Rumblings womens coaches not happy. Emma Clarke and Steph Gorman unrestricted. Another player for TT and they look WNBL level. Cougars Rocko Wolves Perry Lakes daylight Perth Willo Warwick daylight everyone else

anyone know details for preseason games this week?

from @noidea

Men

Wolves
Flames
Buccs
Senators
Redbacks
Cockburn
Eagles
Suns
Tigers
Lightning
Hawks
Magic
Slammers
Giants

MVP - Todd Withers

First Team
G - Josh Braun
G - Devondrik Walker
F - Caleb Davis
F - Todd Withers
C - Sebit Reath

Women

Flames
Wolves
Cougars
Redbacks
Hawks
Lightning
Magic
Warwick
Tigers
Eagles
Giants
Suns
Slammers

MVP - Alex Sharp

First Team
G - Steph Gorman
G - Jayda Clarke
F - Emma Clarke
F - Alex Sharp
C - Sam Roscoe

Wally Hagan Stadium, Perth, WA, Australia, Western Australia 6163
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
Welcome to our official pre-season game vs both the Rockingham Flames (women) and Joondalup Wolves (men).
This is one of your last opportunities to check out our NBL1 men and women before our season tips off on March 28.

Cougars v Wolves - Championship Men: 430pm
Cougars v Flames (Women): 6.30pm
Cougars v Wolves (Men): 8.30pm

By the way the above preseason game is this Saturday 9 March

Eagles vs Hawks Sat 9 March
Morley Sport and Rec Centre.
Free entry
Women 6:30pm Men 8:30pm

Women's and Men's "Eagles v Hawks", isn't this a classic "why bother" preseason cup?

Hawks Women's will be top 4 without doubt, Men have lost everyone of note and likely to battle Slammers and Magic for a wooden spoon.

Flames v Cougars a much
better option, at least 2 decent games (WNBL availability pending). Will be interesting who Flames Men roll out, apparently Vague already in town and ready to play with Armour, Clarke, Field, Chan, Hunt. Would expect Cougars in the Men, Flames in the Women to prevail here.

Yeah, how long is Walker out for? Did they announced a 2nd import yet, now that Combs is with the Wolves?

My preseason predictions for the Men's bracket

1. Wolves
2. Buccs
3. Redbacks
4. Senators
5. Flames
6. Tigers
7. Cockburn
8. Lightning
9. Eagles
10. Hawks
11. Magic
12. Suns
13. Giants
14. Slammers

Will be heading to EP V PL pre-season game on Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing their new line up. Mens team has lost some players but their roster, on paper, is looking great and more balanced this season too.

EP or PL is looking good on paper?

EP.
Sunday back. Okwera after NBL season.

Is Justin King back with EP? is he even back in Perth...

No news on Justin King but East Perth have also signed Sharif Watson as a local.
Sharif is an Arizona Christian University graduate and has played overseas in Bolivia, Israel, Germany and Spain. In 2018 he came to Australia, and loved it so much he became a permanent resident. Sharif has played in the NBL1 South and NBL1 East and now join the Eagles in West.
Playing for the Maitland Mustangs Sharif averaged 7.53 rebounds and 14.53 points per game

I do not believe King will be returning to EP.

With Sunday back, he kind of takes King's spot IMO, even though they are different players.

And no comparison really, Sunday is far better

I agree. Sunday is a huge upgrade. King is a good scorer but sometimes to the detriment of the team.

you saying King plays "Hero Ball" Andrew? haha
he is married to a Perth girl, so I'm sure we will see him playing somewhere.

Ha ha yeah there is a fair bit of hero hall TT. I'm sure he'll end up somewhere. He still has plenty to give.

Went to the Eagles vs Hawks game at Morley. The Eagles are moving back there. It's been refurbished and has about 500 new seats.

Eagles won. They still have David Okwera, Lee Roberts and the import big from last season to return. They look good on paper. If they can play good team ball they'll have a decent season

The women (eagles) are in for a long season, they were awful. Agree with Andrew saw glimpses of what could shape as a contender put the locks on Hawkes in the third after a terrible start.

Wally Hagan tonight fell the way of the Cougs men and women

Women's games missing some recruits but could be a way too early look at this years GF match up. Cougars depth is going to be something else

Men's game was a cracker. Cougars much improved but no vague tonight. Wolves solid and players to come

Anymore preseason games scheduled?

Footage I shot from EP V PH men's pre-season game
https://x.com/AdamWesterhout/status/1767009247911715217?s=20

So are we expecting this to the the East Perth roster? Plenty of talent if so.
Sunday Dech
Taylor Young
Jerami Grace
Sebit Reath
David Okwera
Sharif Watson
Lee Roberts

Not to mention the import from last year mentioned above, the centre they had last year that averaged 2-3 blocks a game, and Filpo

Woj bomb where you at?

Hoot: Great video
Bored: Yes that looks like the team with a few younger locals sprinkled in. I spoke with Taylor Young after the game & he mentioned the 3 bigs still to come.

Hawk's didn't have their imports but their new 208cm big Luke Phillips looked great. Scored 35 points. Adelaide boy went to Louisiana-Monroe college.

I like Senators personally.
Todd Withers x Michael Harris x Zac Gattorna is a lot of firepower

nice video Hoot- get it going!

Where is EP getting all this $$$ from for the Mens team. I know David was chasing 2k per game from a few other team, plus all the others, they are way over the cap! Or Filpo paying for everything through his company?

Think you'll find that they are now employed by Filpo

NBL 1 Women Preview
Not much goss around the league so here are Woj Bombs
1. Cougars
Starters: Williams, Ciabattoni, Gorman, Raber (R), Edwards
The defending champs have retooled again and thanks to a BWA blunder both Wolves and Cougars can add another restricted player. Not that the Cougars need any help with a strong starting group and Turnour-McCarty off the bench. Cibba is a great get taking the ball handling pressure off Williams, Raber is a euro stud and if they can bring in late a Mortenstein its game over. Champs are number 1!

2. Flames
Starters: Ryan (R), Gandini, Parker-Williams, Sharp (R), Pineau.
New coach Wong makes the trek down the highway and picked up a few Tigers on the way. Strong bench support in formers starters Doran, Mader, Amos and Jakens. But a new coach and big roster change over with take some time to gel. But Sharp is still the best go to scorer in the league and whilst Ryan has not been announced this is the strong rumour.
3. Wolves
Starters: Huff (R), Smith, Clarke, Toeaina, Import 5 (R).
Great recruiting Summer landing possibly the two best wings in the competition in Toeaina and Clarke. Rumors of them having the same budget as the men and are loading up even further. Heaps of scoring firepower with Belcher off the bench, need a defensive enforcer at the 5 to battle inside. Big changeover of personnel for a first year coach.
4. Redbacks
Starters: Denehey, Pirini, Chou (R), Maley (R), Hartree

Huge get landing WNBL MVP Anneli Maley who automatically becomes the MVP favourite, the question will be does Olympics take her away at the back end of the season. Her combo with ex Sun Chou is some firepower. Solid bench support in Thompson and Malone. Team may have another piece coming in as they miss a 3rd big.

5. Tigers
Starters: Winter, Kelly, A Jacobs, Brcaninovic (R), Guy (R)

Parker has quietly picked up a solid recruiting class adding CJ Jacobs from college, CJ is a formidable scorer and will pair with her athletic sister. The addition of Guy moves Brcaninovic to the 4 her best position and I can see her moving into MVP contention. Foster and Waite and CJ off the bench. Can't write off Parker teams.

6. Hawks
Starters: McCarthy, Ashby, J Clark, Dennis, Isenberger

Mansfield still has two import spots to fill so this team could be dangerous, at least one spot will go to a mobile 3, 4. Pick up of the season in the recruitment of Jayda Clark from the AIS that must hurt those at Warwick. Best junior core in the league. Can McCarthy lead this team is the question and do they load for a title run.

7. Senators
Starters: Barr, Forster, Import (R), Murphy (R), Burton

Losing MCH is a big, big loss and surely they look to fill with a high caliber import. This is now Forster’s team as she elevates into a top 10 player in this league. Bench depth is a weakness though picked up Miotti and coach Robbins first year in charge.

8. Magic
Starters: Milo,McKenna Dale, E Klastourney, Frannson (R), Roscoe (R)

Losing Toeaina as a local really hurt recruiting this year. Dale is a wing and comes in from College and a NZ international known as a knock down shooter. A lot will rest on Roscoe and if she can have a top 5 season performance. This team isn’t going to beat anyone in pace but again will be defensive leaders. Bench experience in Halleen, B Kalstourney, Richards.

9. Lightning
Starters: Jones, Ucich, Import (R), Gowland, Morrell (R)
Little quiet on the recruiting path, Locking in Morrell and her Dad as coach is a huge addition. Jones back after receiving a heap of interest from rival clubs gives them a scoring 1-2 punch. Bench is still thin though hopefully Coleman makes her return. Benn still gives them a solid ballhandler and Ucich from Wolves gives them leadership.

10. Suns
Starters: Fotu, Import (R), Import (R), NZ, Taylor

A complete rebuild has happened again for this team, Talks is two imports and two NZ’s have been signed (Fotu). Team could be real decent. Fotu is a solid scoring guard with a few other NBL1 teams chasing her. New coach, team could have potential though bench depth is an issue.

11. Giants
Starters: Fech (R), Zipser (R), Sidebottom

Lauren Fech is a US PG out of Wisconnson. Zipser is a 191cm German centre that will give them bookends to play with for new coach Worthington. Losing talent continues to happen however as rumours of G Gatti not returning. Very little on the giants signings, hopefully they have pulled out a couple of Adelaide girls.

12. Eagles
Starters: Allen, Bailey, Import (R), Goulding, Hawthorne (R)

Mary Goulding is the x factor here, former league MVP is facing a return and really just getting her back on court is a major achievement for the girl. Big thoughts with her. Hawthorne has moved from Lakeside and a player I really like last year. Can Allen make the leap into one of the premier competition guards.

13. Slammers
Starters: Smith (R), Cox (R), Barrett, Sears

Smith is a 173cm forward from Canada. Cox is a 6’1 forward averaging a double double in the Mexican league. Hopefully they have a guard signing coming up. Should be a lot more competitive that last year.

Think you'll find that they are now employed by Filpo

Robbie Ryan is on Rockinghams players page on the NBL1 website

Jemma Gatti to sign with Casey

The only preseason game I know about this weekend is
Womens Eagles vs Slammers
Sat 16 March
Morley Rec Centre
6:30pm

Another womens preseason game

Redbacks vs Flames
Wed 13 March
Belmont Oasis
6:30pm
Free

No Lakeside or Willo preseason games?

Didn't Lakeside play Warwick this week Trevor? Thought I saw something on their socials. Anyone know the result?

No saw nothing on IG. They still missing an import too on the girls squad! leaving it a tad late, hope its a banger!

Did Rocco announce their 2nd mens import yet?
Is Walker over his injury yet?

Lakeside Womens have signed Kiwi JADA MANASE- not sure if she is their 2nd import or is she a local? Shooting Guard- Seems like she has gone through a lot so good on Lakeside giving her a shot.

Kiwis are locals

That's why more of them are being signed. Kiwi players are using the WA NBL1 to try and get noticed for Eastern State NBL1 teams and NBL

Mens preseason game

Fri 15 March
Eagles vs Curtain University
Morley Recreation Centre
Court 5
7pm

Marshall Nelson to Willetton. Trouble at Flames?

Is Walker ready to play?

Not sure if trouble at Flames or more money being offered by Willetton than Flames prepared to pay

CRAYFISH where did you hear about Marshall Nelson to Willeton.
Flames announced his re-signing in Dec

https://www.facebook.com/rockingham.flames/posts/pfbid0qCEBo4rY7sV93CxCdcMod4kD6hAtxuavNWBuYcQJFBgDupJUDzfqzjcJuBEr4Jhul

Marshall Nelson definitely signed with Willo. Was seen today at Bendat for their integrity/team pics in Willo gear.

MN resigned with The Flames in Dec!

Wow that's huge. Marshall Nelson / Damien Scott back court will be deadly

Great get for Willo (MN) but why? MN and Scott back court tough, what does that do for Fee then (promised big things end of last year)?

Men's scratch match results, Lakeside beat Senators, Suns beat Cougars even with Vague playing, Redbacks narrowly over Slammers with plenty of finger pointing and an early, concerning lack of cohesion for Coach Nix. Possibly too many promises made to too many for the men in the red and black?

Ok Thanks Eager. Why are they not posting or promoting any preseason results! Super weird!
Where are you get the info? Thanks

Redbacks socials had the result of their game, Warwick posted about their hit out with Lakeside, plenty of things overheard by people at the NBL1 day on Saturday that then get repeated through the various grapevines.

Yeah killer. Looking forward to the season!

So 100% confirmed Marshall Nelson did signed with Willo. After Wazza was sacked they tried to reneg contracts with the players. He bailed and signed a cheaper deal in Willo. Huge signing for them!

Marshall has definitely signed for Willo, didn't like a the restructure pay

Men's Pre-season Game:

Eagles vs Cougars
Fri 22 March
7:30pm
Morley Rec Centre

Another Preseason Game this weekend

Flames vs Suns

Sat 23 March
The Hothouse

Women 6pm
Men 8pm

Is it possible to get access to game results and box scores from last season? Each year the NBL1 west websites seems to scrub the results as they refresh the fixtures for the new season.

I can't find past boxscores just game summaries

https://www.livesport.com/basketball/australia/nbl1-west/archive/

Robbie Ryan is on Rockinghams players page on the NBL1 website

Cody Ellis has come out of retirement ( ha ha) and re-signed with the Senators

he only retired 6 months ago? yeah?
much left in the tank?

My preseason predictions for the men with minimal info

1. Buccs - loss of Meunier is tough, but picking up Braun is massive. Keeping a lot of their core there with a prime Narkle will keep them right at the top of the league.
2. Wolves - Can Wade and Elliott co-exist in the back court? Will Turnage be in game shape? Dove filled a lot of gaps in their game play last year and was not a focal point in their offense. Will Combs be able to replicate this effort?
3. Redbacks - on paper are loaded, but chemistry will again be the challenge for nix for this year. By all accounts the challenge has been visible in pre season games.
4. Tigers - if the nelson signing is accurate they will be top 4.
5. Senators - Ellis out of retirement is a big boost.
6. Flames - loss of nelson, walker coming off injury, Godfrey another year older. Unsure if Jervis is back? No Combs. Unknown who replacement is? Whilst many unknowns, they still have Petrik and a chequebook. Cant see them not signing some high level guys as replacements.
7. Cockburn - I expect them to start strong and maybe take a few teams by surprise. Will be a playoff team but dont see them being in the top end of the ladder this season. Excited to see Vague back in the west.
8. Eagles - On paper have a hell of a roster. Much better than last year which was also a good roster. Sunday Dech will be a revelation for them. Okwera gives them much needed length and versatility inside. Roberts joining the team much earlier than last year will help.
9. Lightning - need to start competing for playoff position again. Malat came with big expectations but they havent been able to pull it together so far.
10. Hawks - rebuild year
11. Magic - will be more competitive than last
12. Suns - Joe Cook Green gone.
13. Giants - have struggled since creek departure
14. Slammers - God help them

All-Star 5
Dech
Braun
Walker
Harris
Vague

MVP Braun

Thanks @Boomer

Anyone know why the Cougars women are allowed three imports?

Who are the 3 imports TT has recruited?

You're allowed three if you win the year before.

Don't they have only 2 imports? Daniel and Maria?

Gorman??

Steph Gorman??? the import from Victoria?

Didnt she play too many minutes for Lynx??

Gorman played 470 minutes this season for the Lynx.

Joondalup women going for three to. Clarke's minutes were over the limit.

Isn't the limit assessed in January or something like that, rather than the end of the season? I imagine the McDonald injury would have pushed Gorman's minutes up.

Gorman is Aussie! haha
They have only two imports!

Bwa stuffed up and put the wrong season for restricted minutes. Some capitalised on the mistake....

Cougs stacked

Gorman is Aussie! haha
They have only two imports!

What Kobe said.

They have imports and wnbl players everywhere

Rocko announce signing of Gorjok Gak

Gak for Nelson trade?? haha

Heard Lakeside W have signed a new point/shooting gaurd "import" from the us who they will announce next week. she will miss game 1

I still haven't seen anything official about Marshall Nelson to Tigers.

In Gaks announcement to Flames they mention Nelson in this article.

https://nbl1.com.au/news/rockingham-add-defensive-superstar/west

"While Gak isn't as natural as a scorer as Combs, his league-best defence will compensate - while back-to-back MVP Deondrick Walker and NBL1 National Finals All-Star Five member Marshall Nelson will be able to carry Rockingham’s offence once again."

Round 1 Easter Thursday predictions

Cougars v Magic
M: Cougars by 14
W: Cougars by 16

Flames v Slammers
M: Flames by 15
W: Flames by 60

Senators v Eagles
M: Senators by 10
W: Senators by 20

Suns v Hawks
M: Suns by 1
W: Hawks by 35

Tigers v Lightning
M: Tigers by 12
W: Lightning by 5

Wolves v Redbacks
M: Wolves by 8
W: Wolves by 22

Predictions for NBL1 Men - Round 1

Cougars v Magic @ Wally Hagan
Prediction: Cougars by 18
Coach Clayden back as a Head Coach for 24 and is no stranger to the league. Has a good mix of youth and experience in this group and while the season is in its early stages the older bodies will be fresher and ready to go. Staying healthy will be the challenge later in the season. Armour, Vague, Bobby Bones and Hunt will form the core of their Aussies. Magic have added a few pieces to their roster from last year but is it enough to make a significant difference? It could be another long year for Utley.

Flames v Slammers @ the hot house
Prediction: Flames by 25
Slammers welcome back Criag and Barrett, 2 of their young up and comers. Weeden is back out of retirement. Sadly I dont think it is enough to get them competitive with the top half of the league. Even if undermanned at the moment, the Flames will have too much experience and depth. Love the signing of Gak for the Flames.

Senators v Eagles @ Warwick Stadium
Prediction: Senators by 5
This should be an entertaining game. Warwick with a new look under a new HC. Cooper has done a great job filling the gaps that Elliott and Davis leave behind. Withers will be a significant upgrade of import to what Ford brought to the table last year. Harris had a solid year for the wildcats and should be coming into this NBL1 season as confident as ever. Ellis out of his short lived retirement. Maybe just enough to get out of preseason. Eagles adding Dech and Okwera bolster their lineup. Okwera needs to show something this year and has a great opportunity to do so in this team. Big $ spent here for the Eagles and they will want to see it translate into wins.

Suns v Hawks @ Ray Owen
Prediction: Suns by 7
Suns have secured Brian Michaels which somewhat fills some of the void Cook-Green left when departing for Redbacks. Can Michaels stay healthy? Some ageing bodies with Salinas and Huntington going around again. imports Raph Edwards-Thomas and Diante Mearis bolster their core guys of Lowe, Maxwell and Dinardo. Barr in first year as HC at NBL1 level will be looking to make his mark in the league. Hawks signing Abrom from Magic and Keys from NBL1 north give them 2 solid imports. Joel Viaingina fast becoming one of the most journeyed players in the league, second to kyle armour, joins the hawks this season. Luke Phillips returning with brother Keegan after following Barr to Cougars. Hawks have a nice roster but Im going with the Suns to steal this one early in the season.

Tigers v Lightning @ the boulevard
Prediction: Lightning by 12
Great way to kick off the season with a rivarly game for these two teams. Lakeside have brought in imports Mike Adewunmi and Marshawn Blackmon who give them some much needed speed and athleticism. Dom Jackson and Max Richards return with Josh Davey. Tom Parkinson back for another season. Lakeside's young big Ryan Hunt could be a surprise packet for them this year. Tigers dont seem to have made much of any upgrades (unless the signing of Nelson is true). Gorjok Gak leaving for the Flames is replaced by his brother Deng. Whilst a handy player, is not the same level as Gorjok. Dupree, Goldfields Giants import from last season replaces Hoskins. Dupree did not appear to be the same level of player as Hoskins last year. Vigor returns with Black, Scott and the young bigs of Gerovich and Fitzgerald. The lightning have a bit more firepower here and should handle the Tigers in round 1.


Wolves v Redbacks @ HBF
Prediction: Wolves by 15
There was much song and dance about the showcourt at HBF not being big enough to hold the enormous crowds coming in to watch the wolves in 2023. the Wolves have answered by relocating to a different court with more capacity. will be interesting to see the new setup there. Wolves losing Dove is a big loss. Picking up Elliott and Davis from Warwick and Combes from Flames are fantastic signings. Wade rejoins the group after a year out with injury. They have plenty of firepower with this roster but can they coexist? Redbacks in a similar fashion have loaded up once more. The super-team approach. Jackson, Timms, Cook-Green, Formosa, Dimakopoulos, import Gibson, Colton, Mincherton and a couple more make up the roster for the reds. Appeared to have similar cohesion issues during preseason games as they had last year. but it is a new group on many fronts. Im going with the Wolves by 15 in this one.

Woj?

Anyone know what is happening with Hawks players (2023) Jack Isenbarger and Andew Ferguson ??

I know Andrew Ferguson is currently playing in Japan but no news beyond that.

Sami back at the Flames.... does that make them favourites now?

She will play 4 games against mostly non finals teams

Shouldn't make a difference

Maybe they got rid of Warren because he wasn't spending enough??

Former semi-professional basketball Chudier Towath Pal will have to serve at least 15 years in jail before he can be considered for parole.

"Maybe they got rid of Warren because he wasn't spending enough??"

You wouldn't be looking at the Rocko men's bench tonight and cause them of spending big

Michael Harris with a 42 piece. He was 3rd in the NZNBL for scoring last off-season, which is a better quality league than the NBL1 West. He and Todd Withers will be 1st team.

Went to the Willo v Lakeside game- Marshall was on the Willo bench in street clothes. Lakeside's new import PG, Mike looks like a Gem- just couldn't get that win. Shon was very athletic but couldn't finish on so many occasions. They looked out sorts for most of the game and missed Josh's rebounding. Will be a mid tier team.

Was at the Tigers Lightning game and can confirm Adewunmi for the lightning is the real deal

Can do it all offensively.

After being down 19pts at half, Adewunmi led a big comeback, aided by some sweet shooting by young Bennett off the bench.

Was disappointing the ref robbed the sellout crowd of a potential down to the wire finish calling Adewunmi for his 5th foul by way of a technical for flopping after he hit a contested 3 and took contact. From memory the 3 he hit brought the margin to 5 points. It should have been a 4 point play. The crazy thing was he didnt call the tech until the play was moving back in the other direction. Adewunmi and the tigers defender picked themselves up off the floor and started running back for the next play and a few seconds later the ref blew the whistle and called the technical sending Adewunmi to the bench. horrible for the context of the game.

Lakesides other import struggled bigtime. Couldnt buy a basket. Did have a monster dunk late in the game once it was out of reach but outside of that not much to write home about.

Tigers very guard heavy. Will be interesting to see how they go with teams that like to get the ball in the paint. It will be interesting to see how Nelson, Williams, Scott and Dupree coexist.

Lakeside without Davey struggled on the glass. Tigers outrebounding them by 21 boards.

I know the tigers refurbished stadium is only just completed but they already dont have enough seating. Was great to see such an amazing turnout for opening night. Tigers might need to take a leaf out of the wolves book and find a way to relocate to another court and get more fans in.

I went to the Wolves vs Redbacks game last night.
Wolves were without Jonathan Wade (injury) & Jeremy Combs (not arrived yet) and Redbacks missing Ioannis Dimakopoulos & Connor Mincherton.

Wolves clearly played the better team game. They looked well drilled with a good pe-rseason under their belts. Plenty of ball movement and better shot selection. Look like a higher IQ team than last season. CJ Turnage has come into the season in much better shape than previous and was unstoppable. They also played much better hustle defense than last season. Ethan Elliot did an elite defensive job on Cook-Green.

Redbacks on the otherhand, although loaded with talent played low IQ basketball. Overdribbling and poor shot selection. I think they are missing a high IQ point guard to run the team. As a result I feel their new import will have a frustrating season and not live up to his potential unless they can run some more plays for him.

The game was pretty much a sellout which was great considering the new higher capacity court / seating.

Redbacks dominated off season socials to go 0-2 first up

Flames have just signed Quinton Dove. That's just changed the game for them.

East Perth still have David Okwera, Jarrad Anastasia and Grace to come into the line up

Does anyone know if they are getting Lee Roberts too?

Stacked?

According to Taylor Young, Lee Roberts has signed too. He normally arrives late as he plays overseas in the offseason. I also read it on the NBL1 recap article.

Wait so the flames have Devondrick, Dove and Gak???

MaxM yes Walker, Dove and Gak. Basically Dove in for Coombs, Gak in for Jervis but no high level replacement for Marshall Nelson

Still some M Nelson contract issues behind the scenes . Signed at Willo but not sure rocko see it that way .

Hopefully we see him out there soon

What happened with Dove in Indo? He was doing well over there, getting $$$ and the season is over in June?

I guess he is still dating Neseya, so make sense Dove signs with the Flames too.

Went and watched EP v Senators Thursday night, expected so much more from EP to be honest. Coach Cooper done a great job building his team, but Coach Filpo struggling to control the egos and expectations from his. They looked lost more often than not. As for Dove to Flames, almost the worst kept secret but does it make them better than last year? Will be interesting to see the Walker/Dove dynamic, and Jervis was the ultimate team/role player, is Gak that player? Have heard the same regarding Nelson to Tigers, that being Rockingham not keen on approving the transfer, guess it's a watch this space situation.

Do Warwick only have Zac G to come into the line up?

Nelson wasnt great for the Flames last season. Numbers were significantly reduced on previous seasons.
The Flames have a heck of a front court in Gak and Dove.
Godfrey needs to stay healthy for this to work.
Durnin turned in a monster game on the weekend didnt he? 18 and 16!

I was curious why Nelson didnt play in season opener. Tigers announced the signing on social media the day before the game but didnt play. Will be interesting to see how this plays out with the NBL1 powers that be.

Wow, listened in to Caleb Kingston's review of Rd1 given he was was touted as an "expert" not.just by himself but promoted by NBL1 West. Guy clearly hasn't got a clue, seemingly nothing ore than a mouthpiece for Nix and the Redbacks. I guess Redbacks continue to own and manipulate the social media game, shame Nix and his team can't follow through on court. So glad my guys, led by Coach Filpo, have kept quiet after last Thursday, but don't worry, we're coming.

NBL1 West Power Rankings - Round 1

1. Wolves
Wolves def Redbacks by 18
I predicted they would have a win in their first round matchup vs Redbacks by 15. the 18 point victory was right in that range. Still no Wade for the Wolves but the addition of Elliott covers that spot until he returns. Turnage turned up! Combes still to come in also. Wolves had a packed house on their new court. Great for the league.

2. Senators
Senators def Eagles by 14
14 point win for the boys in blue in their season opener. Harris going bananas for 42pts. I did manage to get the pick right but thought it would be a closer game than it actually was. Eagles in disarray but have Okwera and Roberts still to come in. Withers looks nice in the Cooper system and they have some good role players. Gattorna still to join.

3. Cougars
Cougars def Magic by 12
Nice little win to welcome back Claydo to the HC chair. I predicted a slightly bigger margin for the cougars win but the Magic are improved from last year. Hunt went ballistic off the bench for 25pts and 9rb. Maybe a point to prove coming off the bench. Vague with a nice showing and Field doing his normal thing.

4. Flames
Flames def Slammers by 11
Once again got the pick right but not the margin. Hard to get close to the pin when you havent had a lot of opportunity to see teams in pre season! Durnin with a monster night. 18 and 16. Gak with a monster night putting up 28 and 15. Godfrey with 24. Nice little game from Emmanuel Dech off the bench too. Big signing in Dove announced the other day. will be interesting to see how things play out with Nelson moving.

5. Tigers
Tigers def lightning by 6.
I predicted an upset here but got that one wrong. Tigers blew a 19 point lead with the lightning bringing it right back to 2 points before a very poor decision by the referee robbed us of a down to the wire finish (see earlier post for that one!). Gak was handy for the Tigers and did an amazing job down the stretch coming up with key rebounds. Williams and Dupree looked like a great backcourt combo. Nelson coming in will give them a bit more scoring punch but will be interesting to see how the backcourt all gels (or not).

6. Hawks
Hawks def Suns by 5.
This was my other failed prediction. The Hawks grinding out a 2 possession win against a lively suns. Jaylen Key and Luke Phillips both recording double doubles and Abrom contributing nicely. Good road win for Barr in his HC debut at NBL1 level.

7. Lightning
Lightning went down fighting to the tigers and should be excited about the season ahead. Davey to come into the lineup still and some promising signs from Bennett and Hunt from their bench. Blackmon should find his feet soon and Adewunmi should he continue his opening game form is a serious MVP contender. A little concerned about their lack of depth at the PG position and perhaps should be on the phone to Nick Palleschi as quickly as possible. They just need someone with some experience there to help carry the load for the imports.

8. Suns
Have a good roster together and had a competitive game against Hawks. Will need to gel a little more to compete with the top tier teams.

9. Magic
Strong showing against Cougars, despite the loss. Well done on what looks like a very active off season for Utley. Will take a little to get the new group working well together.

10. Slammers
Good to see them competitive. Im reserving my judgement a little longer as to whether they can win more than 2-3 games.

11. Eagles
Good roster on paper. lots of work to do. if they get good cohesion from their guys could be a top 6 team. If not they could be the most ridiculed team in the league.

12. Redbacks
Much the same as the Eagles. I agree with previous post about killing the socials in the offseason. time to show it on the floor.

13. Buccs
didnt play, but their acquisitions in the offseason still give them a higher power ranking than the giants who also did not play.

14. Giants
didnt play and do not seem to have really upgraded anything from last year. Could be another very long year

NBL1 Men Round 2 Predictions

Friday: Magic v Flames @ Mandurah Aquatic
Flames by 12

Friday: Senators v Hawks @ Bendat
Senators by 5

Friday: Slammers v Cougars @ Eaton
Cougars by 15

Friday: Suns v Eagles @ Ray Owen
Suns by 7

Saturday: Buccs v Tigers @ Gero *Boomer's Game of the Round*
Buccs by 14

Saturday: Eagles v Senators @ Morley
Senators by 9

Saturday: Redbacks v Magic @ Belmont
Magic by 8

Saturday: Wolves v Slammers @ HBF
Wolves by 25

Saturday: Lightning v Giants @ Lakeside
Lightning by 14

Sunday: Flames v Giants @ Hothouse
Flames by 25

Projected player of the Week - Gak - Flames

Word is that the Giants' two imports are studs. And looking at their roster on the NBL website, all the familiar faces are back - Ballantyne, Kon Anguit, Malek, Cummings, Garang, Reid.

And with a top-level coach running the show, I think they might be getting underestimated.

Marshall Nelson now official at the Tigers. He will be playing this weekend vs Buccs.
Nelson, Dupree and Scott is quite the guard rotation.

Lee Roberts official at Eagles. Will arrive in a couple of weeks when his overseas season finishes.

Is Taj Benning still going to play with the Mandurah Magic?

Also heard Lakeside's Woman 2nd import arrived, not sure if she is cleared to play yet.

Not sure what happened to Taj Benning.
Their 7ft import Michael Durr played last week.
Their second import, 6ft guard Joel Murry just arrived a couple of days ago.

Heard Taj decided to stay in college. Either that or he realised what a mess Magic are

the magic have traded up with Taj remaining in the USA to coach at Fairfield University. Joel was a D2 all american playing for West Texas before transferring to Long Beach State D1. He averaged 15ppg over his 2 years at LBS

Not sure if or when he will be cleared to play but once he hits the court he will be one of the premier guards in the league. nice backcourt there for utley with Pesava and Murray.

Thanks guys

How did the Cougars lose last night? Did BOB get injured?, didnt watch the game.

Hawks were up 92-78 with 3:30 left in the 4th, then the Senators scored 15-0, and won 93-92!

Redbacks spending same on women as men?

If they are, someone needs. To be fired for being that reckless on a late arrival import and Maley who won't even play

How did Cougars lose, great Q Trevor. Maybe Slammers better and Cockburn not as good as the experts thought. Is odd that BOB only played little minutes, has the body caught up already? Shame if it was so early in the season though. Max, did you watch? What was the turnaround? Senators came out and smacked us next night so clearly weren't happy. I expected more from my Eagles after a big win Friday night. Just looked disinterested and second rate for our first home game. How did Redbacks lose to Mandurah too, Magic up big all night. Maybe a budget isn't all Coach Nix needs? Less focus on the social media game, more focus on the team needed perhaps? Goldfields with a solid weekend, split an away double has to be a good start. Gero doing Gero things, same with Wolves. All in all, even though it's early days, some preseason predictions maybe need to be revisited?

Do we start the #fireMM chant yet?
They are off to a rough start so early the Thunder men! Pressure is on Mike to start performing now.

Magic also looking ok- could be a dark horse.

How did the rest of the weekend look?
That shooter from Vic who is playing for the Magic looks Legit!

NBL1 West Power Rankings - Round 2

1. Wolves
Previous ranking: 1
Wolves def Slammers by 16
Turnage has turned up! Currently leading the league in scoring averaging 36.5ppg and looking in better physical shape than last season. A small caveat on averaging in the mid 30's is that the wolves have yet to play any of the top level teams so expect that to drop a little. Still no Wade which is a concern considering he just sat out an entire season. Good to see young Chadinha getting some opportunity on the weekend. He has been consistently one of the top players in Open Championship men over the last few years and deserves an opportunity to show it at NBL1 level off the bench.

2. Senators
Previous ranking: 2
Senators def Hawks by 1 and Eagles by 16
Were expected to go 2-0 on the weekend and did. The hawks game they got out of jail ending the game on a 15-0 run to steal it. Withers and Harris not having their best nights against the hawks and it was really England and Pearl off the bench that kept their team in touch. I cant help but feel they need another piece to be truly a contender and definitely feeling the absence of Elliott at the PG position.

3.Flames
Previous ranking: 4
Flames def Magic by 9 in OT and Giants by 9
Also expected to go 2-0 this weekend and did so. I dont think they were expecting the fight they had on their hands against a refreshed Magic squad. Very very lucky to get away with that one. Murray got away from them in the first half but went cold in the second half. Flames did make adjustments which contributed to that. Gak again in stellar form putting up 2 massive games for a combined 51pts 20 rebs for the weekend. Bench production is going to be a bit of a concern for the magic. A lot of responsibility on young Hill to be productive in backing up Godfrey. Dove to come in still.

4. Buccs
Previous ranking: 13
Buccs def Tigers by 7
Previous ranking was purely based on the fact they hadn't played yet. Once they have a few more games under their belt we will see a bit more of a true reflection of where this team is at. Tigers are a solid outfit and with the addition of Nelson gives them one of the most potent back courts in the league. The Buccs jumped on the Tigers early and for the most part controlled the game from there. Bit of a rough patch in the 2nd q but they rectified it. Buccs played a main rotation of 7 guys and 6 of them in double figures. the 7th had 8 points. No Braun in this one. Solid win for first game of season.

5. Giants
Previous ranking 14
Giants def Lightning by 3, Giants def by Flames by 9
I picked them to lose both games this weekend and said they hadn't really upgraded. I do have to acknowledge them on the latter comment. They have upgraded with their big import and their coach. After watching them play I do believe they will be much more competitive than I thought. Struggled early in the game with Lakeside starting out in a 2-3 zone but managed to make some good adjustments to get some nice easy paint finishes, forcing lakeside out of the zone. Parsons is a stat machine. An undersized big who has great versatility and athleticism. Not going to be the biggest scorer in the league but is handy around the rim and a very good passer. Had a triple double against lakeside and was 3 assists shy of a triple double against Flames. Bell took over down the stretch of the lakeside game and was tough in pick and rolls. He seemed pretty animated at times and had a few words for the lakeside bench at different points in the game after hitting big shots. Im keen to see how he goes against more of the top end PG's in the league. Interesting to see Lennon Smartt on the coaching staff for the Giants. Should make for an interesting match up when the Giants face the Magic in May.

6. Magic
Previous ranking: 9
Magic def by Flames by 9 in OT, Magic def Redbacks by 3
Murray was a big signing for the Magic. He and fellow import Durr are going to be one of the best import combinations in the league. Molnar has been stellar. Utley has done a great job in the offseason and has within 1 season brought them back to being competitive. That is a feat in itself. Bertram appears to be relishing his starting role down there too. Unsure where Pesava was this weekend but would have definitely helped get them across the line against the flames had he played.

7. Tigers
Previous ranking: 5
Tigers def by Buccs by 7
Tigers at full strength weren't enough to defeat the Buccs without their best player. Nelson's first game for the Tigers. Will take some adjusting. It looks like Williams to be the one drawing the short straw out of the other guards in their lineup. Williams did announce a commitment to play for Seattle Pacific University this year so unsure if him playing NBL1 means he has opted out of that opportunity? Tigers lacking presence inside in this game vs the Buccs. I cant help but feel they are still missing a piece to be a legitimate top tier contender.

8. Hawks
Previous ranking: 6
Hawks lost to Senators by 1
Were in control the entire game bar the last 3 minutes. Abrom was on fire in the first half and finished with 34pts, not enough to get them across the line. Some key turnovers by Key and Phillips down the stretch set the scene for the Senators to get back in it. Nonetheless they showed they are competitive with one of the better teams in the competition.

9. Slammers
Previous ranking: 10
Slammers def Cougars by 12, Slammers def by Wolves by 16
Solid win against Cougars and which definitely shows improvement on last year. Had 9 of their 10 players who hit the court contribute to the scoring. Very good spread. Mathiang Muo is on the roster which gives them some good experience and shooting. Young up and comer, Keats with 11pts, 5rb, 3as and 7 steals against the cougars. Against the wolves they were just outmatched, but Tuach put up 39pts, showing his class.

10. Lightning
Previous ranking: 7
Lightning def by Giants by 3
Davey into the lineup after missing last week due to Aus 3 x 3 commitments. Had a fantastic game at that. Lightning hot in the first half from outside the 3. Couldnt sustain it into the second half. Concerning that they are getting smashed on the glass at the moment. Tigers outrebounded them by 21 last week and the Giants by 11 this weekend. Blackmon is averaging 19ppg at 35%FG. He has been expensive to get his points to date. Adewunmi struggled to get in a groove shooting 1-9 from 3 against the Giants and was not the same threat getting to the basket as he was against the Tigers last week. Richards was hot early in the game and then didnt seem to get many shots in the second half. They very clearly lack a genuine floor leader. Their bigs dont have much presence in the paint at the offensive end. Malek and Parsons were able to control the paint without much of a challenge. The Giants ran a double high screen action late in the game that the Lightning had all kinds of problems defending and couldnt adjust to. Bell having his way and milking the action all the way to the final buzzer. 0-2 to start the season, not what they would have wanted.

11. Cougars
Previous ranking: 3
Cougars def by Slammers by 12
No other way to put this, but its an embarrassing loss for the Cougars. 28 turnovers. 21-61FG. You cant win games like that. Import Morant putting up 4pts 7rb and 7 turnovers in 15 minutes off the bench. ouch. Field only managing 5 minutes in this one. Suspect this would be an injury of some description. Numerous guys playing minutes with little to no production. Hunt, Clarke, Pond and Stewart really not giving them much of anything in this game. Shows how precarious things are for them if Field is not on the floor.

12. Eagles
Previous ranking: 11
Eagles def Suns by 16, Eagles def by Senators by 16
Verdict is still out for the Eagles with me. Beating the Suns who are not at full strength is not really convincing. Were never in the Senators game. Grace playing in 8 mins against the suns and was not on the roster vs Senators. Did he get injured? Great to see the Eagles honour the late Peter Campbell, one of the true gentlemen in the game, naming their main court after him and seeing the effort they have put in to renovate the court. Hopefully they can turn the corner and be more competitive soon.

13. Suns
Previous ranking: 8
Suns def by Eagles by 16
Losing to the Eagles by double digits at home. disappointing loss against a team largely believed to be in disarray after being at least competitive with the Hawks the week before. Suns only managing 7 free throw attempts for the entire game. Hitting 3 of them. They had 19 more FG attempts than the Eagles. Huntington and Salinas look like they just cant contribute what they used to be able to. Salinas putting up 0 points on 0-6 shooting in 30 mins of play. Huntington putting up 2 points on 1-5 shooting, 0 rebounds in over 19 minutes of play. Hard to win games with production like that from 2 of your key players. Really at this point in their careers should be coming off the bench in support roles rather than big minute starting 5 guys.

14. Redbacks
Previous ranking: 12
Redbacks def by Magic by 3
Its ugly right now. Currently 0-2 at the bottom of the ladder. On paper they have a roster one would expect to be at least a playoff team. Looking a long way off that right now. In a 1 possession game with the Magic to get near on nothing from their bench would be hugely disappointing for them. Anyone know what is happening with Timms?

Senators still have Zac Gattorna to come in as well

Thanks Max
Not sure how I overlooked this haha
thats a good piece.

Still something inside tells me they need a PG.

Now that I have seen most teams, and who is still to come in.......

1. Buccs
Defending champs. Didn't have their #1 scorer and still beat a full strength Tigers. So I can't think of a reason they shouldn't be #1.

2. Wolves
Already looking strong and they still have Wade and Coombs to be added. Scary.

3. Senators
They should lead the league in scoring this year, and still have Gattorna to come in. But like Boomer said, the backcourt is susceptible and is probably why they are #3 and not #1.

4. Flames
Like the 3 teams above them, they still have a major piece to join the line-up (Dove).

** Note **
The top-4 teams are a class-above, and all have significant players who haven't played yet.
I will be very surprised if any of these 4 teams are not top-4 by season end.


5. Giants
Almost could say they have the best import combo in the league. Bell knows how to score and Parsons reminds me of a top-of-his-game Brian Voelkel.

6. Magic
The biggest improvers, and as some would say, the biggest surprise. Goes to show you what having a couple of good imports (alongside a couple of very good Aussie scorers) can to do a team.

7. Tigers
Solid line-up, and the addition of Nelson makes them a top-8 team. However their bigs could be their achilles heel. An aging Vigor will miss games, it's a certainty. Which leaves Gak, who only managed 12 rebounds in the first 2 games.

8. Hawks
Typical unspectacular, boring Hawks line-up, but that's not a bad thing. The post-Parsons/post-Purser era means a reset, but they will still be thereabouts.

9. Slammers
Another big improver, and they will trouble some teams. When was the last time they made the playoffs? Around the Tre Nichols time I reckon.

10. Redbacks
Some are saying their team is good on paper. But is it? I've dissected it and I don't believe so. Maybe the pre-season hype was unjustified.

11. Lightning
Will live and die off the hand of Adewunmi. He was contained against the Giants and they struggled. More of a worry is that their frontcourt is weak. Yes, Davey is a beast but they have him running positions 1 through 5. He's really just a 3/4.

12. Eagles
Ditto Redbacks.

13. Cougars
Field is a shadow, Armour is a shadow, Vague is a 3/4 playing the 5. Import is a dud. Do they have a second import coming?

14. Suns
Two thirds of their best 10 are in the latter stages of their careers, or should have already retired. Do they have another import, or is that Michaels?

Predictions for this weekend?

The pressure mounts on Lakeside, Redbacks, Eagles?

Can the Cougars import actually play?

Cant wait to see Dove and Tuss in action!!!

Predictions NBL1 West Men Round 3

Friday: Hawks v Flames @ Bendat
Flames by 12
Flames too deep and too experienced. Unsure if Dove is making his debut or not but even if he doesnt Gak and Durnin too much for the Hawks interior. Walker is just a class above Abrom.

Friday: Lightning v Magic @ Lakeside
Magic by 11
Lightning dont match up well on the Magic. They lack a real PG and the Magic just brought in a stud at the point position. Im a big murray fan already. The other weakness for the Lightning is they have been getting smacked on the glass. Durr is a beast inside and the combination of Murray and Durr will cause big problems.

Friday: Tigers v Redbacks @ The Boulevard
Tigers by 10
Tigers coming off a close loss to the Buccs on the road last week will be keen to get back in the winners column. Redbacks dont have anywhere near the backcourt the Tigers have and I suspect it will be Dupree, Nelson and Scott that really cause them problems.

Saturday: Redbacks v Eagles @ Belmont
Redbacks by 3 on OT
This is the tale of two teams who are struggling. Redbacks to eek out their first win of the season at home.

Saturday: Slammers v Buccs @ Eaton
Buccs by 20
Just too much firepower and too much experience. Will Braun play?

Saturday: Cougars v Suns @ Wally Hagan
Cougars by 5
Both teams have issues right now. Father time being one. Going with the home court team in this one and picking Hunt to have a big one.

Saturday: Giants v Wolves @ the Palace (Kal) *Boomers game of the week*
Giants by 6
Wolves to get their first taste of a legit team in the 24 season and the travel and Kal crowd equates for a good 8-10 points on the scoreboard. Elliott v Bell will be a nice matchup to watch. Parsons and Davis also. Unsure when Coombes is due to join the team or when Wade is back. For now I think the Giants might have just a little more to go with.

Saturday: Flames v Senators @ The hot house
Flames by 4
Senators were VERY lucky to get out of jail last week against the Hawks. Facing the Flames on their home court they wont have that luxury. When will Gattorna join the Senators? Walker v Harris will be fun.

Sunday: Magic v Buccs @ Mandurah Aquatic
Magic by 3
Both teams on the back of a double header. Buccs have a heck of a weekend going to Eaton and Mandurah. Much like the case with the Lightning, the Buccs dont have the best matchups for the Magic. Not having Stewart or Meunier this year leaves some big gaps in the back court. Hunt and Wunderboy have work cut out with Durr. Molnar and Pesava will have to be firing for the magic also. Home court advantage might get them across the line here.

Predicted Player of the Week: Joel Murray (Magic)

Watching the Lakeside v Magic game! What a mess! Lakeside all out of sorts, really missing a real PG!- Coach Mike looks completely checked out too, not even getting his team fired up! Time for him to move on I think- they need a new voice!

Yeah Lakeside were all over the place. I agree TT a good PG is in need... much like the Redbacks. Mandurah are big improvers this season

Will Gattorna play tonight? Be a great game if he does. Always interested to see Harris play after he dominated in Adelaide a few years ago.

Hopefully Gattorna plays tonight. The Flames are at full strength now. The Senators will certainly need him with Gak & Dove inside. I watched the game last night. Dove was a little tentative in the first half being his first game in a new team. He started to click in the second half.

Hopefully Wade suits up for the Wolves tonight. I doubt Combs will play. I know his last game in Japan was last weekend so not likely he would be cleared to play even if he has joined the team. Looking forward to seeing the Giant's imports tonight. They have been killing it so far.

The Cougars pulled off a tight one- Armor looking good- bet you Lakeside and MM regret not resigning him! BIG MIStAKE
Did the Cougars release Morant already or is he injured?

NBL1 West Power Rankings - Round 3

1. Wolves
Previous ranking: 1
Wolves def Giants by 10
After grinding with the Giants in the first half, the Wolves found their mojo in the 4th q. Turnage after being quiet in the first half came out firing later in the game and looked like a different player. Turnage is leading the league in scoring at 33ppg and the wolves remain one of 3 undefeated teams. Still no sign of Wade and Combs still to come in. I predicted a close loss for the Wolves this weekend and currently calmly eating my humble pie. Kudos to the Wolves on weathering the road trip, bumpy first half and still being without 2 of their main guys to get a solid win.


2. Flames
Previous ranking: 3
Flames def Hawks by 10 and Senators by 22
Dove now in the lineup and providing them some nice punch off the bench. Expect that to change at some point in the future and either Durnin or Beard move to the bench. Short rotations for Petrik to get the job done mainly running with 7 guys. My concern for this group is can Godfrey sustain playing over 30 mins a game and stay healthy? Backup PG Hill isnt playing big minutes and theres not much else on the bench that would meet the expectations of playing big mins in this group. Gak is just off to a flyer averaging 23ppg and 12rb. He seems to be relishing the system and guys around him at the Flames. Walker looking ominous. Flames have patches where they just suffocate the opposing team defensively. As much as everyone notices their offensive firepower they have the ability to choke teams at the defensive end too. Currently 5-0.


3.Buccs
Previous ranking: 4
Buccs def Slammers by 8 and Magic by 1
Buccs remain undefeated after a crazy ending to the Magic game. Bertram hitting a 3 to put the magic up by 1 with 14 seconds remaining, followed by Keyes being fouled on a 3 point attempt and knocking down 2 of his free throws to go up by 2 with 9 seconds left. Magic missing a 3 to win the game on the buzzer. Still no Braun for the Buccs. Definitely adjusting to the new lineup with Stewart and Meunier gone. Keyes, Narkle and Hunt power the buccs scoring. Some nice contribution by young Griechen off the bench. Slammers gave the buccs a fight but the buccs showed their experience and depth to cruise in to an 8 point win. Tough double header but 2 wins for the boys in blue.


4. Senators
Previous ranking: 2
Senators def by Flames by 22
Need. Gattorna. Now. Starting to get exposed for depth, especially inside without him. The Flames dominated the Senators on the glass. I picked the Flames to get them but not to blow them out! England, Ellis and Pearl gave them good bench production but outside of Withers and Harris, none of their other starters give them much scoring wise. Really seem to be feeling the pinch at the PG spot also. Berry has some potential but is not established as one of the top tier PG's yet. Big year of learning for him. Does Cooper have any late signings up his sleeve? They sure could use another key guy!


5. Magic
Previous ranking: 6
Magic def Lightning by 24, Magic def by Buccs by 1
Tough way to not walk out with 2 wins this weekend. As expected, they belted the Lightning. Backcourt was too powerful and got to the FT line for 31 attempts to the lightnings 16. Statistically were very good, only committing 7 turnovers and shooting 52%FG abd winning the rebounding count. Utley is a big Corey Easley fan having coached him at Kalamunda and has pulled him out of retirement. Teaming him up with Dion Collins off the bench they could quite possibly take the award for the slowest bench frontcourt in the league. Easley would have to be in his 40's now? Molnar was again really good for the Magic this weekend. Im looking forward to watching this team live soon.

6. Tigers
Previous ranking: 7
Tigers def Redbacks by 20
Did what they should have. Tigers running with 9 guys in their main rotation in this one and the scoring spread was outstanding. Everyone contributed. No Williams in the lineup this weekend too.


7. Giants
Previous ranking 5
Giants def by Wolves by 10
Would be disappointed with this result. It was a chance to really announce to the league they are a team to be reckoned with on their home floor. To be up by 6 at 3 quarter time and lose by double digits, only managing 13 points for the 4th is not the way they would have seen that playing out. Parsons is emerging as an MVP candidate, stuffing the stat sheet each week. Currently leading league in assists and averaging 19.6ppg, 10rb, 7as. Bell is a tough guard and is fitting in nicely. Really need to be able to close out a game like that to be a contender.


8. Hawks
Previous ranking: 8
Hawks def by Flames by 10
Abrom was horrible on Friday night and with the firepower the Flames have you cant afford for your 20ppg scorer to have an absolute shocker and win. The Hawks are expecting a lot out of the young Phillips brothers. Whilst not top tier starting 5 type guys at the moment, they are gaining invaluable experience in those roles. Nobensi as team captain is really struggling to give meaningful contribution at the moment. 1ppg, 2ass, 14%FG, 1.3to in 19mpg. Maybe more of a spiritual leader for the group than statistically? Floyd is handy in the mins hes giving them, probably deserves more. The Hawks rebuild after such a successful era under Parso and Purser was always going to be tough. They are at least a lot more competitive than other teams who have shelled out huge money for their rosters.


9. Slammers
Previous ranking: 9
Slammers def by Buccs by 8
The Slammers are definitely improved on previous years. Currently on 1 win and 3 losses, I anticipate them to rise in the power rankings over coming weeks. Their 3 losses have come by the hands of the Flames, Wolves and Buccs. The 3 best teams in the competition. It was a tied game at the half to the buccs and were only down by 4 heading into the 4th. Tuach is again leading the way for the southwest team but now has a bit more talent around him.


10. Cougars
Previous ranking: 11
Cougars def Suns by 4
Although its a win for the Cougars, its not one that really brings a huge amount of confidence for me. They were down the entire game and if not for a blistering 4th quarter they would not have snuck out this win. As predicted, Hunt with a big one off the bench, putting up 19pts to lead the scoring for the cougs. Chan in the lineup gave them another much needed piece. no Morant for the Cougs. Maybe on a plane back home? or injured?


11. Redbacks
Previous ranking: 14
Redbacks def by Tigers by 20 and def Eagles by 1
I predicted the L and the W correctly but definitely not the W in the circumstances they occurred in. There is only one way to explain this W for the Redbacks. The Eagles choked. HARD. The Redbacks down by 4 with 12 seconds to go following 2 made Free Throws by Sunday Dech for the Eagles. Dimakopoulos responded by making a 3 with 9 seconds remaining. A panicked turnover with 4 seconds remaining and a foul on Cook-Green sending him to the line where he made 2 free throws. The only reason the Redbacks move up 2 spots is because of how dismally poor the Eagles, Suns and Lightning were this weekend. Timms announced his retirement during the week which is a big blow to the Redbacks hopes of improving their lot.


12. Eagles
Previous ranking: 12
Eagles def by Redbacks by 1
Snatched defeat from the jaws of victory to one of the poorer performing teams in the competition. Big money on this roster. 2 imports in Young and Watson, 2 NBL players in Dech and Okwera and a bigtime scorer in Sebit Reath. How they are not able to get the job done in a game like this is baffling

13. Suns
Previous ranking: 13
Suns def by Cougars by 4
Led the whole game really. Have enough pieces to beat a team like Cougars. Currently 0-3 and have yet to play any real contenders losing to the Hawks, Eagles and Cougars. Buckle up lads, this is going to be a very very long year.


14. Lightning
Previous ranking: 10
Lightning def by Magic by 24
It was an ugly loss on their home floor. Just not able to compete. Down by 21 at the end of the 1st quarter and never recovered. Only managed 11 points in the 1st. Blackmon expensive with his points again shooting 30% from the floor. Adewunmi only playing 16 mins. I have been critical in previous reflections that the Lakeside bigs dont have much offensive presence in the paint and this game showed it. Of Davey's 18 shot attempts, 9 were from 3. Jackson shot 4 attempts with 2 of them being from 3. Parkinson normally known to be a stretch big only shot 1 of his 7 attempts from 3 which was against the trend of the other bigs. Without a legitimate PG and some true inside presence this team is going to continue to struggle. Currently 0-3 and still yet to play the top tier teams. It doesnt get any easier for them this weekend having to go up to Gero to face the undefeated buccs on their home floor.

Boomer- You called it. Murray player of the week

Any know if Morant is injured or been fired already from the Cougars?

Grt work Boomer

Womens power rankings?

GoodSoup - Rockingham then daylight, Joondalup then even more daylight, then throw a blanket.

Cougars??? Still have imports to arrive too!

My rankings after Round 3.......

1. Buccaneers (last week 1st)
Tough roadtrip, and against 2 teams who are not lemons. Passed the test, and still have Braun to come into the line-up.

2. Wolves (2nd)
Better for the run after a difficult game in Kalgoorlie. And like the Buccs, have impact players to come in.

3. Flames (4th)
Move up a spot with the addition of Dove. Interestingly match-up against Willetton this week. How will Nelson be welcomed?

4. Senators (3rd)
Are 3-1 but their wins haven't been convincing, and their loss was a big one. Still waiting on Gattorna, and an away double-header this week could tell us whether they are still worthy of a top-4 ranking.

5. Magic (6th)
Certainly no flash in the pan this year, and they keep taking scalps. Unlucky to not give the defending champs their first loss. A tough double this weekend where will will probably see them go 1-1.

6. Tigers (7th)
Nelson gives them that edge, and despite not having a true PG, their backcourt is loaded with Dupree, Scott and Nelson. However still one injury away from disaster with their bigs.

7. Giants (5th)
Were the better team for 35mins against the Wolves, but capitulated in the 4th. Need to beat the Slammers at home this week to show that they are worthy of a playoff-bound team.

8. Hawks (8th)
Were outgunned by the Flames but have a chance against the Redbacks and Eagles this weekend to right the ship. With other teams looking over their shoulder, if they fail, they're out of the rankings top-8.

9. Slammers (9th)
Would be disappointed in their loss to a not-at-full-strength Buccs team. Another tough one this week with a trip to Kalgoorlie. Does this trip define their credentials?

10. Cougars (13th)
Back on the winning list, but it was a close one against an ordinary Suns team. Still not very convincing but their line-up seems to be a tad better than the rabble below them.

11. Eagles (12th)
Showing signs and have a point to prove at home against the Hawks this week. On paper they have a better line-up than PL, so a loss means they a deserved of a bottom-4 ranking.

12. Redbacks (10th)
They drop below the Eagles despite beating them last week. This is because they were at home and should have done a lot better than a 1-point win, which was after getting thumped by Willetton the night before.

13. Lightning (11th)
Certainly not seeing a Lakeside team we are historically used to. And it gets worse as I expect they won't compete with the Buccs up in Gero on Saturday night. In fact it could get ugly.

14. Suns (14th)
Still at the bottom, but a good showing against the Senators and Redbacks this weekend could move them up a notch or two.

Do the mens predictions above, factor in

Mandurahs imports

East Perth missing 2 starters

Predictions NBL1 West Men Round 4

Friday: Flames v Tigers @ Hothouse
Flames by 12
This should be an interesting game on a number of levels. Nelson's first game against his old club. Things reportedly didn't end well there. Petrik having an in-depth knowledge of Nelson's strength and weaknesses will look to really limit Nelson's impact on this game. Gak brothers facing each other. Gorjak facing his old team and matching up on his brother will make for an entertaining battle. Im not betting against the 5-0 Flames at full strength on their home floor.


Friday: Hawks v Redbacks @ Bendat
Hawks by 5
Im giving this one to the Hawks being on their home floor. Hawks have a little more firepower than the Redbacks offensively too. This is a critical game for the Redbacks. Last weeks get out of jail in the last 12 seconds was incredible but not something that gives me confidence they have turned a corner.

Friday: Magic v Cougars @ Mandurah Aquatic
Magic by 15
This is a bad bad matchup for the Cougars. Vulnerable inside and aging Armour and Field required to keep up with the likes of Murray, Pesava, Bertram and Molnar all in their prime. Hunt may need to be inserted into the starting lineup and have a lot more offense run through him if they are to have any chance here. I just dont see them being able to hang.


Friday: Suns v Senators @ Ray Owen
Senators by 10
Suns are just old and shorthanded when it comes to their roster. Huntington and Salinas could be in their final seasons. Michaels needs to have over 40 for them to be in the mix offensively. When you look at the wins the Suns had last year that was pretty much the scenario with Cook-Green dropping 40-50pts. Hes gone and Michaels isnt that guy. Withers and Harris will have a field day.


Saturday: Buccs v Lightning @ Active West
Buccs by 30
This is a conservative estimate on the margin. I wouldnt be suprised if its more.

Saturday: Eagles v Hawks @ Morley Rec
Hawks by 5
Another tight contest expected here by two lower tier teams. will be an imortant win for either team to chalk up given how they have both started their seasons.


Saturday: Redbacks v Suns @ Belmont
Redbacks by 3
Im trying to figure out who is going to handle the back end of the double header best. Im going with the younger Redbacks.


Saturday: Tigers v Senators @ The Boulevarde
Tigers by 7
I think the Tiges will have a little more depth to their roster and being at home should get this dub.

Saturday: Wolves v Magic @ HBF *Boomers game of the week*
Magic by 5
Elliott v Murray worth the price of admission alone. Turnage is going to have his work cut out and will need to get his average and more for the wolves to get this one. If Combs is cleared will make for a very nice matchup between he and Durr. Both teams have some nice additional options with the Magic having just a little more for me with Molnar, Pesava and Bertram. Wolves with Davis.

Saturday: Giants v Slammers @ Niels Hansen
Giants by 5
Slammers are a tougher opponent this year but its a tough ask to go out into the desert and win in a hostile environment. The Giants will be out for revenge after last weeks 4th quarter fade out. Tuach will have his numbers but will the other guys be able to provide meaningful production? Richardson looking as out of shape as ever and still playing big minutes.


Predicted Player of the Week: Todd Withers (Senators)

How long is it before Marty Zeller is asked to coach the Men's team at Lakeside as well as the women’s ?

Hey JT, after this weekend I hope!. Heard he has is outta favour with the club at the moment. Marty is such an amazing coach and can really communicate with his players.

Marty would certainly shake some things up for the better with the Lakesode Men's

We can only hope, JT. After another crushing defeat from Gero, it seems likely the only option is to pray for some kind of miracle next week. Word has it that his "influence" has seeped into the WABL program, leaving all the teams underperforming and looking very weak.

At the Magic x Cougs game- Morant back in the lineup- must have been injured last week. Looks a tad undersized!

I went to the Hawks vs Redbacks game. Gee the Redbacks chemistry is really bad. Everyone is frustrated. Body language is negative. Players getting subbed out just when they were starting to impact the game. Players were asking why they were subbed. I think a new coach is on the cards next season as I feel he's lost the team already.

I spoke with big Ioannis' family after the game and they said he is really frustrated with the team. He's such a high IQ passer but he hardly get's the ball because "point guard" Tevin Jackson just dribbles into the key and puts up forced shots. He get's his numbers in the end but to the detriment of the team.

The Hawks were up by 20 points and nearly blew it again in Q4 as the Redback got within 6 with 2 mins remaining.

Looking forward to watching the Wolves vs Magic game tomorrow... Go Wolfpack!!

gee whizz you wouldn't want to be Rendulic or Nixy. Showing the league big budgets don’t mean much if you can’t coach. Those records are fire able on those budgets

Do you know what their budget is, or are you making an assumption?

@TrevorTorrance.. let's talk observable fact.. Marty's track record in Australia previously is amazing, he has directly and indirectly (through coaches he mentored) put dozens of players in the NBL1, NBL,NCAA and many other professional leagues throughout the world. Laid the foundations for the team of the 90’s Souwest Slammers.
The man’s track record is amazing. It’s only a matter of time before all and sundry realise he is the best coach in WA by far!

It's ok. Awesome social media productions, that’s what really matters these days right?

Agree JT and he is super nice dude with great energy and is such a positive force to be around.

Being able to coach in the 90's and 30 years later are not the same
In three games they’ve looked very ordinary with a couple of wins against bad teams or what was Willettons d league team

Has the FIRE #mikemallat chant started yet? They should have won that game- Gero was really off in Q3 and they should have capitalised on that. Really missing Ro and Kyle too!

@Bohemian... pass the blunt! He had his best 4 players missing against Williston and still doesn't have his full lineup. Stay off the mushies bro

HAHAHA JT you must be joking

They lost to Mandurah without Jones. Benn and Gowland do not count

Mandurah are not good. Willetton are worse especially the round one D league team

Lakeside are a 5-6 playoff team at best and 7-9 worst.

Marty also mediocre at best

by the way no team has their full lineup.. that isn't stopping warwick or cougars from losing to bad teams.

So we all love MM and think he doing an amazing job with the Men? C'mon- Dude can't coach and needs to be replaced asap!

My rankings after Round 4.......

1. Buccaneers (last week 1st) 4-0
Still winning, still #1. Braun now in the line-up and also Fletcher Klasztorny suited up for his first game. Are Braun's 12mins of playing time a concern? Or had he just arrived? Their meeting this weekend with arch rivals the Giants should be Game of the Week.

2. Wolves (2nd) 4-0
Made a statement against the Magic with a 40+ win. Wade's influence obviously was important, but Coombs is no longer showing up on their team list on the NBL1 website. Is he still playing for them? They head down to Bunbury this week for what could be a nuisance game for them, against a nuggety Slammers line-up.

3. Flames (3rd) 5-1
Wouldn't have expected that home loss to the Tigers, but any team would have struggled against Willetton's offence last week, particularly from downtown. That said, they're still 5-1 and should comfortably account for the Cougars on Saturday night.

4. Tigers (6th) 4-1
Last week I said that the Tigers' back-court was loaded, and it was on full display against the Flames. A combined 65 points from Dupree and Nelson is tough - geez, the Magic as a team scored less than that against Joondalup. A pair of wins this week against the Suns and Eagles should see them advance to 6-1, and they will move up the rankings if Rocko falter against Cockburn.

5. Giants (7th) 2-2
Have the advantage of teams immediately around them falling over last week, so really move up to 5th by default. That said, it was a solid win over an underrated Slammers outfit. This weekend they have the toughest roadtrip in the NBL1 this year (nationwide) - up in Geraldton on Saturday night and then have to be down at Belmont for a 1.00pm game on Sunday. By my calculations that is 2000km+ and two games in the space of 16 hours. A split will be a massive win for them, but two losses won't be embarrassing.

6. Magic (5th) 3-4
Wouldn't be happy with their thrashing to the hands of the Wolves, after a solid win the night before. Let's blame fatigue, and against a very good Joondalup team who were fresh. And also not having Joel Murray who was out of the line-up due to a nasty face-plant the night before. Also Pesava missed both games. Should get past the Hawks this week if Murray and Pesava play, but if they're both still out, it becomes a 50/50 game.

7. Senators (4th) 3-3
Continuing their slide down the rankings after starting the season 3-0. Finished last weekend with a pair of 100-90 losses, which is not something you see every day. Just don't appear to have a quality starting big who can take the spotlight off their shooters - opposition teams can just extend their defence. Is Gattorna even suiting up for them, or was that clickbait?

8. Slammers (9th) 1-4
Took it too the Giants in Kalgoorlie but ran out of scoring options in the last. They can score, and the only reason they are 1-4 is that 4 of their 5 games have been against 4 of the top 5 teams - Buccs, Wolves, Flames & Giants. And three of those on the road. Surely it gets easier from here, and its starts with the Lightning on Friday night. Its a big game because it will actually show us their real credentials.

9. Eagles (11th) 2-3
Are we finally starting to see the true Eagles? On paper they have a top-8 team but paper can be screwed up very easy. Are Reath and Okwera the best big man pairing in the league? They manhandled a small Hawks line-up, and their starting-5 out-rebounded the Perry Lakes starters by 38 to 15. Have a tough one at Willetton this week, but against a Tigers line-up that has limited big man depth.

10. Cougars (10th) 2-2
Stayed with the Magic for most of the game, who were missing Pesava. But is this their line-up?? They're old and slow and need a Joel Murray/Randy Bell type. Morant is a waste of space and they need to swap him for a scoring guard or swingman. Though not ideal, their bigs can be covered with Vague, Pond and Field. It doesn't get any easier this week with a trip down to Rockingham.

11. Hawks (8th) 2-3
Is it just me, or are we all missing that pain-in-the-arse, nuisance Hawks team that always seem to over-perform each season? They are living and dying off the performances of Dequan Abrom at the moment, but he is hit and miss. We saw that at the Magic and probably one of the reasons they didn't get him back. And why is Vaiangina not starting? He is their best big but played just 17mins off the bench against the Eagles. This is despite scoring 25pts the night before against the Redbacks. Something is not adding up. Will struggle on Friday if Mandurah roll up with their full line-up. And might struggle against Lakeside on Saturday.

12. Redbacks (12th) 2-4
Back to the winning list with a win over the Suns, but let's be honest here - it was just the 13th-ranked Suns. Narrowly went down to the Hawks the night before, but again, this is the 11th-ranked Hawks we are talking about. So nothing from last weekend really tells us they are better than 12th. This week is a big test. They have a struggling Senators on Saturday night, and then double-up with a Sunday afternoon clash at home against what should be a very weary Giants line-up. If they cannot at least split this weekend, they deserve to stay in the bottom three.

13. Suns (14th) 1-4
Broke their duck with an upset win over the Senators, before taking it to the Redbacks the following night in a high-scoring affair. There is certainly a pulse, and their experienced line-up will help get them the odd upset this year, but that won't be enough to get them into playoff territory. Unfortunately though this week, they might be brought back down to earth by the Tigers on Anzac Day.

14. Lightning (13th) 0-4
Surprisingly held their own against the Buccs last week, only trailing by 5 points at the last break, before getting run over in the last quarter. However I do credit a lot of that showing to the 18-point/19-rebound game of Josh Davey. At 6-6" he is always coming up against bigger players, so does any forward in the league work any harder? Would the Lakeside coaches be worried about Mike Adewunmi? After scoring a round-high 38pts in week one, he has only amassed a combined 33 points in his next 3 games. He looks like the only Lightning player who could win a game off his back, but 11ppg in his last three isn't going to get the bickies.

Where's Woj bomb with his women’s updates

I heard that Mike Adewunmi hasn't had a car the past few weeks, as it broke down, so that could be the issue, as he doesn't have his creature comforts, someone at his level deserves! Needs a breakout game this week!

Combs team in Japan has made finals so his arrival has been delayed. Quarter finals last week.. Semi's this weekend. If they lose I would expect he will be on a flight next week.

What's happening in Kalgoorlie, men's coach flew out of town early in the week and the female assistant stepping up for this weekend.