BASKETBALL
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The end of the annual NBA Summer League has Illawarra Hawks coach Rob Beveridge rubbing his hands in anticipation.
Beveridge has two vacancies on the Illawarra playing roster for the 2015-16 NBL season, one of which will be filled by an American import.
While the Hawks are set at the guard and centre positions, they remain in the market for a three-man and four-man to complete the team.
Beveridge already has his eye on a number of import prospects and expects several more potential candidates to become available over the coming weeks.
"Things have really cranked up this week now that [NBA] Summer League's over," he said.
"I'm getting stalked by agents, but I'm speaking with the actual NBA scouts that I know personally, the guys that actually work the players out."
The Hawks have steadily moved forward since being cleared to play by the club's creditors seven weeks ago.
The club changed its name from Wollongong to Illawarra, signed a championship-winning coach to replace the beloved Gordie McLeod and secured eight players to contracts.
Beveridge lured 2012 NBL MVP Kevin Lisch to Illawarra and is doing his homework to find a second suitable import.
"Cookie, Flinny [assistant coaches Eric Cooks and Matt Flinn] and I have been watching so much tape it's ridiculous," he said.
"I'm looking for somebody that has the ability to defend the [Shawn] Redhages, the [Mark] Worthingtons, the [Mika] Vukonas, the [Anthony] Petries - all those guys who can play that combo inside-outside role.
"I've got a whole list of players we're looking at and obviously they have to fit in budget-wise. If we get an import four-man we'll go with an Australian three, and if we get an import three we'll go with an Australian four.
"We're speaking to college coaches about players to check their backgrounds, finding out as much as we can about them and what type of people they are. We're looking for the best player we can get, on and off the court."
The 2015-16 season tips off in October. Beveridge ideally wants to finalise his squad in the next fortnight.
"I want the team on the floor by the 10th of August," he said.
"But again, if we find an import that arrives in September, so be it."
In other basketball news, Illawarra juniors Kyle Zunic and Lachlan Dent have been named in the Australian under-17 team for next month's FIBA Oceania Championship in New Zealand.
Zunic and Dent are part of a 12-man Australian side which will contest the three-day tournament against Tahiti, New Caledonia and the host nation.
Both players were part of the NSW Country team that claimed the national under-16 title this year.