This time last season the Illawarra Hawks were crippled by team disharmony and stumbling to the wooden spoon for just the second time in club history.
After accounting for the Adelaide 36ers 104-97 on Thursday night in Wollongong, the Hawks are on the cusp of the greatest 12-month turnaround in the club's 37-year history.
Illawarra's 15th win of the season kept them in third spot and, with four games remaining, all but assured the NBL's last remaining foundation club of a finals berth.
Sixteen victories would equal the Hawks' 10-win improvement from the 2000 season to their 2001 title-winning campaign. A 17th win would set a new club standard.
"It'd be unbelieveable," Illawarra coach Rob Beveridge said.
"This club won six games last year, so I'm pretty proud of the achievement the club has made in a short period of time.
"All we spoke about at the start of the year was trying to make the playoffs. Right now I'm still not convinced were in the [top] four.
"If we finish second and fill this place [WIN Entertainment Centre] for the playoffs, how good would that be?"
Illawarra are one win behind equal leaders Perth and Melbourne and two wins ahead of the fourth-placed 36ers.
The Wildcats are the only team the Hawks haven't conquered.
"Perth think they've got the wood on us - fantastic. We don't care who we play," Beveridge said.
"Perth are probably the favourites, but it's about us and seeing how far we can go. We haven't shown our best basketball yet."
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