Vitatops Monkey Monkey
Years ago
Messenger ABA Preview by Dale Clarke
STATE LEAGUE BASKETBALL
Can anyone stop the mighty Mavs?
By DALE CLARKE
THIS time last year a certain Messenger journalist predicted Woodville to be the great slider of the ABA season.
Six months later they had won the state league title, proving that either last year was an even year and tough to predict, or that the writer in question didn't know what he was talking about.
We'll go with the former.
This year looks just as even. With the slight exception of the Eastern Mavericks, who look a standout on paper, depending on which of their three Sixers players end up playing, no team could bank on being there at finals time, or count themselves out of contention.
The Mavericks will draw big crowds with upcoming Sixers guard Brad Hill and fringe Sixer Ben Madgen lining up each week, and on the odd occasions when Commonwealth Games Boomer Jacob Holmes plays, the fans will be flooding in. So will the Maverick wins.
Holmes said last week he would be lining up for the Mavericks for some games after May, "if they accept (him) at short notice."
Considering Holmes brought in around 35 points and 20 rebounds per game in the 2004 finals series, one would think Coach Richard Hill might be able to slot him in for a few minutes somewhere.
The women's title could go to any of five teams, and separating those five is no longer as easy as a win against the Central girls of old. The Lions will come out with some roar, and the women's competition is up for the taking.
Norwood's men's team comes into this season with a question mark over its head.
Last year the Flames came into the season with big expectations, having won the silly season and carrying a lot of depth into the winter season.
This year, the Flames have lost Scott Arnold, but gained Adelaide Sixer David Cooper.
Cooper will line up for the Flames from week one, but just how much he plays through the season is yet to be seen.
If he plays more than half a season, that alone will make the Flames a threat.
Then there's the big what if . . . will coach Rupert Sapwell be suiting up?
Not surprisingly, both of Sturt's teams will be around the mark again this year.
The club will hope its spoilt fans, who have the likes of Oscar Forman, Darren Ng and Todd Gower on show every week, will take their seats this season, after some disappointing crowd numbers last year.
Arguably the most exciting team to watch has been playing to small support, but with the prospect of Forman lining up against fellow Sixers David Cooper, Jacob Holmes and Paul Rees, Pasadena is sure to draw big numbers.
Brett Maher is also listed with the Sabres for the season ahead, but how much he plays is yet to be seen.
The Sabre women will again be strong, with New Zealand national starter Angela Marino and the three Bowley sisters - which are soon expected to be heritage-listed - forming a daunting side on paper.
They'll almost certainly be there on Grand Final day.
North Adelaide could be facing a tough year in the men's, with veterans Mike McKay and Nathan Hawkes moving on.
This will be the first year of the responsibility at the Rockets being given to their strong young brigade, and with titles a near certainty in the next few years, 2006 will be a positive for the club regardless of results.
With Sixer Nick Hambour headlining the Rockets act, the results could be quite positive anyway.
The women will have no scoring and winning machine in Erin Phillips this season, but they only had Phillips for half the games last year, so they will still go deep into the finals.
Young Lightning guard Erin Lorenzini will line up in the SA state league for the first time, and providing the splinters from sitting on the Lightning bench don't give her injury trouble early, she will draw in the crowds at Hillcrest.
Forestville's men are not worth an each-way bet . . . put it all on for the win!
Two-time Woollacott Medallist Jason Dix will be fired up for a full year, uninterrupted by injury, which took him out of the 2004 season.
The Eagles lost last year's Grand Final, and they have added to that side former Woollacott Medallist Scott Arnold, and with the continued growth of young guns Matt Sutton and Matt Gange, they will be very tough to beat.
The loss of Jason Farman could hurt the Eagles' strong big man department, but they still come up looking stronger than last year.
The Eagle women will have another national-league calibre starting five, with Narelle Lindsay and Dee Ranford leading the way, along with young Lightning player Rebecca Duke.
Still on betting, don't put money on South Adelaide making the finals (there's the 2006 version of the Woodville kiss of life).
South has lost key rebounder Steve Pilkington, and looks on paper like a weaker side than last year's which missed the finals.
However, if Damian Scanlon can bring the goods which earnt him MVP honours in the silly season, and if Agel Machar (the tall African who was unable to play last year) can fill the void left by Pilkington, the Panthers could surprise.
Despite an exodus of players that would make Moses drop his staff, South Adelaide's women could surprise a few doubters this year, with their signing of two Canadian players.
The Panthers watched no less than five of their players march south-ward to Morphett Vale to join the Tigers, so most pundits will write of South's chances.
But the Canadians bring hope.
As with most import-type players, it will be a wait-and-see to find out what they will bring - any ice hockey-style body-checking could make for some interesting viewing at Marion.
The Southern Tigers have been busy in the off-season.
Losing key scorer Josh Wood to a US College, the Tigers have more than made up for his loss by picking up point guard Joel Goodenough from Eastern, and five-club NBL veteran Matt Alexander.
With the addition of captain Matt Clarke, back from his year-long knee injury, the Tigers should be around the mark.
The Southern girls will field a strong side for the first time in recent years, and finals should be on the agenda at Morphett Vale.
Tiger fans will be well-rewarded for making the early games this year, with Tracey Beatty and Nerida Cooper heading the Tigers' list of recruits, along with Terri Jo McNamara, who was influential in South's finals-drive in 2004, but was out of the league last year.
The Tigers also have raided the Panthers for Colleen Kaesler, Michelle Traener, Rebekkah Redden and also picked up former Panther Olivia Warnes, who played last year for Canberra in the Waratah ABL.
Central has an exciting year ahead. It is one of the most promising signs for basketball in SA that the Lions' women's team is likely this season to notch up its first win since 2000, and that the men are in it to win it.
Last year saw a vast improvement in the Lions, with the addition of Victorian scoring machine Jye Watson, and Justin Wilkey returning to the Lions' den.
This year, they have added classy former Woodville guard Jarrod Graves, and will not go into the season with the underdog tag.
The women's team has recruited two players - Jae Conn and Louise McLean - from Warrnambool, where Watson is from, and if they can help bring a win to Starplex, there's a good chance they'll be given the keys to the north, and all the Holden Monaros around there too.
Conn has already shown promise, earning all-star five honours at the pre-season Blitz.
She could prove to be a scoring machine, having netted 50 points in a game for Warrnambool in the VBL in 2002, and starring in division two US college basketball the year before.
Woodville's men have retained a similar squad to last year, so will start close to favourites.
The Warriors were great to watch last year, their players bringing a hard-working intense style of play, and with Cameron Wilson and Andrew Puddifoot leading the way again, fans can expect more of the same.
The Warriors will also have the inside presence of Sixers fan-favourite Paul Rees.
West Adelaide, despite winning the pre-season Blitz, will not start as one of the heavyweights for this year.
The Bearcats will rely heavily on gun three-point shooter Danny Phillips, who gave spectators at the pre-season Blitz a highlights package of what he was capable of, hitting seven threes in the 24-minute Grand Final.
With Blake Truslove staying in New Zealand, West's success could depend on what roles big names like Daniel Cioffi and Mark Nash play later in the season.
If, as expected, they both don't play, it's tough to see finals at the Port this year.
West's women will be one of the five teams to be reckoned with, boasting Lightning players Sam Woosnam, Cherie Smith and Erin Seward.
Men's top five: Forestville, Eastern, Woodville, Sturt, Norwood.
Women's top five women: Sturt, Forestville, North, West, Southern.
