Injury-free Rickert a star turn 

Source: PhotosportRick Rickert congratulates teammate Awvee Storey

Rick Rickert says finally becoming free of injury has helped him regain his best basketball form for the New Zealand Breakers.

Rickert's efforts have been vital to keeping the Breakers unbeaten at home this season, despite losing their leading points scorer Kirk Penney to a back injury, and he will again be a key player when they take on the Gold Coast Blaze on the North Shore on Thursday.

The tall American centre was one of the leading rebounders in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL) when he first joined the Breakers in 2007-08 before a blown disc in his back ended his season.

Rickert returned last year but, despite some good contributions, he never quite matched his early form.

This season, however, he has been one of the Breakers' best. His 57 rebounds are fourth best in the league, and his rebound average second in the league.

Rickert is also averaging 13 points per game, and he provides an important inside option for a team whose scoring is usually dominated by three-point shooting from Penney and CJ Bruton.

Rickert was initially dropped from the club for this season but returned after an injury to Canadian signing Dave Thomas.

He said he did not think he was fit enough when returning from the injured back last year.

"Before I came here last season, I'd only been back on the court for about a month," he said.

"I wasn't in the best shape, I wasn't as strong as I normally am. It took a while, it was a significant injury so I'm glad to be back from that.

"I'm feeling better and still feeling like I can do even better."

Rickert rejected some higher offers from other ANBL franchises in part because he hoped to qualify for the Tall Blacks.

"I didn't really think about that when I arrived, but being here 2-1/2 years now, it's a possibility.

"We're working on our citizenship and hoping we can work on pursuing that and possibly becoming a member of the Tall Blacks."

Lifestyle is also a positive. Rickert said his wife Cici and their daughter Pepper were enjoying New Zealand, and happy to be avoiding freezing temperatures in his home state of Minnesota in the American midwest.

"It can get to -60 Fahrenheit (-51degC), so it's pretty cold."

The Breakers are still likely to be without Penney on Thursday, with team staff not keen to risk aggravating his back injury before it is fully recovered.

Rickert said Penney's absence put more pressure on the rest of the team to improve their defence and sharpen their offence.

"Kirk's a big part of our team and of our offence, so we really have to fill the gap there," he said.

"We really have to run our offence very crisp and find scoring where we normally wouldn't."

The Blaze, who include former Breakers Pero Cameron and Mika Vukona, have won just three of their eight games compared to the Breakers' four win, three loss record, but Rickert said they would be tough to beat.

"I see them as a good team with a good coach," he said.

"Their record doesn't show exactly how good they are but they're a good quality basketball team so we have to be prepared."