He would’ve loved a few more weeks of fine-tuning, but Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod is confident the Hawks are in the right frame of mind for Friday’s first game of the season against Townsville at WIN Entertainment Centre.
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Despite being stronger on paper than last season, the Hawks lost all five of their pre-season clashes with NBL teams.
Import guard Jahii Carson resumed training this week after a two-week spell on the sidelines with ‘‘turf toe’’, centre Larry Davidson is returning from a knee injury, while 2.18m newcomer Luke Nevill has only been with the club for a week.
The Hawks weren’t overly concerned with pre-season results and can’t wait to take on the Crocs, who surprised rivals by taking out last month’s NBL Blitz tournament in Brisbane.
‘‘It’s an exciting time of year for our club. The first home game and the start of a new journey is always exciting,’’ McLeod said.
‘‘It’s a new group and you think about what the year’s going to bring, so there’s an anticipation about the journey ahead. What was demonstrated at the NBL Blitz says it’s going to be an exciting year.
‘‘As a coach, you never have enough time to prepare, but it’s a work in progress. As long as we continue to get better individually and as a group, then we’ll find what our destiny is.’’
The Hawks head into the 2014-15 season knowing the club has reached the semi-finals in three of the past five years.
The Crocs finished with the wooden spoon last year, but coach Shawn Dennis has recruited wisely, bringing in American centre Mickell Gladness, Clint Steindl and Leon Henry.
‘‘They were very solid at the pre-season tournament. They were probably one of the most advanced teams and the results showed that,’’ McLeod said.
‘‘They’ve kept seven guys from their nucleus and added Steindl and Leon Henry, two guys with good NBL experience, and they’ve added Gladness, who’s had NBA experience.
‘‘They beat New Zealand and Melbourne, so they showed what their credentials are going to be. Looking at all the teams at the Blitz, everyone’s certainly gone up a level.