Men's Previews - Round 4

North Adelaide Rockets v Central Districts Lions Sat, Mar 27, 8:15pm at Hillcrest
Never has a "first v last" game promised so much. The Rockets' 9 point victory over Forestville perhaps surprised everyone but North, who lead from start to finish. The Eagles had no answer for Nick Hambour who had 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Leif Burdon held the league's scoring leader Riley Luettgerodt to less than half of his then-average. North's 3-and-0 record has been compiled without Luke Mapunda for two games, and if the Rockets can succesfully integrate Pero Vasiljevic later in the season, they will be a legitimate premiership contender. Centrals have had a tough start to the season, facing the might of Norwood and West Adelaide, though its loss to Woodville may be more concerning for coach Scott Whitmore. The Lions' fortunes will improve as Wade Pidock finds his feet, and the team will be further bolstered when Jake Templeton returns from Iowa. In the shorter term, Centrals will need Matt Atkins, Matt Clarke and Dan Wilson to contain Ryan Kersten and Michael Zorich. The Hambour-Pidock matchup will also be key.

West Adelaide v South Adelaide Panthers Sat, Mar 27, 8:45pm at Port Adelaide
In 2009, South Adelaide took 5 games to record a win, and this year have already achieved this in week 2, defeating Woodville by 13 in their home debut. Boasting a significantly different lineup to last year, the Panthers put in solid performances in losses to Sturt and Norwood, with Waverley-export Sammy Gazzo impressing at both ends of the court. West's 1 point loss against Forestville and 10 point win over Centrals were in the absence of Brad Davidson, the Bearcats ruing a missed opportunity against the Eagles when Blake Truslove's 3 point attempt in the last 5 seconds rimmed out. Both West and South have legitimate CABL size, with 6'8" Steve Pilkington and Truslove a likely matchup. Chris Molitor, who has started the season with 24 points per game, could be the difference.

Woodville Warriors v Norwood Flames Sat, Mar 27, 8:15pm at St. Clair
Woodville and Norwood both split the double header, with Woodville holding Centrals to 53 points before losing to West, and Norwood holding on against South before a surprise loss to Sturt. In its two losses, the Warriors have given up 89 and 95 points, and Mark Molitor will be looking for his team to return to its traditionally tough defence of previous years. Woodville will benefit from an early game against the 2009 premiers who are still missing David Cooper, Dan Thompson and Keith Krause. 6'10" American Jimmy Fanning provide the Flames with a post option, and once he gets used to the Australian style of play, expect him to pose problems for opponents at both ends. The strength of Josh Knight and Brady Brink will be a handful for Norwood, as will Todd Matthews' penetration for Woodville.

Southern Tigers v Forestville Eagles Sat, Mar 27, 8:15pm at Mars
After a good win against a younger Sturt on Saturday, Southern were not able to contain Brad Hill on Sunday, losing to Eastern by 24. Southern will not be easy-beats this year, with either of Shane Boal (who had 27 against Sturt) and Tristan Braithwaite able to score from the perimeter, and Michael Florance set for a break-out year. After scraping across the line against West, Forestville lacked interior defence against North, though may also have suffered slightly from a tough game the night before. Despite a down game, Riley Luettgerodt will be a star of this league, and Southern don't have an obvious matchup to shut him down. Their best chance of success in offence is probably via Mark Paget in the post, which could open up subsequent scoring opportunities for perimeter shooters.




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