Haven't seen them play but have seen their results. No pure scorers or shooters, rely on Cambage to do the bulk of the scoring.

Just saw the AIS take on Bulleen today (Sun 9th Nov) - Bulleen were comfortable winners and I think the Boomers have one of the best squads the club has ever seen.

The AIS are young but good - and they can only get better. Cambage is my pick to be the dominant player of the WNBL over the next few years (she's destined for Europe). Avging 15ppg at an avg of 20 mins per game is extremely impressive for an 17 year old.

The AIS guards are mentally tough, still have a few years to go before they can mature physically so they are always going to be 1/2 a step slower and a little less stronger than the best in the league.

I think the AIS is looking at the longer term development picture (why play Campage only 20 mins???) which is a shame because they are capable of better than 2nd last on the ladder.

Cambage gets few minutes for two reasons IMO.

1: While for her size and build she is quite fit, she still doesn't posess the fitness to play a whole game. After about 3 minutes of play you can tell that she's sucking it in.

2: She fouls out after about 15 minutes anyway!

But in saying that, I think as soon as she can get these two aspects of her game under control she is going to absolutely DOMINATE.

Thought the girls might struggle in the WNBL this season. Hope they get better as the season progresses. Absolutely love Cambage, she's still young but when she finally matures she will kill it. Any thought on the AIS boys and who you might think will dominate next SEABL season?

How do they normally fare? This is somewhat expected result? Since they are younger and other teams have pro imports?

Cambage is certainly a good talent. once she matures enough to realise she is taller and bigger and the only way other teams have a hope is to scratch and scrap with her she will be a lot better. Gets too annoyed by the niggle and so easily fouls out, once able to overcome this she will be a top player in the WNBL. She is young though.
Whole team are young but do have some discipline problems and esp with one or two (likely to be same as mentioned above) that just do what they want on and off the court and there are no ramifications for them. Current coach doesnt have the ability to control them for whatever reason and if left to continue as is some of them may not ever get over it and will be huge amount of wasted talent and take a while for the AIS program to recover from it. If they dont start teaching some discipline it will be a few years of hard work to change that culture again, which isnt great.
Interesting comments re coach not stopping for time out when needed and maybe not playing for win... If this the case then should be taking the chance to discipline players with some time on the pine as that is part of learning surely????

Yes there are a couple of egos but can't see the coach doing anything about it as he hasn't in the past. Coach needs to get some balls and bench the so called divas and give more court time to the players that actually want to play like a team? I'm guessing it's a couple that have been with the team the longest? Having been at the AIS for two years I thought those girls would be way ahead of the new crop but I haven't seen too much improvement from them in recent times so how do they keep their scholarships? All the girls that had scholarships this year have had them renewed for next year but with the boys four wont be coming back so at least Marty Clarke is bringing in some fresh blood that puts pressure on the ones that have had theirs renewed.

Can someone puleese clarify - AIS - Australian Insitute of Sport - they are based in Canberra? are they not? where are all you guys from that you get to see them play all the time - Canberra? Or is there a website that we can all watch their games on? and find out who gets what court time and get to see how bad the coach roooollllyy trooolly is?

I believe AIS has an exemption from NCAA that if you play for them you can still do college.
Edinburgh you are right would have been nice to see one or two move out so as to put pressure on the remaining players that they need to work a bit harder and improve attitudes/discipline.
Also to 'Puleese Explain' last weekend both games in Melb vicinity so easy to watch them. IMO coach seems to have hands tied a bit with what he can do in terms of benching players due to lack of other options. Maybe it is perceived pressure by him but maybe the program would benefit from girls getting benched for one or two games if not doing right thing and the whole program wears the big loss that will occur. Eg this Saturday against Adelaide they wont win so might as well gain something from it (ie discipline) if nothing else. Just my thoughts though.

Ignorance is Bliss, isn't it people. Numerous AIS players have gone onto college. Emma Langford is playing in Wyoming currently.

The reason the AIS team struggles is because it is a DEVELOPMENT program, not a RESULTS program. Every 2 years the group is turned over so it can assist in the results at Junior Worlds level. Conisdering Australia has finished in the top 5(out of 218 basketball playing nations) each of the last 3 junior world speaks volumes of the results both coaches.

Not all players who go to the AIS will ever play in the WNBL or NBL, there just isn't enough positions in the league. So the coaches are able to take a chance on players. Like that Bogut kid who didn't make a Vic Met team in U16's nor U18's.

Without the AIS, guys like Mills and Ogilvy wouldn't be where they are today. Nor would Lauren Jackson or Penny Taylor.

PS The womens coach spent a majority of his time in the SA Metro program. And all the SA kids to make it too the AIS are from the SASI program and play in the Metro comp.

Dean was involved with SA Coutry for about 3 years before going to the AIS. Prior to that he has been invovled in the Metro program for 30+ years.

Guess a few comments on here proved to be true again for the AIS when they faced the Lightning, although they could have been beaten by a lot bigger margin on paper it would seem so maybe not all warrented.
Boti makes a fair point re Cambage this morning - she does need to get a handle on her attitude to become as good as she can be and maybe it is because she has been a bit protected and that I guess would be a hard transition to make if you are used to it. Young girl and really needs so guidance and direction from coaching staff to have to control her behaviuor from now. That team needs her out there to maintain their strength and cant have her fouling out.