For old school hoopers (sorry Dixy) Jason Dix and Ron Nunnelly are 2 that immediately spring to mind. I thought Matt Hughes was an awesome player in ABL but didn't get much of a chance with Dunlap. Granted he did have some talent in front of him. Ben Osbourne had a go with Gold Coast, he was another that was destroyed in ABL.

That's all I have time for at the moment...

For me, Jason Dix could've had a shot. Paul Bauer deserved more time (was further ahead than Williams when they were both on the bench all those years ago).

Someone should pick up Pero and only let him get boards, block, give assists and dunk, but no shooting from more than a couple of metres out. I was pretty impressed with his ability to find team-mates under the basket, and the only thing really ugly about his game against Eastern was the shooting.

Pochintesta could get in. If Bradley wasn't American, he could be a back-up forward. Campbell maybe.

Osborne was a great player in his day. So was Travis Leaver, who got a go with the Falcons (well, a try out anyways). That whole Tigers group were very solid.

Of the young brigade who could still have a chance, I'd say Dave Florence has to be up there in the 'most wasted talent' category.

Personally, Osborne was better than Paul Bauer. Hands down.

I don't remember an Osborne, but then I never watched ABL games earlier than a few years ago. I can only remember names like Nunnelly from the times the scores made the newspaper.

BTW, I don't know how well-known or legit it is, but I've heard that there's a second SA newspaper starting up. Not sure what the target audience is, but could there be an opportunity for increased basketball exposure?

If write-ups, stats or tips were provided, would they make it in? It's probably a bit late for this season, but next year, remind me to have some "celebrity tipping" for the ABL. We'll get a few posters from this forum, take their official tips each week, and have a running tally.

New newspaper will be only made for Sundays, so we may be able to get Saturday nights games in. It just depends on when they print it...

I gotta agree with Hoop Addict, Ben Osbourne would have been better than Bauer, he was one of the smartest players going round. What happened to Florence? Last I heard he was at the AIS and then nothing.

I'm in for tipping! Do I count as a 'celebrity'? :-P.

Florence had 1 season at the AIS, came back and played most of a season for Tigers last year. Did some nice things, avg'd around 14 ppg and 9 rpg. Shot like Jacob though, in the 30-40% range. Currently he is living with his girlfried Hollie Grima in Victoria. As far as I know he's not playing any competitive basketball.

I don't know who Florence is, but he was playing with Waverley in the Big V as of early March (11th on the ladder at the time, now bottom).

I'm trying to get some stats for anyone who's interested.

Also in the VBL:

"The Big V today announced that it had validated Luke Coopers league record for assists set against Latrobe City on June 5. The Eltham Wildcats guard handed out 21 assists in a stunning display against the Pacers - a record that has been validated by a video review conducted by the League office."

VBL stats:

Played: 8 games (most recently 5th June)
Field goal percentage: 36.2
Highest score: 36 on 24th April

Averaging 21.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.4 APG in 35 MPG.

Well so much for my sources telling me he's not playing anymore (You know who you are...).

The ABL has had a lot of 'tweeners' playing.
In between ABL & NBL, in between a 2 and a 3 man, players who are solid ABLers but usually for lack of height, or an outside Jay can't get a look in at NBL level. i.e Scott Whitmore - solid 4 man for 10 years but at 6'6" needs to be more athletic, 2 inches taller and few kilos heavier.
There's been a few 4 men over the years who have been a few inches too short & couldn't play or defend the 3 spot.
Ray Dewitt, Stan Grigg, Marcel, Batarmentloo, Claytoe etc.

NBL guards need to be super quick, be creative, be smart, play great defense(on the import guard), have a decent outside Jay. There have been many good ABL guards recently but no real gems since an early Brad McKinnon. Bauer, Williams were o.k but were never solid.
It would be good to see Campbell, Clarke, Vandenberg, Pochahontas get a chance to train with the Sixers to see if they could cut the mustard.

If Dan Thompson ever recovers properly, does he qualify? He can play the 3, and play D on the quicks.

Ron Nunnelly
Jason Dix
Kelvin Henderson
Billy Fikes
Shane Ahmatt
Ken Bolt. Does anyone remember when he played for Woodville back in the early 90's? He was on fire every game!
Paul Mesecke
Brenton Campbell
Matt Sutton
Daniel Cioffi
Dave Florence

A lot of the guys on your list suffer from the problem Mr Farnsworth mentioned earier. Mesecke, Fikes etc are too small for their position at NBL level. Mesecke would be included in the Tigers group I mentioned earlier. Great ABL player, had smarts, played tough D. Knew his limitations when injuries caught up to him later in his career, and adjusted his game accordingly.

Nunnely was a gun, classic scorer. Ah Matt was good, I wonder how he'd be going if he were playing ABL now. Dix is another who is a bit of a 'tweener. Cioffi had his chance. I think attitude more than ability ruined his NBL career. I'm not sure sutton is even the best in his age bracket (he's an '84, I include '83s and '85s in his bracket) at his position. I'd rate Brad Gerlach ahead of him and probably even Erik Burdon too. Sutton has developed a long way in the past 12 months, but Gerlach is more established at ABL level and still has good upside. Erik is a pure shooter, better than Sutton. Florence had all the talent & physical tools you could ask for. Unfortunately a lot of basketball is determined between the ears.

A big problem for anyone trying to get a game in the 90's was that teams kept folding. At the end of the 80's Melbourne had 5 teams, you also had Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart etc so players could've got a look in back then, where now there is probably 60 less spots available.

Ron Nunnelly was a prolific SEABL scorer but I would never have considered him NBL material. If Ron had've become an Aussie then he might have suited, but as an import I don't think so. Billy Fikes had a pre season run with Canberra but same as Ron he should have stayed and eaten meat pies on Australia Day and got in the NBL thru the back door i.e Naturalising like Damon Lowery

Dan Thompson is a highly rated local player but needs to put in a very solid year first before getting a look in at the big show.
Maybe in the 'top ten in potential' - but as Ron Barrassi once said "potential comes out of the eye of your old man's knob"

Among Australian talent the answer is pretty simple - Jason Dix. For over ten years he has averaged at least 20 and 10. Coaches have played him form the 3-5 spots and has shared his time equally on the perimeter and in the paint. A fulltime basketball gig would have remedied his one obvious weakness lack of a consistent 3 pt shot. Can you imagine an SANFL footballer dominating the competition the way Dix has the Central Conference and not have been drafted. The sixers shouldn't be the only team to carry the can for this oversight. Think of the teams who really sucked 5-6 years ago. Dix would have been useful. Head to head Dix owns the honours over Forman, Brogan, Nash,Illman, Holmes and was even on points with Sapwell when playing for Nwd. If someone can mount an argument to not have Dix at the top of this list i would love to hear it.

Forget about american imports. Most of them that played over the years could have played NBL had they been naturalised.

I think Kelvin Henderson was one of the best imports to play State League as it was.

This is a tough one because there are alot of players at the same level of players, that made an NBL program, that have missed out on an nbl program. Eventhough NBL players in the ABA dominate, would they still dominate like they do had they not had their time in the NBL???

You get the guys that play ABL now from NBL programs dominating because of the level of competition they get at trainings plus they get alot of opportunity in their ABL clubs.

In terms of Australians:

Bartmentloo, Olbrich, Grant Yates, Marcel, Travis Leaver, Mrotec, Nick Coleman, Dix

While Dix is ahead of the pack, there are so many that I think could have played NBL if they were in the right place at the right time.

Didn't Bartmentloo play for the Sixers briefly a long time ago? I think he came in to Adelaide to play for Sturt a couple of times in the year I filled in as Manager, and I remember someone mentioning it.

The list is not that long, K Henderson is the best American ever to play ABL in Adelaide, as far as ABL'ers go the list should read

Jason Dix
Ben Osborne (at one stage the best player in the country outside the NBL)
Travis Leaver
Matt Hughes
There are plenty of others that on their day could play NBL but the above 4 didnt have to be absolutley red hot to crack the league.

C'mon old school hooper, Osborne was solid at best:
Dix is obviously no. 1,
Nunnelly was probably the best scorer this state has seen (with apologies to Bickmore in recent times)
Barmentloo was maybe the most naturally talented out of most of them (and played a season under Breheny at Geelong)
Henderson would have been solid at best(loved his competitive spirit though)

shane ahmatt ended up in college and being close to the family i can tell you that only personal reasons stopped him from playing any higher