Basketball: Work cut out for Napier Boys' High School at secondary schools' nationals

Napier Boys' High School senior basketball team celebrate after winning the zone 3 qualifying premiership in Palmerston North early this month. Photo/supplied

They aren't in the pool of death but Napier Boys' High School have their work cut out in the top tier of the secondary schoolboys' national basketball championship in Palmerston North next week.

The Damion and Dwayne Davies-coached Sky Blues are in pool D and begin their campaign in a 2.15pm tip-off against fifth-placed Tauranga Boys' High School at the Schick-sponsored six-day championship in the Central Energy Trust Arena on Monday.

NBHS are seeded second in their pool with only undefeated South Island champions Cashmere High School above them. Below them is St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie), Waimea College and last-placed Mcleans College (Auckland) in the "AA" boys' grade.

"Pool A is the toughest one because potentially you have four teams who are in the top eight," says Damion Davies of the pool which boasts defending champions Rosmini (North Harbour), Rongotai College, Mt Albert Grammar (Auckland) and Hamilton Boys' High School A. New Plymouth BHS and St Andrew's College (Christchurch) round off that pool.

NBHS have beaten top contenders in pool C - Rangitoto College, Auckland Grammar and Palmerston BHS - as well as Wellington champions Rongotai in pool A. Curtis Wooten-coached Hastings Boys' High School are seeded sixth in pool C.

Davies' boys have played St John's College (Hamilton), Rotorua BHS and Fraser High (Hamilton) in pool B but not the top three of St Kentigern (Auckland), Westlake BHS (North Harbour) and Shirley BHS (Christchurch).

The introduction of a preliminary final - where the top qualifiers from each pool proceed to the quarter-finals - will allow the second and third-placed sides to battle it out in crossover matches to earn the right to face the automatic quarter-finalists.

"We haven't seen them [Cashmere] at all but they've beaten some of the top Auckland sides this year," he says as pool D will face crossovers from pool C in the repechage stage.

Expecting every game to be tough at the nationals, Davies says NBHS are backing themselves to make the top eight in the quest for the the Doug Harford Memorial Trophy.

The school won its maiden elite national crown in 1992 when Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare was a player.

Napier Girls' High School are seeded third, below Hamilton GHS and Auckland Girls' Grammar, in pool D of their "AA" grade.

The nationals will feature 69 teams, 800 players, and 268 games in their 50th year of existence.