It will be a case of deja vu for Wollongong playmaker Tywain McKee when the Hawks confront Townsville tomorrow night at WIN Entertainment Centre.
After overcoming New Zealand's CJ Bruton in a highly anticipated showdown last weekend, McKee is hell-bent on stealing the limelight in his head-to-head duel with Crocodiles scoring machine Corey "Homicide" Williams.
The quietly spoken McKee is second in the NBL in scoring (22 points per game), while the swaggering Williams (24-point average) occupies top spot.
Full coverage of the Wollongong Hawks McKee is first in steals (2.3), Williams leads the league in assists (6.6).
Hawks captain Mat Campbell believes the McKee versus Homicide clash will match the hype.
"Hell yeah. I don't mind how much that stuff is pumped up because it really is a marquee match-up. It's good for the league and it's good for everybody to see," Campbell said.
"Homicide has been great for the last two years and is probably one of the best two imports in the league. It's going to be a great test for Ty. He's only 23 and this is his first stint straight out of college. It's going to be a great match-up and I can't wait to see it."
McKee said he was relishing his tussle with Williams.
"The guys say he's a real confident player and a little cocky, and that he's a little bigger and stronger than CJ, but that doesn't put any fear in me," McKee said.
"Obviously he's a good player and I'm looking forward to the challenge like I did with CJ."
Impressive as McKee has been while helping the unfashionable Hawks (3-1) to the top of the table, Williams is the league's form player, capturing back-to-back player of the week honours over the past fortnight.
"I wouldn't say I'm unstoppable, but I've gotten off to a good groove in this early part of the season," the 32-year-old said.
Williams took on Bruton and the Breakers last night in New Zealand and is looking forward to squaring off with his younger opponent tomorrow.
"I met him once, but I don't know him, I didn't see him play and I haven't seen any film of him," Williams said.
"Obviously he's going well to have the Hawks where they are and I wish him all the best.
"The thing with the league this year is that you've got the toughest group of point guards since I've been out here. You play against a good point guard every night and this week I'm up against two of the best in the league.
"The league needs this kind of thing. We need the public to know who we are so the league can survive and we can all continue to have jobs. When people are talking about match-ups between players it's good for the game."
Born and bred in New York where he was a playground star, Williams is known for interacting with fans wherever he goes.
However, he said it was never his intention to insult or offend rival supporters. "I appreciate the fans wherever I play," he said. "I plan on doing my talking on the court and all the people in Wollongong are welcome to the party on Saturday. The more the merrier."
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