Basketball: Bringing in some hustle

By PETER JESSUP

It's certain that by the end of the next NBL season Australian teams will rue not having looked at new NZ Breakers import Shawn Redhage.

The American, nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" for his energetic approach, went from small-town Nebraska to city living while at Arizona State University for five years and then to the sparsely populated northwest of Tasmania.

It was from there that he made a big mark in the South East Australian Basketball League in which the Burnie-based Tasmanian Thunder compete, and attracted the attention of the Breakers.

Assistant coach Wayne Brown went to watch 23-year-old Redhage in Devonport, Tasmania, and the club quickly moved to sign him. He fronts as a bench player capable of making a big impact as other teams tire, he obviously scores well as shown by the returns from the Breakers' three pre-season games and he adds to the balance of the side.

Redhage has completed a degree in construction science so is clearly no dummy. After five years at ASU he ended up in Australia because his agent knew the coach in Burnie.

"I thought I'd take the opportunity and see what happened," said Redhage.

He was looking to press on into the NBL and jumped at the chance to join the fledgling Breakers.

"It's a great opportunity and I want to make the most of it."

At training at the team home in the new Trusts Stadium this week, Redhage worked on his approach to the hoop and shot with coach Frank Arsego.

Coming late into a squad that includes four Tall Blacks means he won't get the game-time he was used to getting with the Thunder. In the final against Knox, won 117-98 by the Thunder, Redhage scored 32 points, made 18 rebounds, 8 assists and five steals. His top-score was 49.

"I played off the bench at college and I'm happy with that. I'll just play hard and let the stats take care of themselves," said Redhage.

The professional environment at the Breakers felt more like that of college and he was happy to be back in a city after small-town Tasmania. "There's more to do."

Redhage has scored well in the Breakers' pre-season games - 19 against Hunter Pirates in their first-up 86-79 win, 25 in the 100-104 loss to Wollongong Hawks and 17 in the 98-79 win over Adelaide in New Plymouth on Tuesday.

Arsego is happy: "He gives us some athleticism, he's a scorer, he'll relieve Pero [Cameron] in the game."

The Breakers got Redhage early, as other teams were focused on the transfer market of NBL players. "We wanted to get the team selected early so they knew they were the ones, to give them confidence," said Arsego.

It may turn out to be a masterstroke.

The turned ankle that kept last season's star Mike Chappell out of the last two games is healing and he flew with the squad to Cairns for the NBL Blitz, a short-version tournament including all 11 NBL franchises.

The Breakers are pooled with the Sydney Kings, Townsville Crocodiles, Cairns Taipans, Wollongong Hawks and West Sydney Razorbacks. On the other side of the draw are the Melbourne Tigers, Adelaide 36ers, Brisbane Bullets, Perth Wildcats, Hunter Pirates and the Australian state league champions Cairns Marlins.

The Breakers play the Crocs at 12.50pm, the Kings at 2.40pm and the Razors at 3.35pm today. The games are of two 12-minute halves. The top two from each pool compete in finals.

The Breakers then travel south for their final pre-season hit-out against Townsville, then open the new season against Adelaide on Wednesday, September 29.

Arsego said the short preparation time, with the Tall Blacks rejoining the training programme just last week, was not a hindrance. "Games at the Olympics at that level, you couldn't think of a better pre-season," he said.

Cameron was fizzing and that feeling had been imparted to the group. Both Dillon Boucher and Paul Henare confirmed that.

The Tall Blacks did not feel satisfied with their result from Athens and if anything it had hardened their resolve. It had also made them more aware of what they were capable of achieving.

ALL THE HOOPLA

Born January 21, 1981, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Nebraska High School player of the year 1998-99.

Arizona State University 1999-2004.

Matched ASU freshman record with 28 starts.

Tournament-team pick three times.

Led North West Tasmanian Thunder to the South East Australian Basketball League title in May 2004.