New teams take to the floor

Both the Basketball Manawatu men’s and women’s club competitions will have a different look this season.

The premier club competition starts at the Arena tonight and there are nine premier men’s teams this season, down from 11 last year, and the women’s grade has stayed with five teams.

Of the men’s teams from last year, the Levin Comets have pulled out, as have Feilding High School, Highbury Whanau and Palmy Pandas, with some players going to other teams.

Wanganui team Station hasn’t entered either, but there is a new team from the river city this year, called the Wanganui Hawkes.

The Manukura schoolboys team will step up to the premier men’s grade and a new team called Unity, which is made up of former

Palmerston North Boys’ High School players, has entered.

Returning from last year are Palmerston North Boys’ High School, who will be strong again, the Ohakea Pirates, who have picked up a couple of school leavers, the two Massey University teams, Mumba Stags and Mumba Bucks, Slow Break and last year’s beaten finalist That’s Us.

In the women’s competition, Manukura have also put a team into the women’s grade, along with last year’s teams Linton, Palmerston North Girls’ High School and champions Mumba Hinds.

A team from Wanganui, called The Unknown, is also entered in the competition.

Wolves have pulled out this year, but some of their players have gone to other teams.

The under-17 representative side isn’t needed to make up the numbers this year, but some of their squad were also playing for other teams too.

The secondary schools competition starts on Friday night.

There are eight teams in the premier boys grade in Boys’ High premier, Boys’ High Blue, Boys’ High White, Boys’ High junior A, Feilding High School, Feilding juniors, Manukura and Freyberg High School. There are five teams in the premier girls grade in Girls’ High, Manukura, Feilding, Freyberg and Tararua College.