Green Light For All-NZ

Basketball New Zealand will conduct the third annual All-New Zealand Camp in Palmerston North in January 2008, marking the start of the junior international programme for the year.

Key programme philosophies and curriculum will be introduced to athletes and staff, baseline testing will take place, initial domestic competition conducted and sports science/medicine support service provision begun.

The 2008 camp takes on greater significance as it will be the launching pad for the Junior Tall Black and Junior Tall Fern seasons. These teams will compete in the U19 Oceania Championships, vying for a spot in the following year’s FIBA U19 World Championships.

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Breakers Think Big

The Harvey Norman NZ Breakers have whistled up cover for American import Rick Rickert after learning the big forward will be sidelined for at least another three to four weeks.

Rickert has missed the last three home games due to a bulging disc in his lower back, depriving the Breakers of a hefty 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

The Breakers have shored up their inside presence by signing veteran 210cm power forward Derrick Alston for the next month, pending approval of the contract by the Hummer NBL. The club has the ability to extend the contract until the end of the season if necessary.

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Kings Rule Over Breakers

Joel Tiller, Sportal
Sydney’s three-year stranglehold over the Harvey Norman NZ Breakers continued when they recorded a commanding 120-100 Hummer NBL Championship win at the North Shore Events Centre.

The visitors were too complete a package for the home side with greater scoring options, superior tall timber, unstoppable transition speed and a dogged defence.

The Kings led from the first minute and never looked like relinquishing their lead – at one point threatening a humiliation as the margin went past 30.

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Gray A Giant

Pete McNae, Nelson Mail
Young big men are a precious commodity in the national basketball league, so it’s no wonder Nelson Giants coach Chris Tupu is grinning like he’d won the lottery this week.

Tupu has signed 2.04m, 115kg centre Rowan Gray for next year’s national basketball league season, describing him as “the key signing” as the Blue Chip Giants try to defend their crown.

Gray is unknown in the New Zealand league, but the 24-year-old has a sound basketball pedigree.

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Wilkins Says No To Ferns

Geoff Longley. Christchurch Press
Star forward Donna Wilkins has ruled out playing for the Tall Ferns at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, effectively ending an illustrious international career.

Her decision comes just days after she confirmed her netball playing days are over, having taken an assistant coaching role in the Southern Steel franchise in the new Tasman Trophy league.

Wilkins (29) said yesterday, on the eve of the Christchurch Sirens’ home match against Canberra tonight, that she had made up her mind about Beijing.

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Crowe Lets Fly

Waikato Pistons import Jason Crowe was unstoppable from the arc to guide Gold Coast Blaze to a 127-116 home win over South Dragons in the Hummer NBL Championship.

Crowe, who has already re-signed for the Pistons in next year’s Dominion Finance NBL, led the Blaze with 33 points, including 10/14 3pt, and eight assists as they controlled the contest throughout.

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J-Mac Is Back

NZ Tall Fern centre Jess McCormack returned to action after missing time with a sprained ankle, but was unable to spark University of Washington to a win against Pepperdine University.

McCormack injured the ankle in practice two weeks ago and missed a showdown with fellow Kiwi Kim Barnes in the Huskies’ 87-69 win over UC Irvine earlier this week.

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CEO Calls For Change In Tune

Toby Robson, Dominion Post
Basketball New Zealand has called in the riot squad in a bid to iron out its balance sheet and bring together its bickering associations.

New chief executive Dale Stephens was a member of the police riot squad during the famous 1981 Springboks tour of New Zealand.

He is no stranger to conflict, having spent 22 years in the police, a criminal profiler who worked alongside the FBI and Scotland Yard before leaving the force in 1998.

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Nowell Returns To Taranaki

Murray Hills, Taranaki Daily News
Aaron Nowell could easily be described as a basketball nomad.

He has played for three different National Basketball League sides and he is currently a member of the West Sydney Razorbacks wider training squad.

The good news for Taranaki basketball fans is that the 26-year-old 1.96m small forward is returning home next year, having signed for the Taranaki Mountain Airs.

“It’s awesome. I’m really excited to be back home and I’m looking forward to playing for the Mountain Airs again,” Nowell said yesterday.

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Physios Wanted

Basketball New Zealand invites expressions of interest for Junior Tall Black and Junior Tall Fern physiotherapists for 2008.

Overview of Position
The Junior Tall Blacks/Tall Ferns physiotherapists have the responsibility for the co-ordination, implementation and planning of emergency and therapy field care, injury management and injury monitoring for the Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) U19 national teams.

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Three More Years

Incumbent Nenad Vucinic has been reappointed to coach the NZ Tall Blacks through to the end of the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Vucinic served as national team assistant coach to Tab Baldwin from 2001-06 and succeeded to the top job this year, guiding them to a 6-11 record that included wins over Venezuela, Slovenia, Croatia and Australia.

The Tall Blacks lost their FIBA Oceania Championship series against the Boomers 1-2 across the Tasman and now face a repechage tournament next July to claim one of the final three berths available at the Beijing Olympics.

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Cocks Boosts Ducks

Tall Fern Micaela Cocks was promoted into the starting five and sparked University of Oregon to a 66-45 win over Long Beach State in in US college basketball.

Cocks, a sophomore, had 11 points (4/9 FG, 2/5 3pt, 1/1 FT), three rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes as the Ducks avenged an 11-point road loss in the corresponding fixture 12 months, improving to 4-2 this season.

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Allen, Slingers Spring Surprise

Harbour guard Hayden Allen was promoted to the Singapore Slingers’ starting line-up and helped them upset defending champions Brisbane Bullets 119-102 at home in the Australian Hummer NBL.

Allen scored 10 points (4/9 FG, 2/5 3pt), adding two assists, two steals and a rebound, but committing eight turnovers in 28 minutes.

Singapore, which had a 2-14 record heading into the encounter, jumped on the depleted Bullets with a 34-21 opening period.

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Hawks Change Hands

Fastbreak Management directors Des Friedrich and Jeremy Bayliss are stepping down from the Hawks’ NBL franchise after seven years.

Friedrich, now domiciled in Australia as chief executive of Darwin Turf Club, described it as “a journey of heartache and hard work” culminating in the Hawks’ first championship in 2006.

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Mr Livingston, I Presume

Former Wellington Saints forward Jamal Livingston will return to the Dominion Finance NBL as an import on the Cartridge World Otago Nuggets roster next season.

Livingston has spent time with the Harlem Globetrotters and over the last several years in Malaysia, China, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. His resume includes a six-game stint with the Saints in 2006, during which he averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 44.4% 3pt.

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Streak Ends

Australian Institute of Sport have ended the Christchurch Siren’s four-match winning streak, beating their visitors 87-83 in a Australian Defence Force WNBL match in Canberra.

In one of the season’s best games to date, AIS came out smoking at the start from all over the court, piling on 42 points in the first fifteen minutes to sail away to what looked like an insurmountable 20-point lead.

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Nelson Summer Camp

Once again Nelson Basketball is offering a tremendous opportunity for players to receive high quality coaching the 2008 Nelson Summer Camp on January 25-27.

Coaching staff include the current Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic, Nelson Giants coach Chris Tupu, Wellington Saints coach Doug Marty, Canterbury Rams assistant coach Terry Brunel and NZ age group coach Tatjana Zizic, with the possibility of one or two Christchurch Sirens players.

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NZ Masters Games

Dunedin
Wednesday, February 6-Friday, February 8
Lion Foundation Arena, Edgar Centre

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X's & O's - Ball Handling Drills

Matt Doherty, head coach of Southern Methodist University
Begin by pounding the ball 20 times with your weak hand. Be sure to stay on top of the ball and to keep your eyes up.

Pound the ball 20 times with your strong hand. Again emphasise staying on top of the ball and keeping your eyes up.

Return to your weak hand and pound the ball 20 times more.

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