I know we don’t have championship rings in the SBL, maybe that’s something for the ‘Any Other Business’ section of the next SBL board meeting? However, I couldn’t exactly title this week’s column ‘No Rebounds No Medallions’, it just doesn’t quite have the same ‘ring’ to it. I also would hate to misquote the great Pat Riley after he made this statement before his championship run with the ‘showtime’ Lakers in the late 1980’s. I wish I was at that press conference, so I could have replied with ‘No Magic, Kareem or Worthy - No rings’, as it doesn’t hurt having a playing list stacked with hall of famers.

In saying that, I found this quote very interesting as well as accurate, and wanted to delve further into the importance of rebounding in the game of basketball; and how it inevitably impacts the final result. I know last year as part of the Wolves coaching staff, we placed a huge emphasis on winning ‘the battle of the boards’, as we found with nearly every game that we won the rebound count, it resulted in us winning the game. So let’s take a look at some of our premier rebounding teams and individuals and how that has impacted on their success this season.

Currently, we have some very talented rebounders in the State Basketball League. Before we explore the statistical leaders, I think it is important we recognise the ‘little’s playing big’ in the league this season. Players in this category include Joe-Alan Tupaea (Hawks), Seb Salinas (Wolves), Chris Dodd (Senators) and Corey Craig (Suns).

These guards have consistently registered solid rebounding tallies over the course of their careers, which is impressive as they are happy to mix it up with the tall timber inside the paint.

Now let’s breakdown this season’s leading rebounders, our very own ‘Chairmen of the boards’ who week in and week out own the glass and rarely record less than 10 rebounds per game.

1. Jarrad Prue (Lakeside Lightning) – 19.5 Rebounds per game
I wouldn’t be surprised if right now, Jarrad is boxing out someone at work for the front spot in the coffee line. This guy has been the league’s best for a number of seasons now, and is large reason for Lakeside’s continual success. His 9.6 defensive rebounds per game are impressive enough, but what is astounding is his phenomenal 9.9 offensive rebounds per game, leading to a number of second chance opportunities for the Lightning. What a luxury it must be for shooters like Payne, Beran and Jackson to have Prue on the glass mopping up a brick, only to have it immediately shipped back out to an open shooter ready to pull the trigger. I think it’s fair to say every teams scouting report has the words ‘box out’ next to Jarrad Prue’s name, someone please let me know when this happens for the first time, as I would love to award the individual some sort of trophy for making SBL history.

2. Tom Jervis (East Perth Eagles) – 17.5 Rebounds per game
A legitimate footer, Tom ‘The Behemoth’ Jervis has done a brilliant job this season on the glass. Whether it be put backs or controlling the defensive end, Jervis is someone who gets himself into position, and cannot be moved. His length has proven to be a big problem for a number of teams this season, whether it be getting his hands on it first, tipping it to a teammate or creating a ‘block/rebound’ situation when the opposition enters the keyway. I personally saw his length cause Perry Lakes a number of problems on the weekend, changing a number of shots and pulling down rebound after rebound. He used his height advantage well and was often a full arm’s length above all others chasing down a board. If Tommy keeps this up, I’m sure some NBL clubs will be taking an interest in his skill set.

3. Greg Hire (Wanneroo Wolves) – 16.2 Rebounds per game
I touched on Greg’s rebounding abilities last week in the ‘Race to MVP’ article. At 6 ft 6, Greg has an unbelievable nose for the basketball. Like a wolf hunting down a piece of fresh rabbit, Hire relentlessly chases down loose balls, out works his opponent and comes up with the basketball. This ability is not to be underestimated, as you can’t teach nous or grit, which are two of Greg’s most valuable character traits. Prior to playing with the Wildcats Greg already had a knack for rebounding and hustle, but after an SBL off season banging with the big boys on the cats list, he has honed these skills and turned himself into one of the leagues fiercest rebounding machines. He is the NBA equivalent of Dennis Rodman.

4. Anthony Lee (Perry Lakes Hawks) – 15.9 Rebounds per game
I would love to see ESPN’s ‘sports science program’ do feature on Lee’s boxing out technique and overall rebounding abilities. I would record it and show it to my future son 12 times a week; somehow I think he will still be poaching out on the trey ball line with his Dad. At 6 ft 4 I can’t get over what an animal this guy is on the glass! Last week against the eagles, Lee hauled in a lazy 21 boards, and this isn’t the first time he has reached the 20 rebound mark this season.

Now that we have highlighted the league’s premier rebounders, I would like to analyse the importance of winning the battle of the boards as a team. In the 95 Men’s games played this season to date, 70 of them have been won by the team who won ‘the battle of the boards’, that’s a staggering 74% of the time. Also to note was that teams that got pounded on the glass also got pounded on the scoreboard. So I guess it ponders the question, is rebounding paramount to winning?

It is no surprise that cellar dwellers the Southwest Slammers are the bottom of the list when it comes to rebounding, averaging 38.6 rebounds per game, which is well below the league average of 45.8 rebounds a game. If we look at our top 4, Lakeside heads the list with 52.8 rebounds a game (37% made up of Prue’s 19.5 – settle down JP!), which is 7 rebounds a game above the league average. The Cougars, Wolves and Perry Lakes, who round off our top 4, all sit comfortably above the league average also. This tells us that in order to succeed in this league; you must take care of the glass, as it clearly runs parallel to winning.

Obviously there are many other things that are necessary to win basketball games, rebounding is just one aspect of the game, so coaches please don’t scrap your offenses and training schedule to do the ‘circle box-out training drill’ that all the guards in the league love NOT to do. However, if you are struggling for pre-game material, writing the words ‘BOX OUT’ in the centre of your whiteboard in font 286 is a good place to start (or on the change room wall if you are playing at East Perth – are away teams still writing on the brick wall down there?).

All in all I think Pat Riley’s quote ‘No Rebounds No Rings’ is very accurate, as there are no teams that have won championships in this league without taking care of the glass, especially on the defensive end. Most championship teams also have a premier rebounder in their side; look at Ty Shaw of the Willetton Tigers last year, Prue with the Lightning in 2005, 06 and 09, and who could forget Lachlan ‘Lazy Lizard’ Teasdale from the Perry Lakes Hawks side that won 4 titles in a row from 2001 - 2004. It is a fundamental skill, yet one that only few seem to perfect.

Scoop survey – Who is your favourite all-time SBL rebounder? (Comment via SBL Facebook/Twitter Pages)

Article Written by Mark Shipley

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