Basketball stadium bulges

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 17

Basketball stadium bulges

FRANK DUGGAN

The New Zealand Basketball Federation has many priorities to handle in the next 12 months, but surely the first is a new venue for the various senior national finals. The Walter Nash Stadium at Taita is just not good enough.. If the federation hopes to make mileage out of the phenomenal spectator interest this season, particularly from television audiences, it will have to ignore parochialism and use commonsense in deciding on a facility befitting the “showcase” of the sport.

The Taita stadium is too small, the seating is inadequate, and it is lacking in atmosphere. Its one saving grace is that it has perhaps the best basketball floor in New Zealand, but that does not compensate for its obvious failings. At maximum it can accommodate no more than 800 people, and that is being generous. One disgruntled spectator at last Sunday’s senior men’s finals, described it as being better suited as a venue for a cock fight. This criticism may be a little harsh, but shows that the federation will have to look seriously at another venue in Wellington — or else transfer the finals to bigger halls in other areas, such as the Y.M.C.A. in Auckland or Cowles Stadium in Christchurch. Auckland could handle well over 1000 spectators and Cowles, at a pinch, could seat 1700. Anyway what would be wrong with alternating the finals between the three centres? It is understood the federation has already looked into an alternative venue in Wellington, possibly the Winter Gardens, where the cost of laying a new floor would be close to $lOO,OOO. But the audience capacity would be much greater and capable of accommodating crowds far in excess of any other basketball facility in New Zealand.

If the federation proceeds with this plan, the administrative centre of the sport, at present based in Christchurch, would almost certainly move to Wellington. This is obvious. The strengths of basketball in New Zealand, both numeri-

cally and in standard to a large degree, lie in the North Island, and Wellington is a “natural” for a national headquarters. However, the federation is possibly still a long way from making a decision about an alternate playing venue in Wellington. The president of the federation, Mr Graeme Davey, and the executive director, Mr Joe McLeod, both of Christchurch, possibly see the present Wellington site as a rejection of any suggestion of bias from other associations. Continuing to make Wellington, as the capital, the central point for the annual meeting, the annual awards luncheon, and the scene of the national finals erases most administrative worries and, generally, reduced the cost of transportation for delegates and teams. However, the federation has now to be farsighted and make decisions, difficult though they may be and with the accustomed criticism, to accommodate the growing needs of the sport. The Walter Nash Stadium at Taita should not be included in the scheme of things. It just does not match up. Apart from the obvious defects of the Taita venue, last week-end’s national finals consolidated the North Island’s standing as the leading centre of national basketball.

Exchequer Saints-Welling-ton, in its second season in the Countrywide men’s league, reversed its defeat of last year by DB Auckland, in no uncertain terms. But for some inept shooting in the first half, Saints could quite well have given the Aucklanders a real drubbing instead of winning by 13 points, 96-83. If the Saints coaches, Terry Orchard and Angelo Hill, an American who is to apply for permanent residency in New Zealand, can keep the same squad together next year, the Wellington team should again be the hardest to beat. Yet it is well to remember that 3ZM Canterbury twice beat Saints in the preliminary rounds this season.

Saints’ champion, Kenny McFadden, returned to the United States the day after the final to be with his sick mother, but is expected back next year. Without McFadden Saints would be vulnerable next season, although if his team-mates rose to the occasion as Peter Ruscoe did on Sunday, the team would have few worries.

Finding two qualifiers from the second division to join the first division next year was something akin to a crash course in survival. Palmerston North and New Plymouth lasted better than Otago and North Shore in a gruelling series that had each team playing three games in 24 hours. Such were the demands that it is doubtful if the two eventual qualifiers were the best teams, and it would have been a better move to have the last round of games played on Sunday, which would have allowed the players more time to re-

cover from the earlier rounds. Generally the American imports on display in the four semi-final teams were disappointing. Joe Brown (Palmerston North) was one exception. It was evident from the second division games that there is a decided gap in the standards between them and the first division and the two qualifiers should have a hard row to hoe next season. The same can be said of other second division teams with the announcement at the week-end that as from next season teams in this grade will be allowed only one American player. The federation’s decision was gauged by the fact that some second division teams are having difficulty in meeting financial commitments. Reducing the number of American players to one a team was seen as one way of settling the books. The reasoning is questionable and will almost certainly lower the standard of

the division next year. It is doubtful if any second division club intentionally enters hard times by importing the permitted number of two overseas players and the imports, although some have proved of only average ability, have usually attracted more crowd interest. A course in public relations might have helped some clubs “sell” their imports to the public much better.

Hamilton completely dominated the Hertz women’s semi-finals and final. Nelson, the top southern division qualifier, had an exasperating tournament, losing games by a solitary point.

The tournament as a whole was a triumph for McFadden. Not only did he lead Saints to the major league success, but he was also awarded trophies for the top guard for the season and the top points scorer.

McFadden scored 476 points for an average of 34. Last year McFadden was also the top scorer with 517 points at an average of 37.