He came into the Otago Nuggets as a relative unknown outside Dunedin, as the final pick in last year’s Showdown draft.
His job was to "be as annoying as possible on defence", run the lanes and be the energetic spark.
As the season progressed, he became an increasingly important part of the side which went on to win the championship.
An ankle injury curtailed his start to 2021.
He made his return to the court during last weekend’s road trip to Auckland, making brief appearances in both wins.
The livewire guard will play his first home game tonight — as the southern derby against the Southland Sharks is reprised after a seven-year hiatus.
While he became something of a cult figure in last year’s league, he still does not see himself as being any more of a marked man.
"I still don’t reckon people know who I am," Bardsley (25), who is teaching full-time this year around playing for the team, said with a laugh.
"I don’t think people care about me, still, I’m happy that way."
His role has not changed too much either.
While he has been putting work into his jump shot, his role is still to go out there and be an energetic spark off the bench.
"I reckon it’s the same, nothing’s changed in that regard.
"That’s my strength, I’ll stick with that.
"Obviously, I’m trying to add things to my game all the time, but it’s a similar kind of situation to last year."
Bardsley’s ankle was not 100%, but he said it was good enough to be playing on.
It had been a long recovery after he landed on Pafe Momoisea’s foot and went over on it during a training drill two weeks before the season.
He had enjoyed being back on court last week, and the prospect of playing at home added excitement.
The match shapes as a big one, regardless of the rivalry and challenge shield up for grabs.
The Sharks and Nuggets are second and third respectively on the league table, behind the Wellington Saints — whom the Sharks played last night.
With the Hawke’s Bay Hawks and Canterbury Rams set to get a handful of stars back each, the Sharks will be a key contender in the scrap for a top four spot.
They boast a key threat in forward Dom Kelman-Poto, while Brayden Inger has had something of a breakout year.
Bardsley said the Nuggets were excited for the match and spirits after two wins on the road.
"It’s been a real good week of training, being able to train on our home court knowing we’ve got a home game coming up against the Sharks, who are doing well this season.
"They’ve got a few weapons out there, but I think our weapons are a lot stronger.
"If we just execute and stay together, we’ve proven to be a tough side to deal with.
"It’s ours for the taking this weekend — we’ve just got to go out there and play hard and get the win."
Tip-off is at 7.30pm. A match between the Otago Gold Rush and an invitational Southern Stormers side will start at 5pm as part of the Gold Rush’s pre-season for the women’s NBL.
