Basketball On The Internet.

NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman is excited by the prospect of staging games on the Gold Coast in a proposed new 5000-seat venue.

Kestelman has been visiting venues in south-east Queensland with a view to re-establishing an NBL presence in Brisbane.

“I’m on the Gold Coast at the moment,” he said today.

“We’re coming back to Melbourne tomorrow but we’ve been up here essentially meeting with venue owners.”

Kestelman said he also had met with local government officials at Gold Coast.

“There’s a lot happening here,” he said.

“They’re building a 5000-seat venue and they’re pretty keen for games and then a team (down the track).”

Kestelman said in Brisbane his main focus had been on the Convention Centre and the Entertainment Centre.

“They’re the two we’re looking at (as NBL sites),” he said.

“I had a committee come up and do an assessment.”

Kestelman said a new television broadcast deal remains the priority and “every day gets us a day closer.”

“We’re working feverishly on a schedule at the moment,” he said.

Venue availability has been an issue but the draw is close.

That will give the league something stronger to take to potential broadcasters who are still keen to package games within a two-hour timeslot.

Any thoughts of a return to the 48-minute game format remain “on hold” with that particular parameter.

Potential television suitors also find midweek scheduling appealing.

ILLAWARRA officially confirmed it today, with AJ Ogilvy the Hawks’ biggest Australian signing since the club constructed a title-winner in 2001.

The 211cm NBL All Star should thrive in what will be less of a guard-oriented system at Wollongong than what he experienced at Sydney in 2013-14.

That is despite super guard Kevin Lisch expected to be announced as one of the Hawks two imports, probably by later this week.

Lisch and Ogilvy are a big "get".

As for Wildcats back-up power forward Jesse Wagstaff ... maybe he'd like to play in the Sandpit too! Who knows?