Echuca Pirates coach Kaine Anderson addresses his troops against Wangaratta last weekend. Photos: Andrew Mole.
There’s an X-factor behind the start Echuca has made to the Country Basketball League season.
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The Pirates are second at 3-1 — and have just chased Swan Hill, Wangaratta and Wodonga off the floor for three straight wins.
And leading the charge are a few talented youngsters.
Starting with point guard — or floor general — Keoni Anderson, running the Pirates offense at just 16-years-old.
Keoni happens to also be the son of coach Kaine.
“He's the baby of the team,” Kaine said.
But Keoni is still a leader of (mostly) men — and the task of calling plays and telling them where they need to be is daunting.
“It is a challenge, but he's stepped up to it really well,” Kaine said.
“He's involved in a few other high-level programs and teams, which I'm sure will be announced shortly.”
Young Keoni is set to play at the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup in January — colloquially known as the Albury Cup.
This year he’s also impressed in the Bendigo Braves program.
And now Kaine says his son’s early Pirates form has “been pretty impressive”, Keoni balancing play making responsibilities with averaging just over 16 points a game.
Luke Caine hooks a floater over the defender.
Also standing out on the pine is duo Jett Milligan and Mitch Sutton.
Milligan has become a deadeye from distance, shooting threes at a high percentage so far.
Step one to any basketball success is a bit of height.
Add a good shot and the ability to handle the ball, and you have a well-rounded, versatile player — exactly how Kaine describes Milligan.
The 19-year-old is also benefiting from a special experience with the Braves last season, going to the US and playing against college talent.
“It was definitely a good experience for Jett because in the US they play a much faster, physical brand of basketball than what we do here,” Kaine said.
“We're more about control and system-based, so the competitiveness he would have been facing over there has undoubtedly helped.”
Kaine adds a third youngster, Sutton, has “started exceptionally well” — evidenced by 13.5 points per game, mostly accrued from two-point range.
The young trio is the exciting angle for locals, but clearly the Pirates have improved as a collective.
Last season they started 0-3, a factor in missing finals after winning three of the next seven.
It’s Kaine’s third year at the helm, and it’s clear there’s a different buzz about the team this time around.
“We lost some key players from last year but were able to bring a few more in,” he said.
“We've added a bit more size, which has really helped those younger guys too.
“So it's been a really positive start but plenty more to do.
“But we're in a much better position this year.”
Tyler Phillips looks to cash in at the charity stripe.
The notable wins early were against Swan Hill and Wodonga.
In round two, the Pirates thrashed the Flyers by 45 points — a win even Kaine admitted he was a bit surprised about, given the opponent has a couple of NBL 1 players.
Then last weekend Echuca was down as much as 15 in Wodonga, chipping away to suddenly lead by 12 in the fourth.
The Wolves surged late, Kaine using his timeouts to manage the clock and see out a three point victory — achieved less than 24 hours after a home win over Wangaratta.
The context to those two wins would only boost any team’s confidence.
And they’re evidence of a Pirates side on a path to greater success this season.
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