Canterbury, Saints basketball clash intense affair

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 25

Canterbury, Saints basketball clash intense affair

By

FRANK DUGGAN

Tomorrow may be April Fool’s Day, but it will be no joke as far as the Canterbury and Saints (Wellington) Countrywide national men’s basketball league teams are concerned.

The clash at Wellington’s Madgwick Stadium should provide an exciting entree to what is expected to be a league season likely to eclipse anything previously accomplished in the nine years of the competition. And what better start than Canterbury versus Saints, possibly the most colourful and spectacular league teams ever, and intense rivals over the years who have consistently provided thrilling displays before capacity crowds.

Tomorrow evening should be no exception. Statistically, the odds favour Saints. The highly successful Wellington team, with all the razzle-dazzle and glitter of a Broadway production, has a record to match both Its on and off-court activities; life is never dull when the Saints and its entourage are around. It has demanded only the best from its players, administrators and its flashy and volatile host of supporters — the Saints parochialism is so intense that usually Canterbury supporters at Madgwick are allocated two separate seating areas, one in the “safety” area behind the scoring bench and the other in an out-of-way, but safe spot, behind the eastside backboard.

Anywhere else, and if Canterbury happens to be in front, is something of "noman’s land.” It is then sometimes wiser to avoid team recognition and generously applaud any successful move, irrespective ■of where your loyalties lie.

It Is also better to leave the heroics to on court and later take out any frustration on an unsuspecting and usually disinterested taxi driver as you cruise to your accommodation or favourite watering hole.

Apart from the league finals, there is nothing quite like it, whether it be Madgwick or Cowles stadium, and Canterbury and Saints are never disappointed.

The matches have become something of a North versus South clash for island supremacy and in this field the north, mainly Saints, has led the field. North Island teams have won the league title seven times out of eight, a magnificent Canterbury effort winning the championship for the then coach, Gary Pettis,

and his squad against Saints in 1986. Saints has virtually dominated the competiton since it first entered in 1983, winning four times (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988) from six attempts and finishing runner-up on the other two occasions.

On the other hand, in the last eight years Canterbury has been successful once, was runner-up in 1987, third in 1982 and 1985, fourth in 1984, fifth in 1981, equal fifth last year and sixth in 1983.

Saints’ virtual domination of the league has been created by several factors, the main one being an open chequebook for the best talent available.

It has always been well coached, has the best of administrators, and a fine team spirit, as well as a budget that to other teams is mind boggling. Success breeds success and Saints is the best example of it in New Zealand. However, it is not unbeatable, although pre-season form, particularly at the North Shore tournament last week-end, has shown it will take a superlative team effort from any rival to beat them, more so at this stage when some of the other teams lack match play. Canterbury is in this category. Whereas as Saints gained valuable fitness in a series of early matches, highlighted by its unbeaten six-match record at North Shore, Canterbury is starting almost “cold,” the North Shore outings being its first, which is about a third less than the other teams.

However, Canterbury has a tradition of playing its best when rated the underdog and if determination is any criteria, Saints can expect top competition tomorrow evening.

Canterbury’s coach, Keith Mair, rarely predicts a result and was non commital a couple of weeks ago about the team's final ranking at the end of the season. Suffice to say that he would have a lot more confidence if the team had had an injury-free build-up and more pre-season matches. He expects Canterbury to be at its best in the league's second round, but he must have been more than pleased with Canterbury’s third placing at North Shore.

The inclusion of the New Zealand captain, Glen Denham, is a real boost for Canterbury and the inclusion of several promising youngsters has given the squad an added depth. Saints won something of a coup when it signed the former New Zealand forward, Neil Stephens, after five

years in the United States. He and the “Terrible Twins,” Kenny McFadden and Kerry Boagni, should be able to create all sorts of havoc with their opposition. Yet Canterbury has the skills and the men to blunt the threepronged attack. If Canterbury and Saints are not enough, every other team in the league, with the possible exception of Waitemata, has strength to claim it will make the finals at Auckland at the end of the season.

North Shore, last year’s beaten finalists and again under the care of last season’s “coach of the year," Doc Ward, will have a Canadian Olympian, Gerry Besselink, pairing in the guardline with last year’s high-scoring American, Tony Webster. The former Canterbury player, Angelo Hill, will have Regan Truesdale, a 1.93 m guard, as his American teammate in the New Plymouth line-up, which is virtually the same squad as last year. John Welch, the league’s most valuable guard last season, has Lamar Jackson as his fellow American for Waitemata and they should be the major contributors to a side which appears lacking in depth.

As the season grinds on, Waikato will almost certainly miss the services of Denham to Canterbury, although his replacement, Michael Foster, is regarded as a capable guard. The fellow American and former Nelson player, Frank Smith, is back again, while Mark Clarke, a tall centre, has been recruited from Auckland. Palmerston North’s re-en-try into the top division should prove interesting, more so because it will mark the reappearance of the legendary Stan Hill, and his two main assistants will be the busy Tyronne Brown and Willie Burton.

Nelson has struggled in the last couple of seasons to avoid relegation, but appears to have better prospects, this year. Ritchie McKay, one of last season’s success stories, will be joined by another American, a forward, Kenny Stone, Dave Smith, formerly with Hawke’s Bay, is now in Nelson, and a national representative in the guardline, Chris Simpson, was a consistent scorer last season.

Few people are prepared to forecast the four eventual finalists. Mr Mair said at the week-end the standard of the seven teams at North Shore, including second division Hutt Valley, was so even that the season promised plenty of surprises. Tomorrow might be one.