Hodge provides Sixers a much-needed lift

There’s only one word that can really describe the Adelaide 36ers 100-79 thumping of the Townsville Crocs last night in Adelaide: dominance.

There was the dominance of the 36ers, who began the game with nine unanswered points and held the lead for the rest of the game.

There was the dominance of the team’s big men, with superb performances from Adam Ballinger and the latest cult-figure redhead to hit Aussie sports, Luke Schenscher.

Then there was the dominance of Julius Hodge. In just his fifth game back in a 36ers jersey, the American import was near unstoppable. He led the game in points scored, with 25. He led the game in assists, with 7. And along with Schenscher, he led the game in rebounds too, grabbing 12.

It didn’t seem to matter at all that the Crocs had just won five games on the trot. Their big wins last week over the Breakers in New Zealand and the resurgent Sydney Spirit were irrelevant.

Now that the 36ers have Hodge, it will take a lot more than just form to bring them down.

In 2007, Hodge rode a rollercoaster that saw him with a starting spot in the NBA in January, only to be traded six days later and completely delisted by his new team less than a month after that.

Then, following a stint in the NBA Summer League and a run with not one, but two Italian clubs, he was picked up by the 36ers in December, replacing under-performing import Mike Chappell midseason.

Incredibly, despite all the teams Hodge managed to slip through over that twelve month period, he became an absolute revelation. When he wasn’t dropping 39 points, he was recording triple-doubles.

Thanks to a string of games over 30 points, he claimed three consecutive player of the week awards.

It was too late to save the 36ers season, but boy, was he a phenomenon.

Fast forward to this year’s off-season and Hodge (unsurprisingly) found his way back to the NBA, trialling with the New Jersey Nets. The 36ers also moved on, signing Mark Tyndale as one of the club’s two imports.

As Hodge struggled to cement himself on the Nets’ regular season roster, the 36ers similarly struggled in the NBL.

They spent most of the early rounds lingering in the bottom four and by round nine had a disappointing 5-7 record.

Then public pressure set in. The Sixers could no longer justify Mark Tyndale using up a valuable import slot. He was let go by the team.

As if it were fate, Julius Hodge’s brief stint in New Jersey had come to an end and was looking for a new team. And just like that, Hodge was back in Adelaide.

Hodge’s first weekend back in the country made it seem like he never left. He dropped 26 points on the Spirit and 25 on the Dragons just one night later. He was once again named the NBL’s player of the week.

Since that weekend, the 36ers have managed to string together three-straight wins and do not look like slowing down.

The club’s off-season moves always looked promising, but Hodge was the one piece of the puzzle they lost and could not replace.

Now, it would take something completely out of the ordinary to stop this team reaching the playoffs. No matter how congested the top six race may appear.

But the scariest thing about the 36ers from here on in: Hodge still hasn’t gotten back to his 30-points-or-more form.

Townsville can consider themselves lucky.

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