THE HAWKS
Head Coach: Brian Goorjian
Assistant Coach: Jacob Jackomas
Returning: Sam Froling, Emmett Naar, Daniel Grida, AJ Ogilvy
New: Deng Adel, Cam Bairstow, Tyler Harvey*, Deng Deng, Isaac White, Max Darling, Justinian Jessup
(NS), Akoldah Gak
(DP)
Need: Cam Bairstow to get – and stay – healthy.
Depth Chart:
PG: Harvey* | Naar
SG: Simon* | Jessup
(NS) | White
SF: Adel | Deng | Grida
(inj.)
PF: Bairstow | Darling | Gak
(DP)
C: Ogilvy | Froling
The Latest Word: The Hawks relocated to Albury on Boxing Day and, according to head coach Brian Goorjian, are already enjoying themselves in the town that LJ built. “For a lot of people this would be horrible and difficult but my team is young, new, hungry and excited,” Goorjian told
The Age‘s Roy Ward. “We get to put everyone under the one roof, we can do film work at night, we can eat together and Albury has provided us with an excellent place to lift [weights] and the basketball courts are excellent.”
MELBOURNE UNITED
Head Coach: Dean Vickerman
Assistant Coaches: Justin Schueller, Rhys Carter, Darryl McDonald
Returning: Chris Goulding, Mitch McCarron, David Barlow, Shea Ili, Jo Lual-Acuil, Sam Short
(DP)
New: Jock Landale, Scotty Hopson
*, Jack White, Yudai Baba, Mason Peatling
(DP)
Need: Nothing. They’re good to go.
Depth Chart:
PG: McCarron | Ili | Short
(DP)
SG: Goulding | Baba
(SRP)
SF: Hopson* | McDaniel
PF: Barlow | White | Peatling
(DP)
C: Landale | Lual-Acuil
The Latest Word: Melbourne have added NBL legend Darryl McDonald to their coaching staff and had star import Scotty Hopson join their group at practice for the first time today. United also announced last week that they’ll play their first three home games in Bendigo as the Australian Open takes over John Cain Arena throughout next month. Tickets for The Throwdown on January 10 go on sale today.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
Head Coach: Dan Shamir
Assistant Coaches: Mody Maor, Chanel Pompallier, Jacob Mooallem
Returning: Corey Webster, Finn Delany, Tom Abercrombie, Rob Loe, Jarrad Weeks
New: Tai Webster, Lamar Patterson*, Colton Iverson*, Dan Trist, Rasmus Bach, Kyrin Galloway
(DP), Taine Murray
(DP), Isaac Davidson
(DP)
Need: A trans-Tasman travel bubble.
Depth Chart:
PG: T. Webster | Weeks
SG: Patterson* | C. Webster | Murray
(DP)
SF: Abercrombie | Bach | Davidson
(DP)
PF: Delany | Trist | Galloway
(DP)
C: Iverson* | Loe
The Latest Word: The Breakers, who are currently based in Melbourne, played United in a closed-door scrimmage just before Christmas and will soon have similar hit-outs with both the Phoenix and the Wildcats. In other news, I’m hearing that high-scoring guard Corey Webster is currently nursing a sore left hand. Hopefully it’s nothing serious and he’ll be right to go for the start of the season.
PERTH WILDCATS
Head Coach: Trevor Gleeson
Assistant Coaches: Scott Roth, Jacob Chance, Luke Brennan
Returning: Bryce Cotton*, Mitch Norton, Clint Steindl, Jesse Wagstaff, Majok Majok, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Jarred Bairstow, Luke Travers
(DP), Taylor Britt
(DP)
New: John Mooney
*, Todd Blanchfield, Kevin White, Andrew Ferguson
(DP), Corey Shervill
(DP)
Need: A local centre.
Depth Chart:
PG: Norton | White | Britt
(DP)
SG: Cotton* | Swaka Lo Buluk
SF: Blanchfield | Steindl | Shervill
(DP)
PF: Travers
(DP) | Wagstaff | Bairstow
C: Mooney* | Ferguson
(DP) | Majok
(inj.)
The Latest Word: Cotton’s citizenship papers haven’t come through yet so the champs have been scrambling to find a local big to fill out their roster. In the meantime, I’m listing Mooney at the five and am also including exciting youngster Luke Travers in the starting line-up. Travers started both of Perth’s recent hit-outs against the Hawks and his versatility allows Gleeson to keep both Steindl and Wagstaff as impact veterans off the bench. If it happens it’ll be a pretty great story. I mean, when was the last time a DP started for an NBL team in their season-opener? As for their final roster spot… don’t be shocked if three-time champ Tom Jervis comes out of retirement to fill that void. The big fella is heading back to WA with his family and recently signed with Rockingham for the upcoming NBL1 season.