There'll be some weary young Giants fans in classrooms around Nelson this winter after the national basketball league draw was released, featuring a number of Thursday night matches.

The league has had to squeeze through a tight window between the conclusion of the Australian league season and the beginning of the Tall Blacks' preparation for the world championships in Turkey. There is also still some discussion around the possibility of TV coverage, with Thursday the preferred game night to avoid Super 14 rugby.

So Nelson will tip off its 2010 campaign in Te Awamutu with a March 4 marquee matchup against NBL champions Waikato, in a reprise of last season's finals series. The Giants will then travel through to New Plymouth to take on Taranaki's Dynamos on Friday, March 5.

Their first home game is on Saturday March 13, with another playoff-calibre team in the Wellington Saints scheduled to appear in the Trafalgar Centre.

The Giants have a road doubleheader at Easter, when they travel to take on Auckland and North Harbour, while their southern swing takes place in week six, when they meet NBL newcomers Southland on Friday, April 9 in Invercargill and Otago in Dunedin the following evening.

Thursday night dates include games against Canterbury (if TV coverage can be secured), Hawke's Bay and Manawatu (both away) as well as the Waikato and North Harbour matches.

With American forward Michael Harrison due in town this week, the squad will only be waiting on Cairns pairing Tony Rampton and Phill Jones and Gold Coast forward Mika Vukona. All three will miss the pre-season South Island showcase tournament with the four mainland clubs meeting in Christchurch on February 19-21.