We're not going to know exactly what the Ballarat Miners are capable of until they hit the court in the round one encounter with the Melbourne Tigers on Saturday night.
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But one thing we know for certain is that it will be a completely new look team that take to Selkirk Stadium this season.
The Miners men's roster has undergone an almost complete overhaul with only three players from last season, captain Nic Pozoglou and young guns, locals Zac Dunmore and Amos Brooks returning.
In comes a wealth of Australian experience and talent which has shone brightly on the college scene in the US, many of which have previously played together and two classy imports to round out the gaps.
One thing is for certain, this is now coach Luke Sunderland's team.
After a year of essentially getting to know the club, the head coach now has his fingerprints all over this side.
One thing noticeable about the Miners roster is the lack of pure height. There is no Deng Acouth of times gone by or Deng Gak, he was saw the previous year-and-a-half. This is a team built to move the ball quick.
The tallest player on the roster is 6 foot 11 Riley Dunn, a 17-year-old still at high school. He will be used sparingly, seeing this season as his opportunity to get inducted into the team.
This leaves the 6'7 Amos Brooks and Jordan Lingard at 6'6 to carry the height load.
So expect the Miners to play a completely different brand based on outside shooting and speed in order to get the job done.
The wraps are huge on import Jack Davidson. The NCAA D3 National Player of the Year in 2022-23 is considered a world class shooter. No pressure, but he did have a run of 95 consecutive free throws made, so it's hoped he will deliver the goods early in the season to get his side off to a strong start.
Another of the key shooters into the squad is the other import Tyler Rudolph. At 6'6, he is one that the Miners will look to as an inside presence. He also has an impressive shooting game where he averaged over 40 per cent from the three-point range in college.
The new Australian players include Max Cody who is making his return home for the first time since his NCAA D2 career which included lining up alongside Rudolph. Point guard Cody is considered an on court general who will direct his teammates to the right positions.
Jake Lloyd has transferred to the Miners from Bendigo, one of two key signings at the club from the country rivals up the road. His best work will be done in defence, but will bob up when needed as a solid mid-court shooter.
Adam Thoseby is the other new signing, a player that is said once he gets momentum is hard to stop.
Of the returning players, Nic Pozoglou, was probably the shining light of the Miners last season. Realistically, he was the one starter last year that could safely say he had a consistent year. His defensive prowess, coupled with his dunking ability quickly endeared him to the fans.
Zac Dunmore is coming off a league MVP in the summer Country Basketball League. His growth will be followed closely this year. At times last season, he was a beacon of light for an underperforming team and deserves to get more minutes on the court.
Jodan Lingard will also add height and experience to the squad and should see some added minutes than what he saw last year. He has the skill set and knowledge to be an integral part of the team this season.
Amos Brooks, like Dunmore and Lingard, will appreciate an opportunity to gain more minutes. The hulking big man is coming off an outstanding year capped with the Miners Youth League championship win and will now be asked to carry a bigger load this year.
COACH'S COMMENTS - Luke Sunderland (Head Coach)
"We're way ahead of where we were this time last year. The chemistry is good both on and off the court which, it's fair to say, we didn't have that last year.
"They've all picked up the game plan pretty quickly and it looks like they've been playing together a long time. We're not tall, but we are long. We're pretty disruptive on defence.
"We have good defenders with a high IQ. Already we're seeing we're averaging more blocks than we did for all of last year, we haven't lost a rebound count this year either, which when you compare it last year, we never won those at all.
"We're not tall, but we are more athletic. We've definitely got more shooters and I wouldn't be surprised if we end up leading the league in terms of three points taken and made this year. It's a lot better.
"Jack is a wonderful shooter alone, but with both Jack and Adam coming in, plus Tyler, we're going to be hard to stop. I've coached Max since under 14s and helped him get to College and he played with Tyler a couple of years so that's how they came about. Max was actually the very first player I called when I got the job last year, but he wasn't going to be back for enough time. So those two together obviously helps. Jake Lloyd is from Bendigo but actually roomed with 'Poz (Pozoglou) at Illawarra, so there's a good connection there. Adam I've known since he was 12 or 13, we're close family friends. Jack and Poz have the same agent, so he came recommended through there, so they've all got a connection somehow. It's a bit of six degrees of Kevin Bacon.
"Our first seven could start we feel. We put a lot of thought into the way the season is structured (given the April start early July finish). In doing that we went and got a lot of depth in a lot of positions, there's a bunch who could play four or five if needed.
"That was a key driver as well as making sure the two imports were here early, because you can traditionally wait until round seven. I hope we'll be able to get a good jump on the season given the amount of time we've had together.
"A good Miners game this year will be pretty disruptive defensively, a lot of deflections, a lot of steels, we rebound pretty well despite our size and just having the ball move. The ball movement will be the biggest thing, it flows a lot better.
"Zac and 'Mos (Brooks) finished the year pretty strongly last year. With 'Mos, his development is one of the reasons we didn't chase after a five. We think having him and Jordan rotating will be enough there."
MEET YOUR 2023 MINERS
MINERS MEN'S FIXTURE (home games in bold)
Melbourne Tigers (H), Bendigo Braves (H), Keilor Thunder (A), Nunawading Spectres (A), Hobart Chargers (A), NW Tasmania (A), Dandenong Rangers (H), Diamond Valley Eagles (A), Frankston Blues (A), Knox Raiders (H), Waverley Falcons (H), Casey Caveliers (A), Sandringham Sabres (H), Melbourne Tigers (A), NW Tasmania (H), Mount Gambier Pioneers (H), Kilsyth (A), Ringwood Hawks (H), Eltham Wildcats (H), Geelong Supercats (A), Diamond Valley Eagles (H), Bendigo Braves (A)
