Shepparton faces reigning champion McKinnon on the road this weekend on Saturday, April 20, at 7pm.
McKinnon sits top of the ladder and remains undefeated after two rounds.
Gators head coach Josh Waight said Shepparton could not afford any lapses against the top team and that dropping effort levels at any point would be punished.
Waight has been away coaching at state level and will be on the sidelines for the first time this season.
He said he liked what he’d seen from afar.
“We’ve got a group that gets around each other,” Waight said.
“We’ve even had supporters travelling to support them.
“We’ve got a great group that can pour points on the board and score in a variety of different ways.”
Waight said the squad was starting to gel and had been shooting the lights out with the ball.
He pointed out that McKinnon shot a ridiculous 55 per cent from behind the three-point line in its last game.
“We proud ourselves on our defence,” Waight said.
“They’ve got just as many shooters as us.
“We’ve got to make it difficult for them and not let them get into rhythm to give us the best chance.”
Waight said his team was well-rounded, with lots of different players able to get hot and take over a game.
He singled out Kiwi sharpshooter Dylan Wilkie, who has been Shepparton’s most consistent scorer with about 18 points a game off the bench, alongside Canadian Jayden Coke.
Coke had a stunning display last time out, with 31 points and 14 rebounds in Shepparton’s 21-point victory over Camberwell.
After Shepparton tests its might against the league’s best, it will be back home for the first time in three games.
The Gators will take on seventh-placed Bellarine on Saturday, April 27, at 7pm at Shepparton Sports Stadium.
You can watch the live-stream of this weekend’s game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2yhvEZ_Cyw
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