RAMBLINGS:
Off-Season Edition 14
15 MARCH 2002
by Piet Van Hasselt1. POPE LANDS IN TOWN
Centre John "Pope" Whorton returned to
Canterbury yesterday for his second season with
the Rams. The much liked, powerfully built 2.05
m, 113 kg centre is widely regarded as the best
post player in the country, and is expected to
propel the Rams to a semi-final berth this
season.
2. AMERICAN INTERN ARRIVES
Arriving on the same flight with Whorton was
Leslie Favre. Favre is an MBA student
specialising in Sport Management at Ohio
University, a world-class postgraduate programme.
As part of her MBA she is required to complete a
six-month internship, which she will fulfil as
part of the Canterbury Rams’ management
team.
3. T-LEW NAMED IN TALL BLACK SQUAD
Canterbury Rams sharp-shooter Terrence Lewis has
been named in the first Tall Black Training Squad
of the year in the build up to the World
Championships in Indianapolis in August. Lewis is
one of five naturalised New Zealanders in the
squad contesting for the one allowed place in the
national team. Willie Burton was the naturalised
player in the squad last year and is joined by
Lewis, Clifton Bush, Ed Book and the returning
Kenny Stone at the training camp.
The squad of 18 will gather at Lower Hutt’s
Walter Nash Stadium from next Monday, for a 4-day
camp with coach Tab Baldwin. Not available for
selection were Mark Dickel, Pero Cameron, Phill
Jones, Tony Rampton, Kirk Penney and Sean Marks
who are all playing overseas. They should be
available for the second training camp taking
place just before the 4-test tour against China
in the first week of June.
Full Squad: Damon Rampton, Judd Flavell, Ed Book
(Nelson), Darryl Cartwright, Lindsay Tait, Kenny
Stone (Auckland), David Hopoi, Dillon Boucher,
Brendon Cathie-Pongia (Waikato), Paul Henare,
Willie Burton, Rob Hickey (Hawke's Bay), Paora
Winitana (Nth Harbour), Glen Newbold,
Miles Pearce, Clifton Bush (Manawatu), Terrence
Lewis (Canterbury), Michael Fitchett (Otago).
4. RAMS CRUSH NUGGETS
Last Saturday the Rams crushed the Otago Nuggets
in Timaru 93-51. New Rams recruit Terrence Lewis
led all scorers with 22 points. Other standouts
included Dave Langrell (14), Carlo Varricchio
(13), Salasopo Tulua (10) and talented young
Gerard Bowden had 10. Coach John Watson was
especially impressed with the high level of
intensity on defence.
5. PEE-WEE BASKETBALL CAMP
As reported in the last edition of Rams News, we
are running a Junior Basketball Clinic for those
basketballers aged 8 years and under (note new
age limit). The camp will run 9am-12noon on April
2-3 at Pioneer Stadium. Coach John Watson will
lead the instruction at the camp and will be
joined by Canterbury Basketball Development
Officer TerryBrunel. Many of the Rams are
expected to attend. The cost will be $30 per
child, which includes 6 hours of instruction plus
a t-shirt. Kids under five are welcome, but a
parent or guardian is required to stay in the gym
throughout. Spaces are limited, and registration
forms are due by March 15. Call 358-DUNK for
registration forms.
6. NBL NEWS
This weekend six NBL teams will gather in Porirua
for a pre-season tournament. The defending NBL
Champions Waikato Titans are joined by the Nelson
Giants, Manawatu Jets, North Harbour Kings, The
Mighty Hawks, and home-town Wellington Saints.
7. PENNEY IN THE BIG DANCE
Kirk Penney’s Wisconsin Badgers will take on
St John’s in the first round of the NCAA
College Basketball Championships (coined the
"Big Dance") this Saturday (NZ Time).
If the Badgers win this match-up, their likely
opponent in round two will be Maryland Terrapins,
who have beaten the mighty Duke Blue Devils this
season. Penney was recently named to the Big 10
Conference First Team which is a remarkable
achievement, joining likely NBA draft picks on
the squad.
8. CANTERBURY KNIGHTS SCRIMMAGES
The Canterbury Knights will be having open
scrimmages for any players who are interested in
playing the Conference Basketball League (2nd
Division) at Wharenui Recreation Centre - Sunday
17 March (6-7:30pm) and Sunday 27 March
(6-7:30pm). Details of trials and the competition
format will be provided at the scrimmages.
Contacts: Dene Robinson Wk 358 0208 Hm 382 3944
Pete McAllister 348 4949 Manager: Wayne
Hutchinson 353 0597
9. CANTERBURY MEN’S U20 TRIAL
Trials will be conducted for the Men’s U20
team on Tuesday 19 March at
Middleton Grange School Gymnasium. For more info
contact David
Harrison: 337 2999 (h), 377 0905 (w).
The Season and 4-game Ticket Application Form can
be downloaded on the Canterbury Rampages web
site: http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/rams/2002RamsTicket.pdf
Please
feel free to forward this information to your
basketball friends. Newcomers can subscribe to
Rams News by sending an e-mail to [email protected] with
"sign me up" in the subject line.
Comments about the newsletter can be sent to [email protected]
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