The composition of the Wairarapa invitation team taking part in a star-studded Highwayman Motel basketball tourney involving three national league men's team at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton next weekend is taking shape, Former Tall Black Kent Mori of Palmerston North was confirmed as a definite starter two weeks agoand tournament organiser Gareth Teahan announced yesterday he would be joined by Blake Truslove, who played for the New Zealand Breakers in their debut season in the ABL and who is now their coaching director manager. Truslove is still regularly involved on the playing scene, turning out for West Adelaide in Australia's second division competition during the off season here. Four Wairarapa-based players have also been included in the invitation side. They are Stu Northe, a member of the province's national third division side for the past three seasons, Joe Papaii, who debuted for Wairarapa last year, Ben Bull, a promising 19-year-old who will actually be trialling with the Palmerston North Jets next week and Heath Kershaw from Martinborough, a former member of the Otago Nuggets NBL squad who has spent the last three years playing in Brisbane. The remainder of the invitation team will be made up of three members of the Palmerston North Jets development side, all of whom are expected to be of secondary school age. While confident the invitation side will be competitive against the three NBL sides, Palmerston North Jets, Taranaki Mountaineers and the Hawke's Bay Hawks, Teahan said the fact they would have little time to work out combinations and tactics should certainly count against them. "They will be facing opposition having their final workouts before the national league so it won't be easy for them," Teahan said.. "But they won't be overawed, there is a lot of natural talent there." The opening round of tournament matches, which will be refereed by a panel including Wairarapa own's NBL ref Andy Thackray, will be played on Friday evening with the two winners meeting in the grand final on the Saturday night in a match to be preceded by a clash between the first round losers. As if having three NBL sides playing in Masterton over the one weekend isn't a huge enough coup for the Wairarapa basketball fraternity a fourth side, Saints of Wellington, will play "friendlies" at the rec centre against the Hawks on Saturday morning and the Jets on Sunday morning.
