The Southern Hoiho have been busy laying the foundation for their Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season and finally get to put it out on the floor in their opener against the Mainland Pouakai tomorrow night.
Coach Todd Marshall is happy with where his team is at and feels they have a nice balance across the court.
"We’ve got size, we’ve got scoring and we’ve got those that can control the ball and run our offences for us," Marshall said.
"Just looking forward to getting off the training floor and on to the playing court."
United States import Paige Bradley returns for her third season in the South and has laid her stake as one of the league’s best point guards.
"She’s a top-quality player," Marshall said.
"Absolutely stoked to have Paige back. She knows us, she’s comfortable, so it’s just a really good position to be in to be able to get Paige back with the Hoiho."
The Tauihi league is heading into its fourth season and continues to make a step up each year.
"At the end of last season we realised we had to try and up our game a bit and I think we’ve done that. Our squad’s a lot deeper and stronger.
"But everyone else is doing the same.
"Every year you’re getting more across where you need to be and getting better connections with overseas, with players ... things are just going from strength to strength.
"I think that league’s going to be pretty exciting this year."
That starts tomorrow night when the Hoiho, who finished fifth with a record of 3-9 in 2024, meet the Pouakai in Christchurch.
They finished on top of the regular season with a record of 8-4, but were dispatched in the semifinals.
Mainland have recruited championship-winning coach Alex Stojkovic, who won the Tauihi title with the Whai last year, and Whai players Morgan Yaeger and Mckenna Dale.
They join Tall Ferns Ezra McGoldrick and Charlotte Whittaker, who is returning to New Zealand from overseas.
"Canterbury were in a really good position last year, so they’ve still got that in the back of their minds as well and they’ve added some real quality," Marshall said.
"They’re going to be tough. They’ve stretched the floor really well.
"They’ve got shooting, they’ve got a bit of everything so this is what we’re going to get every game we front. It’s going to be a real good battle."
