University’s win brings fresh interest

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 12

University’s win brings fresh interest

By

MURRAY OLDS

The upset performance by the University men’s basketball team at the annual South Island Easter tournament last week-end has fuelled considerable interest in the winter competition which begins today. University’s scarcely credible achievement in beating the defending champion. Jaks-High School Old Boys in the A grade final — it overcame a 16-point deficit to pip its rival 69-67 in a thrilling match — suggests the competition this year will be the closest and most exciting for years. The rags to riches style of University, which finished in seventh and last place in the winter competition last season, is the work of the American coach. Bob Bishop. Bishop only arrived in New Zealand in February, but under his able tutelage, University scored wins in both the men’s A and B grades at the Easter championships, and further successes this winter are obviously .there for the taking.

The University team is a young one — all of the A grade players are in their late teens to early 20s — but it is bursting with talent, and Bishop will not have to work all that hard to get the best from them.

One of the budding stars is Gareth Hare, whose superb performance at the Easter tournament earned him a late nomination for the national trials. Hare was the only player added to the squad from the three Easter championships around the country, and the former Old Boys player and New Zealand junior could force his way into the national team.

Other notable acquisitions for University include Pete Logan, who has played for Otago and who gave such a fine display in the Easter final; Robert Ruwhui, who has returned from representative basketball in Wellington; and Max Herriot, who was nominated for the national trials.

Add to the list the promising former Mairehau players, Carl Stent and John Caldwell, and the former Old Boys player. Matt Ruscoe. and the team looks a formidable one indeed.

Old Boys, however, cannot be discounted, and after the shock of the Easter defeat has worn off, the side will be determined to avenge the loss. There was no excuse for the way Old Boys squandered their match-winning lead in the final, but with the New Zealand representatives, John Hill and A

David Usmar, in the team, and a third player, Dennis Barry nominated for the trials at the end of this month, Old Boys can still do very well. Barry is a great acquisition from Checkers. He has been on the fringe of national selection for some time and is a stalwart of the Canterbury team; his experience will be invaluable. John Whelan showed at Easter he has lost none of the class that earned him a New Zealand singlet, and Alan Manco’s return

from Wellington more than compensates for the loss of his brother, Ed. Still another useful addition to the Old Boys line-un is the tall American, Bob Teitcheid, who proved so valuable for the team at the tournament last week-end, so it will be a foolish team that takes Old Boys lightly this winter.

Although Checkers were eclipsed at the Easter championships the side cannot be under-rated, for it suffered a particularly bad loss in its opening match when Geoff Longley injured his back again. A fit Longley, coupled with the experience of the

wily coach, Carl Dickel and the gains of Andy Millar (from Y.M.C.A.) and Kelvin Duff (Old Boys) will see Checkers back in the hunt for the senior title this season. Y.M.C.A. looked impressive during its section games in the Easter championships but was eliminated by Old Boys in one of the semi-finals. Nonetheless, the team has gained “Dutchie” Rademakers from Otago — he has been chosen for the national trials, and is a current New Zealand repre-

sentative — and John Bosch has returned from Australia. Y.M.C.A. could improve on its fourth placing in the competition of last season. Mairehau A may be struggling to retain its third placing of last winter in the face of the sterner competition this year, but the team has not suffered from any defections over the summer, and this is sure to prove a valuable asset.

Although the team was outclassed at the Easter tournament, Daryl Symonds, the Mairehau coach, will wring the best from his charges and Mike Seaward and Gordon Phillips

will form an experienced nucleus on which to plan and build. Burnside can never be taken lightly, and does not stop running and contesting for the full game, and Aranui, too, will once again try to upset predictions and win games from the top teams. The women’s competition is, if anything, more interesting than the men’s.

Checkers, the thirdplaced team in the winter competition last season, surprised everyone to come from relative obscurity and snatch the women’s A grade title at the Easter championships.

Checkers were not expected to do very well in the face of such tough competition as Tennis (Nelson) and the leading Christchurch team, Mairehau High School, which, won the winter competition in 1978. But Mairehau High School was knocked out of the Easter competition in the quarter-finals by Tennis, which in turn was beaten in the semi-final by Mairehau. Checkers downed University to make the final, which it won comfortably.

Thus Checkers has earned favouritism for the winter title. The evergreen Sharon Rennell has re-

turned, and played particularly well last weekend, while other gains include Leslie Hanham (from Nelson) and Jane McMeekan (from Otago).

Mairehau, led by Patsy Barry and this season coached by her busband Dennis, was a worthy finalist, last week after its splendid semi-final performance against the favoured Tennis team, and will be a major threat this winter.

Mairehau High School, winners of the competition last year, cannot be written off just on the strength of an indifferent Easter competition. The team has lost only the New Zealand representative, Jeanette Howard, from the fold and can be expected to do a lot better once it settles down to playing without her. University, fourth last year in the Christchurch club competition, served notice it will be stronger this time around with a good quarter-final win over Otago University. Beaten convincingly in the semi-finals by the eventual winner, it nonetheless will be a strong contender for championship honours, while Rebels, Continental Caterers Rangiora and Christchurch United are all capable of upsetting' the more fancied teams.