A NEW era has dawned for the Mount Gambier Pioneers basketball club, as it makes its first foray into the Basketball SA Premier League competition.
Just as exciting is the fact a women’s team will once again don the club colours, which has not been the case for many years.
Both sides kick their campaigns off this weekend with games against North Adelaide and Sturt, after a whirlwind pre-season preparation.
The Pioneers were unaware if there was a chance to play anywhere this year until after Christmas 2018 and have since rushed to ensure two sides are ready to hit the floor.
For men’s coach Richard Hill – who was left with just two players from the South East Australian Basketball League 2018 side – it is an exciting opportunity for the club and the community.
“It is a big weekend for Mount Gambier basketball and the Pioneers,” he said.
“It is uncharted waters and it is exciting.”
The preparation has certainly been disrupted, with the full roster still not in town.
The final American import – Kentrell Barkley – finally arrived on Wednesday, but Sam Daly is still involved with the Sydney Kings in their NBL playoffs campaign.
“Kentrell is here now, but it will be interesting to see whether he is able to play or give any input,” Hill said.
“He has come from Salt Lake City where it was snowing and it will be 42 in Adelaide tomorrow.
“If he can play and contribute it will say an awful lot about the bloke, but he is really excited to be here.”
Hill said he looked forward to the weekend ahead, which will provide a barometer into the strength of the men’s team.
“I feel pretty good about it all,” he said.
“I think we have done a terrific job with the team.
“A lot will depend on the imports, how well they do what I expect them to do.
“DayJar (Dickson) played pretty well on Sunday and I think Kentrell is really talented.
“We have Sam Daly to come in, Brad Rathjen is playing well and Braiden Ousey is doing really well.”
Another bonus just announced is the inclusion of Lachlan Hunter full time in the side.
Hunter has moved to Adelaide for university, but has decided to play for Mount Gambier.
“Late last week Lachie came to me and said he could not find anywhere in Adelaide he was comfortable and wanted to stay with us,” Hill said.
“He will come down Thursdays of every home game.
“He played pretty well last weekend.”
Hill said the feel around the squad was positive at this stage, with everything geared up for a big weekend of basketball.
He said he expected a tough first round, with realistic expectations from the side, considering the limited time to prepare.
“If we can split the weekend and be one-and-one that would be good,” Hill said.
“Two wins would be fantastic.
“I would be disappointed if we cannot win one of the games, but we have to respect all our opponents.
“I like our team, but I’m just not sure how good the others are.
“We will find out pretty quick.”
Hill said he also expected the weather to play a major role in the results.
“With the heat it will be a tough ask to back up on Sunday,” he said.
“So given all the heat, the travel and everything else, if we could win one game we will be pretty happy.
“But if we do not win any it will not be the end of the world either.
“We will be a lot better in a month’s time than we are now.
“If we can stay healthy and come together it will be a pretty good team.”
With the dust now settled after the dramatic end to the SEABL competition and the fight to save the Pioneers as a club, Hill thanked the wider community for the support shown.
“I had some people come up to me this week who are not basketball people and they pledged their support to the team,” he said.
“They said with what we had to deal with, they were behind us.
“There has been a lot of that.
“There has been a lot of support from the basketball community, but there has been tremendous support from the wider community.
“While they might not have been at games, they understand the importance of the Pioneers to the community.”
The Pioneers men face the North Adelaide Rockets tomorrow night, with tip-off at 8.15pm following the women’s game.
They back up on Sunday against the Sturt Sabres at 3.15pm.
