Basketball: Two teams switch imports as patience runs out

Two NBL teams began the weekend with import changes - the Harbour Heat dropping an unfit Kevin Ross for Matt Lottich from Stanford University and the Titans, ending plans to bring Rick Randall out, instead signing Cantrell Horton from Iowa.

Randall had delayed his arrival once to handle personal matters in the United States but when he put the Titans off a second time, and after they'd lost their opening two games, they went looking elsewhere.

Shooting guard Horton, who has been playing in the division behind the NBA for the Kansas City Knights, was to arrive today at 4.30am.

He is unlikely to play tonight against the Manawatu Jets at the Hamilton YMCA but Sydney Kings guard Luke Martin, who doesn't fly in until noon, will definitely be included. The Titans will be hugely bolstered by the return of Pero Cameron back in action after the birth of his third child. They should win.

The Auckland Stars will not be banking on second-night fatigue when they take on Hawkes Bay at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson tonight. The Stars pushed Canterbury hard last Friday and lost but the Rams faded the following night against North Harbour.

This weekend the situations are reversed with the Hawks having played the Harbour Heat last night at the North Shore Events Centre.

The Heat were without Mark Bracewell, who turned an ankle in training. Lottich, a 1.90cm guard/forward, was recommended to the Heat's new coach Steve Done by Stanford's coach Mike Montgomery. The Heat had to wait while he negotiated his way out of a contract in the US but Lottich arrived on Thursday after Ross was cut in the week.

"It's a short season, we have to have guys who are ready to play and Kevin wasn't up to fitness," said the Heat's Mike Rogers.

Stars coach Kenny Stone paid Shawn Dennis, his opposite for tonight's game, a compliment. "I don't expect a team coached by Shawn to fade. We favour them to be in the playoffs and because we have the title we expect every team that faces us will come to play - especially the Hawks."

The Stars are unchanged after their loss last weekend, for which Stone took some responsibility. "I have to do a better job of rotating our guards. Lindsay [Tait] was out there for 40 minutes - he got tired."

The Wellington Saints are anxiously awaiting the arrival of two of their star players Ben Knight from the Sydney Kings and Brendon Polyblank from Switzerland after suffering two losses on Wednesday and Thursday last week, to the Nelson Giants and Rams.

Canterbury continue to look the surprise package, thanks not least to Americans Ryan Prillman and Michael Gardener. Prillman pushed the NBL record for rebounds from 24 to 26 when the Rams won 99-92 in double overtime against the Saints in Blenheim. He was also top shooter for the third game in a row, with 24.