By GEOFF LONGLEY - The Press Last updated 05:00 05/02/2010

The Christchurch Cougars will host a pre-season National Basketball League tournament featuring the four South Island teams this month after the cancellation of the annual Blitz event in Wellington.

Cougars coach Andrew Gardiner said his team had been booked to go to the annual pre-season tournament in Wellington but it was called off after a few teams opted out.

"That was a bit of a shame because it was a good chance to have a hit-out and get a look at all the other teams."

Instead, Christchurch will host perennial championship contender Nelson, returnee Otago and newcomer Southland in a series on February 19 and 20.

The teams will play a round-robin with two matches to be played on Friday night at Cowles Stadium and the four on Saturday at QEII.

Gardiner said it was better playing against live opposition than continually playing among themselves. The event would provide a benchmark for how the side was shaping up before the NBL proper.

Gardiner said he was as happy as he could be with the NBL draw. The Cougars strike two hard games at home first.

They end the season a week ahead of the other teams meaning they need to be at the forefront of the ladder well before the season ends.

"It can work both ways not having a game for two weeks. You get a breather just before the playoffs to allow any niggling injuries to heal but you do miss that match play."

As far as his lineup went, Gardiner was so far encouraged by what he had seen with Paora Winitana and Aidan Daly getting settled into the team and American import Trent Wurtz due to arrive next week.

The other import, Australian centre Tim Behrendorff, will arrive when the Wollongong Hawks' participation in the Australian league ends.

The Hawks are in the hunt for the playoffs and Gardiner said Behrendorff would be back for the first game on March 4 against Hawke's Bay, but whether it was a day or a week before depended on the Hawks' playoff performances.

Behrendorff was injured early in the season for Wollongong then struggled to get much game time when he recovered, but he was now getting into the team's rotation.