Draft builds hype for the TBL
BASKETBALL:
Rosters have been chosen and teams are set for the first instalment of the Toowoomba Basketball League.
The new competition pitted the best basketball talent in Toowoomba in a draft pool, with four teams chosen to take up the mantle in the inaugural TBL season.
Not surprisingly, returning Mountaineers forward/centre Paul Aleer was taken as the first overall pick by The A Team.
Guard Jason Ebneter was chosen next by Toowoomba City Lightning, followed by Will Mitchell being drafted by the Dragons and Stephen Kluck rounding out the first round, becoming the first member of the Breakers.
A shrewd piece of drafting from Dragons coach Kim Wilson saw her add guards Cameron Weber and Daniel Sims in the second and third rounds respectively, forming an imposing big-three alongside Mitchell.
The A Team mentor Ash Peters picked up point guard Jack Gallagher in the fourth round to reunite with Big Q winning teammate Aleer.
This goes along with the addition of sharpshooter Joe Johnson and Bailey Nwanevu in the opening rounds.
The Lightning will have a Toowoomba Saints connection with Ebneter and Joel Seaby linking up.
They have been joined by Jason Spurgin, who impressed with his rookie QBL campaign last year and is bound for college later in the year, as well as deep threat Joe McConnell.
Darryl Allen has paired his marquee draftee of Kluck with talented youngsters Kobi Hinch and Josh Allen.
Each team selected eight players to their initial rosters, however they have the option to add a further two players.
These two players can come in the form of one player aged
sean.teuma@thechronicle.com.au
under 18, and another aged 18 or over.
TBL ROSTERS
THE A TEAM
Paul Aleer, Joe Johnson, Bailey Nwanevu, Jack Gallagher, Jacob Pomfrett, Noah Silcox-Smith, Jacob Holt, Keyan Kramer
Coach: Ash Peters
LIGHTNING
Jason Ebneter, Joel Seaby, Jason Spurgin, Joe McConnell, Michael Usher, Isaac Wormald, Greg Spurgin, Rei Owen
Coach: Matthew Cox
DRAGONS
Will Mitchell, Cameron Weber, Daniel Sims, Seth
Ham, David Werth, Adam Parsons, Christ Kitapindu, Bob Ashford
Coach: Kim Wilson
BREAKERS Stephen Kluck, Chris Scarinci, Josh Allen, Kobi Hinch, Chris Longford, Jackson Berghofer, Jake Allen, Jirah Luck
Coach: Darryl Allen
TBL FIXTURES
ROUND ONE February 10 – Toowoomba City Lightning vs Dragons; The A Team vs Breakers ROUND TWO February 17 – The A Team vs Toowoomba City Lightning; Dragons vs Breakers ROUND THREE February 24 – Toowoomba City Lightning vs Breakers; Dragons vs The A Team ROUND FOUR March 2 – Dragons vs Toowoomba City Lightning; Breakers vs The A Team ROUND FIVE March 9 – Toowoomba City Lightning vs The A Team; Breakers vs Dragons ROUND SIX
March 16 – Breakers vs Toowoomba City Lightning; The A Team vs Dragons
First round TBL fixtures were played overnight. Results from both games are available to view online at thechronicle.com.au/sport