Season Preview - Southern Men
The gist: The men from Tigerland have not made much noise in recent seasons, but if their preseason efforts are anything to go by, then this could be a different side this season.
The stat: After being smashed 66-97 at home in Round 6 by Woodville, they travelled north for their Round 15 encounter and stunned their opponents 87-69. The 51 point swing was the biggest single-game turnaround in the league last season.
The star: At just 19, Codey Ellison has already had an impact for his side. He drastically improved his scoring (from 8.5 ppg in his rookie season to 12.6 last season), field goal percentage (33.7% to 45.4%) and free throw percentage (40.7% to 54.3%) in 2012, so look for him to go one better again this time round.
The x-factor: Aciek Mayen, who had regular one-on-one training with new coach Rashad Tucker while playing at Forestville and Eastern, was brought over by his mentor in the offseason. He was a big part of the rotation in the preseason tournament and it will be interesting to see what he can achieve at his new club.
The glass half-full: The Tigers were sharp defensively in the pre-season. Their 2-2-1 trap was not just about stealing – they did an extremely good job of working together and preventing easy layups once the ball got past the second line. If they can carry this intensity into the regular season, then they could cause opposition offences some strife.
The glass half-empty: The Tigers have lost Tyler Tanis (18.6 ppg). They will need a big contribution from new import Kenny Brunner if they are to score enough points on a regular basis.
The verdict: The first month will tell a lot about Southern, with winnable games against Norwood, Centrals and South, and a Preseason Grand Final rematch with West. Tucker seems to have his team well-prepared, and they may just sneak into the five by season’s end.
Predicted Finish: 5th
2012
Final placing: 7th
Record: 6-12
Home record: 3-6
Road Record: 3-6
Longest win streak: 1
Longest losing streak: 6
Best result: 87-69 W @ Woodville
Worst result: 66-97 L v Woodville
Player Stats
Where they scored from
2013
By James Woite
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