There's no question that Norwood and North provided the game of the year at Hillcrest two weeks ago. North won the game by a point in overtime, but Norwood beat the 6 point spread to gain a week off in the first week of the finals.

Rarely has a men's Central ABL game exhibited the same level of talent as this one. Dusty Rychart is the best player to play in this league in recent years and while Todd Matthews' NBL chances may be running out, he's still a step ahead of all other point guards in this league. Both players scored 35 points in their last battle, and coaches Rupert Sapwell and Justin Schueller will have alternative plans to quell their influence this time around.

Point guard Ryan Kersten returns from pre-season training with New Zealand Breakers, and it will be interesting to see how Schueller uses him to provide the most positive impact for the team. In his most recent games for North, Kersten came off the bench, and he may again act as a microwave in this game, given North's excellent form both with and without him.

In its entirety, Norwood's front court is the best in the league. While noone matches Rychart, David Cooper is one of the leagues best defensive players, and is more than capable of providing offence when necessary. Dan Thompson has been integrated perfectly into the Norwood group this year, and is the main differentiator between last year's 3rd place team and this year's title favourite. 6'8" Keith Krause is known more for his perimeter play than inside presence, and his 5 three pointers in his last game against North indicate potential matchup problems for the Rockets.

Erik Burdon is one of the best streak shooters in the league, and his 26 foot bomb on transition two weeks ago was the shot of the year. Matthews and the underrated Andrew Webber will have a great battle with Burdon and Michael Zorich, but it was Corey Ottey who was the x-factor, with two critical three pointers on July 14.

These teams are faced with an eerily similar scenario to last fortnight. The winner gets a week off, and the lost is forced to again prove their worth, this time against Forestville or North. With a position in the Grand Final on the line, expect another corker.