Look, it's not ideal.  Any time that daylight savings ends AND you play a game 40 minutes later than any other game played in the previous 6 years isn't ideal.  That means the 9.55pm game tonight is in fact being played at 10.55pm and won't end until 11.40pm, or so it will feel.  Again, it's not ideal but that's sport and it will not be used as an excuse .... much.  Two teams enter, one team leave.  With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v Futures Pioneers.

LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD-TO-HEAD
3/3/2025:  Gateway 71 (Jon.Smith 21, D.Smith 15, Penn 14) d Futures Pioneers 48
3/2/2025:  Gateway 108 (Jon.Smith 70, Vucetic 10, Jos.Smith 9) d Futures Pioneers 59
9/12/2024 (grand final):  Gateway 50 (Jon.Smith 18, Vucetic 13, Sleep 7) d Futures Pioneers 46 
14/10/2024:  Gateway 67 (Jon.Smith 24, J.Smith 14, Vucetic 14) d Futures Pioneers 45
5/8/2024:  Gateway 87 (Jon.Smith 25, D.Smith 20, Penn 12) d Futures Pioneers 54

LADDER
1 (1). Gateway Thunder 7-0, 21pts @ 148%
5 (5). Futures Pioneers 1-6, 9pts @ 84%

OUR PREDICTION
The good news is despite the midnight finishing time, the Thunder have a full squad so there'll be time for a quick nap on the bench.  Hold just a sec, we have a call coming through.  Oh, look, it's not ideal.  We've just heard the Thunder have only the minimum five players for the second straight week which means 40 minutes each, no mid-game naps and sheer and utter exhaustion before going to bed after midnight and then waking the next day for work.  Again, it's not ideal but that's sport and despite the absence of four Jultopia veterans, the game goes on.  The Thunder continue to do what they need to to get the win whilst the season has been a nightmare for the Futures Pioneeers who we must remember were just six points off being back-to-back champions.  So what does it all mean tonight?  Not a lot.  Frankly, it's a case of whoever can stay awake, wins.  Our tip?  Get to bed early tonight in preparation.  Thunder by 4 points.  Just because.  No other reason.  Let's hope so.  Tiring times, tiring zzzzzzz.

Look, it could be worse.  Exciting news as the WCB announced this week that the Monday night competition will be adding a new timeslot from tomorrow night Monday 7 April.  Yes folks, it's back to 10pm games but not really.  You see, the late game is only 9.55pm, with all games moving forward 5 minutes to assist with the change.  We can't say we're fans of later games but when it means more teams and more matches and more opportunity for the competition to continue to grow, it has to be a good thing.  Unfortunately, that's all courts full for the whole night now so where it goes from here is anyone's guess.  Interesting times, interesting times.

Each week we'll bring you the Immer Kitchens or Rise Above Adversity NBL1 Player of the Week award as judged by our editors and anyone else we know who's attending the games or watching on replay.  This week saw one player set career highs across the board and with no further adieu, we present the NBL1 Round 1 Player of the Week award to South Adelaide's Daniel Smith.  Congratulations and all the best for the season ahead.

Round 1: Daniel Smith 10:27min 4pts 4reb 1blk W

The semi finals are done and dusted and we followed up last week's 4-0 tips with a 3-1 result, Wacko Jacko Elite rolling along and proving us to be in error.  Watch them closely because they're good ... championship good but if things were interesting last week, they get even more interesting this week.  Four teams remaining and the four-time champion Hoxley Tigers are still alive despite only just scraping into the playoffs.  We've tipped them through to the grand final - no surprise there - and we're all hoping it happens and so are you.  That's because you make the Grand Final and anything can happen.  Good times, good times.

Semi Finals
Hoxley Tigers 1440 d Sam Bowie's Left Leg 1405
Mr 66 1742 d Big Girls Don't Kawhi 1269
Pick 18 1649 d Fli on Zion 1292
Wacko Jacko Elite 1828 d Hoxley Cubs 1675

Quarter Final tips
Hoxley Tigers to beat Mr 66
Wacko Jacko Elite to beat Pick 18

Each Wednesday we'll publish the WCB A Grade Men premiership ladder here because well ..... just because.  OK, it's because we're old and can't work out the app but we have managed to work out how websites work.  Next stop is to give away our cassettes and start using CDs but we're not sure the technology will last.  We shall see.  With no further adieu, here's the full A Grade Men premiership ladder.  Enjoy.

1 (1). Gateway Thunder 7-0, 21pts @ 148%
2 (2). Futures Hornets 4-3, 15pts @ 102%
3 (4). Gateway Tsunami 2-1-4, 12pts @ 87%
4 (3). CFC Stars 2-1-3, 11pts @ 83%
5 (5). Futures Pioneers 1-6, 9pts @ 84%

Wow.  We didn't see that coming.  With four Thunder players sidelined for a bevy of reasons - working interstate, babysitting, past his bedtime and got punched in the face (and you say we make this stuff up) - this was a serious danger game.  Futures have been in great form all season, sitting clear in second place and making this both a figurative and literal top-of-the-table clash.  From the opening tip, the Thunder were on.  Their combination of Penn, Jon.Smith, B.Smith, Jos.Smith and Sleep played the game the right way, moving the ball on offence and backing each other up on defence.  Whilst we weren't there and are totally making all this up, we maintain it was a belter of a contest and worth the price of free admission.  Futures fought hard early but ultimately couldn't hold back the Thunder tsunami (see what we did there?).  Final score Gateway 69 (Jon.Smith 30, Penn 13, Sleep 10, B.Smith 8, Jos.Smith 8) d Futures Hornets 45.  Good times, good times.

Gonna be a short game preview because we have a plane to catch and apparently, so does Thunder coach James who won't be there tomorrow tonight and that makes us nervous.  Two teams enter, one team leave.  With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v Futures Hornets.

LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD-TO-HEAD
24/2/2025:  Gateway 41 (Jon.Smith 17, D.Smith 9, McKinnon 5) d Futures Hornets 37
28/10/2024:  Gateway 56 (Vucetic 23, Jon.Smith 21, D.Smith 11) d Futures Hornets 49
26/8/2024:  Gateway 76 (Jon.Smith 31, Vucetic 17, D.Smith 10) d Futures Hornets 40
19/6/2024:  (semi-final) Gateway 60 (Sleep 19, D.Smith 15, B.Smith 7) d Futures Hornets 35
13/5/2024:  Gateway 77 (D.Smith 30, Jon.Smith 13, McKinnon 10) d Futures Hornets 53

LADDER
1 (1). Gateway Thunder 6-0, 18pts @ 147%
2 (2). Futures Hornets 4-2, 14pts @ 111%

OUR PREDICTION
Thunder by 8 points.  Let's hope so.  Nervous times, nervous times.

We're getting closer every day to going full D-Fens on somebody.  Yesterday, we found ourselves in a conversation with someone and asked who they were playing.  "Us verse the other team?" they replied.  At that point, I just left the room.  The same individual routinely asks "Who are we versing?"  Enough please.  Stop.  Verses are poetry.  Versus is the act of competing with an opponent.  They are not the same word.  Please somebody stop the world so we can get off.  And yes, old man yells at cloud.  So be it.  Enough already!

Wow.  It was beautiful.  If you've been living on the moon, you may have missed the Chicago Bulls scoring 9 points in the last 12 seconds of the game to defeat the horrible and nasty Los Angeles Lakers.  Anyone but the Lakers, thank you.  So good.  What a time to be alive.  Go Bulls or in the words of Stacey King:  "Magic Giddey.  G'day mate!  Somewhere in Australia, Sydney or Melbourne, Paul Hogan is somewhere ... Crocodile Dundee!"  Exactly.  Good times, good times.

Ready: "David replied to the Philistine, 'You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies--the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you. . .'"- 1 Samuel 17:45-46a

Set:  Can you hear it? It is coming. Can you feel it? It is almost here. A weekend in which David's meet Goliath's, underdogs battle the overrated, and one team becomes the giant-slayer of the year. Yes, it is March Madness: the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Sixty-five teams enter, and only one will win. But even though there is only one champion, there are many great stories of triumph along the way.  I have been reading the book "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado. It's a great book so far, and in it he challenges the reader to look differently at the David vs. Goliath story. We all know the story, but what we tend to overlook is David's consideration of his opponent (or lack thereof). As you read this Scripture, you will find only two references that David made about Goliath. He did not dwell on the size, status or 40-foot shadow Goliath cast over him that day, but rather, he focused on God and the power of His might. David was fully prepared, with God's help, to become a giant-slayer that day.  As March Madness unravels I am sure we will find this year's "David," or "giant-slayer," but what about you? What are the giants in your life? We all have them. Maybe it is alcohol, drugs or sexual temptations. Maybe it is finances, your parent's divorce or the health of someone in your family. Whatever the giants you are facing in your life, attack them as David did: with God's power. Nine times David referred to the Lord and His might when he confronted Goliath. Nine to two. David put more than four times the emphasis on God than on his giant.  How about you? Is your trust in the Lord four times greater than the fear of your giant? If not, look to David's example and put it to use in your circumstance. One thought Max Lucado left his readers was this: "Focus on your giants, you will stumble, but focus on God, your giants will tumble." If God is big enough to make a giant-slayer out of David, surely His grace and mercy stand ready to make one out of you as well. Now with God's help, go slay your giant!

Go:  1. What are the giants you are facing right now?  2. Are you allowing your giants to become so big that they block out your view of anything else?  3. Do you need to put more emphasis on the power of God?  4. Today, how can you slay your giants in the midst of your circumstances?

Workout:  1 Samuel 17; Psalm 64; Isaiah 44:8; Ephesians 6:10-15

The elimination finals are done and dusted and we started with a 4-0 result.  Yes folks, we picked the winners and from here things get interesting.  Eight teams remaining and the two Hoxley teams are still alive.  We've tipped them through to the final four and we're all hoping it happens and so are you.  That's because you make the Top Four and anything can happen.  Good times, good times.

Elimination Finals
Hoxley Cubs 1573 d Highbury PIP 1120
Big Girls Don't Kawhi 1261 d North Tower 1122
Hoxley Tigers 1672 d Tanking for Banana-Bread 1498
Fli on Zion 1748 d Irritable Bol Syndrome 1439

Quarter Final tips
Mr 66 to beat Big Girls Don't Kawhi
Pick 18 to beat Fli on Zion
Hoxley Cubs to beat Wacko Jacko Elite
Hoxley Tigers to beat Sam Bowie's Left Leg

Each Wednesday we'll publish the WCB A Grade Men premiership ladder here because well ..... just because.  OK, it's because we're old and can't work out the app but we have managed to work out how websites work.  Next stop is to give away our cassettes and start using CDs but we're not sure the technology will last.  We shall see.  With no further adieu, here's the full A Grade Men premiership ladder.  Enjoy.

1 (1). Gateway Thunder 6-0, 18pts @ 147%
2 (2). Futures Hornets 4-2, 14pts @ 111%
3 (3). CFC Stars 2-1-3, 11pts @ 83%
4 (5). Gateway Tsunami 1-1-4, 9pts @ 83%
5 (4). Futures Pioneers 1-5, 8pts @ 85%

The game itself was well fought by both sides and CFC sure took it up to the Thunders but we don't want to talk about the game.  We want to talk about it.  You know, it.  We're told it's happened before but none of us have seen it and if we haven't seen it, it didn't happen.  But it did last night.  With the game winding down, Thunder forward Josh Smith set out on a 2-1 break and rather than lob it to his more highly-fancied teammate, he went at the basket and threw it down.  The thunder dunk (literally) is the first we've seen from the young prodigy and we all know what it means ... there's more coming.  Final score Gateway 69 (D.Smith 19, Jon.Smith 18, Jos. Smith 12, Sleep 10, Penn 8, Vucetic 2) d CFC Stars 48 in a match that was much much closer than the score suggests.  We'll be seeing CFC late in the season with a host of players yet to return.  But on this night, it was all about it happening.  It happened.  Smile because it happened.  Good times, good times.