Basketball New Zealand

May 5, 2010

West Auckland men’s coach Kevin Goodwin is under no illusions about the task ahead if his team are to defend their national U21 title in Nelson this week.

“Our preparation has been fine, but we’ve been struggling with guys having to pull out for financial reasons,” he rues.

“We’ve been pulling kids in from all over the place.”

Goodwin assisted Tubs O’Riley last year when the Westies upset Porirua at the NZ U21 Championships in Tauranga. Point guard Houston O’Riley was named Most Valuable Player, while Zach Makavilitogia and Paaka Hakaraia were also named in the tournament team.

None are on the roster 12 months later.

“We’re substantially weaker,” says Goodwin. “Our starting five aren’t there … our starting six aren’t there.”

West Auckland have picked up 2009 tournament teamer Duane Bailey, Miah Makavilitogia, Patrice Bolstad and Jason Goodwin from the third-placed Waitakere/Otago team. They also have a smattering of North Harbour U19 representatives.

But they also have two tough pool opponents in Otago, packed with NBL rookies, and Western Bay of Plenty, stacked and coached by Jeff Green.

After losing to Harbour in a midweek friendly, Goodwin actually rates them the team to beat for the title … but he also knows he has his hands full even sighting them this week.

“We wouldn’t see them until the final … if we get that far.”
Harbour is built around the only Tall Black on display – centre Rob Loe – and their chances of winning pretty much depend on what mentality he adopts.

“I’ve coached Rob in age group teams at Harbour,” says Goodwin. “If he wants to play hard and they throw him the ball, he’s pretty hard to stop.

“But by the time they reach the final, a lot of teams will have tried to beat him up and he will be sore.”

Otago have Hayden Miller, Luke Aston, Riki Buckrell and Tom Rowe from the Nuggets squad, as well as former Junior Tall Black David Beck, who is now studying in the south.

Western Bay of Plenty is built around Green’s recent Fraser High School programme, with current JTBs Jerome Tafa and Max Williams added for good measure.

Porirua, guided by Junior Tall Black coach Deslea Wrathall, have been tough to beat in recent years at this level, and retain their strong nucleus of Brook Ruscoe, Jake Ashby and Manu Telefoni, along with JTBs Jordan Ngatai and Hyrum Hippolite.

At home, Nelson, coached by Tall Black assistant Chris Tupu, have a nice mix of NBL, JTB and national U18 experience led by point guard Josh Bloxham, while Canterbury promote the bulk of their squad that captured last year’s U19 crown in the same town.

In the women’s competition, champions Harbour return MVP and Tall Fern Natasha Hall and welcome back former Washington State University point guard Kezia Kelly.

But they may have their hands full defending their mantle, faced with a stiff challenge from a New Plymouth line-up coached by Trent Adam and featuring Tall Fern guard Zoe Kensington.

Fifteen teams will contest the men’s championship, five more than last year, and eight the women’s.

2010 NZ U21 Championships

Men
Pool A
West Auckland
Tauranga City
Otago

Pool B
Porirua
Counties Manukau
Nelson
North Canterbury

Pool C
Harbour
Canterbury
Wellington
Counties Manukau TWOA

Pool D
Hutt Valley
Palmerston North
Auckland
Waikato

Women
Pool A
Harbour
Otago
New Plymouth
Gisborne

Pool B
Porirua
Waitakere City
Nelson
Canterbury/North Canterbury

Wednesday, May 5

Saxton Stadium, Nelson
7pm
Technical & Referee Meeting, Saxton Stadium

Thursday, May 6

Saxton Stadium, Nelson
9am
Hutt Valley v Waikato (Men’s Pool D)
Auckland v Palmerston North (Men’s Pool D)
Harbour v Counties Manukau TWOA (Men’s Pool C)
Wellington v Canterbury (Men’s Pool C)

10.45am
West Auckland v Otago (Men’s Pool A)
Porirua v North Canterbury (Men’s Pool B)
Nelson v Counties Manukau (Men’s Pool B)

12.30pm
Harbour v Gisborne (Women’s Pool A)
New Plymouth v Otago (Women’s Pool A)
Porirua v Nelson (Women’s Pool B)
Canterbury/North Canterbury v Waitakere City (Women’s Pool B)

2.15pm
Harbour v Wellington (Men’s Pool C)
Counties Manukau TWOA v Canterbury (Men’s Pool C)
Hutt Valley v Auckland (Men’s Pool D)
Waikato v Palmerston North (Men’s Pool D)

4pm
Porirua v Nelson (Men’s Poll B)
North Canterbury v Counties Manukau (Men’s Pool B)
Tauranga City v West Auckland (Men’s Pool A)

5.45pm
Harbour v New Plymouth (Women’s Pool A)
Gisborne v Otago (Women’s Pool A)

7.30pm
Porirua v Canterbury/North Canterbury (Women’s Pool B)
Nelson v Waitakere City (Women’s Pool B)

Friday, May 7

Saxton Stadium, Nelson
9am
Otago v Tauranga City (Men’s Pool A)
North Canterbury v Nelson (Men’s Pool B)
Counties Manukau v Porirua (Men’s Pool B)

10.45am
Counties Manukau TWOA v Wellington (Men’s Pool C)
Canterbury v Harbour (Men’s Pool C)
Waikato v Auckland (Men’s Pool D)
Palmerston North v Hutt Valley (Men’s Pool D)

12.30pm
Otago v Harbour (Women’s Pool A)
Nelson v Canterbury/North Canterbury (Women’s Pool A)

2.15pm
Waitakere City v Porirua (Women’s Pool B)
Gisborne v New Plymouth (Women’s Pool A)

4pm
Men’s QF1 – A1 v C2
Men’s QF3 – C1 v A2
Men’s QF5 – A3 v C4
Men’s QF7 – C3 v B4

5.45pm
Men’s QF2 – B1 v D2
Men’s QF4 – D1 v B2
Men’s QF6 – B3 v D4

Saturday, May 8

Trafalgar Centre
9am
Men’s SF7 – Loser QF5 v Loser QF7
Men’s SF5 – Winner QF5 v Winner QF7

10.45am
Men’s SF6 – Winner QF6 v C3
Men’s SF4 – Loser QF2 v Loser QF3

12.30pm
Women’s SF4 – B3 v A4
Men’s SF3 – Loser QF1 v Loser QF4

2.15pm
Men’s SF2 – Winner QF2 v Winner QF3
Women’s SF2 – B1 v A2

4pm
Women’s SF3 – A3 v B4
Women’s SF1 – A1 v B2

5.45pm
Men’s SF1 – Winner QF1 v Winner QF4

Sunday, May 9

Trafalgar Centre
9am
Women’s Seventh/Eighth – Loser SF3 v Loser SF4

Men’s Seventh/Eighth – Loser SF3 v Loser SF4

Men’s 13th/14th (Nelson College) – Loser QF6 v Winner SF7

10.45am
Men’s Fifth/Sixth – Winner SF3 v Winner SF4

Women’s Fifth/Sixth – Winner SF3 v Winner SF4

Men’s 11th/12th (Nelson College) – Loser SF5 v Loser SF6

12.30pm
Men’s Third/Fourth – Loser SF1 v Loser SF2

Women’s Final – Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

Men’s Ninth/10th (Nelson College) – Winner SF5 v Winner SF6

2.15pm
Women’s Third/Fourth – Losers SF1 v Losers SF2

Men’s Final – Winner SF1 v Winner SF 2

2010 NZ U21 Championships Programme (pdf 799kb)