Lewis tears up court

The S&K Electrical Contracting Geraldton Buccaneers are the real deal, according to Alan Black.

The call comes after the Buccs demolished the Tigers by 24 points (105-81) on Saturday night.

The coaching legend said the Buccs were “very good” and their talent was some of the best in the competition.

“They play hard and they’ve got a good balance, ” Black said.

“They’ve been together for a while so their reactions to each other are very good.

“When they get out in transition they are pretty special.”

Bennie Lewis again tore up the court and was entertaining in offence, finishing with 37 points.

Quincy Hankins-Cole and Carter Cook were also headaches for Black, scoring 20 and 15 points respectively.

Skipper Mat Wundenberg was a commander in defence.

The Tigers coach said offensively the Buccs have so many different weapons.

“Offensively, the likes of Lewis and Cook, are really athletic, talented players, ” he said. “They go at least seven deep, in the SBL that’s probably enough.

“They’ve got the guys off the bench who can contribute.”

With Hankins-Cole and Daniel Thomas coming off the bench, Black said the Buccs’ depth was one of their strengths.

“The luxury of bringing an import off the bench is pretty good, ” he said.

“Quincy can play the four and the three, he’s athletic enough to play three, and he can slot into the four pretty easily.”

Black said the Buccs were championship favourites.

“They lost their first game to the Slammers, but they’ve won eight in a row now, ” he said.

“Their two wins on the road last week and beating us at home, they’re three pretty good victories.

“Things change, injuries and form makes a difference, but if you were a betting man, you’d put some money on the Buccs right now.”

BLACK ON-

LEWIS:

“He’s outstanding. I actually played against his dad in the 70s. He’s a right-handed version of his dad, who was super athletic, and got up high in his jump shot. It was like a bit of a flashback. He’s a very talented player. I’d be surprised if he’s not playing in the NBL somewhere.”

COOK:

“I love his game. You talk to the coaches around the league, he’s probably the first Bucc everyone talks about. We identified him as more of a threat in the half-court rather than Bennie. I love those smart players that know when to take it, can post-up, can make the little pass. He’s very efficient.

WUNDENBERG:

“I’ve always liked him. He’s the sort of player you want on your side, not against you. He’s not afraid to mix it up, and he loves the physicality. He’s been a stalwart for them for years. You love his intensity. He’s clearly a leader of that group and leads by example. He’s a very good player.

HANKINS-COLE:

“He loves the transition. He’s much better full court than half-court. We did a decent job of that in the first quarter and a half. We were able to score ourselves and keep their transition game out of it. When we started to miss and turn the ball over, that’s when he came into his own. Transition’s his game.

THOMAS:

“He’s very poised. He plays hard. He and Wrensted are a good foil for each other. Thomas is more of a scorer.”