WPBA Winter Playoffs 2013
It’s that time of the year when the curtain closes on another dramatic year in basketball in the western cape. It has been an interesting year with new teams making headlines during the season and the old ones popping up to make a run for the playoffs.
For the men’s Superleague,you have the usual suspects with UCT, Montana Vikings, CPUT and CPUT Alumni. UCT are a run and gun team with plenty of youngsters that have heart and can hurt you if you underestimate them; under the capable leadership of Sergei Paly, they have given a good account of themselves throughout the season and they will fight to the end in their semis against the CPUT Alumni team. The alumni team is tried and tested and they have the battle scars to prove it, they have to prove to the doubters that they have found the team chemistry that was lacking at the beginning of the season and that they want to take this championship.
In the other semis, you have Thierry Kita’s CPUT student team fighting it out with Craig Daniel’s Vikings Club for the other final berth. This will be interesting with Cape Tech coached to run, harass and intimidate the opposition while Vikings have been there before and are one of the favorites for the title. The students have lacked cohesion throughout the league season but have managed to make a good run without a recognized point guard. Vikings have a balanced roster with enough coverage in all positions to put 2 competitive teams on the floor while the other 3 teams in the playoffs can only go with probably an 8 man rotation. Their coach will expect nothing less than a win in their semis but basketball is a strange game and anything can happen.
On the ladies side of things, Kimathi’s CPUT are once again making a entrance into the playoffs with the main challengers Lethal Ladies waiting to spoil the party.. The Cape tech ladies are very well balanced between the forwards and guards and only complacency will see them fail to retain their title. Having been drilled and battled hardened by the USSAs earlier this year, CPUT are the facorites in the ladies division. But lets keep n eye on the Lethal ladies, because like the name suggest they are lethal and are here to compete. They are a mix of the former varsity players and some foreign imports with an uptempo game that has added freshness to the ladies pool, so underestimate them at your own peril. UCT and UWC are working on developing a competitive program and this year’s playoff might be a tad too soon for them.
There is a saying that goes:” The only time you start at the top is when you are digging a hole “…
Hence last but not least, the foundation, the future of the league, the youngsters are also going into playoff mode with lots of potential upsets on the cards. The Western Cape is one of the provinces that has found a formula to have their provincial sides compete in the Junior league to give them regular competition and provide the players with a smooth transition into the senior league set up. It provides the players and administrator with a platform where they can hone their skills in a very competitive environment and not just very fellow high schools so that they are ready when there is a national tournament etc…
So let the fun begin tonight at the University of Cape Town, come out and support local sports…
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