PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FIBA U15 Oceania Championship) - The U15 Aon New Zealand squad is gunning for a Top 2 finish in the upcoming FIBA U15 Oceania Championship on December 4-8 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand head coach Morgan Maskell is preaching the importance of team concept in their upcoming campaign in Papua New Guinea.

"Every one of our players is equally important to our success. It will take all 12 of them performing their role to perfection for us to reach our potential," said Maskell. "We feel we have picked a multi-talented team that is incredibly versatile."

Maskell, also the assistant coach of the Taylor Hawks in New Zealand's National Basketball league explained the process of the team's preparation for the tournament.

"In July, we watched our U15 and U17 National Tournaments to scout for talent. In October we had a National Selection Camp with 25 players and we then chose the 12. I have been in contact with all the boys between now and then, and am confident in their preparations," shared Maskell.

The FIBA U15 Oceania Championship will serve as the first step in the qualification phase to the 2020 FIBA U17 World Cup. The top two finishers will advance to the FIBA U16 Asian Championship.

"Our goal is to make the Asian Division A tournament – that is something that really excites us. The extra level of competition for our country is fantastic exposure for us," shared the 25-year old.

"It's a real privilege to have ‘New Zealand’ on your chest, and it’s important that all of us display the requisite amount of pride and mana that come with that privilege,"- Morgan Maskell

Maskell is making sure that the players appreciate the honor of representing their country and believes this trip will have a huge impact on the lives of his players. 

"This process is not just about preparing the players for a trip to Papua New Guinea, but also about producing future leaders whether that be on the court as future Tall Blacks & Breakers; or off the court as future leaders in our communities," he added.

New Zealand along with Australia has been a traditional powerhouse in Oceania since the inception of the region to FIBA competitions in 1968 but that Maskell is adamant about the respect their opponents deserve in the tournament.

The FIBA Oceania U15 Championships will be a new and exciting experience for our group. Australia will be a very tough opponent as per usual but the programmes in Guam & Samoa are on the rise and will also present a challenge to us at the tournament as well," he ended.

FIBA