By Ben Turner
THE 1st Annual AND 1 Great Southern Classic got under way over the last weekend. Over 100 teams contested AND 1 Great Southern Classic which gave opportunities for domestic clubs and players to take part in an exciting tournament.
By Monday (after time of print) it will have determined once and for all who is the best domestic club in Australia.
The AND 1 Great Southern Classic is a unique tournament providing more opportunities for domestic teams to further their basketball experience.
The tournament is held for boys and girls from Under 8 through to Under 21.
Kilsyth and Knox are the two largest associations in Australia with their combined memberships bigger than some states, as expected a large representative of domestic clubs entered.
Australia is home to a range very successful domestic clubs, including Maroondah Magic, Knox City Cougars, Eltham Wildcats, Merinda Park and SEBC Saints.
The Classic aims to create debate and determine which club is the strongest. Trophies were awarded in all grades to recognise the champion in each section.
A major prize will be awarded for the Great Southern Classic champion club, calculated by the number of games won by each club taking into consideration their total number of teams.
Kilsyth resident Mal Allison said “We have needed a quality tournament for domestic teams for a long time. The AND 1 Great Southern Classic will finally put to rest who is the best club in Australia.”
“The AND 1 Great Southern Classic provides the opportunity to determine the best club in Australia, whether it be a Kilsyth, Knox, Dandenong or an EDJBL club, only time will tell…”
Greg Oakford, Knox Marketing and Communications coordinator said: “We [Knox] are extremely excited about the partnership we have formed with Kilsyth for the AND 1 Great Southern Classic and have no doubts the tournament will be a huge success with the basketball community.”
“The majority of basketball tournaments are aimed as representative teams; this is a great opportunity for domestic teams to get amongst the fun atmosphere that basketball tournaments bring as well as playing some competitive matches against teams that you haven’t played before.”
