THE Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under 18 Boys competition is entering the sunset of the 2022 home and away fixture, with just six rounds remaining until the postseason kicks off.

It has been an entertaining season to date, with a number of contenders stepping up as the year has progressed, and that trend is set to continue to close out the season with an exciting final six rounds ahead.

In the last couple of months, the competition restructured, with the strongest performing sides from the VC Ashe and VC Watson divisions moved into the Championship league, set to compete for the ultimate prize. On the other hand, the teams that may have struggled in the first half of the year were placed into the VC Reserve division, with the two competitions set to be more even than ever.

These divisions have enjoyed a terrific amount of action in the opening weeks, with the games as close as ever, and a host of sides playing some excellent basketball in a bid for the VC Championship. It has proven to be a true test of strength for some of the contending sides in the first half of the year.

So far, the Knox Raiders have announced themselves as the title favourites heading into the last portion of the season, delivering some seriously strong play on a weekly basis. They remain undefeated in the new division, with three wins coming from three games.

Round 1 saw a tense, but crucial victory over the Nunawading Spectres to the tune of seven points, before downing the Boomers the following week. Round Three was a bit of an anticlimax, with the Miners forced to forfeit, but it did mean that the Raiders move a game clear atop the standings.

With a number of contenders such as Nunawading, Casey and Bullen on their tail, the Raiders will need to keep winning if they are to keep their spot at the head of the table. However, if current form is anything to go off, there is no reason why they cannot finish strong and set themselves up for a big finals campaign.

With six games remaining for each team, there is still plenty of opportunity for the struggling sides to bounce back and make a charge for finals. However, Knox look like it will take some stopping, and if it continues to roll past some of the best sides, the title is the Raiders’ to lose.