THE South East Australian Basketball League season is upon us, with Round 1 kicking off tonight.
Changes to the format this year sees the competition run in just one bracket, rather than the two conferences of previous years.
A new team enters – Diamond Valley – and the Mount Gambier Pioneers are set to defend their national championship title, with their first game of the season tomorrow night against the Geelong Supercats.
The side has seen a few changes in the off season, with new personnel joining the roster.
Adelaide 36er Majok Deng was a late inclusion in the squad after his side’s success at NBL level, arriving in town just yesterday.
So far the pre-season has seen seven matches for seven wins, four of those against SEABL teams on the road.
For head coach Richard Hill all is on track.
“We have got a lot done in a short time, which is pretty much how we have to roll,” he said.
“We have had seven games in four weeks, which is pretty busy.
“We had the Millicent tournament, then two two-game road trips and we won all those games.
“Some of the opposition were below strength but we faced a full-strength Kilsyth and we got over them.”
Hill said he understood Deng had other commitments as the 36ers chased a championship title, in which they were unsuccessful against Melbourne United, which left little time to become acquainted with his new team mates.
He said Brad Hill was well on his way to full fitness after recent ankle surgery, while the remainder of the roster had slotted together well, including high profile recruit Lewis Thomas.
He said he expected the side to be as competitive as in recent years.
“There is no guarantee our run of success will continue,” Hill said.
“Our aim is for that to happen, but good things do not last forever.
“We are trying to sustain what we have had for as long as we possibly can.
“We still have a really good core group together and we are confident the team we have put together is more than competitive compared to other years.”
Hill said the side was solid, with the likes of Tom Daly, Brad Hill and Erik “Eze” Burdon strong leaders, along with Kane De Wit, who he said is stepping up after playing in three consecutive national title games.
Luke Jamieson returns for his third year, while other recruits such as Kyle Tipene and Chol Luk have fitted the system well.
“For Tom, Brad and Eze, this will be their sixth season together,” Hill said.
“Kane De Wit has been here for four seasons, as a young kid to start with and now he has developed into a terrific young man who I think will have a big year.
“Kyle Tipene is a Mount Gambier boy who we have added to the squad.
“With the recruits we have picked up, we have tried to make sure they are guys who fit, from a basketball point of view and a personality point of view.
“We think we know what works, we think we know the type of guys we want and we think we have been able to bring those type of guys in.”
As for the change of format in the league, Hill said it should not affect the side too much.
“Instead of conference finals, now there will be a quarter final and semi-final series,” he said.
“If we can finish in the top two, we can still achieve two guaranteed home finals.
“If we play well and perform to our level we still should be able to get those two home finals, firstly for our fans and to hopefully be able to make the journey to the national final a little easier.
“It is probably a bit disappointing it takes away a little bit of the excitement or entertainment value of the two conferences, but obviously we are a little bit biased because we have won five in a row.”
In recent years the competition has been tough, with no easy games.
That trend continues from the first tip off this year, with the Pioneers on the road to face the Supercats.
“We only have 20 games, so there is not a lot of room for error,” Hill said.
“Geelong in Geelong is a tough start, but if we can get a win out of that it will be a good start to the season.
“It is certainly not going to be easy – we have to drive and play on game day which is not an easy task – but we have done that before.
“Geelong historically have made the playoffs 20 years in a row, so they are always a good side.”
Geelong has experienced changes itself, but like the Pioneers has players who have been the mainstay of the club for many years.
The Supercats reached Round 2 of the East Conference playoffs last season, where they were soundly defeated by Nunawading, while the Pioneers went on to dispatch Nunawading in Round 3, before going on to claim the national title.
Head-to-head last season the Pioneers were reasonably comfortable victors over the Supercats on both occasions they met.
Both sides will clearly be motivated to succeed in the opening round and however it pans out, one thing is certain – the Pioneers are still driven to succeed and if all goes to plan and the team gels once more, Mount Gambier fans can expect more of the same from the reigning champions in 2018.
