Ready: “The Lord says: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.” — Habakkuk 2:2

Set:  Athletes, coaches, and leaders understand the power of preparation. We study film, review data, refine technique and anticipate opposition. We analyze strengths and weaknesses, looking for every possible edge. In competition and in life, we are taught early: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  Preparation matters. Discipline matters. Vision matters. Scripture affirms this when God instructs us to write the vision clearly—to prepare with intention and purpose. God is not opposed to strategy; He is the Author of it.

But preparation alone is not enough.  At some point, every competitor reaches the moment where preparation can no longer carry them. The playbook runs out. The data stops explaining. The pressure increases. And the question becomes: Who are you trusting now? Jesus modeled this moment perfectly in the garden when He prayed, “Not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). He had prepared. He was obedient. Yet He fully surrendered the outcome to the Father. That surrender was not weakness—it was ultimate strength.

True victory is not found in perfect execution, but in complete dependence. When we surrender our plans to Christ, our preparation becomes purpose driven. Our striving transforms into trust. Our effort becomes worship. This is where faith and competition intersect. When Jesus becomes our strategy, we compete differently. We lead differently. We endure differently. We move with confidence—not because we control the outcome, but because we trust the One who does.  There is a holy space that forms when we surrender our plans to Jesus — a gap where human limitation meets divine intervention. It is in that space that God performs miracles. When we release control, He expands our capacity. What once felt beyond us becomes possible through Him. Scripture reminds us of this truth through the story of the boy with five loaves and two fish (John 6:1–14). The miracle didn’t begin with abundance — it began with surrender. Jesus multiplied what was offered, and the capacity to feed thousands was released through obedience.    The same is true for us. When we surrender our plans, timelines and expectations, Jesus enlarges our ability to execute His will. He gives clarity where there was confusion, courage where there was fear and strength where there was weariness. Strategy partnered with surrender creates space for God to move beyond what we could ever engineer on our own.    This is where preparation meets power. This is where obedience unlocks divine opportunity.

Go:  Where have you prepared well but are still holding control instead of surrendering to God?  What would it look like to trust Jesus with the outcome, not just the effort?  How can your daily preparation reflect faith, not fear?

Workout:

Overtime:

Each round we'll bring you the Immer Kitchens or Rise Above Adversity NBL1 Player of the Round award as judged by our editors and anyone else we know who's attending the games or watching on replay from Alice Springs.  One player equalled his career high of 4 field goals and 100% shooting on 2-point field goals and whilst his teammate was critical defensively in the third quarter, we're all about career hights here at leaguelineup.com.  With no further adieu, we present the NBL1 Round 10 Player of the Round award to South Adelaide's Jonty Smith.  Congratulations and all the best for the season ahead.

Round 1 (L):  Jonty Smith 26:29min 12pts 5reb
Round 2 (L):  Jonty Smith 18:38min 5pts 2reb 1stl
Round 3 (W):  Jonty Smith 26:14min 11pts 5reb
Round 4 (W):  Jonty Smith 26:53min 9pts 4reb 1ast 1blk
Round 5 (W):  Jonty Smith 21:30min 0pts 5reb 2blk
Round 6 (W):  Jonty Smith 15:56min 1pt 2reb 3ast 1blk
Round 7 (W):  Jonty Smith 20:41min 4pts 1blk
Round 8 (W):  Jonty Smith 22:08min 4pts 6reb 1ast
Round 9 (W):  Jonty Smith 20:29min 5pts 3reb 1ast 1blk
Round 10 (W):  Jonty Smith 18:50min 11pts 1reb 2ast 1blk

With the WCB NBA Fantasy competition on hiatus and the Hoxley Tigers with another championship locked away, Wednesdays are WCB ladder time.  With the Thunder on top - albeit barely - we hope you enjoy the ladder.  Exciting times, exciting times.

A GRADE MEN
1. Gateway Thunder 11-2, 35pts, +158
2. CFC Stars 8-6, 30pts, +22
3. North Western Mustangs 8-1-5, 30pts, -36
4. Futures Pioneers 7-7, 28pts, +25
5. Air Journey 2-1-11, 19pts, -99

With Thunder wing Jonty Smith missing the game for unknown reasons, it was left to NJCAA Region IX All-Region 2nd Team forward Daniel Smith to carry the Thunder offence and carry it he did early, with his side's first four points before Messrs Penn and McKinnon joined the party.  CFC battled strong to keep it close, only for D.Smith to break the game open with two triples late in the second half as the score tightened, a third triple joined by another from another brother Josh Smith to finish the game and give the W to the good guys.  Final score Gateway 42 (Daniel Smith 17, Joshua Smith 10, Cal McKinnon 7, Kerwin Penn 5, Brodie Sleep 3) d CFC Stars 36 to keep the Thunder anchored in first place with two games remaining.  Good times, good times.

Two straight losses followed by two straight wins and maybe, just maybe the Thunder are back.  It doesn't hurt to have the last six league Best & Fairests back in uniform but whether they play again tonight is anyone's guess.  Yes, the age old riddle of who is suiting up in blue continues.  CFC meanwhile have been on a run, moving into second place on the ladder and looking a genuine premiership contender.  Two teams enter, one team leave.  With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v CFC Stars.

LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD TO HEAD
20/4/2026:  Gateway 51 (Josip Vucetic 16, Lucas Brook 12, Kerwin Penn 11) d CFC Stars 46
9/3/2026:  Gateway 72 (Josip Vucetic 27, Kerwin Penn 14, Jonty Smith 13) d CFC Stars 49
2/2/2026:  Gateway 55 (Cal McKinnon 22, Kerwin Penn 11, Josip Vucetic 9) d CFC Stars 53
8/12/2025 (grand final):  Gateway 75 (Jonty Smith 24, Kerwin Penn 20, Terry Sleep 9) d CFC Stars 57
22/9/2025:  Gateway 67 (Jonty Smith 32, Kerwin Penn 12, Terry Sleep 8) d CFC Stars 49

LADDER
1. Gateway Thunder 10-2, 32pts, +152
2. CFC Stars 8-5, 29pts, +28

OUR PREDICTION
With only three games to the finals, things are heating up with the top four teams separated by just one game.  Win and you move up.  Lose and you fall away.  The Thunder have looked a completely different team over the past two weeks with the brothers Smith joined by Josh Smith and Brad Smith as the Smiths return to both Gateway and South Adelaide.  Maybe Jeremy Smith suits up tonight?  Nothing would surprise us these days but regardless, the good guys will need to be on their game as a stacked CFC continue to run roughshod over the league as the finals draw nigh.  Who gets the chocolates tonight?  We don't know but given the price of chocolate, a win tonight would be worth more than gold.  Literally.  Our tip?  Gateway by 4 points.  Let's hope so.  Exciting times, exciting times.

South Adelaide entered last night's game against the undefeated league leader Sturt, knowing Sturt have added Australian representative DJ Vasiljevic and are looking nigh on unbeatable.  Wrong.  With Thunder guard Jonty Smith knocking them down from outside and Thunder forward Daniel Smith backing up foul troubled Yevgen Sakhniuk, it was left to guards Lloyd McVeigh, Rio Bruton, Jeremy Smith and Koby Moir to finish off the double blues on a night when South themselves looked nigh on unbeatable.  The margin was 20 points not long out of the half and remained that way to the end, the Panthers finding a different look when the two-time Jultopia premiership duo found themselves on court alongside Jeremy Smith and for a moment, Sturt's Jamie Smith too.  The world can't have enough Smiths from where we sit so we're putting an SOS out to Jamie - come to the Panthers.  Is that allowed?  We say yes.  Final score Sotuh Adelaide 103 d Sturt 79 as South Adelaide move to 8-2 on the season.

Not a whole lot of movement in college basketball with the big fish still a free agent.  Yes folks, Thunder forward Daniel Smith still hasn't signed anywhere and we're late into May when most teams have finalised their starters and are now working on their benches.  With a second-team All Region performance in his freshman season, our bothan spies tell us the three-time WCB Best & Fairest isn't short on offers so we wait with the smell of bait on our breath for news.  If it's not Central Wyoming - we remain big fans of the Rustlers - please for the love of all things good in this world, be somewhere warmer.  Stay tuned, folks.  Interesting times, interesting times.

Ready: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20

Set: There are times after practices and games where it seems like players are alone. Perhaps it is during pre-game. Or after a game, they come out of the locker room by themselves. We all need moments to ourselves. What we don’t want is for anyone on the team to feel alone – like they don’t have anyone they can talk to. Jesus knew the feeling of being alone. He was not always accepted or welcomed. He was kicked out of His hometown (Luke 4:16-30). There were a few times when his close friends abandoned Him (John 6:60-66). Sometimes Jesus got alone to have personal time with his Heavenly Father. Just the two of them. Jesus always re-engaged with his close friends soon after. At the last night before he was arrested and then was crucified, His friends abandoned Him (Matthew 26:56). Jesus felt the full weight of being alone. He knows the difficulties of it, so He gives us a reminder – He is with us always. When we feel alone, we have Jesus with us. We can ask Him to help us know this and experience His presence with us. One other key reminder of how close He is comes from Romans 8:11 which tells us that the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He is right inside of us! Reach out to Him at any time. Seek Him at any time. He is right there with you.

Go: Have you felt like you were not part of the team and felt alone? What can you do to connect with other teammates? How do you keep Jesus at the center of your life so that you never feel alone?

Workout:

Overtime:

Exciting news amidst preparations for 2026 Survivor Jultopia Gold Coast with South Australia's defending champion A Grade Men set to sign a new player.  We don't know anything more but with 10 players suiting up in Wollongong last year, it's an interesting move.  Who's not suiting up this year?  Who is suiting up this year?  Is it a guard, forward or centre?  Are they a wing unlike Thunder forward Daniel Smith?  Do they play in the WCB league?  Are our bothan spies telling the truth for once or is this just another unfounded rumour?  Stay tuned.  Things are about to get interesting.

With the WCB NBA Fantasy competition on hiatus and the Hoxley Tigers with another championship locked away, Wednesdays are WCB ladder time.  With the Thunder on top - albeit barely - we hope you enjoy the ladder.  Exciting times, exciting times.

A GRADE MEN
1. Gateway Thunder 10-2, 32pts, +152
2. CFC Stars 8-5, 29pts, +28
3. Futures Pioneers 7-6 28pts, +25
4. North Western Mustangs 7-1-5, 27pts, -37
5. Air Journey 2-1-10, 18pts, -98

That's two.  In a row.  After two straight losses, the Thunder have rebounded with two straight wins and maybe just maybe, the premiership defence is back on track.  It helps having key players back in uniform - in fact just any players - and whilst Futures put up a fight, it wasn't enough as the Thunder rode the back of youngsters Lucas Brook, Brodie Sleep and Josh Smith.  Final score Gateway 76 d Futures Pioneers 54.  Player stats not available at time of printing but will be added later.  Exciting times, exciting times.

Exciting times as the new 10-man Thunder team face off against the Futures Pioneers this week, a game in which we have no idea how it will go on both sides.  Will the Thunder reduce to less than 10 players - maybe 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5 - and who are the Pioneers?  The good guys haven't played them since mid-February and the Pioneers have climbed in recent weeks to an equal share of second place, are deep and a legitimate premiership contender.  Two teams enter, one team leave.  With no further adieu, we present to you Gateway v Futures Pioneers.

LAST FIVE GAMES HEAD-TO-HEAD
16/2/2026: Gateway 51 (Brook 10, Penn 10, Vucetic 9) d Futures Pioneers 37
24/11/2025: Gateway 20 d Futures Pioneers 0
15/9/2025: Gateway 20 d Futures Pioneers 0
4/8/2025: Gateway 114 (Jon.Smith 40, Penn 22, Brook 17) d Futures Pioneers 77
12/5/2025: Gateway 78 (Jon.Smith 33, D.Smith 15, Sleep 10) d Futures Pioneers 59

LADDER
1. Gateway Thunder 9-2, 29pts, +130
4. Futures Pioneers 7-6, 27pts, +47

OUR PREDICTION
We liked the 10-man lineup last week but it presents its own difficulties, player rotations being nigh on impossible and with NBL1 seasons and Jultopia carnivals to prepare for, it's anyone's guess as to how that will play out.  Futures meanwhile have their own revolving door of players and at full strength, are a serious contender for the crown.  And that's where we're at - who's playing for each team and who isn't.  Who's still in Wyoming, who's in Cameron, who is Cameron, did Cameron really run the miles backwards on his Dad's Ferrari 250 GT California?  Get there early folks because this game will undoubtedly be worth the price of free admission.  Our tip?  Thunder by 6 points as they build towards the finals.  Exciting times, exciting times.

With Jultopia teammate Jordan Peel committing to Cameron College, we are all keenly awaiting news of what Thunder forward Daniel Smith is up to for the 2026-27 season.  Our bothan spies tell us the interviews have been had and there have been many meetings - heavy meetings - with an announcement imminent.  We don't know what the outcome will be - he could return to Central Wyoming, he could join Peel in Cameron or he could sign with our second favourite college team at North Carolina - but know we'll announce it here when we can.  From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, we wish Daniel all the best with his decision-making and may the Rustlers or Tar Heels win.  Exciting times, exciting times.

Exciting news out of the USA where two-time Jultopia championship guard Jordan Peel has signed with the Cameron Aggies.  Cameron play in the Lone Star Conference in NCAA Division 2 in Oklahoma and we for one, couldn't be more excited.  The former Tasmanian turned South Australian spent this past season alongside Thunder forward Daniel Smith and whilst they're likely to go their separate ways - to be confirmed with Daniel still a free agent - we loved watching them this past season and look forward to keeping up-to-date with the Aggies in 2026-27.  From everyone at leaguelineup.com and the Thunder, congratulations Jordan on the move and we wish him and his team nothing but the best for the coming season and beyond.  Exciting times, exciting times.