Basketball: Sides head into unknown

The Auckland and Japan B basketball sides will front up to each other this evening in an X-Files-style fog, each knowing almost nothing about the other.

For Auckland the game comes after only six training sessions and with key players returning from surgery. Kenny Stone has had a knee reconstruction, Simon Mesritz a back fracture and Dillon Boucher a bone graft, hip to ankle, to repair a stress fracture.

Coach Tab Baldwin is happy they are in shape but concedes they have a long way to go in terms of coming together as a unit.

He expects a good blow-out in the first game at their new home at Unitec at 6.30 pm today, which he is basically using as a trial.

The new Challenge Cup, run FA Cup-style for teams from all divisions, offers further trials opportunities when it opens with a round-robin between Auckland, North Harbour and Tauranga on April 17.

Auckland's season proper opens with a home game against Otago on April 24.

On the contracts front, Tall Black Haydn Smythe has left Waikato for Auckland.

Otago have signed as their two imports Americans Alcindor Boller and Todd McNeill, both now with Cardiff Clippers in Wales.

Boller is a 1.92m centre/utility with a 30-point average and McNeill a 1.96m shooter with 33 and 13 in rebounds.

Kiwi scholarship player Tony Rampton will join Taranaki while off-season from Iowa State. They have also signed Doug De Vore as one import and are seeking another.

Wellington have Southern Utah's 1.94m Jason Essex on his first overseas contract.