Basketball: Assistant tackles the boss

Nenad Vucinic is Tab Baldwin's assistant as Tall Blacks' coach, but will go up against him in the race for the job of coaching the Breakers.

Vucinic has had great success with the Nelson Giants, and has some overseas experience in Serbia and Montenegro.

The Breakers' management is considering names for a coaching selection panel.

The first coach, Jeff Green, was part of the organisation from its establishment, and when he left, assistant Frank Arsego was a ready-made stand-in.

So this is the first time the owners have had to consider the position from scratch.

Board members may go to Australia for expert advice on whittling the 17 applications down to one.

Hawkes Bay coach Shawn Dennis is also believed to have applied, several applications have come from Australia and one from an assistant NBA coach in the United States.

Breakers assistant Wayne Brown has not applied.

The board wants the new head man in charge soon, so he can lead a planned development and goodwill trip to China in April.

The Breakers are looking to build links in Asia, which they see as a lucrative market.

The club last night gave both its end-of-season awards to shooting guard Aaron Olson.

Olson, signed for next season along with Paul Henare and Mike Chappell, won the Players' Player and Most Valuable Player trophies.