Basketball New Zealand

BBNZ AA Secondary Schools National Championships

Nobody touched Wellington’s St Patrick’s College in the 2007 championship. And now the path to the title most definitely goes through them.

Defending boy’s champions St Patrick’s College earned the top seeding for the Basketball New Zealand AA Secondary Schools Championships, supported by Furnware, in Palmerston North from September 29-October 4 after rolling to the zone three title last week.

Led by Junior Tall Black Brook Ruscoe and national under-18 team player Manu Telefoni, St Pat’s went undefeated in the zone three qualifier in Napier, crushing Palmerston North Boys High, who reached the national semifinals last year and earned the fourth seed for 2008, 112-75 in the final.

Behind St Pat’s with the second seed is Dunedin’s Otago Boys High, who defeated Christchurch’s St Andrew’s College 79-61 to win zone four premiership, followed by zone one winners Westlake Boys College, after a 90-61 win over Rangitoto College in the final, with the third seed.

Paired with St Pat’s in section play will be eighth seed Hamilton’s Fraser High, who won the zone two championship in convincing fashion but dropped behind Rangitoto (fifth), St Andrew’s (sixth) and last year’s runners-up Nelson College (seventh) in the seedings.

Rangitoto will join Palmerston North Boys High, while St Andrew’s will be paired in a section with Westlake Boys and Nelson College with their South Island rivals Otago Boys High.

The top-four girl’s seedings mirror the top four from 2007, with defending national champions Church College taking the zone two title and the top seeding.

Zone one champions Rangitoto College earn the second seed, followed by South Island champs Waimea College and New Plymouth Girls High from zone three.

Massey High, who finished 10th at last year’s nationals, finished runners-up in zone one last week to take the fifth seed, while two newcomers – Hamilton’s Fraser High (sixth) and Christchurch Girls High (seventh) – follow, before Christchurch’s Marian College at eight.

In section pairings, Church and Marian Colleges will be grouped, Rangitoto College with Christchurch Girls High, Waimea College and Fraser High, and New Plymouth Girls High and Massey High.

The boy’s tournament sees six schools that missed the 2007 nationals joining the high school party – Mt Albert Grammar School from zone one, Tauranga Boys College from zone two, Francis Douglas Memorial College and New Plymouth Boys High from zone three and Shirley Boys High and Waimea College from zone four.

Mt Albert Grammar School from zone one, Fraser High, St Kentigern College and Cambridge High from zone two and Christchurch Girls High from zone four will be the newcomers in the girl’s draw.

2008 Basketball New Zealand AA Secondary Schools National Championships

Qualifiers

Boys

Zone 1
Westlake Boys College
Rangitoto College
Dilworth School
Mt Albert Grammar School
Kelston Boys High School
Onehunga High School

Zone 2
Hamilton’s Fraser High School
St John’s College
Church College
Tauranga Boys College
Hamilton Boys High School
Rotorua Boys High School

Zone 3
St Patrick’s College
Palmerston North Boys High School
New Plymouth Boys High School
Francis Douglas Memorial College
Wellington College
Mana College

Zone 4
Otago Boys High School
St Andrew’s College
Nelson College
Shirley Boys High School
Waimea College
Middleton Grange

Girls

Zone 1
Rangitoto College
Massey High School
Auckland Girls Grammar
Avondale College
Mt Albert Grammar School
Northcote College

Zone 2
Church College
Hamilton’s Fraser High School
Cambridge High School
Tauranga Girls High School
St Kentigern College
Hamilton Girls High School

Zone 3
New Plymouth Girls High School
Hutt Valley High School
Mana College
Wellington East Girls College
Sacred Heart (New Plymouth)
Napier Girls High School

Zone 4
Waimea College
Christchurch Girls High School
Marian College
Rangiora High School
Cashmere High School
Rangi Ruru Girls School