I believe the U16 were being named this weekend!!!

Final decisions were yesterday with the kids being told over the next day or so.

16 girls this weekend, 18 girls another squad cut this weekend only.

16 boys had phone calls last night

the kids who got the call know

Here is the team:

Daniel Carlin (Centrals)
Caelum Cousins (Norwood)
Alex Delina (Norwood)
Nathan Kareta (Sturt)
John Marriot (Sturt)
Josh Owen-Thomas (Sturt)
Jake Sadauskas (Norwood)
Nathan Spehr (West)
Chris Steele (West)
Blake Sutherland (Sturt)

Before the verbal "grenades" commence, remember these kids are under the age of 18 so they can not be "dissected" on this forum.

well done to all the boys now go kick ass

Any idea on who the reserves are?

A couple of obvious ommissions but good luck to all who made the team and may they compete to the best of their ability.

Anon #133265,

"A couple of obvious ommissions"?? Could you be more specific without mentioning names (as the kids are under age) - maybe position and club of the players you think should have been there.

In what areas is the team seem to be lacking in your opinion?

Good luck to the team. They have an awesome experience ahead. Value it and make the most of it.

I'm not the anon above, but I think the team picked looks well balanced & seems to have been selected on merit (just an observation from very afar).

Good to see the young Centrals lad make it, he's come a long way in a short time - a credit to himself as well as his club & state coaches.

Good luck to all involved. Let's hope for an injury free 2 months leading in to nationals so everyone will be able to perform at their peak.

Wouldn't it be sensible and fair to name all the state teams at the same time rather than prolong it in some cases for another couple of weeks.

Kramer, your suggestion would be too logical, so cannot be implemented

is the centrals lad their 5 player ?

Yes, the bottom age big kid.

he was very impressive - good defence straight up / elevation clean as well - blocks a lot and clean boards - bottom age as well - sounds good for the future.

no a lot of points in offence yet - but like his game.

Hey peterman

I'm not the anon you refer to above but you have to agree that you don't have to be einstein to see there are certain kids that should be in that aren't and vice versa. We are obviously watching different games or not turning up to all of the important ones - There is no need to name names as we cannot and should not. Just wish the group well and hope that the selections are correct cause everything else is hypothetical. The end position I feel unfortunately will show that they got it wrong big time.

I'd like to see some consistency next year thru all the age groups, with not only the times for trials on the initial State trials poster but selection dates for teams to be named on it and then have the respective coaches meet those deadlines. Also the cutting is like a dog's breakfast at the moment and a central directive should be in place where the kids are uniformly cut by letter or phone and not made to take the walk of shame across the SASI court.
It would be better for all concerned if there was a public timetable and this was adhered to as some selections are longer than 'Blue Hills'.

Kramer agree with you 100%.

Believe the current system is a reflection of the people running the game in this state and they have done so for many years.

I can hear them all starting to scream now ..............

To be honest they are just a boys club who could not achieve themselves as individual players.

Every age group is different. There is no use pigeon holing cuts and selections as there are so many variables that need to be considered. An example of this is the Under 18 girls more injuries than normal this year. There is some merit to selections being done and players notified at the same time in the week after State Championships, but again there are some events which may need to delay this. One size does not fit all for State teams.

Kramer,

I think its easy to say comments like "don't have to be einstein to see there are certain kids that should be in that aren't and vice versa" & "A couple of obvious ommissions" - and then not back it up with any basis for your arguments.

How about a hint as to some specifics that you see lacking in the team selected e.g. - "too top heavy", "not enough organisers", "lack specific players that provide a skill at a higher level that others selected cant". If your going to throw a statement out there than at least try and narrow your argument to something tangible. In this way we can might actually have something to discuss.

Also, your comment - "We are obviously watching different games or not turning up to all of the important ones" - Unless you have gone out EVERY Friday night to watch ALL of the players perform, as well as seen every player develop, respond and perform at trainings, I highly doubt this comment is correct. Unless of course you are the coach, which means you are bagging your own selections!?

Is there a specific example that you can sight that any of the selected players havent performed at a higher level in one of those "important" games AND that the players you believe should take their place have?

Its fine to argue a position for or against selection, but how about putting some "specifics" to it.

Just think, unless I am not mistaken, we have 7 more State teams about to be announced. Do you think each one will be dissected like this one is about to be? It will probably turn into a flame-fest that will last for days. Why don't we announce a team every 3 or 4 days so we can have one long bitch until Nationals. Then as soon as teams lose start again and bash the crap out of them for a month after the championships. If we really put our mind to it we can whinge, moan and complain about State teams for a good 3 months solid.

Krammer old buddy old pal.

What team do you coach? When did you last put your rep on the line?

Why don't you enlighten us with what sort of program you might run and include training times, number of sessions, philoshophy of offence and defence as well as synopsis of strengths and weaknesses in the age group.

Then using your knowledge explain how multiple sessions might inpact the development and therefore the selection of those players in the age group.

Finally, could you include a little piece on what are the overall trands in Australian basketball and how you could influence the players in the age group towards further opportunities at Australian camps, AIS scholarships and towards professional opportunities.

Otherwise your just some ignorant parent who can't understand that their kid just wasn't good enough to make it.

Luv ya style newman

HELLO NEWMAN! kramer isn't married so if you'd watched more episodes you'd have left out the end bit. Criticising an overlong selection process and differing cutting styles doesn't have much to do with what your on about.
Wrong guy Peterman , it was George.

krmer, is there a book on 'cutting styles' as you put it? Is there a perfect way to do it? If there is I am sure there would be a uniform method. Until then, what would you suggest happens when you are cutting kids? Would it be the same at the start of the trials as at the end?

U/18 girls many injuries, Players wid scolarships always picked & certain princesses from certain clubs picked, I believe no kid should have to do the walk of shame, why not a phone call or a letter, Its time S A S I had a fresh install of new management & new coaches that dont coach in the grades that they are selecting for State... Many been involved since Noah was around!!!!!

Wall of text Anon.

There is no perfect way but there is a civilised and responsible way.
There is a world of difference between initial large cuts and squad to team cuts which most would appreciate.
Players who have trained with and against each other for 8 or so weeks probably have earned the right to hear privately why they have not made the team and not have to immediately face their team mates and parents assembled.
Telephone is a personal and professional way of allowing a cut player dignity to receive the news and react privately. I think it's ridiculous to suggest players might not be there if a time was set down to receive the news.
Yes anon, Coaching is a hard job but clear, consistent across groups and gender guidelines on when teams were to be named and how the cuts were to be made would simplify their job enormously.

Kramer,

Phone is impersonal and you are unable to see an body language response. It is the least a coach can do to talk face to face when the player has given so much time and effort in trainings.

When you have 15 players to talk too with 5 - 10 minutes feedback for each you would be spending about 1-1.5 hours on the phone.

Between the forst and the lasy person MSN, text and calls woul be running wild. Players would hear from their peers rather than the coach who is in the team.

Country do it by letter and this year one player heard from other players in the team that she had been cut before getting the letter. Same can happen with a phone call.

Politics picks state teams so political correctness should deliver uniform methods of cutting which would mean that at least one component of the process was kosher.

thesoupnazi,

If picking the kids who give the team the best chance to win is poilitics then we totally agree.

So what exactly is the best method where players don't get hurt?

And if different coaches use different methods, surely this means that they are just different people dealing with different situations?

Yes crusty it does mean that their using different methods and no I don't think it does anything other than add to the conspiracy theories doing the rounds that they can't name teams on a set date, cut uniformly and appear to be more organised.
One team isn't being named until tomorrow and others were known a couple of weeks ago. The U20 teams are done in a few weeks so why the delays?
State teams need to have an air of stability and reliability and clearly defined guidelines should be widely known and adhered to.
The best method you asked for: Clear timelines.
Cutting process profiled and the times and dates set.
Criteria for selection verbal and written adhered to.
Shorter trials longer team trainings.
Written feedback to all participants.
An appeals process.
A clear and precise statement on who selects the team.
State coaches appointed on a roster system or from the top four coaches on the summer ladder by a panel of district coaches .
State coach must coach the age level at district that he or she wants to coach at state.
There are more but you get the picture and you may be able to come up with much better ones.