McVeigh Shooting his shot with Panthers

By Dan Woods for NBL1.com.au

An emerging star of the Australian basketball scene announced himself with a bang in the third round of NBL1 Central. 19-year-old South Adelaide star Lloyd McVeigh earned the competition’s Foot Locker Player of the Week honour for his 32-point, 10-rebound masterclass against West Adelaide.

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The kicker? His opponents included Boomers captain Mitch McCarron, Former NBL Rookie of the Year Anthony Drmic, and Adelaide development player Fraser Roxburgh.

McVeigh’s incredible performance helped the Panthers emerge from the third week of competition with a 3-0 record, as the reigning NBL1 Central champions remain one of the final three unbeaten teams in NBL1 Central.

McCarron was on his usual triple-double watch in his side’s loss to McVeigh and South Adelaide, while Drmic himself dropped 26 points.

McVeigh says while he was excited to match up on such talented players, it didn’t impact his mindset heading into the game.

“The game is the game no matter who you’re playing, whether it’s social comp or NBL1 against that talent,” McVeigh told NBL Media.

“I try and prepare the same way and mentally get focused.“It was good to get it done, and it was definitely fun with it being DJ’s (Daniel Johnson) first game back, so it was fun playing with him.

“They sent the double to him and (Alex) Starling so it’s nice playing with those two. It was good to get them both out there and it made it easier for me having all the attention on that extra star.

“It’s definitely more exciting when I’m starting guarding Anthony Drmic. I was looking forward to getting out there and holding my own against them all week. I was keen to showcase that for sure.”

McVeigh’s explosion against the Bearcats wasn’t just a fluke, flash in the pan performance. In South Adelaide’s two prior wins this season he looked like he was building towards that type of performance.

His shot struggled to fall in Round 1 against the Eastern Mavericks, but he still put up a more than respectable stat line of five points, six boards, two assists and a pair of steals despite shooting just 2-14 from the field. Against Sturt in Round 2 he added a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in what was a gritty and defensive clash.

His 32 points against the stars of West Adelaide came on over 50 per cent shooting. When his team needed him most, McVeigh stepped up in spades.

“My mindset was ‘I know I can shoot better than this’ after the first game, definitely, and after the second game I knew I had more in me,” he reflected.

“I wasn’t ever going to force it, I was going to let it happen but I knew I was ramping up a little bit.“Scott (head coach Scott Ninnis) is always about confidence and says ‘shoot your shot. If you’re there and open, it’s your shot’. The boys, especially Starling, have always got my back and are telling me to keep shooting and be more aggressive.“When it’s not falling all my teammates and coaches have my back.”

If McVeigh continues to perform like he has been for the Panthers across the NBL1 campaign this season, it’s likely NBL teams are going to step up and take notice. With Daniel Johnson now embedded in the South Adelaide line-up, McVeigh has a stellar veteran mentor to help him learn, but Johnson is far from the only NBL-level talent in the 19-year-old’s corner.

Tasmania JackJumper Jack McVeigh – Lloyd’s older brother – is currently playing for Heidelberg in the German Basketball Bundesliga in the NBL off-season, and the pair remain in touch to help each other continue improving.

“We work together pretty closely,” Lloyd said of Jack. “He’s always trying to get me better and every day we’re talking about how we can improve.

“It’s pretty cool, he’s trying to give me his 27 years of knowledge into my 19 years. It’s really good working with him.“We talk every day about our basketball, our training, and what we’re doing."

For now, though, Lloyd is prepared to keep his NBL dream on the back burner in the hopes of securing South Adelaide’s second straight title.

“I definitely have a goal of trying to break into an NBL team as a development player, but all I’m really focused on is this season," he said. 

“It’s hard to picture that long run when all you can really control is each game and trying to win a championship. Whatever happens after that will happen really.

“We were pretty happy to hold Sturt to in the 60s, but letting the Bearcats in the 90s probably isn’t good enough for a championship season. That’s definitely the focus for us – to keep improving on the defensive end to try and go back-to-back.”

McVeigh and the South Adelaide Panthers next take on the Central District Lions on Saturday, April 15 at 8:15pm ACST. Watch the game live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App here. 

Feature image via: Emma Hoppo / Snap Shot Photography