Full-strength Canty should win

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 19

Full-strength Canty should win

Converse Canterbury started the 1986 Countrywide national men’s basketball league season looking at a small light at the end of the tunnel of success. In three months that small glimmer has sparked into a glowing reality as Canterbury starts the penultimate round of the championship against U-Bix Palmerston North at Cowles Stadium tomorrow evening. Canterbury is unbeaten in nine games, while Palmerston North has won five, including a good victory against 898 FM Hamilton last week-end, 113-101, but losing four. In its first round clash at Palmerston North, Canterbury won 81-74. Both teams have im-

proved markedly since then, particularly Canterbury, although you would not have known it as the Rams struggled to beat a second division team, Speights Otago, in the cur-tain-raiser to last Saturday’s international. Canterbury won 103-102 in the last couple of seconds after a lack-lustre performance. One of Canterbury’s leading players, Bert Knops, summed the match up afterwards by saying that Otago had everything to gain, while there was no real incentive for Canterbury. “It is hard to get motivation when most of the players consider the game more as a scrimmage,” said Knops. “Canterbury had come out of a

‘high’ after winning all its first-round league games and I guess it was just a time for a spell between rounds. Otago made the most of it and did well, but it still has a long way to go to get first division promotion,” he said. "Not that it lacks the ability, but a tiring series of qualifying rounds and then probably making it into the promotion-relega-tion series is pretty tough,” said Knops. No tougher than Canterbury’s run to the league championship, and a possible “first” national title for the Rams. It has been a hard season for Canterbury and it will get tougher as it pressures on for a spot in the finals at Wellington in mid-August.

Canterbury needs to win a further three games out of nine to assure itself of a place in the finals, but it would be better to qualify in style. It has already set a league record, being the first team to go through the initial round unbeaten. To qualify for the finals unbeaten would be a great psychological advantage. It can do it but it will require a great deal of dedication.

In the five years of league competition Canterbury has never got closer than third. That was in 1982 and last year. It finished fifth in 1981, sixth in 1983 and fourth in 1984.

On the other hand Palmerston North was third in 1981, eighth and last in 1982, and losing out in the promotion-relega-tion series, before returning to the first division in 1985, when it finished fifth. Palmerston North relies heavily on its two Americans, Tyrone Brown and Willie Burton, both described as forwards, but usually having varying roles. They were selected last season as members of the Countrywide All Star team (the others were Kenny McFadden, Ronnie Joyner and Stan Hill). Brown was awarded the Keith Carr Trophy as the most outstanding guard. He averaged 36.17 points a game, while Burton was the leading individual rebounder with a 16.2 average. Burton also shot an average of 28.6.

These figures speak for themselves and confirmed by the performances of the Americans against Hamilton last week-end. Brown finished with 34 points and Burton 31, besides countless rebounds.

The best known New Zealander in the Hamilton squad is Duncan Taylor, a 2m forward, and formerly of Timaru. He is a standby for the New Zealand team to Spain. Most of the other Palmerston North players, with the exception of Geoff Goodbehere, a guard, aged 30, are in their early 20s and with plenty of potential, although their biggest drawback will be lack of experience.

Palmerston North now shares third place in the league with Exchequer Saints (Wellington), Yamaha New Plymouth and Truth North Shore, all two points behind DB Ponsonby, but eight points away from Canterbury. The gap could change tomorrow evening.

Palmerston North has

beaten Canterbury before. Last season Canterbury won the first game away, 114-100, and then slumped to a 90-97 defeat at Cowles Stadium. If lightning strikes twice Canterbury is in for a hard time tomorrow evening. On the positive side Canterbury should not lose. The national basketball coach, Mr Bob Bishop, has released all his players for league commitments before they assemble in Auckland on Wednesday in preparation for its World Cup stint.

That means that John Rademakers and lan Webb will again be in the Canterbury line-up. That wil make a difference and a headache for Palmerston North. In contrast Rademakers plays his best games for Canterbury; he appears to “tie up” when playing for his country, while Webb is slightly the opposite, although his consistency is becoming more pronounced.

The Canterbury captain, Clyde Huntley, Rademakers and Webb on the decoy, with either Angelo Hill, John Hill, Bert Knops or Andy Bennett in the background and on the charge makes for one of New Zealand’s sports’ most thrilling spectacles.

Palmerston North’s Burton, Brown and Taylor will have their hands full combating a Canterbury team in full cry. They have not been alone this season, but the visitors could be on the thin edge of the wedge as the Rams, still smarting from last season’s second-game loss, want to prove it deserves its position at the top-of-the-table.