AUCKLAND (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - New Zealand have called Dan Fotu, the younger brother of national team stalwart Isaac Fotu, into their 15-man squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers at China and Korea but have not included linchpin Mika Vukona.

The 35-year-old Vukona, who has played for the Tall Blacks since the 2005 FIBA Oceania Championship, has not been cleared by the medical team of his NBL side, the New Zealand Breakers.

The Basketball New Zealand website says he is managing his way through a busy end to the regular season.

"The advice on Mika is that he shouldn't travel and play in these games and has therefore not been released," said Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare, who also holds the reins of the Breakers.

"He remains an integral part of our group, however, and plays a huge role in what we are trying to achieve in the long term." 

Dan Fotu, 18, is a development player with the New Zealand Breakers and has featured for his country at youth level. He started for the Junior Tall Blacks at the 2016 FIBA U18 Oceania Championship when they beat Australia. He missed the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Egypt last year due to injury.

Fotu and fellow Kiwi Quinn Clinton, who did play at the U19 World Cup, have decided to play for the Saint Mary's Gaels in American college basketball from next season.

New Zealand face China on February 23 in Dongguan and then meet Korea in Seoul on February 26.

Only 12 players will travel for the two games. A Tall Blacks side comprised of veterans, and also youngsters that reached the Semi-Finals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 in Lebanon, played in the first two Qualifiers.

With Vukona not traveling, two of the standout players at the FIBA Asia Cup, Finn Delany and Tohi Smith-Milner, look set to have more important roles in the second window.

Delany was a fearless competitor in Lebanon and will be champing at the bit to get another shot at the Koreans after being left out of the Tall Blacks team when the teams played in Wellington.

Korea, who beat New Zealand twice at the FIBA Asia Cup, albeit in two tight games, overcame the Tall Blacks in their Qualifier in Wellington on November 23, 86-80.

Henare's side bounced back a few days later with a 133-74 victory at Hong Kong.

"We have reviewed and gone over November's window in fine detail, but the bottom line is we didn't come out firing, we weren't as ready as we should have been against Korea in Wellington," Henare said.
 
"This window has an even tighter schedule. We will get together for the first time as a group in China, have two days on the floor and then go to battle against a very good side, arguably one of the toughest in the world to beat at home.
 
"We have and will continue to do all we can to learn from November's experience, to be ready and to play as we expect the Tall Blacks to play, fighting for every possession, punching above our weight and not taking a backward step."

FIBA