Former MVP calls for Glover to start

Of all the storylines set to play out in tonight’s hectic Play-In Qualifier between Sydney and New Zealand, Derek Rucker says one of the parts of the game he’s most intrigued by is how Mahmoud Abdelfattah will utilise Angus Glover.

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Glover didn’t hit the floor in the Kings’ record-breaking 55-point win over South East Melbourne in Round 20, and has found himself in and out of Sydney’s rotation as the season has progressed.

The former Illawarra Hawks man played a crucial role in Sydney’s rotation in the club’s back-to-back titles under Chase Buford, and came close to winning the Larry Sengstock Trophy as the Championship Series MVP last season.

“An early barometer is I want to look at that starting lineup, and I’m also going to sniff around pre-game and see if there’s any intent to play Angus Glover,” Rucker said on NBL Now. “This guy is someone who basically won them a championship just 11 months ago, and we saw him get a DNP in the 55-point victory just a couple of weeks ago.

“This is probably the biggest point of this Kings post-season, do they intend to use him, and if they don’t intend to use him I need to know why. I’ve got to get my detective hat on, I’ve got to go Sherlock Holmes, and I’ve got to get to the bottom of why Angus Glover is all of a sudden not in the mix.

“Maybe he was hurt in that final game of the season and they wanted to keep it under wraps, but we have some work to do before the game to see what’s going on. I would love to see him back in the starting lineup and out there going full tilt at the beginning of the game.”

Rucker has also placed a spotlight on Sydney import DJ Hogg, who has struggled to reach the lofty heights of his NBL23 campaign with Cairns.

The former All-NBL Second Team nominee has played just 15 times due to multiple battles with shoulder injuries, however his season-high 25 points against the Phoenix in Round 20 could indicate he’s hitting his straps at the right time of the season.

“It is so fascinating to see how this game is going to play out, I also want to see what DJ Hogg looks like,” Rucker continued.

“We know his talent level and the level he can play at – he’s so elite. He’s had plenty of time now to rest that shoulder and if he is good to go, and he can perform at that level we saw him play at when he was in Cairns in the Playoff series last season – Sydney could cause some problems.”

The Play-In Qualifier between Sydney and New Zealand will tip off at 7:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo.