Basketball: Up-and-comer's injury hits Stars' reshuffle

By PETER JESSUP

With seven of last year's squad gone, the Auckland Stars will have a decidedly new look this season.

Rob Tuilave and Lance Baker have crossed the bridge to North Harbour, Alan Wesche has gone to Wellington and promising youngster Glen Joe to Waikato.

Simon Mesritz and Lawrence Dickie were not re-signed.

So it was bad news for the Stars when up-and-comer Daniel Barritt ripped his anterior cruciate ligament, putting him out for the season.

Coach Kenny Stone will stick to the sidelines this season.

"Last year was difficult," he said. "As player-coach, neither my playing nor my coaching got the attention they deserved."

The Stars hope to tie up contracts with big men Aaron Olsen and Casey Frank. The latter will again be their import.

Fringe Tall Black Daryl Cartwright should also be in, along with Lindsay Tait, Reece Cassidy and Will Green.

Stone was pleased with the range of talent that turned up to try out for the team, and is confident he will have no trouble filling the squad.

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Negotiations have started with several New Zealanders home and abroad to fill places in the new Auckland-based Australian league team.

The backers of franchisee Proteam Holdings will not name names, but expect to have deals signed by this time next week.

An anti-tampering regulation prevents clubs or agents approaching contracted players until the end of their finals series, which runs until mid-April, so Proteam cannot seek the seasoned pros it wants until then.

In the first round of best-of-three finals games, the Melbourne Tigers beat Sydney Kings 105-104, Perth dumped Adelaide 119-116 and the Wollongong Hawks beat Townsville 97-87.

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Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe has averaged more than 20 points in her last seven games for the University of Buffalo. Last week, the 19-year-old from Nelson helped the Bulls to a win over Central Michigan that lifts them into the Mid-American Conference finals. She scored 19 points - making eight of nine field-goals and one three-pointer - three assists, five rebounds and six steals.

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Tall Black guard Kirk Penney has played his last home game for the University of Wisconsin, scoring 14 points, three assists, six rebounds and one steal as the Badgers won the Big Ten Conference title to go forward to NCAA tournament finals.

In addition, Penney was named for the second consecutive year in the Big Ten All-Star team, the first Wisconsin player to achieve the feat since 1952.

Penney was one of just two unanimous choices in the team voted for by coaches and media, the other being Illinois' Brian Cook, who was named Player of the Year.

Penney was also the only player to repeat from last year's selection.

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Pero Cameron's importance to the Chester Jets was underlined in their double-header last weekend.

Cameron was ordinary in the first game, a 78-77 loss to Brighton but the Tall Blacks skipper made 27 points in game two, eight of 11 field goals and four of six from the three-point arc as the Jets dumped the Scottish Rocks 76-71.

They remain third in the league behind Brighton and Sheffield at 23-8.

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Michael Jordan will more than likely finish his playing career on April 16. His Washington Wizards are out of playoff contention and their regular season ends that day in Philadelphia.

Jordan, 40, is disgusted with the bad attitude displayed by younger team-mates, and has indicated he will ditch a few when he moves to a management job with the Wizards.

The Washington side virtually ended their season's chances with a 97-96 loss to New York last Sunday. Jordan scored 39 of the points.

They are two victories behind Milwaukee in the run for the last Eastern Conference place.

"It's very disappointing when a 40-year-old man has more desire than a 25-, 26-, 23-year-old," Jordan said. "Some of these guys may not be back here when I go upstairs next year."