# NBL News 8/22



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Razors vs Kings sell out *

complete article

The NBL pre-season is heating up with the West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney Kings game next week already sold out.

The Razorbacks and Kings battle it out on Tuesday night at 7.30pm at Hornsby Basketball Stadium.

The Razorbacks have received an early blow with news that James Harvey will miss the clash after he was told to rest for two more weeks to give his Achilles tendonitis time to fully mend.


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*36ers finalise squad*

The Adelaide 36ers have finalised their roster for the 2006/07 Philips Championship season after Forestville guard Matt Sutton and Sturt centre-forward Jordan Dodman joined the 10-man rotation.

Sutton, 22, is a 194cm point guard and Dodman, 19, a versatile 206cm big man.

"Matty has really developed into a good point guard," 36ers coach Phil Smyth told the Adelaide Advertisers Boti Nagy.

"He's even improved since the Port Lincoln camp but then training daily against Mahersy and Willie will do that for you.

"Jordy is still developing, is in the Australian youth team and training very well."
Star import Nick Horvath joined his new team earlier this week for his first training run and looked every bit the star that he is.


complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Turkey down Boomers*

The Australia Post Boomers lost a tight game to Turkey in the second game of the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan going down 68-76 on Sunday.

Brian Goorjian's Boomers opened the tournament with an outstanding victory over South American powerhouse Brazil, but they undid some of their good work on Sunday giving up a 14-point halftime lead.

"The first half we played like we did against Brazil," guard Luke Kendall said.

"In the second half Turkey played the way they need to for the tournament and we need to do that as well.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Boomers stun Brazil*

A vintage performance from Brisbane Bullets team mates Sam Mackinnon and CJ Bruton guided Australia to an upset victory over medal fancy Brazil in the opening game of the men's basketball world championship in Japan.

Bruton got the team off to a hot start and finished with 16 points while Mackinnon added 15 in the 83-77 victory that will shock the competition and give the Australians a great chance of reaching the second round.

For a team missing the likes of Chris Anstey, Matt Nielsen and Glen Saville, the Boomers executed superbly midway through the final term to build a 10-point led and then survived a furious Brazilian rally to get off to the perfect start in the event's toughest pool.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Wildcats win tournament*

The Perth Wildcats have smashed Korea’s LG Sakers 86-64 to win the Asian Professional Basketball competition in Taiwan, sweeping the tournament undefeated despite playing eight games in nine days.

The Cats‘ defensive efforts were superb throughout the game, especially in the second term when they held the usually free-flowing Sakers to just nine points.

Tony Ronaldson hit a game-high 23 on the back of 6-of-7 from the three-point line, while Paul Rogers had his usual superb game with 16 points and 13 boards and with Justin Brown snaring eight rebounds, the Cats smashed the Sakers on the boards 42-27.

Complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Ng wins top honour*

Adelaide 36ers recruit Darren Ng has topped an impressive off-season in the BankSA League winning the South Australian Basketball Woollacott medal.

Ng, 22 playing for Sturt, won in a landslide with 50 votes from Forestville superstar and dual medallist Jason Dix on 38.

South's Damian Scanlon was a long way back third with 30 votes, Ng's 50 coming off 14 first preferences, three seconds and two firsts.

A popular victory and one of the most predictable in recent memory, Ng's BankSA League best 29.6 points per game made him the most dominant player in the competition and proved he is in good form ahead of the 2006/07 Philips Championship season. 

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Worthington: look what we have*

Forget the players who aren't here representing Australia.

The ones who did travel to Hamamatsu, Japan, for the FIBA World Championship proved with an 83-77 upset of Brazil they have plenty off firepower and nerve.

There is no David Andersen, no Chris Anstey, no Matthew Nielsen and no Glen Saville.

But there is Brian Goorjian, a master tactician and motivator who coaches the Boomers, and there are players like Mark Worthington who are ready to do whatever it takes to win games in Japan.

Worthington came off the bench on Saturday and played 14 minutes. With his team trailing 38-32 in the second quarter, he nailed back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game and shift the momentum to the Australians.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Thomas returns*

The Melbourne Tigers have welcomed back one of their key players from last season’s Championship winning team, Dave Thomas.

DT touched down in Melbourne on Sunday after spending the off-season in the United States.

There will be no rest for the All-Star guard, who averaged 16.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 36 appearances last season, as he is scheduled to join his team-mates at training on Monday morning.

Thomas joins a Tigers unit fresh from winning the Singapore Cup last week and will get his first look at new recruit Nathan Crosswell.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Franklin headed South*

The South Dragons have added explosive two-guard Kavossy Franklin to their inaugural roster, the Houston-born 31-year-old set to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.

Franklin, touted as one half of the NBL’s best ever import duo by national coach Brian Goorjian in the 2002/03 Sydney Kings Championship team (the other league-MVP Chris Williams), most recently played in the NBL for the Hunter Pirates (2004/05) averaging 20 points and four assists.

He replaces departed trial import Christian Anderson, who began the clubs pre-season a few weeks ago but was released as the Dragons coaching staff declared they required a two-guard.

“We’re bringing together a championship winning backcourt in Kavossy and Heal,” said Dragons assistant Scott Ninnis.

Complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Reptile Rumble*

The Cairns Rawnet Taipans have announced that they will host the Townsville Crocodiles in the annual “Reptile Rumble” pre-season match in Cairns on the September 14, at 7.40pm.

The match is the first and only chance Cairns fans will see their team in action before the start of the season, with the game to be played at the Cairns Basketball complex, Aumuller Street.

The first pre-season meeting between the two rivals in Townsville last week was an exciting clash with the Cairns Rawnet Taipans taking the match 116-110. The return match is sure to be just as thrilling, with both sides keen to round out preparations for the start of the Philips Championship season.

It will be the last pre-season match for the Taipans, with the club to field a full strength line-up for the clash according to Head Coach Alan Black.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Greeks arrogant: Mackinnon*

Australian Boomers veteran Sam Mackinnon has labelled the Greek basketball team arrogant ahead of their World Championship clash on Tuesday.

Greece lead Group C with two straight wins in Japan and are heavily favoured to make it three from three against an the Boomers who are sitting 1-1 after two games.

The Brisbane Bullets star made the arrogance claim in the lead up to the big clash and believes if the Boomers play well they can defeat their more favoured opponent.

"The way they walk around the hotel and the way they are, they have an arrogance about them," Mackinnon told AAP’s James Dampney.

"They've been around for a while and don't really say anything to you. They just look at you.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Crocs surprise packet*

Townsville Crocodiles import, Jelani Gardner, is proving to be a real surprise packet with the 195cm guard revealing he would not be playing basketball if he had not received a kidney transplant.

The American import says he is fit and ready to take on the Philips Championship but admits the move to Australia would not have been possible without the transplant in 2002.

Gardner suffered a kidney disease that threatened to cut short his promising career, until his mother donated one of hers after discovering they were a perfect match.

Mr Gardner says he feels he is playing better than ever.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*All-Star Khazzouh*

West Sydney Razorbacks rookie, Julian Khazzouh, has topped off a dynamic Waratah League season with a place in the All-Star team announced on Tuesday.

On Saturday, Khazzouh contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds in his Parramatta Wildcats’ 112-91 semi final victory over the Illawarra Hawks at Shoalhaven.

The next day the Cats’ bubble burst with a 77-128 Grand Final loss to the Sutherland Sharks - despite another double-double outing from Khazzouh who finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds.

Khazzouh’s Waratah season has seen him emerge as the League’s top shot-blocker with 3.6 a game and leading offensive rebounder at 5.9. 

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Boomers feel pressure*

Australian pop icon John Farnham once ruled the charts with the song, ‘Take the Pressure Down’. This would be a most fitting anthem for the Australian Boomers heading in to their preliminary round match with Greece.

After setting up a seemingly insurmountable lead in the dying minutes of their opening match against Brazil, the Boomers made hard work of closing the deal, giving up several careless turnovers as the athletic Brazilians pressed for a last minute victory.

While the Boomers hung on, 83-77, they must have sensed a feeling of déjà vu when, after leading Turkey by 14 points at half time in the following match, they failed to account for the aggressive trapping defence of the Turks.

This time the young Australians were not so lucky, being left to lick their wounds after a 76-68 defeat. No doubt Greece, whose unforgiving half court defensive pressure led them to a European title in 2005, have been taking notice.


complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Brebner realises dream*

Former Warrnambool Seahawks player Dean Brebner has achieved his life-long dream of playing in the NBL after he was picked up as a development player with the South Dragons recently.

The 22-year-old has been playing with the Geelong Supercats this season in the SEABL competition.

Brebner said he heard the Dragons where holding open training sessions and he decided to try out.

"It was just scrimagging up and down the court then I was asked to go to Dragons training and from there was offered a development contract," Brebner told David Chapman of the Warrnambool Standard.

complete article


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Gibson wins SEABL honour*

Brisbane Bullets young-gun Adam Gibson has won the 2006 SEABL South Men’s Australian U/21 Youth Player of the Year Award after a stellar season with the Hobart Chargers.

The award recognises improvement and development in players throughout the 2006 regular season. To be eligible to win this award, players must have Australian Basketball Nationality and be under the age of 21 at the conclusion of the ABA season. It is not a requirement to be a first year player.

Gibson playing his third season in the SEABL was a valuable contributor for the Chargers finishing the season averaging 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals. Gibson received Player of the Week recognition for round seven, after bagging 29 points, six rebounds and two assists, helping the Chargers to a successful 1-1 road trip on the mainland. 

complete article


----------

