Basketball: Central champs have fair way to go

TOP MUSTER: The Hawke's Bay U13 boys' basketball team who were undefeated in the Central Region Qualifying Tournament and are off to the Dunedin nationals in October. PHOTO/GLENN TAYLOR HBT14316801

It's not unusual for youngsters to believe they have reached a saturation point of development once they have tasted success.

"It's hard for my young boys who think they are much better and fitter than they really are," says basketball coach Shane Brown after his Under-13 Hawke's Bay boys' team won the Central Region Qualifying Tournament in Napier a fortnight ago. "It's hard but I don't think they are [better]."

The boys were undefeated in pool play before beating Palmerston North 77-62 in the final to book one of two berths up for grabs for the nationals in Dunedin in October. The other spot went to Gisborne who pipped Taranaki 57-56 at the Rodney Green Centennial Events Centre.

Ngati Porou also fielded teams in the tourney which included a Suzie Hiha-coached Bay girls' team. Taranaki girls emulated the feat of the Bay boys but Palmerston North, Gisborne and the Bay all made the cut for the nationals.

Brown, who has more than two decades of age-group coaching experience, has IMS Payroll captain Paora Winitana as his assistant. He believes it's imperative players grasp the basic skills.

Clifton Bush jnr, 12, is in his third year in the U13 team and is one of the older boys and that time has helped build his confidence.

Paora Winitana jnr is in the mix and Yu Ching is their "big boy".

"But Yu Ching is small when compared with some of the boys in the other teams," Brown says. "We weren't the biggest so we played the game a bit quicker."

As it turns out, the Bay boys have depth this year so everyone who steps on the court is able to contribute. But Brown and Winitana still had to endure the agony of cutting two players from the squad of 12.

"This is the last year for the players in the grade so it wasn't an easy thing to do but we'll keep developing next year."

He lauds the two boys, Mitchell Snell and Jacob Murphy, for turning up for scrimmages despite missing out.

Brown has no unrealistic expectations from his boys at the nationals where they are seeded sixth behind powerhouses such as Waitakare, Waikato, North Harbour, Wellington and a Southern team.

"Our goal is certainly to compete as well as win games but we also want our boys to develop as better players."