CLASHING dates with the NBL’s Pre-season Blitz tournament in Brisbane in September means the 36ers now will not contest the Merlion Cup in Singapore.
The Basketball Association of Singapore invited the Sixers to compete for the Merlion Cup against rival international teams from September 21-25.
Yugoslavia Belgrade, the Chinese national team, Korea Kia Motors, Malaysia Petronas, Japan Kagoshima, Indonesia Asia-Pacific Bank contested the previous tournament and there has been past NBL involvement as well.
The event is Singapore’s marquee international basketball tournament, the BAS keen to return it to its former “annual” status.
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READ NOWThe NBL, however, will be running its annual pre-season Blitz tournament in Brisbane again as an appetiser for local basketball fans ready to jump aboard the revived Bullets club.
“Unfortunately, the dates are much the same for the Blitz,” 36ers general manager Guy Hedderwick said of the clash.
“We’re obviously disappointed we can’t get to the Merlion Cup because we were keen to experience it and it also would have been a good bonding exercise for our team.”
Playing NBL opponents at the Blitz and testing their mettle against the clubs they will face through the 2016-17 season was a no-brainer.
Plus the Blitz’s unique format, where one premiership point is available for every quarter won, plus three for winning the match, has made it an increasingly popular NBL event.
Matches have been live streamed from recent Blitzes in Townsville, Brisbane and Sydney.
Brisbane’s recent signing of former Cairns import Torrey Craig leaves the Bullets looking like a gun team, the Taipans bouncing back by adding talented Aussie guard Mitch McCarron to their roster.
At Metro State University in Denver, McCarron was the 2015 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.
He opened his pro career with Palencia Baloncesto in Spain for 2015-16.
Melbourne United swingman and dual-Olympian David Barlow, who missed all of the 2015-16 campaign with an Achilles injury, has been confirmed to return to the roster this season.
ADELAIDE 36ERS: Mitch Creek, Majok Deng, Anthony Drmic, Matt Hodgson, Daniel Johnson, Jerome Randle, Nathan Sobey, Brendan Teys.
BRISBANE BULLETS: Shaun Bruce, Torrey Craig, Adam Gibson, Tom Jervis, Daniel Kickert, Anthony Petrie, Reuben Te Rangi, Mitch Young.
CAIRNS TAIPANS: Cam Gliddon, Alex Loughton, Mitch McCarron, Cam Tragardh, Jarrad Weeks, Stephen Weigh, Mark Worthington.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS: Rotnei Clarke*, Cody Ellis, Oscar Forman, Nick Kay, Rhys Martin, Mitch Norton, AJ Ogilvy, Kevin White.
MELBOURNE UNITED: David Andersen*, David Barlow, Todd Blanchfield, Chris Goulding*, Igor Hadziomerovic, Cedric Jackson, Majok Majok, Owen Odigie, Chris Patton, Nate Tomlinson, Tai Wesley*.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS: Thomas Abercrombie, Finn Delany, Shea Ili, Kirk Penney, Alex Pledger, Mika Vukona, Corey Webster.
PERTH WILDCATS: Angus Brandt, Jarrod Kenny, Matt Knight, Damian Martin, Jesse Wagstaff.
SYDNEY KINGS: Jason Cadee, Tom Garlepp, Jeromie Hill, Julian Khazzouh, Kevin Lisch, Brad Newley.
(*Signing unconfirmed)