Boomers/Turkey Final Live

Click here to get a live feed of the Stankovic Cup final between Australia and Turkey.

Catching Up With The News

Is this the secret to rebounding? Find out which former NBL player may think so.

If you happened to have had a weekend like me where you did not really have a chance to scratch yourself, here are all the links to get you up to speed as you enjoy your first cuppa come Monday morning.

- The Australian Boomers remain undefeated at the Stankovic Cup in China. Just hours ago they defeated the African powers of Angola, 70-60, to go 3-0 in the touney to date.

The Boomers play China tomorrow in the final for the Cup.

For more details click here for a write up and video footage of the game.

- Basketball Australia's CEO Larry Sengstock is confident teams in Sydney and Brisbane are only a season away.

- Former Gold Coast Blaze import and part time rapper Luke Whitehead, has been arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on several drug charges.

- New Cairns Taipans import Skip "don't call me Pat" Mills should suit up for the Snakes when they take on the Melbourne Tigers Monday.

- Former Newcastle Falcon sharp shooter Michael Johnson is about to "dream" with the Singapore Slingers. Remember them? And Bob Turner, CEO of the Slingers believes they are getting closer to a good product.

- It has been a tough weekend for my former team, the Townsville Crocodiles. Playing the undermanned Melbourne Tigers in back to back games over the weekend, the Crocs came up lame on both occasions.

Game 1 was a 90-81 scoreline with Luke Kendall torching the net for 14 first quarter points and a game high 27.

Game 2 was more of the same but the Melbourne Tigers got solid contributions from many. They had everyone trouble the scorekeeper with five reaching double figures. The final score was 92-79.

- The Adelaide 36ers have won their 3 game series against the Perth Wildcats over in the west. Adelaide won the third game to take the series 2-1.

You can get the scoop on this series from Perth journo Shane Hope, Monday morning right here, and I'm sure Adelaide scribe Boti Nagy will have something to say as well.

- Watch this You Tube footage and see if you can be as creative as Shaq while playing Scrabble.

RIP Mike Wrublewski

Just weeks ago the Sydney basketball fraternity celebrated with this man. RIP Mr Wrublewski.

The former Sydney King's colourful owner Mike Wrublewski has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

One of the true pioneers behind turning the NBL into a professional sport in this country, his ideas, personality and quotes will sorely missed.

Below is an article from the FoxSports website.

"Former Sydney Kings chairman Mike Wrublewski has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Wrublewski was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June and held a farewell dinner in Sydney earlier this month to raise funds for the Mike Wrublewski Foundation, which will be his legacy for young athletes needing financial help.

Basketball Australia CEO Larry Sengstock on Saturday paid tribute to Wrublewski, a pioneer of the NBL. "Basketball Australia (BA) and the entire basketball community are deeply saddened by the news of Mike Wrublewski's passing and our thoughts go out to his family," Sengstock said in a statement.

"Mike was a pioneer of the NBL who had a crazy vision of taking basketball from the tin sheds in which it was being played into major arenas.

"It is a true reflection of his energy, his passion and his brilliance that he was actually able to realise that dream.

"Mike almost single-handedly put basketball on the map in Sydney, and turned the Sydney Kings into an iconic Australian sporting team.

"The fact that he did so whilst working in Australia's toughest sports and entertainment market is all the more amazing.

"BA, the NBL, the WNBL and all of basketball owes him an incalculable debt and we will now look for some appropriate way in which we can honour his legacy."

Australia vs Turkey Highlights

Hedo Turkoglu preferred to count his money with new Toronto Raptors teammate Chris Bosh than take on the Baby Boomers.

Yesterday the Australian Boomers defeated an under strength Turkey National Team. The Boomers ran over the Turks in their first game of the Stankovic Cup in Kunshan City, China.

The final score 70-54 does not really reflect the rollcoaster ride Brett Brown's team took him on throughout this contest.

The Boomers came out of the blocks fast to lead 27-9 after the first quarter.By the end of the third, the Turks had a two point led.

It was youngster Matt Dellavedova that steered the Boomers to victory in the fourth. He led the green and gold with 13pts.

Here is some video footage from the game.

Australia play host nation China today. The game would be heading towards half time.

Aussies You May Never Have Heard Of

I have been searching high and low for undiscovered talent or players that people may not of seen too much of. Here is some footage of Aussies that you may never of heard of before now. (Please contact me if you know of others.)

Alex Opacic

Alex is a western Sydney kid of Serbian background. He practiced with the West Sydney Razorbacks before he headed off to Furman in the USA.

I would describe Alec's game as solid and all round. Can do a little of everything but nothing great. I have been told that his low post game has improved and has a few "go to" moves there.

He was practicing with the Wollongong Hawks but he has just taken up an offer to play in Greece at the A-2 level.

The age rule hurts a kid like this. I believe he turns 23 this year which makes him ineligible for the YAP position.

Sean Mullan

Mullan is heading off to college where he will be attending the academically minded University of Pennsylvania.

Mullan is a 2-3 with size and strength. After watching Mullan at the U/20 National Tournament, I believe he will keep developing his game nicely and will be back in Australia at the NBL after his college career.



Jonathon Mines

I have just been put onto this young fella so I will be digging up some more info. I happened to play with and against his father Sidney.

Sidney was a hell of an athlete in his own right. If you watch the clips closely, Sid is coaching the team. What I noticed though is Sid still loves to hike his pants up, just in case the rains hit.

Jono, I hope your game has as much character as your "old man" had.

Upset For The Ages

Mika Vukona was everywhere tonight.

Somewhere in China Brian Goorjian is rubbing his dome and feeling good about himself and his record against the Kiwis, while cyclonic winds where recorded at Glenelg,SA at about 7pm local time. That was Phil Smythe exhaling for the first time since 2001.

If you missed it people, the Australian Men's basketball team have suffered arguably their worst defeat in the country's history of the game. The New Zealand Tall Blacks did a number on our Boomers.

100-78 was the final but this one was hatched at 3/4 time.

The third quarter was the "championship" quarter in this series. The Kiwi's went for the fruit fruit (that's what the locals call it, Aussies call it Kiwi fruit) and not the oranges at the half and they came out all guns blazing, outscoring the Aussies 36-15 in the third term.

Game, set, match.

The Boomers entered this game with a +7 advantage from Game 1 and up until halftime, it looked like Smythe's 2001 team would remain the laughing stock of the trans-Tasman rivalry.

Instead, the Kiwi's continued to let Kirk Penney be the "man" and feed off him. Penney added 10 assists (and numerous other easy opportunities for his teammates) to go along with his 24 point haul.

Mika Vukona (25 & 12)and Alec Pledger (15 & 13) looked like All-Stars out there as they worked off the opportunities Penney created.

At the other end, the Aussies stood around as the perimeter players took turns in coming off the pick and roll. Meanwhile, three other guys stood there and watched.

This allowed the Kiwi's to set up their defense and not have to work hard at all. I'm thinking out aloud here, imagine if Penney had to chase Brad Newley or a Joe Ingles around a few picks all half while having Matt Dellavedova or Adam Gibson chasing him around at the other.

I know Penney has a big tank and is used to this amount of defensive attention, but he got to rest on defensive end tonight. He pretty much got to stand around and pretend to help on defense as the Aussie's went into the on ball screen early in the shot clock.

Our rebounding was poor tonight, especially giving up seven offensive boards to Pledger.

If anything, good defensive rebounding usually leads to some easy fastbreak points.

What the Kiwi's pointed out during this series (they did play the better in Game 1, it was just some red hot Joe Ingles play that got us out of jail) is team basketball will keep you in a lot of international games.

The Boomers now head to China for a tournament. Sure, some pride can be salvaged in Asia but anytime an Australian team loses to the Kiwis, it is a blow to the ego.

What the papers are saying.

- Tall Blacks win series.

- Boomers humiliated.

- Melbourne Tigers on Fox ten times.

- Adelaide 36ers are on a dozen times and KIA becomes a sponsor.

- Cairns want to win now.

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?

Ingles Saves The Day

Joe Ingles saved the day for the Boomers tonight.

For what appeared to be a scrappy Game 1 of this Australian Boomers versus New Zealand Tall Blacks series, Joe Ingles stepped up in the fourth and saved what could have eventuated into an embarrassing lose for the Boomers.

Ingles (game high 26pts) was the man to kick start the green and gold in the first quarter, then he saved his best until the fourth, when his team really needed it. The Boomers eventually overcome a pesky Tall Blacks 84-77.

For the first three quarters of the game, it looked like most guys on the floor were trying to show their respective coaches they deserved to be on the floor. I guess that can happen when you feel this is an opportunity to impress.

As everyone would have expected, Kirk Penney (23pts) was the offensive punch for the Kiwi's early. To my surprise Penney received scoring support from 7 foot centre Alex Pledger (16pts), but most of these would have come in the first half.

It looked like this game was going to become an arm wrestle down the stretch until Ingles stepped up and showed why he has generated interest from the NBA over the past few years.

He kick started it with a stand still three and followed it up with a rhythm two along the baseline. Then Tom Abercrombie become putty in Ingles hand. The rest is history and the Boomers move on to Game 2 with a +7 advantage (two game series so points spread can come into it if it ends 1-1).

Just a few notes from the game:

- Mark Worthington was dressed in street clothes. Does anyone know why "Wortho" did not grace the court tonight?

- Tom Abercrombie was "apple crumble" tonight. If he wants to make me a believer about this hype he is receiving, he better bring something on Tuesday.

- Nathan Jawai needs to slow down in the post. "Heath" Pledger is not going to cause you any headaches down low. Slow down young fella.

- Brad Newley can still sniff out some points late in a game. Andrew Gaze was speechless during this part of the game as it brought back fond memories.

- Damien Martin was surprised to see that many people attend a basketball game at the State Sports Centre. I would still like to see what the official attendance was...and I hope they only counted Andrew Vlahov once.

- Message to Joey Wright about Mika Vukona's "smooth stroke"..that is Vukona having an offensive game.

There you have it, don't forget Game 2 is on Fox Sports Tuesday at 5pm.

Boomers Vs Tall Blacks

Brad Newley will be in green and gold tonight agains the Kiwi's.

In just over five hours time (6pm) you will be able to tune into Fox Sports (two) and catch Game 1 of the Australian Boomers vs New Zealand Tall Blacks two game series kicking off in Sydney.

Although you will hear the players talking about this series being about gaining a better seed at the 2010 World Championships in Turkey, I happen to disagree.

Any time the Aussies and the Kiwi's play against each other you have to live in the now, not look forward to 2010. Plus when you look through both rosters, there are a lot of new faces who will be wishing to please their new coaches before they head off to play in their respective domestic leagues around the world. Leaving a lasting impression will help get yourself a ticket to Turkey.

When you first look at the lineups, you think the Aussies should win this series in a canter but history will show if you underestimate your opponent the unthinkable is possible.

While the Kiwis's have lost a few game winners in Phill Jones (currently working on his scuba diving in Cairns) and Pero Cameron (currently stuck at Crust Pizza on the Gold Coast) to retirement, they still have top dog in Kirk Penney that can singlehandly win a game on his back.

In saying that, there is no way Brett Brown will do a 2001 Phil Smythe.

What I'm interested in seeing is how some of these new young guys perform in the green and gold.

Aron Baynes is heading over to Lithuania after this series so it will be good to get a look at the former Washington State Cougar. With our front court possessing some depth, a good performance during this series will not hurt the chances for future national team's.

During the Boomers international travel this off season, Nathan Jawai has been Australia's best big. He will want this to continue as he prepares to head back to join the Dallas Mavericks in his quest to become a NBA "player". He needs to stay out of early foul trouble against the Kiwi's to maximise his effect on the series.

It will be interesting to see how Brett Brown rotates the shooting guard position. With Brad Newley being a lock for the World's, this is an opportunity for James Harvey and Peter Crawford to show their value at the international level.

Teen sensation and St Mary's bound Matt Dellavadova has retained his spot despite the return of "steady Eddie" Damien Martin from a broken arm.

One of these guys will ride the pine as Adam Gibson has cemented his role as the lead point guard.

One of the Kiwi's that seems posed to explode is wing player Tom Abercrombie. Long and athletic, Abercrombie's match up with Newley should be one for the viewers to watch closely.

He (abercrombie) seems comfortable putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. If he knocks down a few early "J's", it will put some pressure on the defense to make a decision as to how best defend him. Plus, this will take some of the scoring pressure off Penney.

In the end I believe the defensive pressure that the Boomers will apply will wear the Kiwis down over the forty minutes. The Kiwis are in a remodelling phase and flat out do not have the horses to match the Aussies.

Aussies to win 2-0 with an average win margin of 20.

I'm Stealing Again

Yesterday I felt really guilty just cutting and pasting from the boys at The Sport Count. Tonight I feel like a thief in the night as I take this John Stockton You Tube footage from A Stern Warning.

This is classic Stockton. Unassuming and spending time with his family as they stroll the streets of Barcelona during the 1992 Olympics. A team that Stockton was a part of.

This is a classic as the lady has no idea she is talking to a member of the "Dream Team" until Stockton's son points it out.

It's amazing how all Gonzaga guys can get around without drawing attention to themselves.

"The Sport Count" on Jawai

Can Nathan Jawai expect to see more playing time in Dallas?

Anton over at The Sport Count has come up with a gem of an article about the travels of Bamaga product Nathan Jawai.

Last year Jawai left the shores of Australia to try his luck in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors but he spent most of his time parked on the bench or bouncing around the D-League scene with Idaho.

I'll leave the rest for you to read about. Great job Anton, and I love dropping by to see what the boys from Sydney have produced.

"Nathan Jawai must be accustomed to change.

As a teenager, he was plucked from serious obscurity — his hometown of Bamaga is closer to Papua New Guinea than any major Australian city, located at the remote northern tip of Australia, with a population in the low four-digits — and scored a spot at the Australian Institute of Sport, a government-funded, live-in training centre.

From there, just 19 years old, Jawai entered the National Basketball League as a teenage wrecking ball, all explosive dunks and big rebounds. He was named Rookie of the Year, putting up 17.2 points, 9.4 boards and 1.3 blocks. A big leap; from small-town kid to dominating grown professionals.

With his ridiculous size, soft (if sporadic) shooting touch, and beastly post moves, teams across the Atlantic were bound to pay attention. In Jawai, teams saw a larger Glen Davis, and a (much) smaller Shaquille O’Neal. More than that, they saw upside and size. The classic project player.
And so it was that Nathan found himself in Toronto, across the other side of the world, the first Indigenous Australian to make it to the NBA, paving the way for Patty Mills, the electric point guard taken with the 55th pick in 2009 by the Trail Blazers.

Jawai’s rookie season didn’t go smoothly, a cardiac abnormality keeping him off the court until mid-January. Even when he was cleared for play, he donned a Raptors jersey and took to the court just six times.

‘I didn’t have a good feeling at the Raptors,‘ Jawai says. The team was fine, the city great and he got along with teammates (’we’d go out, have dinner’) but he was rarely utilised, spending 10 games with the Idaho Stampede in the D-League.

When he entered the Australian national league, he was effective immediately. He seemed to easily find confidence in his size, knowing he could bump defenders out of the way, or just jump over them. In the NBA, not so much. His size helps, and his strength is unquestionable. It’s just a matter of harnessing them.

Now, for his sophomore campaign, Nathan finds himself in Dallas, sent there as fodder in the complex four-team trade that landed Shawn Marion at the Mavericks, and Hedo Turkoglu at the Raptors.

Is it difficult adjusting to a new city, new teammates? ‘Yeah, because I haven’t been playing much,’ says Jawai. ‘This is just my 2nd year. It’s a new environment.‘

But, of course, he’d be accustomed to new environments; used to packing his bags and carving out an existence somewhere new and unseen. ‘I’ve got to take it as a positive. Deal with it. I’ve just to got to work hard, try to make it into the rotation at the Mavericks.‘

How likely is he to see minutes in the coming season? ‘I can’t say anything right now…I’ve only been [in Dallas] for a week.‘

With Drew Gooden recently signed, and Shawn Marion bound to spend a lot of time at the four-spot, Erick Dampier copping an injury or getting sent away in a trade – opening up minutes at centre — looks like the fastest road to game time.

But Jawai isn’t concentrating on settling in at Dallas just yet. Not right now. He’s busy.

‘Just working with the national team,’ Jawai says of his off-season. That team recently beat Argentina for the first time in 20 years. Jawai was a key piece, contributing 22 points and 7 boards and — more importantly — keeping Luis Scola (2-8) well and truly in check. His goal with the Boomers for the World Championships in 2010, and the Olympics in 2012? ‘We’re going to work together as a team to try to get a medal.’

Easier said than done, with international competition fierce, and the Boomers so young, now building around Jawai and Patty Mills. But for a man so used to wrenching success out of change, nothing seems impossible."

News, Views & New Site

Marcus Timmons sending one in!

On the world wide web there are always new sites or blogs popping up that become fly by nighters. This is not the case for this new hoops website.

There is something to be found by everyone. It is a culmination of tid bits of information that has been collected over the history of the NBL.

I will guarantee you will leave the site having learnt something new or your memory has been re jogged about a special moment in NBL history.

Leave a comment as feedback will be appreciated about the site.

- NRL expert Warren Smith will be joining Andrew Gaze in the commentary booth for the upcoming Australian Boomers series against New Zealand.

The two game series kicks of Sunday on Fox Sports.

It seems that Smith will not be joining Gaze on a full time basis during the NBL season but I'm none the wiser as to who will be calling the games during the regular season.

- Former Chicago Bull and Adelaide 36 Luke Schenscher is without a club at this point in time.

With his eyes set on the NBA or scoring a lucrative deal in Europe, a back injury derailed his plan.

So if anyone has a job for a seven foot ranga, please contact this site and I will forward on all opportunities.

- Adelaide 36ers veteran Jacob Holmes is liking what he's seeing from the new look team.

- The Wollongong Hawks are close to signing their vacant import spot. The public will get their first look at who it is in Darwin during the NBL's preseason tournament.

Can the Hawks become a smokey this year?

- Former teammate turned AFL star Dean Brogan has been copping a little in the media of late about his aggressive nature.

- Jarryd Loyd who has been playing as an import in the New Zealand league is hoping it leads to an NBA tryout.

- Sudanese refugee Ater Majok has found his way onto the Boomers squad.

It has been quite an interesting off season for the University of Connecticut Huskies player. First he flirted with the idea of the NBA Draft, then it was believed he was looking at options in Europe, but the raw but skillful freshman has decided to return to the USA and start his college career.

- Gold Coast Blaze centre Greg Vanderjagt is ready to rock and roll for a full season this time round.

- The Cairns Taipans are ready to find out where they are at during the preseason tourney in Darwin.

- Here is the boxscore from the recent Gold Coast Blaze/ St Mary's College game.

The Blaze won 85-84.

Vintage MJ

Footage has surfaced of a 46 yo Michael Joradan still holdong court with that lethal fade away.

Vanderbilt Legit, Crocs Win 1st Game

Will AJ Ogilvy be the next Aussie to taste the NBA lifestyle?


I'm here to tell Dick Vitale, Andy Katz and anyone else who wants to listen, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be a legit team this upcoming NCAA season.

They have a Sweet 16 roster, then luck plays a part the rest of the way.

Here is why the Commodores bandwagon will be full by March. (Although they went down 104-99 to the Townsville Crocodiles, Sunday afternoon.)

Jermaine Beal is a scoring point guard who is going to give teams fits for 40 minutes. He dropped 31 on the Townsville Crocodiles without breaking a sweat. He was 8-16 from the field and 11-13 from the charity stripe.

He waltzed into the keyway with ease and finished well around the basket. It seems his improved jumper is here to stay as he shot with confidence and without hesitation.

Although AJ Ogilvy finished with 21, his game time was disrupted by early foul trouble. Two charge calls early saw the big unit do a lot of watching from the sidelines during the first 20 minutes.

In the second half he came to life. He scored on an array of moves and from different spots on the floor. One minute it was a baby hook, then a wing three followed up with a pull up jumper from 15 feet. The kid has an impressive skills package.

This was first time I saw small forward livewire Jeffrey Taylor live. Vandy must be counting the number of days this sophomore has left on campus.

He already moves and plays like a pro. He was the only player to register a double double in this game with 19 & 10.

He needs to work on his stroke from deep and he is a little lose with the ball at times. He had some soft turnovers much to Coach Kevin Stallings amusement.

Add incoming freshman John Jenkins and the 'Dores will win their share of games in the tough SEC-East.

Vandy have some big bodies on the bench as well as guard Brad Tinsley to keep the defense honest.

The only question I would have is, can Beal keep his teammates happy will servicing his own needs?

Now to the Crocs.

Russell Hinder went for 30 on 11 of 12 shooting. The Crocs will be hoping Hinder can re-produce this type of performance a handful of times during the regular season. In my opinion the Crocs will need Hinder to be a consistant offensive threat this year.

Rolan Roberts had one he would rather forget. He fouled out in under 14 minutes and "air balled" a free throw. (Cam Tovey had a rye smile one his face while this took place.) He finished with 7pts and 5 rebs. They need Roberts on the floor so they have some kind of intimidation and athleticism around the basket at the defensive end.

Michael Cedar started at the point guard spot. His 21 points came courtesy of 5 of 9 from long range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. He also added 4 assists and 4 steals to his stat line.

Corey Williams (12pts, 4 assists) played limited minutes as it was unsure if he would be cleared to play. His paperwork arrived in time for tip off but Williams' demeanour seemed like he was happy to set up camp on the bench for all 40 minutes.

He did come off the bench to help the Crocs hit the lead late in the fourth quarter. Doing his best John Bagley impersonation in using his body strength in getting to the hoop, Beal had no answer for Williams' penetration.

Newcomers Steve Hoare and Jeff Dowdell should only get better as they get a better understanding of the Crocs style of basketball.

Hoare did give us his best Steve Nash impersonation by parking himself face down on the floor at the end of the bench when he was not in the game.

If the Crocodiles are to make a push for a playoff spot this season, they will need Hinder to produce offense like tonight on the regular, get more minutes out of Roberts and get Peter Crawford up to speed quickly once his Australian commitments are over.

Crocs Win, Vandy Impressive

Here are some of the main contributors to yesterday's game between the Townsville Crocodiles (104) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (99).

- Russell Hinder (Crocs) 30pts on 11 of 12 shooting, 5 of 5 from three

- Rolan Roberts (Crocs) fouled out in under 14 minutes. 7pts, 5 rebs

-Corey Williams (Crocs) came off the bench for 12pts and 4 assists

- Michael Cedar (Crocs) started at point guard and had 21pts (5/8 from deep) 4 assists and 4 steals

- Brad Williamson had 15 pts

- Jermaine Beal (Vandy) had a game high 31 pts (8-16 fgs, 11-13 fts)

- Jeffrey Taylor had 19 pts and 10 rebs for the only double double of the game

- AJ Ogilvy over come early foul trouble to have 21pts

- Brad Tinsley nearly squeaked out a triple double with 10pts, 8 rebs and 7 assists

I will have a more in depth review of the game up later today.

David Andersen's Introduction In Houston

Houston Rocket David Andersen faced the media today.

The latest Aussie to hit the NBA scene in Houston Rocket David Andersen.

Here is Andersen getting introduced to the Houston media. Andersen talks for eight minutes about the ususal things that get asked at a press conference. Such as replacing Yao Ming, his strengths and "everything" being big in Texas.

The topic that made me take notice was when Andersen talks about his popularity growing back home in Australia, through the media. It would have been accurate if the big Victorian would have said "my following in Australia has grown astronomically due to the blog site johnrillie.com".

Andersen, are you available for an interview on "The OT"?

Basketball After Dark

While many people in Townsville tonight either made their way out to watch the Cowboys take on the Bulldogs, head to the Cultural Fest or watch the Townsville Flames bow out of the QABL Finals, the PCYC launched the Basketball After Dark program.

BAD has been a program running in Brisbane for a few years now but tonight was the opening night out at Aikenvale.

Joining me (program coordinator) in a guest role tonight was former NBL player Andre Moore, who has been running this program down south.

It was a fun night for all who attended. For the three hours (9pm-12am) we play various basketball games, while the PCYC has a PlayStation and a "chill out" area setup for when the players wish to take a break from the oncourt action.

The BAD program will run for 10 weeks every Friday night at the same time. Players, both male and female of all abilities are welcome to come and join in on the fun.

Hope to see you there next week!

Here is some footage of previous BAD Programs run in Brissy.

News On NBL Rosters

There has been some signings of player over the day in the NBL, so all rosters are nearly full now.

- Cairns recall Kiwi international Tony Rampton back to the north. Trialling import Julien Mills has been signed or the season.

- Woolongong Hawks on the lookout for a point guard.

- Tasmania are looking at the NBL, as they meet with Basketball Australia's CEO Larry Sengstock.

- Adelaide 36ers are still keeping their options open for u/23 player.

- New Zealand Breakers get preseason win against Athletes in Action.

- Former Sydney King, Brisbane Bullet and Gold Coast Roller Dwayne McClain believes the sport needs to go back to winter.

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.

Late News with Kevin Lisch

I have just returned from another successful game in the Townsville local competition. Due to time constraints, this will just be the news edition. I need some shut eye before I hit the streets of the far north to give away the "free stuff" at sparrow fart.

- Perth Wildcasts import Kevin Lisch has arrived in the west and is settling in quite well. Lisch and the Wildcats coaching staff are already looking over film.

“Coach (Mark) Radford and I got some tapes yesterday, I’m starting to do my homework a little and study up on the game here. The competition’s great and I’m looking forward to it", said the peppy St Louis grad Lisch. (courtesy of thewest.com.au)

My sources out west tell me that Radford and Lisch watched this piece off video footage first.

Lisch (in a nervous sweat) commented about how "that guy Rillie" will be a tough cover. Radford calmly explained to the rookie import that he has nothing to worry about as "that guy" no longer plays in the league.

I'm happy to hear that Kevin has been getting full night sleep's after the video session.

- New Zealand Breakers have hit rewind and are bringing back "Taking It To The Streets" or "TITTS" as it was referred to.

This is a great idea by the Kiwis. Nothing like taking your team to the regional areas to showcase your team.

- The Gold Coast Blaze's second import spot will be filled by Cal-Berkley grad, Ayinde Ubaka.

Ubaka has played in many professional leagues around the world. The combo guard comes in with a reputation of being able to get it done from the perimeter, while also getting to the hole.

Seems like the Blaze will be going with a three guard starting lineup with Ubaka, James Harvey and Adam Gibson.

In the same article, I cannot believe that Mike Vukona has been described as having a "smooth stroke".

Joey Wright needs to get in those video sessions with those Perth boys.

- My boys from Sydney, TheSportCount have come up with an entertaining blog all thanks to the Tweets from a few NBA players. Yes, I will include Brian Cardinal in those words.

- Has Denver Nugget guard, JR Smith finally grown up?

- Kurt Rambis to take over the team they call the Minnesota Timberwolves.

- Linas Kleiza leaves the NBA for the Greek city of Athens.

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.

Rickert Wants To Be A Kiwi

Yes, I'm back and Kirk did not even punch me.

Minnesota native and former NBA second round draft pick Rick Rickert has taken a pay cut to rejoin the New Zealand Breakers and now he talks of one day representing New Zealand.

Now, no one has ever accused "big men" in the sport of basketball of ever being the smartest guys getting around, but Rickert might just be starting to change this trend.

It was becoming evident over the NBL off season that the Breakers were prepared to go in another direction than with Rickert at centre.

I'm sure his ego took a little bit of a beating at first as he shopped around to see if any other teams had a genuine interest in his services. There were some window shoppers but no one was prepared to pull the trigger on a deal with the 6'9 centre.

From here this is where Rickert has learnt some valuable lessons over the years.

Back in the day this young NBA aspirant was clocked on the chin by NBA superstar Kevin Garnett. There is no doubt in this incident that KG lost his mind. But as sporting teams go, do not get under the skin of the franchise player because your time will become very short spent.

It seems obvious to me that Rickert wanted back in with the Breakers so looking back at past experiences Ricky decides to get a little cozier with last year's NBL MVP Kirk Penney.

There is no doubt this former Big 10 pair already have an existing friendship but Rickert seeks out Penney for one last chance with the Breakers and the potential to pull on the New Zealand Tall Blacks uniform.

This is where the centre got smart. He seeked out the superstar this time and asked him to make it happen. And like all superstars, they make it happen. (The selling point to Penney must have been the idea of Rickert rebounding for him all year round, including the national team.)

The phone call between him and Penney is history. Rickert is more than happy to be back in New Zealand rebounding for Penney, CJ Bruton, Tony Ronaldson and Oscar Forman and any other mad bomber that will suit up for the Kiwi franchise this season.

I just can't wait for the next conversation that the Minnesota native has with Penney.

How does a guy from the Mid West of America do the Haka without looking like a goose, Kirk?

News

- Former Sydney Kings owner Mike Wrublewski celebrated his 63rd birthday as a charity fundraiser. Click here to see what stars attended and here Wrublewshi speak.

- Australian Boomers score double OT victory over Argentina.

- Nathan Herbert is the key to the Geelong Supercats season.

LeBron Getting Dunked On - "Dunkgate"

Jordan Crawford sends one down on "The King", LeBron James during a scrimmage.

Below is the footage that has caused a stir for some time.

Also check out this interview with Lebron. He addresses playing with Shaquille O'Neal, playing in Cleveland after this season and Nike's no video tape policy.

Delonte West & KFC

NBA player Delonte West with a classic few minutes in the KFC driveway. Some me be offended by some of the language. Enter at own risk but it is quite entertaining.

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

Boomers Go Down Again

Dvid Barlow led the Boomers with 23.

The Australian Boomers played their third game on their South American tour and came up short once again.

The Boomers remain winless on this tour as Argentina ran away with the game in the fourth quarter to win 98-81.



The article below is courtesy of Basketball Australia.



"Australia’s men’s basketball team hung tough with Athens gold medallists Argentina in Rosario on Tuesday but could not stop the highly favoured South Americans winning their second game against the Boomers in a week.


Down by just five points at half time, Australia was rolled in the fourth quarter after Nathan Jawai, Adam Gibson and Aron Baynes were fouled out of the game and Argentina surged to victory by seventeen points, 98-81.


Olympian David Barlow was the game high scorer and Australia’s best with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while his Beijing team mate Joe Ingles chimed in with 18.


Seven foot two centre Luke Nevill registered a personal best in international play with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds in just his third game for Australia.


Local legend Leonardo Gutierrez top scored for Argentina with 22 points.


Boomers head coach Brett Brown was positive about his team’s performance despite the result and emphasised the gradual improvement of his young Boomers side.


“It was our best performance of the trip but we just couldn’t get over the top,” Brown said.
“It’s part and parcel of having a young group; we made silly mistakes and turned the ball over and we put Argentina on the free throw line too many times.


“We weren’t disciplined and we showed a lack of patience with many things we did and the foul trouble that we got in was a result of that.


“We want to keep getting better and feel good about the direction we’re heading in so we can candidly look at each other in the eye and know that we’re moving forward.


“Ultimately our report card is against New Zealand on August 23rd and I feel like we made positive steps tonight.”


Australia’s next game on tour, the final match of the Super Four round robin tournament, will be against Uruguay tomorrow morning, where the Boomers will look to curtail the long range shooting success of their previous South American opponents.


Argentina shot 13-of-25 three-pointers compared to Australia’s 4-of-13 and registered a hot 31-of-35 free throws compared to the Boomers’ 26-of-33.


“The South Americans play very physical basketball and the Uruguayans are especially physical.
“We have some injury concerns; Oscar Forman played limited minutes tonight due to a sprained ankle, Stephen Weigh didn’t play at all, Nathan Jawai is also carrying an ankle sprain and we rested Matthew Dellavedova due to a stomach ailment.


“But we’re looking forward to the game.”


Quarter by quarter:1. ARG 28 AUS 23H. ARG 47 AUS 42 (19-19)3. ARG 72 AUS 64 (25-22)F. ARG 98 AUS 81 (26-17)


ARGENTINA 98 (L Gutierrez 22, Paolo Quinteros 15, Luis Scola 15) btAUSTRALIA 81 (David Barlow 23, Joe Ingles 18, Luke Nevill 15)in Rosario, Argentina

Ricky Rubio To Stay Put

Ricky Rubio will be changing address, but only in Spain.

Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, but the buyout that is getting thrown around is just ridiculous. The $6.6 million large that DKV Joventut is asking for, seems a little over the top to me. So here is what I think may pan out with Mr Rubio.

Joventut may look to move Rubio onto another cashed up Spanish team, while his NBA dream is put on hold indefinitely.

Look for the major players to be Barcelona and Real Madrid if this becomes an option for Rubio.

Barcelona may be Rubio's preferred destination in Spain but Real will do their best to make this deal happen with Joventut.

I'm sure there will be a few more twists in the Rubio bidding war. It seems that the NBA will be put on hold, but where will the teenager end up in Europe?

My money says Madrid.

NEWS

- Rick Rickett re-signs with the New Zealand Breakers while other import Dave Thomas resigns due to injury.

Rickett talks about other options in the NBL. One of the clubs chasing his services was the Townsville Crocodiles.

As for a replacement for Thomas, that will be a tough job. Although there are plenty of 3/4 imports around, Thomas new the "lay of the land" NBL style.

- New Zealand exposed? No way. The NZ Tall Blacks find the going tough in Europe.

- Boomers come up short against Brazil.

- Brad Davidson gives his opinion on what happened at the end of Game 2 as the Aussies took on the Chinese National Team in the best of three game series. China lead 2-0.

- Former SIU standout Rolan Roberts rolled into Townsville recently.

- Corey "Homicide" Williams is back with the Townsville Crocodiles and sporting a new hair style.

Old School Posters

To this day I still have a few crisp Reggie Miller posters unopened from my single days. I will get around to making them look presentable soon, then straight to the pool room where they will take pride and place.

Until then, check out these gems that could be found on my bedroom or dorm room wall during my youth.

Always had to have a poster of the great man, Moses Malone, hanging up somewhere. He truly did inspire me to rebound.

Big Mo was one of the great centres of all time in the NBA.

George "Iceman" Gervin was a creator of the unconventional. Know for his finger roll, the Iceman could just flat out fill it up for the San Antonio Spurs.

Always gave me hope when I watched him play because he relied on his skill and shot making ability, not athleticism.

On of the great pure shooters of the NBA. When I was at Tacoma Community College I used to love watching Dale Ellis fill it up from long range with ease.

With a smooth stroke, Ellis could get it going at the drop of a hat. Feet squared and running off a screen by Michael Cage, it was down for the "Silent Assassin".

A true classic poster.

Choose your weapon. The only reason I had this poster was because I was a Converse kid.

Although both Magic and Larry were great players, Moses was my man in this era.

I used to dream of finishing the break like Big Game James. Worthy was the ultimate finishing at the end of a Los Angles Lakers fast break.

He wasn't too bad in the post either.

I look forward to seeing some of my readers reminisce over their favourite NBA posters.

All Things NBA - AI Is Special

While it is the off season for all things basketball, I have been keeping my readers up to date with all things NBL but today's edition purely has the NBA in mind.

- Lamar Odom and the champion LA LAkers have finally hugged and made up. Weeks ago the two parties stopped partying together, but in the end Odom wants to taste success again and he feels that Los Angles is the best place for that to happen.

- Former NCAA Championship winner Hakim Warrick has signed on with Andrew Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks. The former Syracuse star has signed a one year deal. He spent four years with the Memphis Grizzles.

- MavsMoneyball comment on newly acquired Dallas Maverick Nathan Jawai making the roster ahead of Ryan Hollins.

Surely some proud Aussies cannot be happy with this comment?

- Vince Carter is very happy to have made his way to the Eastern Conference Champions, the Orlando Magic, and is more than happy to play in the shadow of Dwight Howard.

- Kelly Dwyer's NBA bites and pieces.

- Spaniard Ricky Rubio is a "50-50" chance of playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves this upcoming NBA season.

- I came across this Allen Iverson footage. So good, I'm calling it a night.