Hawks out to make statement against NBL Blitz champions

The Illawarra Hawks have put the disappointment of two straight Blitz cancellations behind them and are now squarely focused on making a winning start to their NBL22 campaign.

Standing in their way are Loggins-Bruton Cup winners the Adelaide 36ers, who went 5-0 during the pre-season tournament. 

That undefeated resume includes strong wins against Cairns (91-87), Perth (63-56), Tasmania (82-80), Perth (97-93), and Brisbane (72-67).

But the Adelaide Entertainment Centre-based club was just one of the clubs that won all their Blitz fixtures - with the other being the Illawarra Hawks.

Brian Goorjian's troops chalked up two impressive road wins against South East Melbourne and Melbourne United, before having both their home Blitz fixtures, against New Zealand and Sydney, cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.

Despite this, and having to go into isolation over the weekend, the Hawks are primed to make a winning start to the regular season.

“We’ve done everything we can to prepare for our season opener on Sunday,” Hawks coach Brian Goorjian said.

“We retained the core players from last year we wanted and upgraded some key pieces we needed addressing - seeing us massively upgrade our squad as a whole.

“Then we were lucky enough to get everyone here in time to learn our system, get in shape and move this thing forward as one.

“All our pre-season plans were revolved around practice and games, which, unfortunately, we lost two of the latter on our home court because of COVID.

“Without those games, it’s hard to gauge exactly where we’re at as a team - hence why the group is so excited to hit the court on Sunday.

“This group has shown plenty of resilience over the past two years with this current COVID rollercoaster we’re on but just like we do on the court, we’re just going to roll with the punches and do whatever it takes to get the job done."

Counting ⬇️ the Top 🔟 plays of the #NBL22 preseason Blitz 👀

Get ready for Next Level 🏀 as the NBL season tips off this Friday, December 3 live on @ESPNAusNZ and @kayosports pic.twitter.com/r8hcAo7nd3

— NBL (@NBL) December 1, 2021

On Sunday, the key match-up between the two sides looms on the inside - with both outfits featuring numerous multi-dimensional big men.

Boomers Tokyo bronze medalist Duop Reath and NBL21 Most Improved Player Sam Froling headline the Hawks group, with the pair averaging 12.5 points and 11 points during the pre-season respectively.

Supplementing those two will be skipper AJ Ogilvy, Australian Emu Akoldah Gak, and former 36er Harry Froling.

This quintet will be tasked with slowing down Adelaide's formidable pair Daniel Johnson and Isaac Humphries.

The former was the Blitz's equal leading scorer, with 22 points per contest, while Humphries, who led the league in the blocks in NBL21, pulled down 6.5 boards during the pre-season.

Moving into the backcourt, the showdown that's the most mouth-watering is of that between the two starting point guards, Tyler Harvey and Mitch McCarron.

Both were easily two of the most dynamic perimeter players in NBL21 and stand to be even more important this campaign.

Harvey will be keen to pick up where he left off in his debut campaign in Australia, where he averaged 20 points, three assists and 1.5 steals each outing - leading to him finishing as the MVP runner-up.

While McCarron posted 10.22 points, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals to help Melbourne United claim the NBL21 championship - before making his high profile move to the South Australian capital.

The 29-year-old was a big part of the 36ers pre-season success, handing out 28 total dimes and snatching 12 steals throughout the four matches.

The winner of this battle will go a long way to determining the outcome on Sunday.

Others to keep an eye on for the Hawks will be Justinian Jessup, who averaged 18.5 points/game in the Blitz, and import recruits Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Antonius Cleveland - who both thrilled during the club's two pre-season fixtures in Melbourne.

Similarly, the 36ers will be counting on their United States import Dusty Hannahs, who averaged 15 points a game in the Blitz, forward Todd Withers and Filipino centre Kai Sotto.

The match will also mark former Hawk CJ Bruton's second as an NBL head coach, as he will make his sideline debut in the club's season opener in Perth on Friday against the Wildcats.

HawkHeads can watch the clash on Sunday from 1pm AEDT on ESPN via Kayo, Foxtel and 10 Peach.

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