A number of the National Basketball League’s nine teams, including the resurrected Sydney Kings, will be in action this weekend as the NBL pre-season starts to heat up with a pair of local derby games ahead of the season tip-off on October 15.
The Kings, who re-enter the NBL this season after a two year hiatus, will play their third pre-season warm-up match when they visit last season’s runners-up and intrastate rivals the Wollongong ahm Hawks at the legendary ‘Snakepit’ in Beaton park, Wollongong tonight (Friday).
Both the Kings and Hawks are undefeated thus far in the pre-season. Wollongong scored a convincing 84-63 win over visiting US college team the University of Hartford Hawks. The Kings also opened their pre-season schedule with a win over Hartford, downing the collegians 111-60, and improved to 2-0 with a hard fought 82-74 win over the Maitland Mustangs All Stars.
Friday’s match, which tips-off at 7:00PM, will be the first hit-out against NBL opposition for the Kings thus far and the first meeting with their New South Wales rivals since 30 January 2008.
The NBL’s two fiercest rivals, Far North Queensland neighbours the Skytrans Cairns Taipans and Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles, will open their respective pre-season campaigns this weekend when they square off in a ‘Reptile Rumble’ at Cairns Basketball Stadium on Sunday at 4:00PM.
Both teams have made significant moves in the off-season aimed at winning that elusive NBL title. Townsville have added big man duo Ben Allen (formerly St Mary's College) and Luke Schenscher (ex-Perth Wildcats), as well as guard Nathan Crosswell (formerly Melbourne Tigers) and import pairing Gabe ‘G-Force’ Freeman (San Miguel - Philippines) and Will Blalock (Reno Bighorns - NBDL).
The Taipans added Australian big man Alex Loughton (Ourense Baloncesto, Spain), as well as last season’s standout import from the Gold Coast Blaze Ayinde Ubaka and fellow American Arizona Reid* (Korihait - Finland).
Meanwhile, the Gold Coast Blaze will also participate in a pre-season game against the Korean National Team on Sunday at 2:00PM at the Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre.
Ticketing details for the games are below.
NBL Pre Season Games
Friday 3rd Sept - Wollongong Hawks vs Sydney Kings – Tip off at 7:00PM. Tickets Ph 02 4229 7722
Sunday 5th Sept - Cairns Taipans vs Townsville Crocs. Tip off at 4:00PM. Tickets Ph 07 4041 3000
Sunday 5th Sept – Gold Coast Blaze vs Korean National Team – Tip-off 2:00PM. Tickets Ph 07 3089 5500
