Arch-rivals prepare to contest Adrian Hurley Cup series opener

In the NBL, no rivalry is bigger than that of the Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings.

It's a fixture both teams circle when the schedule comes out each season and this year was no different.

If anything, this Saturday's round two fixture at Qudos Bank Arena could be as hyped as any in recent memory - with both ownership groups trading barbs at one another through numerous media channels.

There’s a genuine hostility between the two franchises, especially right now - with either side featuring numerous former individuals for their respective franchises including AJ Ogilvy, Angus Glover, Kevin Lisch and of course Brian Goorjian - who will chalk up his 800th NBL game on Saturday.

All signs are pointing to a playoff-like intensity between the bitter rivals, with the foundation club ready to send a message in game one of the Freeway Series.

Add in the spice of both teams being undefeated and this could be one of their best Adrian Hurley Cup clashes to date.

"This rivalry, especially with both sides being just down the road from each other, seems to go to another level each time we step on the court," Hawks skipper AJ Ogilvy said.

"The constant talk of being the 'little brother' I know infuriates everyone at the Hawks too, especially the fans.

"While we'd love nothing more than getting one leg up on the Kings in the chase for silverware, our group is focused on the season at large - which means finals and not one series throughout the year.

"We're as talented a squad as I've been on and we're focusing on being the best version of that each time we step on the court, especially on the defensive end.

"We are building on our excellent defensive foundations from last year and always looking at areas we can improve - Goorj is known for his team having aggressive defensive mindsets and we are no exception.

"It's only our fourth game together, so we are still learning a lot about playing with each other.

"We are confident we have what it takes to beat the Kings and this opportunity to get on court with each other is very exciting.

"If we are able to walk away with a win, it will do plenty for our team spirit and increase our confidence, especially as we're only just starting to scratch the surface of our potential."

From the Hawks perspective, they will be out to buck the recent trend and take home the Adrian Hurley Cup for the first time since 2015-16 - even though the ledger is 12-all during that span.

More importantly, the Hawks sit 10 games behind (56-46) all-time from the pair's 102 hardwood fixtures.

But their form is anything to go by, the Hawks are as ready as ever to knock the Kings down off their throne.

Goorjian's troops are yet to taste defeat this season, winning both Blitz fixtures as well as their season opener at Adelaide on Sunday.

A big part of their strong play has been how seamless recruits Duop Reath, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Antonius Cleveland have adapted to the league.

The Boomers big man tallied 18 points, nine rebounds, one steal, one block and two three-pointers in his NBL debut, while Canadian Rathan-Mayes was excellent off the bench with 15 points.

Oh, and Cleveland put the whole league on notice with this emphatic jam - a precursor of things to come in NBL22.

It would be remiss of us to not mention Tyler Harvey too, who picked up where he left off last season, by collecting 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.

The point guard's match-up with former NBA player Jaylen Adams looms as the most pivotal in the mouth-watering clash.

The St Bonaventure alum recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Kings’ five-point win against Melbourne United.

Others Chase Buford will be counting on will be Illawarra product Xavier Cooks, who nabbed 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks on Sunday, and imports Jarrell Martin and RJ Hunter - who both scored 12 against United.

Tip-off of the first of four Adrian Hurley Cup clashes is at 5.30pm.

DR ADRIAN HURLEY CUP

YEAR BY YEAR

2015-2016 season – Illawarra wins series 4-0 (Hawks win).

2016-2017 season – Sydney wins series 3-1 (Kings win).

2017-2018 season – Series tied 2-all (Kings retain).

2018-2019 season – Series tied 2-all (Kings retain)

2019-2020 season – Sydney wins series 3-1 (Kings retain)

2020-2021 season – Series tied 2-all (Kings retain).