VITAL BASKETBALL TOURNEY AT TIMARU

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30466, 13 June 1964, Page 11

VITAL BASKETBALL TOURNEY AT TIMARU

TT is vital that Canterbury wins the men’s basketball regional qualifying tournament at Timaru today if it hopes to compete in the New Zealand championships later in the season. The tournament, conducted annually among Canterbury A, MidCanterbury and South Canterbury, is virtually an elimination contest, the outright winner of which gains the right to enter the national tournament.

Since the regional qualifying tournament scheme has been in operation, Canterbury has always emerged a comfortable winner. However, it has. long been the cherished dream of the smaller Mid-Canterbury and South Canterbury associations that one day they would be able to field a team strong enough to topple Canterbury—an attitude which should not be taken too lightly.

Canterbury is expected to win fairly comfortably today but surprise upsets are not unknown in men’s basket-

ball and against teams which have nothing to lose, overconfidence could prove fatal. Nevertheless, such ah outcome is unlikely, and the Canterbury coach-selector (Mr P. Doogue) has chosen the strongest team possible from the players available so that nothing is left to chance.

The team, which has been limited to seven, is: M. Bach, R. Darsono, P.. Dyson, J. Earles, R.. Entwistle (captain), N. Saunders, R. Zachariassen. With the exception of Earles, who played his first game for Canterbury A against The Rest last Saturday, all have represented the province on numerous occasions.

Earles, a young player of considerable potential, represented Wanganui last season. His form this season has been reasonably good but would undoubtedly improve with a little more forcefulness and dedication. He has a beautiful driving lay-up in his repertoire of

shots which has occasionally been used to good purpose in inter-club matches.

After many poor performthis season and last, P. Simpson, once the -most promising of Canterbury's young players, has finally been dropped. He has had more opportunities to make good than any player deserves, and has failed with all of them. Good club performances could regain him his position, but it will be an uphill struggle. It is pleasing to see that Saunders has evidently achieved the necessary standard of fitness to be included in the side, for he is a sound player by any standards and his long experience could prove valuable. He recently represented Canterbury against Nelson, his first appearance for the province since the late 1950’5.

Burnham’s key player, Dyson, has again found favour with the selector and understandably so when con-

sideration is given to his performance in the recent trial match. Perhaps more than anyone else in the team, he drives very hard under the basket and is also a very hard man to pin down. His determined type Of play could prove a decided asset against the less experienced Mid and South Canterbury players.

. Entwistle was the obvious choice for captain. He has been playing representative basketball almost continuously for Canterbury since the mid-1950’s and there is still no sign of a decline in his performance. This season he has been playing better than ever. In the three matches played by Canterbury he has scored 47 points, 28 points more than the second highest goal-scorer, Zachariassen. Matches played at the tournament will be important to the local players individually. It is the desire of any men’s basketball enthusiast to represent his province at the island and

national titles and a poor performance could cost any one of them a chance of gaining this honour.