviate as much penetration as possible. A real strength of the USA team.

The half time score of 44-29 shows that the Boomers offense was sluggish but at the beginning of the third quarter, I liked what I saw.

David Barlow was getting and making wide open shots, while Newley was giving the Americans trouble with his ability to penetrate at the basket. This is the strength of both these guys and I feel they need to be achieving this for the Boomers to win.

The Boomers cannot just rely on CJ and the interior guys to get it done. Newley and Barlow need to be consistently involved to give the team some balance from the outside.

Turnovers and free throws is what hurt the Boomers. The Americans are still the best getting around in regards to offensive transition, so they make you pay when you are loose with the ball. 18 turnovers is a little high in a game like this, and many of these were converted into easy buckets at the other end.

Going 10-17 from the charity stripe hurt as well. With easy points on offer here the Boomers needed to convert at a higher percentage to take full advantage of the opportunities presented.

All in all though I was impressed with how the Boomers faired in the game. Trademark Goorijan defense was there while the offense seems to be finding its feet.

If they can continue to play at this intensity level for all games I cannot see why they cannot advance into the second week of Olympic play.

Team USA 87 (D Wade 22, L James 16, K Bryant 13, C Anthony 12 and 10) defeated Australia 76 (C Anstey 13, P Mills 13, D Barlow 12, CJ Bruton 11, B Newley 11)

NEWS

USA blogger Ben Breiner rips his team, calls Aussie team SPUNKY!

5 reasons why Australia pushed the USA.

Complete 2008/09 NBL season draw.

Nathan Jawai learning NBA ropes.


Some footage from the Boomers vs Team USA game - comments from some guy who's struggling.