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The Rockhampton Rockets and Cyclones will be looking to bounce back from double defeats on the road last weekend when they hit their home floor on Saturday.
Both teams will be looking to reverse their results against Mackay, who beat them in their first games of the NBL1 North season last Friday night.
Neither had any joy then against Townsville in Round 2 on Saturday night, with the Rockets beaten 103-73 and the Cyclones going down 90-63.
The Rockets are hoping to have Josh Wilcher playing on Saturday night at Bravus Arena.
The champion point guard has been in quarantine since returning from playing in the British Basketball League.
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Subscriber only At 11am Tuesday, the Bundaberg Under-16 Bulls will take on the Northside Wizards 3 in the Queensland State Championships and the NewsMail is proud to be live-streaming the event, as well as all four days of the competition. Bundaberg s Under-16s basketball coaches are on the road getting read for the big games, but took to Facebook to announce their excitement. This week our Under-16 Bulls and Bears are heading south to the Queensland State Championships from the 6th to 9th of April, the post read. It s a huge event and our teams will be sure to give it their all and make themselves and their club very proud.
The Rockets open their campaign against heavyweights Northside Wizards, who won the title in 2020 and were victorious in the SQJBC grand final last month.
But Brady knows her players come into the tournament primed and in winning form after going through the CQJBC carnivals undefeated.
“They’ve prepared really well; they’ve definitely been building and are ready to go,” she said.
“It’s a whole other level of competition at the state champs, and we’re playing some really, really tough teams, especially on day one.
“That will be a great challenge for us to see where we’re at and what we need to keep working on for the rest of the week.
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The McDonaldâs Rockhampton Rockets have made their first signing for the year and coach Neal Tweedy is âextremely happyâ about it.
They have secured the services of 197cm forward Najeal Young for the 2021 NBL1 North season, which starts in May.
The 26-year-old spent the 2019 season with the Frankston Blues in the NBL1 South league, averaging 14 points and eight rebounds during the season.
He previously played in the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Tweedy was pleased to announce Youngâs arrival.
âNajeal has proven that he is a great contributor at the NBL1 level after having a very successful season with the Frankston Blues in 2019,â he said.
Three players who will be key to the Rockets’ prospects are:
Power forward Mitchell Kuhl: An experienced campaigner, Kuhl leads the team’s defensive unit. His height and athleticism make him an imposing force on court and he determinedly protects the rim. Mitchell Kuhl. Picture: Jody Grayson
Point guard Ben Tweedy: A Queensland North representative, Tweedy is the court general. He brilliantly marshals his teammates, keeping team on task, and leads by example. His scoring ability is sure to be a feature of this week’s tournament. Ben Tweedy
Shooting guard Solomon Watene: Energetic and enthusiastic, Watene has the X-factor. He is instrumental in helping the team maintain its on-court intensity and is the player who can break a game open with a spark of brilliance.