THE 2009 NSW State League Basketball finals weekend will be held at the Sutherland Basketball Stadium on August 8-9 and the level of interest in the Nepean and Hawkesbury Valley districts is astonishing.

Basketball fans from both districts are salivating over the possibility of a Penrith Panthers and Hawkesbury Jets grand final on Sunday, August 9.

Both teams will need to win their semi-finals first, of course, and that presents the biggest hurdle.

While the unbeaten Jets are overwhelming favourites to defeat the Macarthur Heat in one semi-final, the Panthers face a bogey team in the Central Coast Crusaders, who hold an advantage over the Panthers.

Former Sydney Kings NBL duo Terry Johnson, 38, and Ian ``Moose'' Robilliard, 49, have held back the sands of time this year for the Crusaders, leading the Central Coast team to the minor premiership in Pool C.

The Panthers' only victory over the Crusaders this season coincided with the absence of Robilliard but there is little doubt the ``old'' warhorse will be ready for action against the Panthers in the playoffs.

Former Waratah Australian Basketball League guards Robert Crane and Rhys Daley, along with Scott Wagener (Jets), face off against Josh Morehead, Sean Albert and veteran Paul Tengdahl (Panthers).

The match-ups in the paint are no less intriguing, with man-mountain Graham Godwin, Ben Hawkesley and Bruce Wells (Jets) confronting rookie sensation Tom Dawson (a former Hawkesbury junior) and veterans Matt Slack, Tim Smith and Adam Peterson (Panthers).

The Jets and Heat semi-final tips off at 3.30pm and the Panthers and Crusaders semi-final at 5.30pm, with both games being played on Saturday, August 8.