it really depends on if Reggie plays or not... and how well woodville guard Watson. I think Mark fuller will do a good job on Jye so my pick is woodville

Id have to say Woodville. Both teams have potential it all depends on who matches up on who? I believe Fuller will get the job done on the defencive end of the floor and Wilson and Birmingham will have somthing to prove. As much us the X Woodville players wanna win Woodville arnt gonna let them walk over them. Its going to be a strong game but Woodville will slip threw

Gotta go with the green and gold. Central will have no-one to stop Big Reesy in the middle.

I have one question for readers of this topic: Who have the Lions got that will stop Paul Rees? Vandenbergh might block him a couple of times, but who is going to keep him out of the action?

Clayton? Hammond, the 4 PPG starter with 3 blocks in 8 games? Rees is a known enemy of exercise and one of these guys could outrun him, but neither is a noted scorer. Hammond hasn't scored more than 8 points in a game this season, yet starts and plays 25+ MPG -- I think that shows the Lions' deficiency at the taller end of the team.

Lions history against big men: round 1, Pilkington 24 and 15; round 2, Krause 29 and 12; round 3, Hoban 20 and 12; round 4, Forman 27 and 19; round 5, Hambour 29 and 10; round 6, Evans 26, 10 and 5, Nash 20 and 14; round 7, Dix 18 and 13; round 8, Bungy 16 and 13 in 24 minutes(!) and Trebilcock 12 and 15. Now, Centrals didn't lose every game, but they've lost more than they've won, the three wins have come against teams at the lower end of the ladder, and the trend is towards giving up points to forwards and centres.

Then who's going to defend Puddifoot? I'm just not sure that the Lions can cover the scorers that Woodville have. I don't even know who most of the Warriors are, but they've won a few games, have a good spread of scorers and if they have Rees to block the key, then it will be an up-hill battle for the visitors.

Woodville have lost one game with Rees playing, and that was against Forestville who have Farman and Dix. They have almost 7 guys scoring in double figures; Mapunda at 9.9 PPG just misses out.

The Lions have 4 (5 if you count Jye twice, which you can, because 32 PPG is big news). Against the Mavericks and without Reggie, the Lions only had three players who scored more than 5 points (Mavs had 8).

Watson isn't going to have another sub-20 game so soon and the Warriors will need to restrict him without sending him to the line. Reggie, too, is a huge asset to the team, but unless Wilkey catches alight for 30+ or someone else takes a big step forward, I think Woodville will win.

The Warriors only loss at home has been to the league-leading Sabres, and that was after being level for three quarters. The stats are on their side.

i think it will be a huge game, and with the warriors new import hopefully playing his first game this week ( if the clearence comes in ) him and rees as the 4 5 combo will be hard to stop.

Woodville for me

That was very thorough Isaac. Nicely done.

Woodville to take this one...

Play the Bear!

The lady lions had a win last summer season.

Play The BEAR KB, Play the Bear.
in the womens, woodville by 15 +

I noticed KB and the new import having lunch from the same place Reggie ate last week and we know what happened to him. Take a bucket to the game KB you and your new boy may need it. Good luck.


Kings 4 PEAT in the making.

i also agree , woodville should play 'the bear'

whos the bear?

Isaac, good summary - but you do sell the Lions frontcourt a bit short. The stats you post for the Lions opponent big men are all major players for their respective teams, so solid numbers are the norm for these guys. Oscar 29 & 19, but 9/22 FGs. Gower? 7 points & 5 boards. Dix 18 & 13, Farman? 11 & 5 on 4/13 shooting. Hoban 20 & 12, but 6/17 FGs. Bowley? just 6 & 10. Pilkington 24 & 12 - but the game was over at 1/4 time, with South down by 20-odd. Even Krause, who had a big game, still shot 9/22. Trebilcock & Bungey - well the Lions were just a step slow that night. Hambour had 29 & 10, and Kent 9 & 13 - but North lost.

Anyway, the point I am making is that no big man against the Lions really had a huge game, and no one came out of nowhere and posted a career game. Paul Rees will most likley post another solid game, and shoot a high percentage. The Lions big men will make it tough for him, and will obviously try and make him work hard at both ends.

The offensive output you mention from the Lions frontcourt is low - but the number of shot attempts is low - and with the backcourt boasting big guards, Wiley, Vandenberg & Watson, the rebounds are spread around.

(Source for all stats - this site)

Is 29 and 19 so the norm for Oscar this season that it's not a "huge game"? I still count it as pretty impressive. And the 9/22 from Forman and Krause is pretty much on par with the season average of every Lions starter bar 8 PPG Clayton.

Perhaps a point that you're supporting is that the Lions can't stop an opponents front court -- someone will have a solid game and help their team. I'm not suggesting that it's going to be a massacre or sure bet by any measure (my tips mail-out mentioned that it would probably be the closest game of the round) so I've looked for the small differences that could decide the game.

Are you tipping Centrals to win? They've lost three straight at home and are 3-5 despite having played more games on their home court than any other team.

And I still think that Hammond would have to be the lowest-scoring starter in the league (possibly also the lowest rebounding starting forward?).

There's an article about Reggie returning to play Woodville tomorrow in today's The Advertiser.

"Woodville did a lot for me and I'm really not sure how I'm going to feel playing against it. I played with people like Cameron Wilson for eight years. To be honest, I just want to hurry up and get into it."