The Moss Vale Magic will play their last home game of the regular season this Saturday night, when they take on the Hills Hornets in round 19 of the NSW Waratah Youth League Basketball Competition.
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It is an important game for the Magic as a win against the Hornets will secure them a finals spot.
The Magic will however have to do it without two of its regular starters and leading scorers.
Captain Billy Campbell suffered a season ending ankle injury against Manly last Sunday and young gun Zac Ottosson is currently on tour with Team Oz playing some tournaments in the USA and will not be back until the first week of the finals.
In the absence of Campbell, the team will be captained by the experienced Rhys Pryor, who is looking forward to leading the team in his last home game for the Magic.
The former Illawarra Hawks junior star switched to the Moss Vale club in 2014 and has now played four straight seasons of Youth League for the Magic.
Whilst the final makeup of the new starting five is not yet known, Josh Watts will take over the point guard duties on Saturday night whilst the versatile and powerful Connor Wroe is likely to start in Ottosson's small forward position.
Coach Kev Campbell is backing his players to step up to the challenge on Saturday night and secure a finals berth for the locals.
"Whilst it is certainly a big setback for us not to have Billy for the rest of the season and Zac for our last two games, it will give some other players an opportunity to step up and show what they can do to help out the team,” he said.
“I have the utmost faith in Josh Watts who will take over the point guard duties from Billy on Saturday night.
“He has a real feel for the game and I have no doubt at all that he will do a great job running this team for us.”
Despite being in his rookie season, Watts has started in most of the games this year and showed last year that he has got what it takes in big games when he led the Magic under-18 team to a great come from behind win in the grand final of the Southern Junior League.
On a positive note, the Magic will welcome back defensive specialist Brad Frost for this game after overcoming an ankle injury that was first thought to be season ending.
Coach Campbell will be looking to Frost, Carter Reeves and Dylan Palmer-Quigg to work together defensively to shut down Hornets star player Kyron Ile who is averaging 20 points per game this season, whilst Alex Davenport and Daniel Field will be called upon to dominate the rebounding contests.
Will McGladdery will provide plenty of energy and hustle off the bench.
Coach Campbell is also hoping that his three point specialist Brandon De Souza can once again light up the stadium with a barrage of bombs from downtown.
"Brandon is capable of getting on a real run of threes when he is on song as we saw when he knocked down seven three pointers in one half against the Scorchers earlier this year,” he said.
The Mortgage Choice $500 Half Time Shoot Out will be on again, entry to the game is free and tip off will be at 5pm at the Moss Vale Basketball Stadium.