Men's Teams of the Week - June 7

Each week the NBL1 will put a spotlight on a women’s and men’s team from each conference for a major performance, a big win or a special occasion for the club.

See the men's Teams of the Week below:

NBL1 North: Gold Coast Rollers

The reigning champions have retooled and are as good as ever. 

Todd Blanchfield has joined the team and has become a vocal point on offence, dropping 41 points in the Grand Finals rematch against USC Rip City in Round 10. 

Blanchfield was rewarded with the Foot Locker Player of the Week after the Rollers secured their 10th win in a row.  

NBL1 East: Maitland Mustangs 

The runners-up from last season had a slow start to 2023, ending Round 4 at 10th on the ladder. 

Now heading into Round 13, the Mustangs are sixth on the ladder and are showing signs of last season’s brilliance. 

Young star William Cranston-Lown is leading the team while Matthew Gray and James Hunter have been contributing alongside him. 

The Mustangs are not where they need to be to make a Grand Finals run again currently, but they are on a four-game win streak and have shown glimpses of last season’s team in this run. 

NBL1 South: Sandringham Sabres

When the Sandringham Sabres brought in Ben Ayre, we knew they’d mean business. 

The stacked Sabres squad have been on a roll, winning five straight games against some tough competition. 

With a game-winner from Dane Pineau, multiple 30-point games from Ben Ayre and young gun Campbell Blogg standing up, the Sabres are serious contenders in the NBL1 South right now. 

DANE PINEAU WINS IT WITH THE HOOK ?

Watch #NBL1South via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App ?&? pic.twitter.com/nu8w86dEBB

— NBL1 (@NBL1) May 27, 2023

NBL1 West: Rockingham Flames 

The reigning NBL1 National Champions have had a rocky middle of the season, at the end of Round 6 they were 8-0 – going on to lose three straight games before this past weekend. 

Round 10 was the weekend when Ryan Petrik’s Flames figured it out. Beating the Mandurah Magic by 30 points on Friday and then giving the Slammers a 55-point difference on Saturday. 

Showing how deep their roster is, Walker, Combs, Beard, Nelson, Durnin, Evans and Jervis all scored in double-digits over two games – with no player scoring over 26 points. 

They are still the hunted besides their slight mid-season slip, but they have shown they will be one of the top teams come the Coles Express NBL1 National Finals in Joondalup no matter what. 

NBL1 Central: Central District Lions 

The Lions had a last-second win against the Norwood Flames on Saturday night. 

In the final four seconds, Kevin Baker made two free throws to extend the lead to a two-possession game – finishing with a team-high 24 points and eight rebounds. 

The Lions claimed their third win of the season