The Good, The Bad and The Scheibs... ep.4
Another week and the same team wins my nod for team of the week. Townsville continue their unbeaten roll with a complete trouncing of the previously unbeaten BBI. In the lower cases first real test they stumbled big time and had no answer to the comps hottest team. The Heat once again showed that they are presently the leagues deepest side. PC adds a veteran with NBL and Boomers experience, throw in a legitimate NBL talent in Mirko Djeric and the emerging SMU bound Harry Froling and this side lacks nothing in class. These guys seem to know their roles and are playing hard for each other and with a hard-nosed approach to defence that wins titles. Sure it’s early days and so far this side meets and conquers every challenge. This week they play Rocky at home and you’d be hard pressed to tip against them.
For BBI the fact that Dusty Rychart was fresh off a US holiday and was probably still cruising St Monica Boulevard after arriving back only a few days before tipoff, didn’t help. However his teammates failed to produce anything that ever worried the Heat. When one of the tallest guy on the Brisbane team shoots 13 FG and 9 of them are threes at 15%, and hauled in 2 whole rebounds with 5 points, you know his title as the softest 4 man in the QBL is intact. This game showed that despite training longer than ANY team in the country and playing a ridiculous 13 preseason games, this side is far from settled and cohesive. How long before the self-vaunted Tarrant style becomes like elevator music? This side might only be the third best team in their pool. I mean sure they got the split on the North trip by beating the weakest Cairns side that has suited up this season and that makes it a good result. Fact is their 3 wins have come against 3 teams with a combined 2-7 record. Brisbane have more questions than answers after this road trip.
Well the RIP got a win, I guess it had to happen at some stage, and well done. However if I am SWM I am covering up like a child molester when he sees the TV cameras as he approaches the court house on his day of reckoning! The fact they had a 7 foot import, a legit NBL player, and two guys that have and will garner NBL interest and still got beaten at the Titanic opps Pirate ship? Simply unacceptable and I am looking like a total goose picking this side to win the South pool. I was at the airport and saw the arrival of their next import, and I can tell you it wasn’t Cam Bairstow, Patty Mills or Aaron Baynes and if you lose at home to the Rip only an import of that calibre is helping you!
Let’s look at the former pool of Puss, they went a combined 0-5 on the weekend in crossovers. None more disappointing then Ippy getting pounded by Logan. This side also has two imports and a team handpicked by their coach and can only show a lucky come from behind victory against the Old Coast to date. Toowoomba also have two imports and are winless, but have faced the pools toughest schedule to date. Then there is the Old Coast who will add Boomer and NBL stud Adam Gibson to bolster their current or former NBL numbers to double digits. The four teams combined record so far is 3 wins and 10 losses. That’s a lot of money spent for little return. One things for sure,
this pool is wide open and any one of the 4 could make the top two, thou more than likely not one team will have a winning record. BQ should throw Rip and Bundy in this group and call it QBL Lite and let the other decent 8 teams make up a true quality 8 team comp!
The much anticipated Rocky Macktown matchup happened on Sunday at the Crater in Mackay. Despite Rocky fielding their strongest team and coming off a home game on the Friday, I still thought the Rockets would take this one out. I love Auryn McMillan and his pickup was an absolute gem of an addition, a perfect big for this comp. Throw in Tommy G who is a former MVP and a truly quality player. I just thought they had too much up front for the Meteors. How wrong I was! Diop and Wiggins pretty much matched the bigs from Rocky, but it was the backcourt where this one was won. Toff and Bruce dominated Philp and Gleeson and that was where this game was decided. Looking forward to round two.
Around the league I notice my early MVP favourite Ray Willis was a single assist off a triple double! In the same game youngster T Money Allen in only his fourth QBL game hit 7 threes and shot 11-15 from the field to rack up 29 points! P Clips remained unbeaten and showed that they might have one of the deeper benches in this thing, with guards Zeke Meehl and Josh Walters tossing in 33 off the bench. Big Nelson Kahler shooting 4-4 from the field and pulling down 7 boards, this means the P Clips are legitimately 8 deep and will be around the mark in the Central.
Disclaimer: This article was prepared or accomplished by Rob Scheibner in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the Basketball Expressions.
