Tatum: "We're a top-two team"

The Hawks were the surprise packet in the second half of NBL24, but now they’ve got even greater ambitions. According to coach Justin Tatum, Illawarra is a top two side, and has more fancied teams like Sydney, Melbourne and Perth firmly in its sights.

After bowing out in the Playoffs last year, despite pushing United all the way, the Hawks have been able to maintain most of their roster. The loss of Gary Clark was a blow, but Darius Days has shown he’s a more than capable replacement, while the addition of Trey Kell III provides more valuable experience.

The Hawks are very much in the Championship mix.

“That fourth-place last year is only our pass mark, we feel that we are a top-two team in this league because we are bringing everybody back and our continuity should be a couple of notches better than everybody else and allow us to build off that fourth spot,” Tatum told Code Sports. 

“The league has got so much tougher. Clearly, Sydney, on paper and in person, is unbelievable. Perth is exceptionally good, Melbourne is a machine and Tassie is going to get back together.”

If Illawarra’s start was anything to go by, they’re going to be an exciting team to watch in NBL25. The Hawks smashed Cairns by 27 points in their season-opener.

Their depth is strong. The likes of Will Hickey, Lachlan Olbrich, Todd Blanchfield and Hyunjung Lee are coming off the bench, with Tatum able to call on a bevy of rotations to get the job done. 

Now, they face another big challenge; a Brisbane team coming off a disappointing Round 1 loss and desperate to bounce back. The Bullets were the form team in the competition across the pre-season, and it’s an early litmus test back at WIN Entertainment Centre for Tyler Harvey, Kell III, Days and co. 

Watch Illawarra take on Brisbane on Friday night, with live coverage on ESPN via Kayo from 7pm AEST.