Wells welcomes the hype

The moment Bryce Cotton was announced as an Adelaide 36er, there were huge expectations placed on the franchise.

While coach Mike Wells admits there is pressure that comes with that, he and his side, who are 7-3 on the season, are embracing everything that comes their way.

“This game [Thursday] will be our 11th game of the year, so we'll be a third of the way through. We're not there yet,” Wells said during the club's media availability on Wednesday.

“I think [expectation] is a good thing. There haven't been a lot of expectations around here for a long time, so it's part of what we wanted to do: change the culture and the team and rebuild this thing.

“We want to be in these situations early in the year. You know, as much as it hurts to lose those games at the end or be in close games, this is all part of it, so when we get in games that really matter, we've been in this position before.

“Hopefully, we correct, and we move on, and we can win those types of situations.”

As Wells touched on, Thursday will represent just the third time Adelaide goes into a Hungry Jack's NBL26 fixture on the back of a loss, after falling to Perth on Sunday.

But the second-year 36ers coach explained moments like this, when you're challenged by adversity, are opportunities for growth.

"We've probably been beaten in one of those games and beat ourselves in two other games," Wells said.

"Those are disappointing things, but those are also situations for a new group for us to keep learning.

"Every time we can practice, get together, whether that's film or walkthroughs, or practice, a full practice, it's an opportunity to connect a group and move forward.”

Thursday's Round 9 fixture with Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.