Giants and Sparks set to fly as season nears
The Nelson Giants have finalised their National Basketball League roster while local women’s basketball is soon to be reignited by the return of the Sparks to top flight national competition.
Less than three weeks out from the start of the new Sal’s NBL season, the Giants have added depth and quality to their big man stocks.
The headliner of the final two players announced is the signing of 2.08-metre centre Anzac Rissetto, fresh from completing his sophomore season at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The Giants have also retained the services of Tommy Gargiulo, who will back up the forward positions currently held by veterans Sam Dempster and Bronson Beri.
The 30-year-old Gargiulo played nine games in his debut season for the Giants at the 2020 NBL Showdown.
Rissetto, who played for Nelson College before finishing high school at Auckland Grammar, was pursued by a number of United States universities out of high school.
After using two of his four years of eligibility at UNC, Rissetto decided to prioritise his health and begin his pro career by returning to New Zealand.
Giants coach Michael Fitchett was pleased to be able to sign a quality Kiwi big man this close to the start of the New Zealand season. ‘‘We had planned to play smaller and faster this season, being a little lighter upfront. Anzac gives us a body that can bang with the Salts and Timmins of the league, the genuine seven footers.’’
Rissetto previously suited up for the Wellington Saints in the 2019 season, playing eight minutes a game for a Saints team that finished the NBL season undefeated. He was now looking forward to lacing up his boots with some of the guys he looked up to previously, including his former junior coach Sam Dempster.
Nineteen-year-old guard Tyler Herbert will train with the team and will look to earn a spot in the 2022 roster.
Meanwhile, the ramped up 2021 Schick 3X3 season is set to include the Nelson Sparks as one of three new teams to compete in the league’s ‘‘party product’’ which will feature 20 teams across men’s and women’s competitions.
The women’s competition will welcome the Sparks and a team from Southland, while the Wellington Saints will join the men’s competition.
The Sparks won a national title in 2012 and came third in 2015.
NBL general manager Justin Nelson said he was delighted to welcome the top of the south team back.
‘‘They have a proud history at national level and have recently taken on a real focus to getting back to being a strong women’s programme, which is great news for the talented young players in that region,’’ he said.
Both 3X3 competitions will be screened live on Sky Sport. All players in both competitions will be paid the same fee for playing, a first for basketball, as well as $40,000 in prize money. The season will include player drafts in August, ahead of October’s Schick Cup in Invercargill and December’s Schick Christmas Classic in Auckland.
The 2021 Giants roster is: Tysxun Aiolupotea, Riley Bensemann, Bronson Beri, Sam Dempster, Hunter Hale (import), Thomas Ingham, Donte Ingram (import), Tommy Gargiulo, Josh Leger, Jay Marsh, Tyler Marsh, Alex McNaught, Anzac Rissetto, Nic Trathen.