Perth Wildcats to play Chiba Jets, Nagoya Diamond Dolphins and Yokohama B-Corsairs as part of their pre-season

Perth Wildcats are setting themselves to become a major international force after locking in a three-match pre-season tour of Japan that will see them come face to face with ex-coach Trevor Gleeson. The Wildcats will travel to Japan to play against Nagoya, Chiba Jets and Yokohama on August 31, September 2 and September 4. The club will then fly directly from Japan to Gold Coast for the NBL Blitz. Gleeson has only just joined Chiba Jets as Head Coach after three years as an assistant coach in the NBA and the Jets have ex-Wildcat John Mooney as part of their roster. Nagoya’s Head Coach, Shawn Dennis, also has links to the Wildcats as a former assistant coach. It will be the second season in a row that the Wildcats have travelled overseas to play pre-season games. They flew to the US to play G-League Ignite last year. Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills said the club was keen to make its mark around the world. “The long-term strategy is to take the club global,” he said. “We started that last year in Las Vegas against G-League Ignite. That was an awesome experience for both the club and the playing group. This is the next step. “We’re taking the club to a market that is becoming very prominent on the global basketball stage. This is another amazing experience to get global exposure to separate ourselves. From a playing standpoint, we get valuable experience against very good international clubs. “It’s about getting our brand out there. We feel like it helps us with recruiting and it gives our players and staff an incredible experience playing against different styles and levels of competition. It’s a life experience. It’s a trip they will always remember.” Perth made a global splash when Next Star Alex Sarr entered the NBL as the number two draft pick. They are hoping Spanish Next Star Izan Almansa will also have a big impact. The Wildcats will play eight preseason games as preparation for round one. They have scheduled two games in Perth against an NBL1 West representative team and will also have three games during the NBL Blitz. Mills said playing in Japan was the perfect opportunity to see how the team adjusts in a different environment. “The fun of it is you’re going up against a different style of play,” he said. “Until you get into the game, you don’t really know how you’ll go. It’s a test. It’s a great way to adjust to playing different styles of basketball and that can only help us going forward. “Look at the Olympics at the moment. We’re seeing different styles from the different countries. This is all part of the global basketball ecosystem.”