Ballarat Miners coach Brendan Joyce loves an arch-rivalry on the basketball court.
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And there has been none bigger in Victoria than that between Ballarat and Bendigo.
I love rivalries. I'll create rivalries if I can as well."
- Brendan Joyce
Joyce cannot wait to again be part of that when the Hotondo Homes Miners front up against Bendigo Braves in NBL1 at the Minerdome of Saturday night.
"There's a lot of history there.
"I love rivalries. I'll create rivalries if I can as well. It adds excitement to the game. It gets people to the game."
Joyce said the Miners wanted to be the powerhouse of regional Victoria, let alone the league.
He said to achieve these targets they would have to have the better of Bendigo as well as Geelong, which Ballarat also shared a major rivalry with.
Joyce said he would certainly make sure the new players with the Miners were well aware of the rivalry with the Braves.
Deng Acuoth is among them.
Acuoth has joined the Miners after two seasons with Sydney Kings in the NBL - the first as a development player and the second on a full contract.
He said Joyce was making everyone aware of the long history between Ballarat and Bendigo.
Acuoth said one of the highlights of his time with Sydney had been playing alongside NBA centre Andrew Bogut.
"Learning from an NBA vet was really great."
Acuoth said he had been really proud of the fight the Miners had shown to get an opening round win against Nunawading at Nunawading.
"It's a hard place to play in...having our coach (Joyce) ejected in the third (quarter), that was hard on us.
"The fight we showed as a team, I was really proud of the guys."
Joyce is expecting a much more intense encounter with Bendigo. "It'll go to another level."
Like Ballarat, Bendigo is also coming off a win.
For Bendigo, the trip to Ballarat will be its seconding outing in two night as it meets the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence on Friday night.
BENDIGO will unveil a new United States import at the Minerdome.
A guard, Deonte Burton will suit up for the Braves off the back of lining up for the Salt Lake City Stars in the NBA G-League.
Joyce said the Miners would be well briefed on what to expect from Burton, given the new Brave was a former teammate of Ballarat import Jerry Evans in Nevada.
Ballarat Rush plays Bendigo Lady Braves on Saturday at 6pm, followed by the Miners and Braves at 8pm.
