Basketball: Pack mentality vital says coach

 Saturday, 02 April 2016

 
By Anendra Singh
SO what is the mindset of the winless Hawks basketballers as they reload against the Southland Sharks in Napier tomorrow?
“Look, losing sucks and we’ve lost four,” says coach Kirstin Daly-Taylor of her Indigo-sponsored troops before they host the SIT Zerofees Sharks at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, in a 5pm tip off.
The Aidan Daly and Chris Porter co-skippered hosts are coming off an agonising 99-96 overtime loss to the Canterbury Rams following defeats to the Wellington Saints, Mike Pero Nelson Giants and the Sharks at the arena.
From Daly-Taylor’s perspective, the Hawks need to bring a pack mentality to break that hoodoo in the National Basketball League.
“Some guys are playing well individually but that just won’t do it,” says the former Olympian, especially after returning from training late on Thursday night to discover the Sharks had beaten the Saints 95-87 in overtime at ILT Stadium, Invercargill.
The imposing trio of US import guard Jodair Jett (33 points), Nick Kay (23) and centre Alex Pledger (18) were the chief destroyers.
Therein kicks in Daly-Taylor’s edict of slipping on knuckle dusters, not individually but collectively against a Southland production line that is ensuring the NBL keeps shuffling its pack on who occupies the top rung on the ladder.

The former Tall Fern has impressed on her players to double mark the likes of Jett, Pledger and Kay although she’s aware Derone Raukawa will be another one to contain even though the Saints kept the elusive guard on a leash on Thursday for just eight points.
“When one of their stars takes on our one we want to have someone behind him.”
She reiterates the Hawks “are very deep” on their bench in the absence of “stars”.
Jett, a former St Louis Billiken player, is the toast of round three after the statistics he posted against the Hawks that make him just as adept in rebounding and making assists.
It troubles her that the Hawks have seen their 10-point lead erode to a two-point one on the foundation of something as basic as a block out.
“At the back of the court we can’t make too many mistakes.”
For Daly-Taylor it’s simply a case of making the Sharks feel increasingly uncomfortable in the arena, which must be under scrutiny for the number of losses on the trot at home in any NBL season.
The post-mortem examination against the Rams shows 43-40 halftime score received a boost from an Alonzo Burton bucket from downtown.

“And then we had some crazy shots, Aidan’s technical and we’re down 14 so that’s disappointing.”
Daly-Taylor is adamant the answer to the Hawks’ woes is employing “high-percentage” basketball in a “play-by-play” approach.
“We have to make sure we don’t flair out and do too much individual stuff.”
That translates to the Hawks playing to their strengths without fail to “put the right person in the right place”.
The Cantabrians alluded to possessing a sense of mental fortitude that saw them eclipse the Hawks in overtime and tomorrow the hosts can do with spades load of that. From where Daly-Taylor is perched on the sideline it’s simply a case of her men taking ownership of their portfolios.
“If you’re shooting the ball then finish it, don’t pass it down to someone else. Don’t over pass to someone who happens to be in a worse position to shoot a basket.”
She believes it is imperative the Hawks keep doing what they have been doing but, essentially, “keep it together”.
Unfortunately Hawks forward Darryl Jones is again unlikely to start because of injury.
“We’re also managing Aidan’s 37-year-old knees.”
However, Daly-Taylor reckons it’s an opportune time for some squad members to get on the court.
Everything said and done, she feels the Hawks know too well how the New Zealand Warriors felt until they broke their drought in the NRL last weekend with a win.
“You know, we’re just so stoked to be in the NBL right now,” she says, after the new Hawke’s Bay franchise quashed rumours to enter the league amid speculation the province wasn’t going into a hiatus this year.
Franchise board chairman Keith Price, in appointing Daly-Taylor, had stressed the need to reinstate a winning culture but also nurturing homegrown talent.

HAWKE’S BAY KEEPS HAWKS’ STAR

Rising basketball star Mataeus Marsh’s future as a player for the Indigo Bay Hawks has been secured, with the talented 19-year-old now studying at EIT on a newly-launched Hawks sports scholarship.

In his second year of playing point guard for the regional basketball team, Mataeus is enrolled in EIT’s Bachelor of Recreation and Sport programme. His fees, amounting this year to $6229, are fully covered by the scholarship programme which EIT recently established with the Hawks.

Hawks’ general manager Jay Bratschi, who has benefitted himself from scholarship programmes, is delighted to have secured Mataeus for the regional squad.

“He is the future of this team,” the American says. “He is just a natural talent, one of these kids that have those qualities coaches look for. He’s a highly valued athlete in the Bay.”

A former Hastings Boy’s High School student, Mataeus had been planning to leave Hawke’s Bay to study outside the region. He’s delighted, he says, to have been awarded the EIT scholarship, which means he can continue living at home.

He’s not ruling out going flatting next year, however, as he progresses through the three-year degree.

EIT operates a similar sports scholarship programme with the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, enabling approved Academy players to study fees-free while continuing to play high-level rugby.

 

Basketball: It all boils down to big D

Giants skipper Sam Dempster claimed 12 rebounds and six assists while Finn Delany injected 15 points and five rebounds to reflect the side’s versatility.

For the Hawks, US import Kareem Johnson scored a team-high 16 points while veteran forward Arthur Trousdell added 15 points and collected seven rebounds.

Aston, Matt Te Huna and William Stinnett (14:29 off the bench) contributed 12 points each while Porter delivered seven points and collected six rebounds.

Te Huna also led the assists department for the hosts with six but had the most of court time (33:34 minutes) with Trousdell next on 32:01.

Forward Darryl Jones, guard Alonzo Burton and point guard Mataeus Marsh didn’t play for the Hawks because of niggly injuries but he said they should be back for the next game on Thursday when the Hawks host SIT Zerofees Southland Sharks at the PG Arena in a 7pm tip off.

Dempster was delighted to have nailed two victories on the road.

“We’ve got a good team. We like to pride ourselves as a team that plays together so we know what our role is and what we like to do,” he said, adding they were lucky to have the services of former Tall Black Jones.

“The Hawks had a slow start but we always knew they were going to come back at us so they fought hard but we were lucky enough to hold them off.”

Dempster said they didn’t intend to drop their intensity in the second half but the combination of lethargy and the Hawks’ resurgence had caught them on the hop.

“We have no excuses. They came out hard at us in the second half and caught us off guard in the third [quarter] so we’ll try to learn from that and clean it up,” he said.

Indigo Hawks Announce Partnership with Taylor Corporation

 

The Indigo Hawks basketball team is pleased to announce its partnership with local premium apple producers Taylor Corporations. Hawks General Manager Jay Bratschi met with Taylor Corporations owners Kelvin and Cameron Taylor this week to discuss possible avenues for increasing community access to Hawks games. In a strong show of support, the Taylors have agreed to underwrite the cost of game admission. This will allow all the remaining Hawks home games this season to proceed with only a gold coin donation from each fan.

 

Taylor Corporations’ affiliation with the Hawks is an outlet for the company to contribute to Hawke’s Bay while supporting the team. They see Hawks games as a great activity for families to enjoy. “We want to help bring the community together by making the games accessible to as many people as possible,” said Kelvin Taylor. As lifelong residents of the Bay, it is important to the Taylors to give back to the place they call home.

 

There was an outstanding turnout of fans for last Sunday’s game against the Wellington Saints, for which only a gold coin donation was asked. Packing the arena out for games is an advantage for the team, as well as an opportunity for the people of Hawke’s Bay to get in on great basketball action in a family environment. “There is a concept in basketball known as ‘the sixth man’,” said Bratschi. “A full arena of vocal and enthusiastic fans creates an energy that feeds the players.”

Basketball: Hawks tentative in start

By Anendra Singh

The result against basketball favourites Wellington Saints yesterday was, to an extent, expected for a team who are “fine tuning their systems”.

But the other crucial factor – in some respects more significant than a win – was the “sixth man”, the near-capacity Pettigrew-Green Arena that made the most of the franchise’s gold-coin entry gesture to lure the Indigo Hawks faithful to whet their appetites.

“It was fantastic turnout. Thanks Hawke’s Bay for the support,” new coach Kirstin Daly-Taylor said last night, soon after the Wellington Saints beat them 89-74 in Napier.

Asked if the Chris Porter and Aidan Daly-captained Hawks had left an impression on the fans, the former Tall Fern replied: “I hope so and that means a hell of a lot to the guys. A full stadium as the sixth man just keeps you going.”

However, Daly-Taylor believed the Hawks “let ourselves down a little bit”, after pockets of empty seats cropped up after halftime with the Kevin Braswell-coached Saints leading 50-37.

She said the hosts showed last season’s grand finalists too much hospitality, rather than muscling up when the physicality stakes hit a crescendo but reconciled that with a new outfit still tinkering its processes.

“It was their first game so they had to wake up to the physicality,” said Daly-Taylor, adding the visitors were up in the Hawks’ face all the time but, once they weathered the storm, Wellington got into foul trouble and retreated into “their zone”.

“We actually looked better, we looked okay,” she said, reflecting on a first quarter where the Hawks set the pace but wilted under a couple of shots from downtown to trail 21-16.

After first shots at the rim, she said the Hawks failed to rebound and didn’t lay up. The statistics endorsed that, 40-30 in favour of Wellington.

“But I’m pretty happy. First game, the Saints on 89 [points] so I’m okay with the boys.”

It did bother her that they managed to muster only 11 assists as a team, which was a resounding indication that the Hawks weren’t expansive enough in ball distribution while covering floor space.

“We’re probably 12 points short of what I would’ve liked and they are basically nine up on what they are supposed to get.”

Daly-Taylor felt her men were tentative a little.

“We made errors and committed unforced errors. Against the Saints you can’t make a casual pass,” she emphasised.

She singled out forward Darryl Jones for his defence and “fantastic energy”.

“We probably had three patches where we were flat and our bench – I said to them, come on boys, get it going, get it going,” Daly-Taylor said, as the bench sprung to life in the third quarter with an 16-11 statement in their favour.

Former Manawatu Jets guard Matt Te Huna was great off the bench with 13 points.

“DJ [Jones] did a great job on the block one-on-one against their bigs. They are so huge. We contained them at times and did a fantastic job in stopping their fast breaks but they’ve come down half court and pounded inside,” she said, agreeing their three-point shooters were on the money.

Last year’s league MVP Craig Torrey finished with double-double of a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds with Shea Ili adding 19 and Charles Jackson 14 despite not playing the last spell because of a gash on his eyelid that required stitches.

Ili had five assists while Henry chimed in with seven rebounds.

For the Hawks, Porter had a team-high 21 points with Matt Te Huna adding 13 and Alonzo Burton 10.

Porter also had six rebounds with Burton but the Hawks looked anaemic in the assists department with only Daly and Burton collecting three each.

Braswell said they didn’t scout the Hawks but felt Daly-Taylor “will make one hell of a coach” and results would favour them once they play a few more games.

“We controlled the rest of the game [after the first quarter] but I think we were a bit sloppy tonight, turning the balls over too much,” he said, looking forward to the two-week break.

The Hawks host Nelson Giants at 1pm this Sunday.

2016 NBL BASKETBALL HAWKS HEAD COACH NAMED.

 

The Hawks basketball franchise has named Kirstin Daly-Taylor as its new coach to spearhead the National Basketball League (NBL) campaign from next year.

The former Tall Fern has signed a five-year contract after serving as Hawks assistant coach under then former coach Paul Henare from 2011-12.

After spurning advances from previous franchises to be the head coach, why has Daly-Taylor changed her mind now?

“We’re not bringing a championship home and then getting financially screwed and out of it the next year,” said the straight-talking 46-year-old, who raved about the franchise board’s initiative to establish a Shawn Dennis-type programme that would attempt to secure players for three to five years as well as entice home-grown talent from high schools.

Dennis, an Australian, is the only coach to take the Hawks to an NBL crown in 2006. He now coaches the Townsville Crocodiles in the Australian National basketball League (ANBL) after serving as assistant with the Perth Wildcats.

Daly-Taylor said she had engaged in a lengthy meeting with the franchise board to ensure it was a five-year stint as opposed to a six-month one.

The Napier Boys’ High School (NBHS) science teacher and dean felt 2016 would be “workable and sustainable before we move things in a year or two”.

With new NBHS headmaster Matthew Bertram expected to arrive here from Scots College in Wellington soon Daly-Taylor hoped to take him out for lunch to enlighten him on her template.

She juxtaposed her teaching career with a “semi-professional full-time coaching job” as a sustainable package.

“For me, the coaching is about having loyalty and passion for the Hawks. It’s very much because I still live here.

“I’m not doing this job in the hope of getting the next job in the United States or Philippines or somewhere else.

“I’m doing it because I want to be here, my life is here, my home is here and it makes perfect sense.”

Board chairman Keith Price said five people “had shown interest” in the position and three of them were from the Bay.

“Kirstin is someone we were very interested in and I had done my research on her and, once we had a cuppa and bikkies, we were satisfied she was heading in the right direction,” said Price, a Napier City councillor, emphasising the urgency to appoint a coach and put the Hawks faithful’s mind to rest.

Three candidiates were shortlisted and interim player/coach/captain from last season Paora Winitana was among them but he withdrew his nomination.

“Paora was happy with where we were heading so he withdrew,” Price said.

At the risk of coming across somewhat arrogant, Daly-Taylor said her mission statement was always “about winning championships”, a sentiment Price echoed when dismissing speculation last month the Hawks were not going to enter the NBL race next year.

“How I roll is I play to win. I want to set up a programme and the goal is to make the top four every season and then focus on the semifinals and finals,” she said, reflecting the Dennis era when anything shy of playoffs was deemed objectionable.

“My philosophy is that it’s about creating a programme players want to come to, especially Hawke’s Bay kids, and to create an environment where players feel valued and take ownership. It’ll be like a family”

Impartiality is a foundation in trying to procure that tantalising balance between parochialism and winning a title.

“I’m always fair. You play because you’re the best. I’m honest. I’m big on experience, knowledge and passion.”

Daly-Kirstin was disappointed to find out Mataeus Marsh, of Hastings Boys’ High School, would be playing for the Auckland franchise.

She is “under intense negotiations” to recruit to start training from January 16 and finalise a squad of 14 by February 15.

“We’re late but, importantly, we’re in [the NBL],” said Daly-Taylor also “devastated” the Manawatu Jets won’t be the two-hour derby next year.

HAWKS END THEIR SEASON WITH A SPIRITED LOSS

The James Blond Supercity Rangers have held off a spirited IMS Payroll Hawks team 107-102.

Jason Cadee scored 35 and Reuben Te Rangi had 33 for the Rangers 10th win of the season.

Suleiman Braimoh got the Hawks off to a flying start scoring 15 of his 31 in the opening quarter to give his side 31-22 lead.

The Rangers would peg it back rapidly in the second period, overtaking the visitors to lead 51-46.

After trailing by double-digits the Hawks got to within three with under two minutes to go, but the Rangers were able to keep them at bay.

GIANTS TOO GOOD

The Mike Pero Nelson Giants have moved to second place with a 103-82 win over the IMS Payroll Hawks.

American duo, DeRonn Scott (26 points), McKenzie Moore (21) led the Giants to their 13th win of the season and are now half a game ahead of the Wellington Saints who lost 107-99 against the Canterbury Rams.

Mika Vukona grabbed a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Giants had a strong second quarter which put them up 13 by halftime.

Nelson extended their lead to 26 in the final quarter, giving the Hawks their 11th loss of the season.

Suleiman Braimoh scored 15 and Zack Atkinson added 14 for the visitors who will play their final game of the season against the James Blond Supercity Rangers tomorrow.

HOME SEASON FINISHED WITH A “W”

Shooting guard Luke Aston scores 32 for the IMS Payroll Hawks who ended the Canterbury Rams playoff hopes with an 83-74 win.

Aston shot 7/11 from the three point line for the Hawks who had a strong first half, leading by 15.

The Rams managed to close to within five in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, but in the end it was not enough as they drop to 8-9.

The defeat is good news for the James Blond Supercity Rangers who won’t need to win a game to clinch the final playoff spot as they have the tiebreak advantage from beating the Rams both times this season.

Marques Whippy scored a team high 17 off the bench for Ram, Jermaine Taylor had 15 and Mickell Gladness added 11.

The Hawks will now end their season with a road double against the Nelson Giants and the Rangers.