The South East Australia Basketball League became defunct at the end of 2018 and Basketball Victoria and the National Basketball League have joined forces to launch NBL1.

The competition will start on March 29, with 15 rounds to be played before a four-week finals series.

Inaugural franchises will be  Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (ACT), Dandenong, Diamond Valley, Eltham, Frankston, Geelong, Hobart Huskies, Kilsyth, Knox, Melbourne, North West Thunder / Launceston (co-licensees), Nunawading, Ringwood, Sandringham and Waverley.

NBL chief executive Jeremy Loeliger said NBL1 will showcase Australia’s best emerging talent and many other professional players.

“NBL1 will strengthen the pathway from the junior levels all the way through to the NBL, WNBL and ultimately the Boomers and Opals helping develop the next generation of stars,'' Loeliger said.

“Importantly, it will feature both women’s and men’s teams, and be a league all females and males coming through junior ranks can aspire to play in.”

Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said NBL1 would bring promotional and commercial opportunities covering both women’s and men’s basketball.

"The NBL has flourished in recent years under the guidance of Larry Kestelman and a partnership with such a high-calibre organisation presents an outstanding opportunity to deliver a premier winter basketball competition.”

The Bendigo Braves women won the SEABL championship in 2018 and have added Bendigo Spirit import Becca Tobin to their squad for 2019.

The NBL1 season will mark the debut of new Braves men coach David Hogan.

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