Basketball On The Internet.

MITCH Norton will join retained Rhys Martin in Illawarra’s backcourt next season, with his Townsville Crocodiles teammate and NBL Rookie of the Year Nick Kay also flying with the Hawks.

Those announcements are expected soon, following the retentions of Martin and Kevin White in Wollongong.

Both Kay and Norton actively were pursued by clubs as varied as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, fellow former Croc Clint Steindl still out in the market and looking for his big payday.

Whether the friendship and association between Hawks coach Rob Beveridge and Crocodiles coach and the NBL’s 2015-16 Coach of the Year, Shawn Dennis, played any role in the recruiting coups is certainly worth speculation because, clearly, ultimately it wasn’t $$$ that won out.

NORTON SECURITY: Mitch Norton has found security in his new home at the Hawks.

The Hawks already have suffered a few setbacks with its big-name dynamic duo of Kevin Lisch (Sydney Kings) and Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers) flying the coop, and high-flying Agent 97, Jarrad Weeks, signing with Cairns Taipans.

But there’s been successes too with AJ Ogilvy back and more announcements on the way.

Interesting how Brisbane was able to pounce on Wildcats centre Tom Jervis, considering the NBL put the following out about free agents:

You think the Bullets knew something everyone else didn't?