Omar Samhan - A Non Aussie At St Mary's

Sorry, I have not been able to update the blog recently but I've get been helping get a few things kick started around here.

I have been keeping a close eye on all things basketball, especially the NCAA Tournament.

If you happened to have watched the first weekend of action you would have noticed the Aussie heavy St Mary's Gaels have a "man" in the middle that is fast becoming America's darling.

Check out Danville, California native Omar Sanham who is averaging 30pts and 9.5 rebs on one of the largest sporting stages in the world, the NCAA Tournament.

Zags/Gaels and the Bogie Man

This should be you this afternoon!

If you're an avid hoops fan and you are stuck in the office, you need to fake a sickie right now.

Today on ESPN there is a plethora of college hoops and for me it is the 3pm game that holds the most interest.

It is the clash between the nationally ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Aussie laden St Mary's Gaels. My take on the game is the Zags will win but the 5 Aussies at St Mary's will all have productive games.

After that game is completed, you need to turn over to ESPN HD at 5.30pm and catch a special on Milwaukee Buck Andrew Bogut. It is an up and close look at how the former #1 draft pick lives life in Wisconsin.

Good luck slipping out of the office and enjoying your afternoon on the couch.

Who Is Matthew Dellavedova?

Matthew Dellavedova is on the rise.

The most asked question to me coming from Sunday's Australian Boomers, New Zealand Tall Blacks clash was, who is Matthew Dellavedova?

A quick answer would be the best rated junior player in this country right now, but let's take a closer look at the Maryborough, Victoria junior's game.

The 6'3 combo guard is heading to St Mary's College this season to join the plethora of other Aussies that have decided to make Moraga, Ca their home during their college career.

I first laid eyes on Dellavedova earlier this year at the National u/20 Championships when he was playing for the Victorian team the finished third.

The best attribute of his game is his desire to just get the job done. Whatever is required in the game, he will be there to try and make good of the situation.

Although he is considered a combo guard I believe that he is a work in progress for the point guard position. His feel for the game is well and truly a strong point. Put this together with his decision making and it certainly sounds like we have a point guard in the making.

I would not call him a lights out shooter, but he makes enough from long range that you cannot let him stand their and shoot. (His first touch for the Boomers the other night was a corner three.) If I'm Dellavedova, the minute I walk onto the St Mary's campus, I find a coach who will rebound for me so I can become deadly from town down.

What I believe is his strong suit is defense. I have not seen enough of him to see if he can keep the quick athlete in front, but as those of us that saw the Boomers play the other night, he can be given a job of trying to shut the key perimeter player.

He has good size, 6'3, so he can match up on most wing players while also having the speed. He did a great job on New Zealand's Kirk Penney in Game 1. He wore him like a glove during he second half and eventually that wore Penney down.

Dellavedova will not face many better than Kirk Penney in the WCC.

Where do I see his game going?

If this young man has a good work ethic and continues to develop his game over the next few years at St Mary's, who knows.

The way he already plays the game with a level of intensity that most kids do not have yet, he is already on a winner.

His offensive game needs some refining in the fact he needs to become a consistent shooter from deep and add a mid range game. Whether that is being able to work the pick and roll at the point guard spot or coming of picks and knocking down the open three if playing the two guard spot, he needs to start developing an arsenal of moves.

I see him being a point guard of the future which would be good from an international level. Australia has been forever looking for a bigger, stronger point guard to match up with the great versatile European teams.

Where his career ends up will depend on how he develops his game over the next few years.

St Mary's should be nothing but a positive experience for the kid's game under Head Coach Randy Bennett.

And who knows, could he follow in Pat Mills footsteps as the next Aussie to be drafted into the NBA?

Hawks/St Mary's Video Footage

The Wollongong Hawks have already come out of the blocks fast. Here is a video package that has been done up of their recent (Monday night) game against St Mary's College from USA at the "Snake Pit".

I'm going to go out on a limb now and saying the Hawks franchise will be the leader in the NBL as far a worthwhile cyber content goes.

This is a great start Wollongong, but can you keep it up?

Wollongong Hawks 2009 from Laww Media on Vimeo.

Hawks Put Bite On St Mary's

Good to see Larry Davidson sporting his mohawk in the preseason.

The Wollongong Hawks have given their loyal fans something to cheer about as they kicked off their preseason games with a win over USA college St Mary's College, 78-59.

It was a balanced attack for the Hawks as Matt Campbell continued his recent good form in China, leading all scorers with 17.

Larry Davidson, Glen Saville and Cameron Traghardt were the other Hawks to reach double figures in scoring with 14, 13 and 11 respectively.

Rhys Martin showed new coach Gordie McLeod that he can carry over his good ABA form with a game high nine assists, while he logged 34 of a possible 40 minutes.

Import Dave Gruber was solid with eight points and four rebounds off the bench.

For the Gaels, Aussie Ben Allen recorded the only double double of the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Could this be the start of a great season for the former Indiana Hoosier?

Another Aussie in Gaels colours is Clint Steindl. It was a long night for the Mackay junior as Saville went straight to the post and went to work on the developing slight frame of Steindl.

St Mary's fans to not be alarmed as you still have three Aussie coming to help the program. New Boomer Matt Dellavedova, Jorden Page and Mitch Young will all help the cause in the WCC for the Gaels this year.

As for the Hawks, it was a great way for the club to re-launch their team. The Snakepit came alive as there was only standly room left when the game tipped off.

The Hawks still have to add an import to their roster.

News

- Former South Dragon championship winning reserve point guard Rhys Carter is heading to Sweden. Carter will line up for Gothia Basket as an import.

- Melbourne Tigers to start favourites in the Preseason tournament in the Northern Territory?

- Cairns Taipans to play primary school in preseason game?

- Australian Boomers end tour on sour note. They lost to Brazil 95-67.

Mills Declares For Draft - No Agent Hire Yet

Pat Mills to the NBA?

Thanks to AP Sports Writer Dennis Passa, we find out that Aussie point guard Pat Mills has entered his name into this year's NBA Draft.

The St Mary's College student has not hired an agent so he is still eligible to return to the Gaels.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP)—Saint Mary’s star guard Patty Mills will make himself available for the NBA draft in June, possibly giving up the final two years of his college basketball eligibility in the United States.

Mills, a member of the Australian national team, concluded his second season with the Gaels, averaging career highs of 18.7 points, 4.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Saint Mary’s lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT college tournament.

On Friday, he told a teleconference initiated by Basketball Australia from Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., that he would not sign with an agent ahead of the June 25 draft at Madison Square Garden, allowing him to return to school if he is not selected.

“It’s a win-win situation for me,” Mills said. “If I don’t get all the feedback that I want or need, I come back for my third year.”

Players who declare their availability for the NBA draft can also pull their name beforehand to retain their college eligibility as long as they haven’t employed an agent.

The 30 players chosen in the first round of the draft are guaranteed three-year contracts.
“It was a tough decision to come across … sitting down with my family and coach,” Mills said. “I really need to push myself and challenge myself to the next level, test the waters and get the feedback.”

Mills, 20, said he has no particular NBA team in mind.

“I will come across them in the next few weeks,” he said. “We’ll sit down and sort out the teams. Right now, I have to work on my conditioning, my basketball. These are the things I am worrying about at this point.”

First up, though, are his remaining classes this school year.

“I still have another semester left and I am doing the best I can to finish them off,” Mills said. “I have never been in this situation, I’m new to it all … learning how to handle the off-court distractions as well as my work on court."

Zona Prove Their Worth

Chase Budinger and the Arizona Wildcats prove they deserved to be in the NCAA Tourney.

One of the big stories before the NCAA Tournament kicked off was the Arizona Wildcats sneaking in as one of the last "Bubble Teams" selected by the committee.

Making it ahead of such teams as West Coast Conference's St Mary's, the Wildcats answered their critics with two solid wins over Utah and Cleveland St to advance to next weekend's Sweet Sixteen round.

Their next opponent is Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals.

With non conference wins over Gonzaga and Kansas, while suffering a one point loss to Texas A&M at College Station, their resume looked solid without being eye catching.

On the other hand, St Mary's went 2-2 against top 50 opponents and a question mark hung over Pat Mills and his health leading into the tourney. (Trust me, playing Eastern Washington days before Selection Sunday did not help.)

There is no doubt I would have loved to see the Gaels make the tourney because I'm a WCC guy, and I want to see the conference prosper as much as possible.

But this time round the Selection Committee has got it right. You must reward teams that have played a tougher schedule throughout the year. That is what the Wildcats did.

Hopefully we can see St Mary's play a tougher non conference schedule in the future and there will be no question they deserve their spot in the NCAA Tourney and not have to settle for the N(ot) I(nvited) T(ournement).

- Here is a interesting piece on former Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Mike Dunlap.

Day 1 of the Under 20 Champs

Ryan Broekhoff - my player of the day (POD) from the u/20 national champs.

I attended three of the four men's games today and they were all pretty much blow outs. The closest game of the day was the night cap which saw Western Australia take on South Australia. (all boxscores here)

What I learnt from this game is there is no second coming of Brett Maher in the near future for South Aussies and Rick Majerus will have Cody Ellis playing in a higher gear.

As this is the first time I have seen most of these kids play I will just comment on a few of the individuals that played through out the games.

Ryan Broekhoff: The star of the day. This Valparaiso bound guard has a genuine stroke from deep and he showed it from the minute he entered the building today.

He finished with 29pts on 11-14 shooting including 3-4 from deep.

I'm sure this guy may have been able to play at a bigger school but he would have only become a spot up shooter. By going to Valpo he will be able to work on becoming an all round player.

Jason Cadee (NSW): This kid has basketball in his blood. Both parents have played at the highest level in this country, so you know the kid has savvy.

He has the ability to work the pick and roll to perfection as he has the ability to knock down the three or make the pass to the big man rolling. I have yet to see any other kid who can run the pick and roll and look confident in pulling the trigger from deep.

I'll keep you up to date on how Cadee handles himself against the better opposition as the week progresses.

Shane Harris-Tunks (NSW): This big man will be attending Colorado next year where he will join fellow Aussie Nate Tomlinson in the Big 12 Conference.

Today was not much of a gauge as Oceania is getting used to playing at this level. Harris-Tunks needs to active on the glass if his team is to give this championship a shake.

Brock Motum: This Washington St signee looked effective without breaking a real sweat today. His 26pts and 8rebs came at an efficient clip (11/11 fg's).

I'm sure what has the Cougars coaching staff salivating is the trouble this 206cm power forward can create on the defensive end. His wing span looks a healthy one and at the top of a press he can cause trouble for many a point guard.

Rumour has it Motum has tied both mine and Steve Nash's free throw challenge. Only trouble is we need evidence big fella, otherwise it is just a rumour!

Mitchell Young: I know it is only one game, but I like what I saw and I'm sure St Mary's and Randy Bennett will love him to.

This rock solid power forward is not fancy, but just has a knack of getting the job done. His 20pts and 9rebs is just 20 minutes support my argument well.

I will get a better read on his ability when Queensland and Victoria go at it.

Jorden Page: Another Aussie joining AIS II aka St Mary's. I can see where he will fit in with the Gaels fast paced offense. When Page gets it, he is gone.

I'm sure Bennett will harness a little of Page's game as he had 4 to's and 1 assist against an ACT defense that did not scare my 4yo son.

He has speed and you cannot teach that, but he will need to work on his ability to control the tempo for his team better.

Matthew Dellavedova: While I'm on my St Mary's run, I will comment on Dellavedova.

He plays composed and under control all the time and coaches love that. He has a good feel for the game and always found the open man whether in transition or in a half court set.

It will surprise me if this kid does not have a solid college career. I will watch with interest during the tournament to see how his jump shot looks.

Cody Ellis: St Louis bound Ellis had a lazy 21pts and 12 rebs and 7to's today. I never witnessed him getting out of a jog and he hit the big baskets when his team needed a little buffer. Enjoy this while you can Cody.

Rick Majerus, the guy you are going to play for, will have you running to class let alone at practice.

Ellis has a great feel for the game and at times played a power point role when South Australia went to a half court press. But at times he was very loose with the ball which reflects in his 7 to's.

My message to him would be, you need to snap out of this and play at a higher intensity level all the time otherise you will be spending a lot of extra time with Mr Majerus.

I need to see Ellis up against some legit size and competition to make an honest evaluation though.

Matt Hodgson: The Southern Utah bound Queenslander will become a monster on the boards. Listed a 6-10" and a wing span to match he will become quite an intimidator on defense.

When the Maroons went to a zone today and he stretch out those wings it seemed like the keyway was armed.

Solid pick up by the small Utah School.

Liam McInerny: This workman like 6-7" power forward will be attending Stetson next year.

Not as talented as Young but in a similar mold. He has a nose for the ball around the basket and has no trouble finishing. Seems to play well within himself, something that coaches love about these types of players.

Let me know if there is anyone else you would like me to scout. I will be heading out there next on Thursday. Until then I have my own game against the Perth Wildcats to worry about.

Mills Injured & "Homicide" Talks It Up

- Today saw two heavy weights of the West Coast Conference go at it in college basketball. The Aussie sprinkled St Mary's College (featuring Pat Mills) ranked 22 headed up to Spokane, Washington to take on the #20 Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The first half lived up to the game's billing with the Gaels leading at the main break 39-33. However, the turning point of this game may just have been when Mills went down with a wrist injury three minutes before the half.

The Aussie was on fire from long range dropping 6-8 threes. Mills, who ended with 18pts, did not return in the second half as it is believed he has a sprained wrist.

In the second half the Gaels could not keep pace with the Zags scoring as the final scoreline read 69-62 Gonzaga.

Other Aussies involved in the game were point guard Carlin Hughes who was down on his season averages, had 2pts, 3rebs and 3asts.

Little used Ben Allen saw nine minutes of court time.

Mackay born freshman Clint Steindl, was not shy. He got up seven shots in his sixteen minutes but could not connected on any.

Tassie boy Lucas Walker had his best game of the season to date. His nine points and three rebounds were season highs.

I wish Pat a speedy recovery.

You can catch the replay of this game on ESPN Saturday night.

- Mills loves the idea of playing in Spokane. It is an experience.
- St Mary's and it's pipeline of Aussie talent.

- Tomorrow night will probably pull down the curtain on the North Queensland Derby. (Townsville/Cairns for those of you geographically challenged.)

It seems that the Cairns Taipans franchise are pretty much running on fumes at the moment and unless a White Knight answers the call and buys the team, the Snakes become extinct in a few weeks. Quite a shame for a franchise that has been around for 10 years in the national competition and showed promise.

On with the game though. My teammate Corey "Homicide" Williams has questioned Taipans Aaron Grabau's philosophies of the game.

I will let you read the article and draw your own conclusions.

Here's Cairns Taipans coach Mark Beecroft's response.

- Sydney Sausages, anyone?

- Melbourne Tigers make it eight in a row with a workmanlike 113-104 win over the Wollongong Hawks tonight.

- An article on Nathan Jawai's NBA start.

- Is this the best Newley in the game?

1993 NBL Dunk Competition