AFTER a few weeks off for Easter and the National Under-18 Championships, the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Boys Under-18 competition has returned. The upcoming weekend will see the league hold Round Five, continuing a strong start to the season. There has been plenty of entertainment over the VC Ashe and VC Watson divisions, and that pattern does not look like changing any time soon.

There will be 10 games taking place around Victoria over the weekend, with some of the state’s best young basketball talents hitting the court once again. One of the most intriguing clashes will see the Frankston Blues take on the McKinnon Cougars, with a win essential for the season of both sides.

McKinnon Cougars vs Frankston Blues
Friday, April 29 @9:40pm
Bentleigh Secondary College

The Frankston Blues will be looking for their first win of season 2022 when they take on the McKinnon Cougars on the road in a big clash for both sides. After a few weeks off, the two teams will come into the game refreshed and ready to resume hostilities to climb up the standings. They have enjoyed slightly contrasting starts to the year, but a win here would do wonders for both teams.

The Cougars have been solid over the last couple of rounds, bouncing back from a shaky first two weeks to win their last two games. After sustaining a loss in Round 1 to Sandringham and then playing out a draw against Kilsyth, McKinnon won its next two games in pretty convincing fashion. They will be coming up against a Frankston side yet to win a game and should be favoured here. Jude Fountain displayed his scoring power in Round Four with a 33-point outing, and will be looking to do something similar again here.

The Frankston Blues have struggled to start their 2022 campaign, unable to secure a win from their first four outings. They have implemented a high-energy style of play, but unfortunately, it has not translated into any triumphs. Their best chance came in Round 3, when they fell just two points short against Dandenong, so it is clear that Frankston has the capability to grind out a win, it is just a matter of when. They are coming up against a red-hot Cougars side, but the beauty of high-speed offence is it can take down anyone, especially if Brennan Dick continues his impressive start to the year.

Across the courts

There will be plenty more basketball action for fans to enjoy over the weekend, with nine other contests set to take place on Friday night.

VC Ashe

Dandenong vs Southern Peninsula, 8:20pm, Dandenong Stadium
Bulleen vs Kilsyth, 9:40pm, Bentleigh Secondary College
Nunawading vs Sandringham, 9:40pm, Nunawading Basketball Centre
Gippsland United vs Casey, 9:40pm, Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium

VC Watson

Wangaratta vs Ballarat, 8:20pm, Eltham High School
Bendigo vs Keilor, 9:00pm, Bendigo Stadium
Camberwell vs Knox, 9:20pm, Balwyn High School
Diamond Valley vs Melbourne, 9:40pm, Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre,
Geelong United vs Eltham, 9:40pm, AWA Alliance Bank Stadium