Latest news with #Hawke'sBayHawks
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
NBL: Hawks rammed in home game against the champions
The Hawke's Bay Hawks have their backs to the wall as they chase a men's National Basketball League playoff after starting a four-match home run with a loss by 32 points to the defending champions on Saturday. The Big Barrel Hawks shot their lowest score of the season in being
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Janssen relishing bigger role with Nuggets
Jonathan Janssen has a chance to rewrite the script with the Otago Nuggets. Previously he got to hang out on the wing and toss up a few three-pointers. But the departure of import Jose Perez has meant the one-game Tall Black has had to step up and step into the paint. It is not exactly a new role for the 30-year-old. The 2.06m forward has always had the ability to mix it up on the inside. But he has been viewed as an outside shooter and that was what the Nuggets brought him in to do. "I think, in a sense, I'm still kind of doing the same thing that I was doing, I'm just doing it more. "Jose was an inside-based post kind of playing guy. So that allowed me to stretch the floor. "And now with him gone, it now requires more of a post presence for us. So, you know, just kind of stepping up to that." That means he has been setting more screens and rolling towards the hoop. His hook shot has proved quite productive. He had his best game in the 98-92 defeat to the Hawke's Bay Hawks in Dunedin late last month. He poured in 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. It was not enough for the Nuggets to post a breakthrough win, though. They are on a 10-game losing streak and host the Taranaki Airs at the Edgar Centre tonight. The visitors are well-placed to make the playoffs, whereas the Nuggets are playing for pride at this point in the season. It is a tough assignment but Janssen said the team was focused on improving. "I think we've shown really great improvements over the last three games since Jose's departure. "I think that we're playing good team basketball, and in two out of the three games we were actually up. "If you look at the Saints game, it was a three-point game with 50 seconds left." The Nuggets have certainly left some potential wins out on the court. They have lacked composure in the key moments. "We're up there competing with every single team and we know that we can do that. It's just going to come down to the end of the game and locking in when it matters most." Janssen was born in South Africa but spent his early years living in Auckland. His family moved to Queensland when he was 13. Janssen played college basketball in the United States. He had a stint with the Cleveland State Vikings before transferring to Hawaii Pacific. He had a professional gig in Kosovo and was preparing for a second season with the Canterbury Rams when Covid arrived. He played one game for the Tall Blacks during the pandemic. He joined a bunch of Australian-based New Zealanders for the fixture. Janssen has also had two seasons in Luxembourg, and also suited up for the Hawks in 2021 and played from the bench. He was sidelined with a foot injury last year and missed some games for the Nuggets at the start of the 2025 campaign while his foot was healing. But since returning, he has cemented himself in the starting side and his role has expanded with the exit of Perez. He has embraced the opportunity to have the ball in his hands more often. "I think everyone enjoys that, right? "I think I'm a good decision-maker ... which helps the guys and helps get other guys really good looks too. "In a sense, we've been playing really great team basketball and putting me in that position has helped that as well." NBL Edgar Centre, tonight, 7.30 Otago Nuggets: Jonathan Janssen, Matthew Bardsley, Donald Carey jun, Joshua Aitcheson, Jaylen Sebree, Patrick Freeman, Darcy Knox, Caleb Smiler, Christian Martin, Mac Stodart, Liam Boomer, Noah McDowall. Taranaki Airs (possible): Carlin Davison, Armon Fletcher, Deng Dut, Craig Moller, Jack Andrew, Jack Exeter, Scott Telfer, Jaylen Gerrand, Lyric Tuhaka, Dominique Kelman-Poto, Quintin Bailey, Cameron Quinnell.
NZ Herald
02-06-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Hawks set for home game of the season against Rams despite weekend losses
New Hawks import Brandon Alston, from Washington DC, pictured in practice at the Rodney Green Arena in Taradale ahead of the matches in the South Island over King's Birthday weekend. Photo / Supplied The Hawke's Bay Hawks are set for the likely home game of the season despite a shattering holiday-weekend end to the season's four-match southern campaign. Having beaten both Southland Sharks and Otago Nuggets in the deep South just over a week earlier, they returned for two
NZ Herald
30-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
New-look Hawks fly south for the weekend
The Hawke's Bay Hawks will have a bit of a new look with two new arrivals for two crucial on-tour matches in the South Island this weekend. New on the team, with seven matches to play before the Sal's NBL playoffs, are American import Brandon Alston, from Washington DC, and
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two Wisconsin basketball commits to represent New Zealand at 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup
Two Wisconsin basketball commits to represent New Zealand at 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup A pair of Wisconsin basketball commits are set to represent New Zealand at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland, this summer. Class of 2026 shooting guard Jackson Ball and class of 2025 signee Hayden Jones will suit up for New Zealand's 12-man roster from June 28 to July 6 for an opportunity to clinch a gold medal for their country. Jones, who committed to Wisconsin's program on July 25, 2024, suited up for New Zealand at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey. There, he averaged nearly 12 points per game as the fourth-youngest player to debut for the senior national team. Jones and company fell to the United States, which rostered players such as Cameron Boozer and A.J. Dybantsa. The 6-foot-7 guard has also suited up for the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand National Basketball League for the past two seasons, plus previously registered 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists for New Zealand during its runner-up finish at the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Qatar. Ball, who announced his pledge to Greg Gard's program on March 3, also laced up for New Zealand in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. At 6 feet, 4 inches, the 2026 prospect has showcased his offensive prowess for the Hawke's Bay Hawks in the NBL this spring, averaging over 22 points off 54.7% shooting from the field in 13 games through May 19. Jones and Ball join notable college signees on New Zealand's 2025 squad, such as Oscar Goodman (Michigan), Julius Halaifonua (Georgetown) and Tama Isaac (UC Irvine), an indication of how significant international basketball recruiting has become in the sport's landscape. The experience for both Ball and Jones is certainly encouraging for Badger fans. The development and professional exposure should prepare the duo even more for what they will encounter in the United States, regardless of where New Zealand places in the circuit. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
