In The Huddle, May 23 2007

Thursday May 24, 2007

Hi there

Welcome to another edition of "In The Huddle" and you can see by its length that it has been a very busy week in NZ basketball.
The Dominion Finance NBL regular season is poised for a dramatic finish over the final month, the Women's Basketball League is moving closer to its finals weekend and the NZ Tall Ferns have opened their international schedule with a whistlestop tour to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Perhaps the biggest development in the past few days has been the signing of players for the new Australian WNBL franchise based in Christchurch. Built around the Tall Fern roster, this promises to be a great breeding ground for future Olympians.
Expect to hear more player and coaching announcements from the south in coming days ...
Cheers
Chappy

Wing And A Prayer

Point guard Paul Henare once again saved his team’s bacon, helping Easy LPG Bay Hawks keep their Dominion Finance NBL hopes alive with an overtime 103-100 road win over Scenic Circle Canterbury Rams.

For the third straight game, the defending champions trailed into the final quarter and for the second time in as many weeks, Henare made a clutch basket to stave off defeat and force overtime.

Not known for his three-point range, he bombed one from well beyond the arc as time ran out to earn an extra period against Canterbury, then provided the free throws that finally edged the Hawks clear for a victory that gives them a four-way share of the league lead with a 9-4 record.

Sayonara

The NZ Tall Ferns got off to a slow start - another one - and again fell just short in their comeback, losing their third and final test against Japan 52-68 in Tokyo.

The Kiwis were quickly behind and trailed 13-25 after the opening quarter, the third consecutive night they faced a double-figure deficit entering the second term.

“That’s been a bit of a trend,” observed assistant coach Rachel Gwerder. “It’s something we need to address.”

They fought back strongly over the next two periods and scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to draw within four, before their hosts pulled clear again from beyond the arc.

Actions, Not Words

There comes a time in every NBL season when “woulda, coulda & shoulda” simply doesn’t cut it … when the only statements that mean anything need to happen on the court.

“I love this time of the year,” deadpans Blue Chip Nelson Giants coach Nenad Vucinic, who is a man of few words at the best of times.

Presumably, he’s serious, but it’s hard to believe the NZ Tall Black coach actually loves the position his team find themselves in right now.

On paper, the Giants (9-5) sit squarely in the middle of the six-team pack still jockeying for Dominion Finance NBL semi spots. In reality, their five losses have them perched precariously at the back of the bunch with a season-defining home-and-away series against Century City Wellington Saints (8-5) looming.

Read More ...

Dominion Finance NBL Guide (Round 12)

AO, Over & Out

NZ Tall Black and Harvey Norman NZ Breakers guard Aaron Olson has announced his retirement from big time basketball.

The 29-year-old sharpshooter says his heart isn’t in the sport at the moment and he is returning to his native Canada to determine his future.

“I don’t have anything lined up, everything’s up in the air,” Olson says. “To be honest, I am a little apprehensive about heading into the unknown, but I’m also looking forward to this new phase in my life.”

NBL Milestones (Round 12)

Easy LPG Bay Hawks coach Shawn Dennis notched up his 50th NBL victory with a 103-86 win over Cartridge World Otago Nuggets. His career record is 50-20 (71.4%).

Scenic Circle Canterbury Rams celebrated their 500th NBL game by treating their home crowd to a 91-71 win over Inspire Net Manawatu Jets. Their historical is now 288-212 (57.6%).

Appliance Shed Harbour Heat will record the franchise’s 200th NBL win with their next victory. They have a South Island double header in Round 12 and their historic record is 199-233 (46.1%).

Oreo NZ U19 Championship Coaching Clinic

Sunday, June 3
4-6pm
North Shore Events Centre

Building Team Defence - John Dorge, Harbour Heat Head Coach

Dorge’s Harbour squad have been one of the stories of the 2007 Dominion Finance NBL season.

Flying out of the gate with a seven game winning streak, the young and hungry Heat squad have responded to Dorge’s tutelage and, a month out from the end of the season, are firmly in the play-off picture.

Also
Teaching Players To Score From On-Ball Screens - Ollie Dudfield, BBNZ Coaching & Development Manager

Read More ...

The Beast

Dominion Finance NBL Player of the Week - Bakari Hendrix (Century City Wellington Saints)
21 points (8/15 FG, 5/5 FT), 17 rebounds & a steal v Appliance Shed Harbour Heat

Two weeks ago, Hendrix grabbed the country’s attention for all the wrong resasons, but in Round 11, he rose to prominence for a dominating performance against league leaders Harbour.

He had already run up a “double double” (10 points/12 rebounds) by halftime and, with fellow import Nick Horvath, enjoyed a clear superiority over vaunted Heat counterparts Tim Behrendorff and Oscar Forman.

Includes Stat Leaders (Round 11) & Player Power Rankings Top 50

NBL Round 11 Pic Gallery

Ten-0!

NZ Tall Fern captain Noni Wharemate led Curves Harbour Breeze as they ran their dominance of the Women’s Basketball League northern conference to 10 straight wins with an 83-44 result over nearest rivals Waikato.

Bolstered by the presence of five current or past internationals and now American Jennifer Lingor, the Breeze blew their guests away with a 26-5 second quarter and never allowed them the sniff of a comeback.

Wharemate led all scorers with 18 points (7/16 FG, 1/6 3pt, 3/3 FT), new Fern Natalie Purcell had 15 points, five rebounds and five steals, while centre Karlene Kingi contributed a “double double” (10 points/12 rebounds) in 15 minutes off the bench.

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Famous First Four

Sneakers … check.

Japanese translation book … check.

Australian WNBL contract … check.

Four NZ Tall Ferns have embarked on two exciting basketball journeys at once, signing contracts with the new Christchurch-based Aussie women’s league team on the eve of their departure for Japan, the official start of their Beijing Olympic campaign.

Briefs

Arrivederci!
NZ Tall Black Phill Jones was again to the fore, but his Italian Lega A season came to an end when Tisettanta Cantu crashed 60-91 in Game Three of their quarterfinal series with playoff top seeds Montepaschi Siena.
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Ferns Go Close
Point guard Angela Marino rallied the NZ Tall Ferns to within an ace of toppling Japan on their home court, falling 60-64 only in the final minutes of their second test in Tokyo.
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Cobwebs Cleared
The NZ Tall Ferns haven’t played together for more than 12 months, since the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games final … and that’s exactly how it seemed as they fell 71-88 to Japan in Chiba.
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Pardon's Edge
Guard Lisa Pardon claimed bragging rights over fellow Kiwi Julie Ofsoski as Launceston Tornadoes beat the visiting Frankston Lady Blues 78-68 in the South East Australia Basketball League.
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Stride For Stride
The sigh of relief in the capital was palpable, but it was drowned out by alarm bells ringing throughout the Dominion Finance NBL … the race for semifinal spots just got really serious.
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Noni's The Name
Harbour guard Noni Wharemate is the new captain of the NZ Tall Ferns … at least, for now.
Read More ...