Harrelson to focus on coaching

Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers coach Ty Harrelson will remain on the sideline for a second consecutive week as his team attempts to salvage its finals push against Cockburn and Willetton this weekend.

With only two restricted players allowed to suit up per game and Todd Hendley fit after recovering from a hamstring injury, Harrelson has elected to limit his role to coaching duties only during an important round 16 double header for the ninth-placed Slammers.

Harrelson has carried a niggling leg injury for the past month and believes Hendley and fellow import Markus Monroe give the South West its best chance of vaulting back into playoff contention.

“Although it is very tough for me not to play on the weekend my job is to put the best available team on the court and I think Markus and Todd are part of that team,” he said.

US import Monroe has averaged 23 points and seven rebounds per game since joining the Slammers out of college at the start of the month while Hendley was hitting his straps on both ends of the court before he was injured at the end of May.

Both players will need to be at their best against the 10th placed Cougars and 12th placed Tigers after the Slammers were beaten 104-83 by East Perth in round 15, the South West’s third straight defeat.

“It was a close back and forth game in the first half before they blew the lead out in the third quarter,” Harrelson said.

“We did have opportunities to cut into that lead but once again we didn’t shoot the ball very well and committed a few turnovers and when you are playing against a team with East Perth’s experience you are not going to win away from home doing that.”

In a tight-run competition the Slammers could rise all the way to fourth with a pair of wins over the weekend while two defeats could relegate them to 11th.

“It is vital that we win both games if we want to finish in the top four,” Harrelson said.

“We definitely can’t afford to lose to Willetton at home after they beat us on their court and Cockburn at their place is tough but also winnable,” Harrelson said.

“We beat the Cougars down here by 15 a couple of weeks ago and I played for them so we have a pretty good idea of their systems - we know what most teams are going to do, we just need to execute better."

Article by Josh Zimmerman: South Western Times

Photo by Mick Cronin




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