R10 Preview: Illawarra Hawks vs SE Melbourne Phoenix

When: 7.30pm (AEDT), Monday 7 February, 2022

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

Broadcast: ESPN; Kayo; Sky Sports NZ


Who won last time?

Illawarra 82 (Jessup 26, Harvey 22, S Froling 10) d South East Melbourne 80 (Adnam 22, Creek 15, Sykes 14) - Round 13, 2021, WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

In danger of an NBL21 sweep by the Phoenix, and trailing by 17 in the third term, Illawarra needed something special and they got it in the form of 20 points in the final 19 minutes from Justinian Jessup, able supported by 15 from Tyler Harvey in that span. The Hawks’ comeback was capped by a 27-7 fourth-quarter run that had the Sandpit at fever pitch.


What happened last start?

Illawarra and the Phoenix lost their last starts by a combined 55 points, just as it appeared they could join Perth and Melbourne in a break-away group. For the Hawks it all went wrong right from the start, down double-figures early in the second term and only once, briefly, cutting the deficit to nine. They played passive at both ends of the floor, were unable to cope with New Zealand’s pressure, and Brian Goorjian once again refused to trust his bench.

For South East Melbourne, things couldn’t have started much better against the Wildcats, racing to a 14-point lead midway through the second term as Mitch Creek, Xavier Munford and Zhou Qi started fast, then Lachy Barker and Ryan Broekhoff got hot. With a decimated bench they stopped at that point, however, and without coach Simon Mitchell, didn’t fire another shot.


Who’s in form?

Tyler Harvey – On a horror afternoon in Hobart, Harvey’s 17 points at 53 per cent, three assists and no turnovers was as good as it gets, continuing a steady run back into form for last year’s NBL All-First Team star. Harvey has now averaged 19ppg at 49 per cent and 12/30 from distance in his past four games, and is ready for his key battle with Izayah Le’afa.

Brandon Ashley – While Saturday’s debut in the Fire Pit was not a night to remember, Ashley continued his slow build into his quality Breakers form from NBL20. In 59 minutes across the past three games, ‘Bash’ has poured in 33 points at 65 per cent along with 20 rebounds, four dimes and three blocks – he’s ready to make Duop Reath and Sam Froling work.

Who needs to be?

Xavier Rathan-Mayes – It’s fair to say XRM couldn’t have played much worse against New Zealand, his decision making slow, missing open teammates, taking bad shots and playing lethargically at the defensive end. His past four games have delivered 6.8ppg at 30 per cent and 3/16 from deep, with 12 assists and 12 turnovers – he needs to lift if his team is to get back on track.

Zhou Qi – Long breaks don’t agree with big Zhou, who managed two points on 1/3 after South East Melbourne’s 28-day COVID lay-off, and then after the recent two-week sojourn returned just four points and four fouls in 12 minutes. The good news is in his second game back in the new year he torched Tassie for 18, and thanks to the whistle he’s fresh for this double-header.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/officialzhouqi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@officialzhouqi</a> getting in the spirit of the celebrations early ?<br><br>? Tune in live on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://t.co/H1KB1jVNWF">pic.twitter.com/H1KB1jVNWF</a></p>&mdash; South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1489890927183159296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Who’s statting up?

 - In Illawarra’s past three losses they’ve been outscored 91-60 in bench points. In their six wins this season they lead that stat 125-124

 - In four games where Harry Froling has spent more than 15 minutes on court he has shot a staggering 17/22 from the three-point line. In seven outings where he’s played less – averaging seven minutes per game – he’s made just 2/8 from deep

 - On Saturday, the Phoenix scored 32 points at 62 per cent in the opening 11 minutes, at 116 points per 40 minutes. In the final 29 they managed 47 at 39 per cent, equivalent to 65 points per 40 minutes

 - Defensively, South East Melbourne held the 'Cats to 17 points at 35 per cent in the first 11 minutes, 62 points per 40 minutes. In the final 29 they allowed 84 points at 52 per cent, 116 points per 40 minutes


Who’s matching up?

Antonius Cleveland v Mitch Creek – The Phoenix will test Illawarra’s defensive structure, no more than the in-form Creek, who still had 17 points in a ‘quiet game’ against Perth. Cleveland is the natural match-up given his size, strength, speed and mobility, and the fact he can make Creek work hard defensively from the first moment of the shot clock.

Of course, Cleveland defending the four-spot requires the Hawks’ to go smaller. Will they bring Xavier Rathan-Mayes in from tip-off to match South East Melbourne’s speed, or will they try to challenge the Phoenix with Duop Reath’s size early and then adjust on the run? And how can Goorjian still get minutes for Harry Froling, whose scoring punch off the bench is vital.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mitch Freak can do anything ?<br><br>? Tune in live on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a> <a href="https://t.co/AXF6IPX8ej">pic.twitter.com/AXF6IPX8ej</a></p>&mdash; South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEMelbPhoenix/status/1489891540742721537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



Who’s talking the talk?

Rewind back to the early 1990s and Brian Goorjian was one of the coaches who brought the grunt to NBL basketball.

The bumping of cutters, the arm-bars, the getting up-and-in were the trademarks of his South East Melbourne Magic teams that changed the game down under.

The battles between the Magic and the Melbourne Tigers were the yin and yan of Aussie basketball, the grinding physicality of Goorjian’s men against the slick player and ball movement of Andrew Gaze and Co.

As that evolution continued, the NBL would go on to become known worldwide as an ultra-physical league.

Of course, much water has gone under the bridge since Goorjian’s earlier days. He has coached at World Cup and Olympic level, seeing how the game in played at the highest standard.

Back home, after a dour 2013 season the NBL cut back on physicality, and the NBL19 and NBL20 seasons were two of the fastest moving, high-scoring years of the league’s professional era.

But now, with the trademark physicality in vogue once again, Goorjian believes he has to take his Hawks teams back in time in order to compete.

“I thought the physicality was incredible,” he said after his team was manhandled by New Zealand.

“The grabbing, the holding, the bumping, really, really difficult to play against. You get these teams that get beat and embarrassed last game, and we didn’t handle that well.”

The physicality of Melbourne, Perth and the Breakers, who have handed the Hawks four losses from their past six games, has Goorjian doing a rethink about how his team plays defensively.

“I think we've got to bring more of a physicality to it,” he said.

“I've got issues there, I'm trying to work out what you can do and what you can’t do. It was pretty clear internationally, this is very difficult.

“On the defensive end, still making adjustments, got to get better, I thought we made some ground the last game but a setback tonight. We’re not going to get where we need to go unless we solve that problem.”



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/DuopReath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DuopReath</a> says NO ?<br><br>?: <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Foxtel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Foxtel</a>. <br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreIllawarra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreIllawarra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAsOne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAsOne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL22</a> <a href="https://t.co/IczJvFMnLH">pic.twitter.com/IczJvFMnLH</a></p>&mdash; Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1487329698288128003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Monday night at the Sandpit, Illawarra are that team bouncing back from being embarrassed, but so are the Phoenix, setting up an epic clash.

South East Melbourne led by 15 over the Wildcats almost halfway through the second term, but from that point they were whistled for eight fouls in six minuets as Perth unleashed a staggering 29-4 run to finish the half.

“We were on the wrong end of some of those calls, obviously in that second quarter some of it was from our lack of execution, but when they had all that momentum, some of those calls hurt,” stand-in coach Judd Flavell said.

“We lost our way, we had a few turnovers in that patch that, I think we had maybe five turnovers that contributed to eight or 10 points they had.

“They also picked up loose balls and offensive rebounds that also got them cheapies, and then they got to the foul line as well, 10 or 12 free throws in that second quarter.”

The Hawks are going to bring all sorts of physical defence on Monday night, and when they are forcing turnovers the likes of Tyler Harvey, Antonius Cleveland and Justinian Jessup are deadly in the open floor.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ANTONIUS CLEVELAND IN CAPITALS.<br><br>?? <a href="https://twitter.com/ac_uno1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ac_uno1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL22</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kayosports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kayosports</a> <a href="https://t.co/sS8t1570Zh">pic.twitter.com/sS8t1570Zh</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1487340114305220611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


“We’ve got to look after the basketball, that’s for sure,” Flavell said.

“We've also got to tidy up the rebounds, it’s not rocket science for us, it’s going to be such an easy review for this one, those are the areas that when we do those areas well, our offence is flowing, it’s ticking, the scoreboard is ticking over.

“We lost our way there tonight so we need to tidy up those areas, and going into Illawarra they’ve got shooters on the floor, they’ve got Tyler Harvey who’s a handful, we've got to make sure we’re all on board with that in terms of the scout.”

The Phoenix will also be playing with aggression after their capitulation to Perth, but with Reuben Te Rangi, Kyle Adnam and Cam Gliddon again likely to miss, the key for Illawarra is to ride out the storm and exploit that lack of depth.

“We've got to get in and out of our sets better, we've got to make adjustments in terms of running things that we can get easy shots, and that falls on myself and being able to help us in that area,” Rathan-Mayes said.

“We've got a top three team coming into our place and they’ve got guys that are playing really well, they’ve got an MVP candidate in Mitch Creek that we’re going to have to do a job on, and they’ve got a group of guys around him that do an exceptional job.

“We've got to put this one behind us and we've got to figure out how to go back home and get a win. Home is a place that we need to protect.”