In Round 11 of the National Basketball League Competition this weekend, a rejuvenated WestpacTrust Canterbury Rams side travels north to take on Blockbuster Auckland on Saturday night, and the PoeNamo Kings (North Harbour) on Sunday afternoon.

Despite their comprehensive win over the Saints last week the Rams are still in a position where every game is a must-win. The situation is the same for Auckland, tied with the Rams for fourth on the NBL points table with a 6 win, 5 loss record.

Canterbury will undoubtedly look to reproduce the outstanding performance that saw it annihilate the formidable Saint's line-up 102-74 on Saturday night. The Rams have played both the Kings and Auckland at home this season, registering a win and loss respectively.

The Rams have experienced a revitalisation amongst the ranks over the past few weeks and the form of a majority of its regulars continues to progress. Captain Dave Langrell, veteran Craig Farrant and "Mr Consistency" Andrew Gardiner, have all combined well with American John "Pope" Whorton in posting substantial tallies each game.

Physical hustling play from Tim Edmonds, the lightning speed of Carlo Varricchio and solid defensive play from starting small forward Luke Ruscoe are also elements that have furthered the Rams' cause for a playoff berth. The display by the bench last week against the Saints also proved that depth is definitely there for the Rams to draw upon. This weekend's away double header will demand strong performances from all of these players against both North Island sides.

The Tab Baldwin coached Blockbuster Auckland side heads into this weekend's clash after a narrow win over the struggling Mighty Hawks in Napier 75-72. Since its 73-62 win over the Rams in Round 4, the team has enlisted promising kiwi guard Aaron Olsen, who has made an impressive start. Olsen further strengthens the Auckland side, which boasts the underrated long-armed Daryl Cartwright, Tall Black regular Paul Henare and the towering and dominating figure of Australian Ben Pepper. Pepper, the tallest player in the competition, was the deciding factor when the two sides last met, posting 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Last year's NBL semi-finalists the PoeNamo Kings are currently seventh in the 2001 NBL and have a disappointing 3-8 record to date. Apart from star American rebounder, Brian Gomes, the Kings squad has failed to produce notable performances. Despite posting 95 points last week against the unbeaten Waikato Titans, it still went down by 14. The Rams easily dispatched the visiting Kings in Round 7, 83-73, with Whorton and Gardiner leading Canterbury to victory. It will require a complete turn around from that match for the Kings to have any chance of improving their mediocre season.

The next home game for the Canterbury Rams is against the Mighty Hawks on Friday 27 July, at the WestpacTrust Centre. Tip-off is at 7pm and tickets are available at Ticketek.


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