AUCKLAND (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Experience is the name of the game for head coach Paul Henare and his New Zealand squad in the fourth window of the Asian Qualifiers this September.

"This next round will be the biggest challenge we have faced so far."- Henare

Veteran forward Mika Vukona headlines the 12-man roster that also features Isaac Fotu and Tai Webster, who will both fly from Europe to play for the Tall Blacks against Syria and Lebanon next month, while other usual suspects like Corey Webster and Tom Abercrombie will sit out the fourth window for separate reasons.

Coach Henare is supremely confident in his crew, but he also knows that the next window has some distinct challenges they need to overcome if they are to strengthen their bid to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

"This next round will be the biggest challenge we have faced so far, both in terms of the opposition, but also the travel," he said. "Getting in and out of the Middle East in the short time we have between games is something new, but in typical Tall Blacks fashion, we are looking forward to taking that on and putting in some strong performances."

New Zealand will be playing Syria in Beirut on 13 September before flying back home to host Lebanon in Rotorua on 17 September.

Henare is aware of the stakes in the second round of the Asian Qualifiers, and he is expecting even more intense support from their fans, especially when they see action against Cedars at the Spark Arena.

"If we are to qualify for China and do so with a high seeding, we must at the very least win our home games in front of our home fans," he explained. "Rotorua proved a big hit with the team in the last window, and we look forward to another big crowd and great support on the 17th."

One player Henare is expecting to step up is wingman Ethan Rusbatch, who excelled for the Tall Blacks in their recent series of tune-up games in China. The 26-year-old, 6ft 5in (1.96m) Rusbatch was part of the New Zealand squad that saw action in the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 three-pointer per game.

"Ethan deserves another shot at this level," said Henare. "He has played for the Tall Blacks before and is coming off a good NBL season and was one of the standouts on the recent New Zealand Select Tour."

Rusbatch's Bay Hawks teammate Dion Prewster also returns to the national side and should be a key contributor. The 6ft 5in (1.95m) Prewster played in the previous Asian Qualifiers window will fill the void left by the injured Abercrombie. He was a youth team star for New Zealand's U19 World Cup squad in 2009, putting up 10 points and 6 boards per game, and he averaged 6.5 points and 1.5 rebounds for the Tall Blacks in two games this past July.

New Zealand are carrying a 5-win, 1-loss record to the second round and will face three of the best West Asia teams in the field: the aforementioned Syria and Lebanon along with Jordan. Both the Lebanese and Jordanians are also toting 5-win, 1-loss slates, so the Tall Blacks' fortunes are heavily dependent on their second round results.

FIBA