With the Schick 3×3 Cup tipping off this week, let’s take a pool-by-pool look at how each team stacks up in this exciting competition.
How it works: The Schick 3×3 Cup features 32 teams – 16 in the men’s division and 16 in the women’s – facing off over four days to determine the overall men’s and women’s winners. Teams are divided into two pools (Pool A and Pool B) in each division, with squads playing each other once within their pool over the first three days and seven games in total.
At the end of pool play, the top-ranked team in each pool faces the bottom-ranked team in the opposed pool in a knockout-style playoff round, culminating in a finals game between the last two teams remaining.
Let’s preview Men’s Pool B:
Northland United: United will have the top ranked 3×3 player in New Zealand at their disposal in Zach Easthope. The 27-year-old has a wealth of 3×3 experience, including representing New Zealand at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup earlier this year. Tukaha Cooper and Haize Walker will provide the team with some Sal’s NBL experience, and Jake Tawhiao recently played for Harbour Basketball at the U23 Nationals. United have the ability to sneak up on some teams that overlook them.
Tavake Pasifika: This will be the first taste of 3×3 basketball for all four players on the Pasifika roster but they shouldn’t be discounted. Keun Palu-Thompson played college basketball in the United States and will be a player to keep an eye on. Sonny Afu and Obadiah Paea have both represented Tonga Basketball and Emanuel Siale has spent time playing in the States. All four players have sufficient experience playing 5×5 basketball overseas – don’t sleep on Tavake.
BBQs Direct Canterbury Rams: Taylor Britt and Joe Cook-Green will look to use their Tall Blacks’ experience to make some noise in Invercargill. Aidan Tonge has a fantastic motor that will translate well to the 3×3 game and Sam Smith offers a reliable shooting option. Britt and Cook-Green will drive the offence, and both have the ability to beat their man off the dribble, while Smith and Tonge will keep the defences honest. The Rams are going to cause some problems for opposing defences – they’ll be in the hunt for the top spot in the pool.
Manawatu Jets: There’s limited 3×3 experience on the Jets but three of their players suited up for the Jets in the Sal’s NBL this season and they’ll be looking to use that to their advantage. Klein Salmon, Tama Faamausili and Ben Robertson will be joined by James Cawthorn, who last played for the Wellington Saints in 2018. The Jets might seem overmatched on paper, but if their Sal’s NBL season was anything to go by they can’t be counted out.
Mid City Magic: The Magic have compiled one of the strongest squads at the Schick 3×3 Cup with a roster that features players with years of Sal’s NBL experience and an abundance of high level 3×3 experience, too. Josh Aitcheson, Pafe Momoisea and Richie Rodger all played at the Schick Cup in 2020, and Rodger went to the Commonwealth Games with New Zealand in July. Benji Freeman dipped into 3×3 basketball this year and his team placed 2nd in the Youthtown 3×3 Quest Tour. The Magic are going to place high in Pool B and will almost certainly be making a run for the cup.
Taranaki Airs: The Airs received word last week that they would be without Carlin Davison, who is pursuing an NBA G-League opportunity in the United States, but they might have found one of the best possible replacements in the country. Simon Lafaele was ranked as the No. 1 3×3 player in New Zealand earlier this year and adding him to a team that already possesses Sal’s NBL talent in Derek Albertsen, Ben Carlile-Smith and Scott Telfer makes them formidable. Lacking a bit of size, the Airs are going to relay on their work rate and skill on the perimeter to get the job done.
Southland Sharks: The defending champions will be looking to put on a show for their home fans. Tall Blacks 3×3 star Dom Kelman-Poto will be joined by Alonzo Burton, Tom Cowie and Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape, who all had the benefit of playing together for the Sharks in the Sal’s NBL this season. Kelman-Poto’s inside game is going to be tough to stop for most opponents, and the combination of outside shooting and athleticism that Burton, Cowie and Leusogi-Ape provide will set them up as one of the team’s the beat in the pool.
Nelson Giants: The Giants will deploy four players from their 2022 Sal’s NBL roster – Sam Dempster, Riley Bensemann, Tyler Marsh and Nick Davidson. Dempster is a work horse and sniper from downtown, so look for him to have a big impact and be the driving force behind this team. Teenager Nick Davidson was a late inclusion into the team and will be an intriguing player to watch; he replaced Alex McNaught, who had to pull out due to his commitments with the New Zealand Breakers.
