THE representative basketball season continues this weekend, with Wangaratta’s basketball squads heading up the Hume Freeway to take part in the Wodonga Basketball Junior Invitational Tournament.

Fresh off their campaigns in Bendigo over the Australia Day long weekend, the 15 Warriors sides are ready to pit themselves once again against squads from across the region.

Wangaratta Basketball Inc president Adam Maher said the Wodonga tournament was a very important on the representative calendar.

“We’re down to the business end now,” he said.

“This is an important one, especially for our div one under 18 girls and boys, because this is their last preparation tournament before they go to champs.

“For our other sides, we’re still leading into a couple of other tournaments and then champs.

“It’s always good one, Wodonga are our neighbouring association – and also our hosting association for our tournament – so it’s good to support those guys.

“I think all of the teams are well prepped, I was on the floor helping out with the under 18s and 16s, they’re all down to the business end so they’re all wanting to try and polish what they want through the season and get some wins on the board for these next few.”

It won’t be the same old jerseys trotting out game after game as there has been at other tournaments, with the Wodonga fixture attracting squad from further afield, such as Canberra, Lakes Entrance and Wagga Wagga.

Maher said the variety of opposition helps the sides become more well-rounded and adaptable.

“It’s invaluable, really - as an area, we’re playing against the same guys all the time, and it gets to the stage where you know how those guys play,” he said.

“It’s still challenging of course, but it’s always good to go up against someone else you’ve got no idea about.

“That’s really good preparation for all sides going into champs, because you see sides that are completely new and you don’t normally get, like Hamilton or Traralgon, those sides who don’t go to lots of the tournaments we go to.

“Getting around and making a side flexible to play not only against the familiar sides but be a well-rounded side for any opponent.”

Wangaratta has contenders in multiple divisions to take out the tournament, including the under 16 girls who came runners up in Bendigo a fortnight ago.

“The under 18 boys had a rough tournament in Bendigo but I think they’ve grown out of that and they’ll certainly be contenders in this tournament here,” Maher said.

“Our under 16 boys have progressed really well, our under 16 girls came runners up in Bendigo, they’ll be out to prove something, they’ll be out to get a scalp at this one – they’ll be a team to watch.

“The under 14s have been progressing quite well, boys and girls.

“They’ve had a pretty hard year with a lot of new people together and trying to build something, but towards the end of the season they’re starting to get the benefits out of the work they’ve done through it, so they’ll be one to watch as well.”