South Adelaide Panthers v North Adelaide Rockets, Sat, Apr 10, 8:15pm at Marion
South 1 and 3 record belies their season to date, as the Panthers have been competitive in every game. Sam Gazzo’s energy has been contagious and his 20 points per game is third in the league. 6’8” rookie Lachlan Prest has made an impact, and Steve Pilkington has shown signs of being more efficient than in previous seasons. North’s loss to Centrals still leaves them in a 4-way tie for first place, their success not just due to the return of Ryan Kersten and Michael Zorich but also the surprise input of Matt Lycett.

Central Districts Lions v Southern Tigers, Sat, Apr 10, 8:15pm at Starplex
Scott Whitmore’s Lions broke the drought in style against undefeated North, helped by a stellar shooting display from Matt Atkins and a clutch three from Matt Clarke down the stretch. Centrals slowed North’s transition with a 1-2-2 trap but may employ different tactics against Heath Jury’s Tigers, who looked in danger of upsetting league-leading Forestville at half time. Mark Paget may be headed for a career season but will face a tough matchup in Wade Piddock.

Forestville Eagles v Eastern Mavericks, Sat, Apr 10, 8:15pm at Wayville
Forestville took 20 minutes to get started in their last outing, though ended up cruising to victory over Southern. Riley Luettgerodt is an early Woollacott favourite – his only down game coming at the tail end of a double header – though it will be interesting to see how he handles the heavy “High Stakes Hoops” workload this week. Eastern broke through for their first win against Southern, though that was three weeks ago. Look for Jordan Dodman to have a breakout game against the smaller Eagles.

Norwood Flames v West Adelaide Bearcats, Sat, Apr 10, 8:15pm at Mars
Norwood required overtime to get past Woodville, with Corey Ottey helping to seal the win. The Flames have welcomed back Keith Krause, but it has been veteran Todd Matthews who has again been dominant. Brad Davidson is providing leadership to a blossoming backcourt of Anthony Spadavecchia, Kurtis Phillips and Josh Bond, but it is Chris Molitor that will most likely lead the Bearcats toward their best finish in years. The matchup between Davidson and Matthews alone makes this the game of the round.

Sturt Sabres v Woodville Warriors, Sat, Apr 10, 8:15pm at Pasadena
Sturt’s Scott Butler has been providing good opportunities for its juniors, and Tom Daly had 25 points against Norwood in a game that was effectively over at half time. Even so, the Sabres will welcome the return of Jacob Holmes and Marcus Ng, who should be fresh from their break since 36er and Singapore duties respectively. Mark Molitor’s Warriors were competitive against Norwood without Cameron Wilson but would be disappointed in their effort against South, particularly allowing 34 points in the second quarter.

Eastern Mavericks v Sturt Sabres, Sun, Apr 10, 3:30pm at Adelaide Hills
The return of Brad Hill changes the dynamic of the Mavericks. His versatility makes him one of the toughest matchups in the competition, though Sturt have a handy option in his 36er teammate Jacob Holmes. Darren Ng has started the season in typically good form and Eastern may rely on the extra reach of Ben Dearman to limit his shooting. With Jordan Dodman, Shane and Stuart Breheny, Hill and Holmes facing their former clubs, expect their to be no love lost between these two teams.