36ers prepare for an old rival

Adelaide 36ers start their NBL23 campaign on Friday night with a two-game pre-season trip to Western Australia to battle the Perth Wildcats.

Let's take a look at what the Wildcats after the club missed the playoffs for the first time in over three decades.

The club replaced head coach Scott Morrison with Adelaide 36ers 1998 NBL championship star and current Australian Boomers assistant John Rillie.

Superstar import Bryce Cotton headlined the Wildcats re-signings in the off-season, with Mitch Norton, Todd Blanchfield, Luke Travers, Jesse Wagstaff, Corey Shervill, Majok Majok, Kyle Zunic and Oliver Hayes-Brown back for NBL23.

Travers returns after being selectd by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 NBA Draft at Pick 56.

Perth only had two imports last season, but have three signed for NBL23 after Rille added University of North Carolina graduate Brady Manek to start at power forward and centre TaShawn Thomas joins the Wildcats from French club Le Mans.

Well-known NBL sharpshooter and former New Zealand Breaker Corey Webster is now a Wildcat after signing fron Al Ittihad in Egypt, while former Adelaide 36ers development player Michael Harris is now a DP at Perth.

THE KEY
Anytime you play the Wildcats, Bryce Cotton has to be the main focus. The three-time NBL MVP and two-time NBL champion will always be one to watch and the tactics 36ers head coach CJ Bruton uses on the superstar guard will be interresting viewing.

THE SECRET
With two new imports in Manek and Thomas, expect the unexpected early on from Perth's new frontcourt. Chemistry will always be an issue with a number of new players coming into the roster and potentially the starting line-up, the Wildcats may take time to gel.

THE FINAL WORD
Any trip to Perth is tough, which makes this weekend's games the perfect opportunity for Bruton's new-look team to show their on-court ability.

"This has been a long time coming, I think the off-season, even though it's been fun and tough at times, our season is not far away," Adelaide 36ers head coach CJ Bruton said.

"A quick hit out to see where we are at and what we need to continue to work on for the first game of our season."

THE MATCHES
Perth Wildcats vs Adelaide 36ers
Friday September 9 – Eaton Recreation Centre (6:30pm WST tip-off)
Sunday September 11 – HBF Arena Joondalup (1:00pm WST tip-off)
You catch both games live streamed HERE.

DEPTH CHART
PG: Mitch Norton | Kyle Zunic
SG: Bryce Cotton* | Corey Webster | Michael Harris
SF: Todd Blanchfield | Luke Travers | Corey Shervill
PF: Brady Manek* | Jesse Wagstaff
C: TsShawn Thomas* | Majok Majok | Oliver Hayes-Brown