By Koh Yizhe/Red Sports

north zone b div bball semi-finals

Larry Liew (white), who is in the Youth Olympic Games squad, will lead North Vista in the national round. North Vista is seen as one of the few teams this year that can give heavily-favoured Unity a strong fight in the nationals. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports archive photo)

The National B Division Basketball Championship tips off today and Unity Secondary look set to dethrone defending champions Presbyterian High.

Boasting a formidable line up that includes six national age group players, David Soo, Peter Soo, Ng Wei Xiang, Remus Low and centre Delvin Goh led their unbeaten team to the West Zone B Division title with a blow-out 97-38 victory over Jurong Secondary.

Unity are the team to beat and Anglican High captain Chee Khan Liang certainly thinks so. When asked who will most likely win the nationals, he replied without hesitation, "That would be Unity due to their height and speed! For us, we'll have to depend on our defense and speed to make it in the nationals because we are generally shorter than most teams."

The question then is, which of the other teams will mount a challenge to Unity?

Group C

Unity are in Group C and Yishun Secondary should provide the strongest challenge to them for top spot in the group. Yishun finished second in the North Zone after losing to North Vista in the final. Yuying Secondary and Dunman High School complete the rest of Group C.

Group B

One strong challenger to Unity will be North Vista Secondary with national youth squad forward Larry Liew leading the team.

"We'll just try our best when we face Unity. I think our chances (to beat each other) are rather equal. My aim for the team this year would be to make it into the final," shared Larry.

North Vista are grouped with South Zone runners-up Peirce Secondary, last year's first runners-up New Town Secondary and Ngee Ann Secondary.

"Peirce will probably be our greatest challenge as they finished second in their zone," added Larry.

Group A

Arguably the most exciting group is Group A with South Zone champions Queensway Secondary, defending champions Presbyterian High, Dunman Secondary and Hwa Chong Institution pitted against each other.

Although Queensway Secondary finished top of the South Zone, they are seen as the weakest zonal champions, with some saying they are overly reliant on Johann Yeo.

Johann disagreed, however, saying, "There's no way for one man to play basketball against five! If we were a one-man team, at most I can score 20 plus points, but the team still loses. Everyone contributes."

"But about South being the weakest champions, I agree," continued Johann. "Look at the other teams! Unity, North Vista, Anglican High and even Dunman Secondary - they are all very strong teams and they stand a high chance of making it into the top four. North Vista, for example, is made out of a lot of Secondary Fives. I'll place my team in the top eight."

He also identified Dunman as a key opponent in their group.

"Dunman will be the team to beat in our group so we have to focus on beating Hwa Chong and Presbyterian High."

With Russel Low leading them last year, Presbyterian High took the B Division national title with ease. However, after Russel’s graduation, Presbyterian High struggled to make it into the nationals this year, finishing fourth in their zone.

"We'll do our best and I think we can still make it to the top eight!" said an optimistic captain Ng Jun Jie.

On Queensway being the weakest champions, he didn't want to underestimate them, saying, "No lah! Can't say like that! They are, after all, still champions."

Group D

The final group sees Anglican High, Jurong Secondary, Raffles Institution and Christ Church Secondary fighting it out for the top two qualifying spots.

Jurong Secondary squeezed into the West Zone final after a dramatic one-point victory over Hwa Chong Institution before getting taken part by Unity in the final. They will definitely be determined erase memories of that match with a strong performance in the nationals.

Anglican High captain Chee Khan Liang had these words about the group: "It wouldn't be an easy fight. Jurong and RI finished in the top four two years ago so it wouldn't be easy. For our group, I think the greatest challenge will be Jurong after their dramatic victory over Hwa Chong."

The National B Division Boys Basketball Championship begins today with teams from Group B tipping off. Answers to many unanswered questions will be revealed in the coming weeks: Will Unity steam-roll through everyone to the title? Will North Vista stop Unity? Maybe even Anglican High or Dunman? Will defending champions Presbyterian High even make it out of the first round? How will South Zone champions Queensway fair?

Looks like the stage is set for an exciting basketball national round.

north zone b div bball semi-finals

Zhou Zhen Qiang (white) and his Yishun teammates will have a battle on their hands with Unity in their first round group. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports archive photo)

N.B. Go to the SCHOOLS FIXTURES & RESULTS page for more information.