After losing last year’s South East Australian Basketball League south conference crown in overtime to Dandenong, the Ballarat Miners came into season 2018 with high expectations.
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But, having dropped three of the past four games, the Ballarat GMHBA Miners are now faced with a challenge as they seek redemption from the finals heartbreak.
After an exciting first half of the season, which resulted in second spot by the time of the SEABL bye, the Miners’ slide in form comes just as they are about to face the top two teams.
While it means the Miners’ season is in their hands, they will be primed for finals.
At their best, playing the fun, fast and unselfish brand they want to be renowned for, the Miners are unstoppable and capable of beating the best in the competition.
The team maintained most of its playing list from last season including imports and fan favourites Davon Usher and Marvin King-Davis, resulting in the chemistry being there from early on.
While Melbourne United and Hobart Chargers star Craig Moller, who was named the Miners’ most valuable player in 2017, was a huge loss for the club, new recruits the athletic Josh Fox and Nic Pozoglou showed promise.
Nathan Cooper-Brown stepped in seamlessly as head coach after one season as an assistant to Eric Hayes.
With belief in the team’s ability, the bar was set high from day one, with targets of 88 or more shots per game, an average of 115 points per game, 25 or more assists, a presence on the glass, and reducing the number of turnovers and fouls to deny the opposition free points.
Despite a 10-5 record, the players are yet to fully deliver and have more in the tank.
While the Miners have enjoyed having one of the most efficient offences in the competition, defensively they have struggled.
Part of the problem comes down to poor quarters letting opposition teams back into games and giving up too many second chance points.
Cooper-Brown is still waiting for the team to play with intensity for the full four quarters and push out leads.
But, while the Miners have had to at times fight and scrape together victories, they have showed heart and a never-say-die attitude.
Young-gun Sam Short has impressed in a defensive role, while captain Peter Hooley is a solid contributor capable of lifting the team when required. Usher provides spark and flair, and teammate Fox has stepped up to lead the league in total and defensive rebounds.
The good news is, despite poor performances, the Miners are sitting in third position on the ladder, a game clear of the fourth-placed Hobart. They have what it takes, it is just a matter of finally realising their potential.
