The next season of the second basketball league comes up with some changes. In addition to the Kufstein Towers, there will be two new teams in the league: the cooperation team of Kapfenberg Bulls and UBSC Graz, the so-called Future Team Styria. In order to accommodate the now total of 14 teams in a league operation organized for amateurs, a new mode was decided at the team meeting between the association and the teams.
Separation in east and west as a relief
The 14 teams will now be split into an East and a West Conference. However, because there are only six western teams, the Basket Flames from Vienna will probably play as the eastern team in the west.
“I would be in favor of agreeing on a mode and then playing it for at least four or five years.” Rocks-Obmann Corey Hallett
“It is divided geographically, but someone from the east has to play in the west due to the unequal number. That will be the best infrastructural connected club, ”explains interim general secretary and managing director Johannes Wiesmann to the BVZ. Therefore, the choice will most likely fall on the Viennese club.
As an alternative, a classification according to “strength” was also discussed. After a completed season, the odd places and the even final placements would each be divided into a group. In the end, however, the discussion decided against it.
There are two reasons for this: firstly, the division into the league would be different every year, and secondly, there would be the possibility that teams would no longer have any more derbies in the regular round, which would obviously have a negative financial impact.
Three games less, start a little later
For the Burgenland teams, the new mode has a particularly time-saving advantage. With a little luck, the three teams will probably save themselves the long journey to Dornbirn, because: You play against your own group opponents in the return match, against the teams from the other conference once in the regular round, with home rights still being decided becomes. A reason to be happy for the professional gamer. “The new division suits me very well, especially if you’re working. I don’t like going to Innsbruck, Kufstein and Dornbirn at the weekend, even if that’s still possible if things go badly, ”explained Blackbirds player Christoph Astl in an interview with BVZ. Instead of there and back, there are now three phases in the basic round. The best four teams then advance to the play-off. The start of the season is planned for the beginning of October.
Training start for Blackbirds in August
The Güssing team will start training in mid-August, until then the players will keep themselves fit. “Dani [Anm. Headcoach Daniel Müllner] we no longer have to send us training plans, we players know ourselves in what shape we need to be, ”explains Astl, who keeps fit on the fitness facility in his own garden with the Klepeisz brothers and other colleagues. According to head coach Daniel Müllner, the final talks with players are still ongoing: “Most of the squad is already staying here. If someone leaves, we won’t get any newcomers, but fill them from the younger generation. “
The squad planning at Mattersburg Rocks is similarly advanced. There is only a question mark behind Center Gary Ware: “We have to think about whether we can get a professional player or continue with Gary. We will do what is best for the entire club, “says chairman Corey Hallett:” We will make a decision in the next two or three weeks. “The new mode has no effect on the Mattersburg personnel decision, really happy Hallett is not with the 14th league either: “I would be in favor of agreeing on a mode and then playing it for at least four or five years,” comments the playing chairman, who fears that it will be between the two divisions but there is a big difference in performance. For example, last season’s three top teams all came from the East: “Last year the East Division would have been really strong, but maybe the West will be stronger next year”, Hallett has to take note of the change in mode anyway.
At the BBC Nord Dragonz in Eisenstadt, on the other hand, you can learn a lot from the new division. Not only do you save yourself the long journeys to Vorarlberg and Tyrol, you also play a round-trip round of the red and gold derbies against Mattersburg and Jennersdorf – good news for fans and players alike. “Of course, a solution with all 14 teams in one group would be even better, but that is not possible in terms of time,” explains General Manager Roland Knor. To do this, you would have to schedule several matches per week. “A geographically divided league is the only sensible solution,” says Knor.
In any case, it doesn’t make the division any easier: In terms of quality, the Eastern group is “definitely stronger. Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier to get into the play-offs, ”said the General Manager. The goal of the season for the dragons was the semi-finals this year. “We want to get a little further every year,” says Knor. Training starts in Eisenstadt on August 23.
– .
