You'd have to think Southern vs North.

How can you say Eastern are an improved team, they lost by 27 to centrals, Wise was terrible, they just had no one else that could score that's why he dropped 25. Bottom by a long margin

Rios will be here & he's one of the best guards the league has seen the past half dozen years.

Score line flattered Centrals & I think Centrals will be a finals side!

Rios has been on the decline in recent years hence Eagles let him go

Rios shopped himself around - got one bite.

Is it true Tyler Kennedy signed at Norwood?

Yep

Rios isn't even in the country yet! He is serviceable but he's not a 30ppg player!

So no Rios this week? How about the other imports who sat out game 1?

Who can Tigers throw at Starling to shut him down?

^ Probably the 3 guys in grey down at the ville #homecooking

Battle of the new imports for Sturt & Forestville matchup of the round. Nate Garth about to prove he's the best PG in the league.

Garth talking himself up again!

Woodville will need Osborne to play like an MVP rather than a backup PG this week.

Match of round will be Rockets V Southern

Starling, Reed V Turnage, Mays

Then there is returning Tiger Brine

Could go either way

West v Norwood an interesting one too. Last years top 4 play each other in 2 games this week.

The lack of respect shown to West men is puzzling. Exactly same Australian content with arguably 2 better imports. You don't win a premiership by luck.

West barely beat an under strength Eagles in R1. Too old.

^ Yup, no respect.

West still favourites until proven otherwise.

Oldham was special last year, way too early to say new guy is better. Not too hard to be better than Harold but he played his role, should have cost his team a championship with his meltdown vs north.

Centrals and Woodville will be interesting as well with a bit of animosity between two teams.

Is there still animosity? Haven't all the Centrals guys left Woodville now?

One left to woodville with just weeks to go before season started despite pledging loyalty.

Who was that??

Ridgeway averaged around 13pts 9rebs off the bench last year if I'm not mistaken. Won FG% and was 2nd in Offensive Rebounding which is far from terrible stats.

Just saying that Harold was only really good for crashing offensive boards and putbacks hence those stats. Had no other part of offence to his game and committed a lot of silly fouls. I know offensive rebounding is a skill but would like to see an import have a more overall game.

He gave them what they needed. Oldham did a lot, Thomas & West both capable & Ridgeway filled the gaps. He wasn't multi skilled but he played his role well.

My point, role player, if new import can come in and be more than that he's better.

Yep, which makes them title favourites.

Of course west is title favourites. Win GF with no Harold against the dream team and is even stronger this year. Southern close second favourite with stars everywhere.

Hard to read Forestville yet until team is together but I'm thinking too three if DJ plays.

Norwood and North 4/5. Other imports are catching if not matching Starling and CJ is good but not fully fit. Bench is very thin with lots of kids whose bodies won't cope with the older teams

At Wayville, Nate Garth was two assists off a triple double, but shot 5 of 23, which made Forestvilles import who went 11-32 look efficient. Eagles could use their 36ers in asap after going down by 13.

Forestvilles twin towers in the ladies team went a combined 7 of 31, and the Eagles were definitely not looking "stronger, wiser, happier and more competitive than ever before" in a 22 point loss. Hope to see Liv back to her best soon.

Will Mrs Garth stop posting on this forum, I'm sure she's very proud of her son no matter how many bricks he put up.

Who won North vs Southern men?

Tigers won by 34.

Southern women lose GF rematch!

Wow were North men missing players? Can't imagine Southern being that good.

North had their main guys

I guess Reed is out of shape. Once he's in shape they still have the best import duo in the league. West favourites now but would still have North second.

How do West become favourites when Southern just demolished a top 3 team?

West premiers & North minor premiers in 2017. Southern might have gotten lucky to beat one but West have two solid victories already. They have to be favourites.

I should say too West & North arguably better than last year too. Tigers have a couple wins but their new core is largely unproven & no 36ers to bail them out this year.

Very lucky to beat two of last years top 5 by 30 plus?

North Southern Highlights

https://www.facebook.com/southerntigers.ba/videos/1493261720795642/?t=0

Along with who?

North, South, East and West.

I think call it now. If stay healthy no one will come close to Southern. They have great players and are incredibly big and athletic. Dean can take rest of season off and they still win

Totally agree with cavolo, southern are so stacked this season. will take an almighty effort to stop them offensively.

I haven't seen Southern yet but I just can’t see them competing with Teys, Doyle, DJ.

After watching Legan on the weekend, I think West are improved & im not sure I’d have Tigers favourites over them either.

Southern has 2 imports plus 3 Tigers Juniors in Brandon Brine (returning ex OS), Sam Johns and Hamish Staude for their starters that just have chemistry already. Same will be said about Forestville with 3 Sixers on board. Could be a great battle with the top 4 this season. Bring it on !

Wait until you see Southern - Teys and Doyle are not better than Southern equivalents and DJ is always a mystery as to who turns up.

Southern have more fire power

Would their Southern equivalents be Staude & Johns?

Goodluck apparently didn't make the squad at North.

Not sure he'd make 30 points difference.

Weren’t people here saying Reed was better than Miller? No chance I’d say. Poor recruiting by North despite people saying it’s the best import duo in the league.

Thi k you'll find Reed fell in their lap rather than them recruiting him.

Apparently Miller got a long term injury which is why he is not back

Fine not to get Miller but why go for Reed who is out of shape & questionable character with an interesting history.

This is the link between Reed and Starling

http://bcuathletics.com/news/2008/4/17/men_s_basketball_inks_five_during_late_signing_period.aspx?path=mbball

I think if you search CJs name you can find some more interesting articles about his college career.

He'll get into shape soon hopefully for north, then lookout. Everyone worked out Miller just jacked up shots at will, cj will find players.

Reed played for Sturt a few years ago so check out his contribuition from then when he was fit

He had 26, 23,18 & 27 in the finals series. Better than his regular season numbers but hardly dominant. I dare say the quality of the league & imports is better now than in 2015. Do we really think him getting in shape is worth 30+?

Rumours have it that Brine is on $1000 a game. Is he with that?

I'm sure he'd be 'with it', but doubt even Southern's manic spending to win a championship reaches that far.

It's 'only’ $18k so it would be close. Heard Norwood offered $15k.

If Southern have offered that much for the kid - wonder why?

What does the program offer the kid? Why would the program be forced to spend so much money on a kid at this level? A former junior?

The answer to above is MONEY!!

In the long run this type of crazy spending is not in the best interests of basketball in the state

If the spending is true & not just a figment of a Hoops posters imagination. I suspect it's the latter.

Its true!

CJ on 30+, youre dreaming!!! Can get a decent nbl player for that and get dirt cheap import then.
Need him to step up in finals, miller didn't.

Sorry - I was anon who asked if CJ getting fit is worth 30+. I meant in terms of results from Saturday, not $30k!

Regardless of which question you're thinking of, I don't think CJ is worth 30 points, or 30K.

Phew, fell off chair thinking CJ was worth 30K!

Not bad if it's within the clubs means. If it comes at the expensive of their juniors via high fees etc then it’s counter productive.

Its great having great imports, hell, lets get Lebron, but with sponsors being limited that aint gonna happen. Most imports come here cheap hoping to move onto Seabl and then maybe Nbl. Others come here just for an experience to play overseas and then go to another country, a paid holiday basically.
But if clubs keep trying to outdo each other then the smaller clubs will either fail or go bankrupt. And theres always the talk of juniors propping up seniors, most clubs deny that though.