Basketball: Final or bust for Hastings school

GRAFTER: HBHS coach Curtis Wooten Wooten is expecting a tougher year. PHOTO/FILE

Something Hastings Boys' High School basketball coach Curtis Wooten has never lacked in 27 years of coaching in Hawke's Bay is optimism.

Next week his HBHS Akina Senior A team will attempt to retain the first of two titles it won last year when the Super 8 tournament is played from Monday until Wednesday in Palmerston North.

In his pre-tournament press release, Wooten had his team in a semifinal spot against Palmerston North Boys' High School, New Plymouth Boys' High School or Tauranga Boys College.

The former Hawks NBL coach also had his team in the grand final against one of two teams, PNBHS or New Plymouth. "Obviously that's if everything goes to plan. I'm expecting things to be a lot tougher than they were last year," Wooten said.

Next week's tournament is the first of three major tournaments Wooten is eyeing for his squad. There is the lower North Island Premiership in Palmerston North from August 31 to September 3 where HBHS will again be the defending champions.

The top six teams from this tournament will qualify for the September 26-October 1 nationals, also in Manawatu. Wooten is hoping to improve upon last year's quarterfinal exit at the nationals.

At Super 8 level HBHS have been in the last five finals. They tasted title glory in 2013 and again last year.

Wooten has five players returning from last year's squad, four year 12s and Thomas Barclay, who is a year 13 student.

Point guard Marcos Edwards and shooting guard Devante Miller are his co-captains.

This pair along with shooting guard Tuehu Spooner are regularly in his starting five, which he has yet to settle on.

"All players should and will contribute lots of court time with no regular starting line-up after at least 30 games to date. We have played most teams in the North Island and have been very competitive with all the top teams by either winning or losing by single digits.

"We feel that we can win our section but it will be very close against Hamilton Boys and Napier Boys. Both teams are strong and we have split games with both teams. Section B has three very good teams in favourites Palmerston North and New Plymouth. Tauranga Boys are also very good this year as they have beaten a number of teams by 20-plus points," Wooten explained.

His team will play Gisborne Boys and Hamilton Boys on Monday and Napier Boys on Tuesday. The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and the final for Wednesday morning.

HBHS team: Marcos Edwards, Devante Miller, Peter Wilkie, Tuehu Spooner, Thomas Barclay, Shaye Wilkens, Sam Mitchell, Josh Tarrega, Henry Ah Funny, Latrell Ah Kiong.