Julius Hodge

[Ytoojae]

Julius Hodge, former NC State and Denver Nugget draft bust is signing with the Melbourne Tigers of the Australian National Basketball League this week.

The Melbourne Tigers are the team of former NBA player Chris Anstey who is out with a hip surgery.

[Jugs]

Are the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL?

didnt some teams leave?

[Ytoojae]

Are the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL?

didnt some teams leave?

The Tigers are in the NBL. They were going to leave but decided against it last minute.

The league is down to eight teams this season. Melbourne are injury riddled and sit bottom of the ladder.

I fear this will be the last season of the Australian NBL.

I'm hoping that we get a complete overhaul of the professional league with something similar to English soccer being the final outcome. We have an enormous amount of teams in Australia. Many of whom can almost compete on a talent level with the Australian NBL teams now. I'd like to see divisions 'premier league' through third or fourth division. This would promote the premier teams while aiding development from lower quality teams.

However, you prove my point. Location = Australia yet you don't follow the league or you wouldn't have asked if the Tigers were in the league. Not a knock against you but against the stupid NBL administration.

P.S. I wish the NBA or some other organization (FIBA) would step up to the plate in Australia. It is clear with the amount of talent that Australia produces to the college rank (over 150 players in college basketball call Australia home), the NBA (including a semi-recent first overall pick and a key second round selection from the 2009 NBA Draft) and Europe (again well over thirty players in Europe at minimum). Australia needs a good professional league.

[jman3134]

^ Well, I agree with you. And if there is a steady talent pool, you would think that there would be some sort of a fan base.

Anyway, I had been waiting to hear about Julius Hodge and where he was landing. He tried to sign with the Nets last year, and was the last man cut. It's a shame that this guy is not in the league after that deadly shooting incident that really derailed his career.

[Ytoojae]

http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info. ... 997-369917

Played a total of two games so far for the Tigers. 38 points (15/29 FG, 8/12 FT), 11 assists, 5 steals, 12 turnovers, 10 rebounds and 8 fouls.

Tigers still on the bottom of the ladder.

The problem with basketball in Australia is there is very little fan base crossing over from the local competitions. Basketball #1 played sport in Australia among boys, girls and adults yet the NBL attracts little to no support because the league alienates all their fans. I haven't and probably will not attend a game this season.

Unless I make it a point to go to www.nbl.com.au (once every other week or so) I never hear about the league -- I have Foxtel (cable/satelite television in Australia and see rare commercials advertising the league when I'm watching something such as the MLB, NFL or cricket that is on Fox Sports). The NBL gets very little media coverage (comparibly speaking the NBDL would quite possibly get more mainstream coverage in the USA than the NBL does here; if not then it's very close to the WNBA at best). The NBL is not on free to air television so you have to have cable television to get it and unlike America where you basically HAVE to have cable it is much easier to get by without it so I'd guess about 50% or more of the country doesn't have Foxtel).

If the NBA and/or FIBA stepped in and established a new professional league here in Australia that involved the fan base then when players who have a boatload of talent such as Julius Hodge came over here to play it'd be a huge boost to basketball rather than no one at all knowing about it.

[Boricuaenlaluna]

Australia's problem with the BB league is somewhat similar to what Puerto Rico has with the baseball league. A lot of world class player playing overseas and the league is virtually dead. Basketball in the other hand is quite different, most of our better players play in our league. I don't really think that the FIBA and or the NBA will necessarily will do anything like you're proposing. FIBA just manage the basketball operations of the leagues globally, they don't establish any league, they just "endorse" them.

[bdownbear]

Haven't heard that name in awhile.

[t-time]

What a classless bust Julius Hodge is. Its ok though, fans will be waiting for his head next time he returns to Adelaide. If the Tigers have any balls they should suspend this moron.

BTW Im not into the NBL at all and was kinda dragged to the game...but if this guy thinks he is an NBA player then he is in serious denial. He would get abused defensively with that frame, not to mention he probably has the worst jumpshot in professional basketball. Unfortunately for him the NBA doesnt have 6'6 white centers like the NBL.

[Jugs]

I'm hoping that we get a complete overhaul of the professional league with something similar to English soccer being the final outcome. We have an enormous amount of teams in Australia. Many of whom can almost compete on a talent level with the Australian NBL teams now. I'd like to see divisions 'premier league' through third or fourth division. This would promote the premier teams while aiding development from lower quality teams.

That sounds like a good idea.

My local team (The Geelong Supercats) play in the SEABL (last time i checked..). they used to be big in the NBL back in the early 90's with Shane Heal but **** hit the fan i guess. They always field a solid side and have 2 imports yearly. They're also quite decent at developing local talent. Shame they only play for the 2nd best league in Australia when the 1st best league is ass.

[jman3134]

Word is that he is out of shape. He did not have a projected NBA position but was an interesting prospect in other senses. I wish his game would translate even now, but that seems far fetched given the fact that he's been out of the league so long.