New Zealand name team for U17 World Cup, include eight players from U16 Asian squad
WELLINGTON (FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018) - New Zealand have named their 12-player roster for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 with the side featuring eight players from the FIBA U16 Asian Championship.
New Zealand coach Dave Bublitz is bringing back the top six scorers from his team at the U16 continental tournament where they finished third and qualified for the U17 World Cup for the first time in history.
| New Zealand team for FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 | |||
| Shalom Broughton | Tom Cowie | Mitchell Dance | Haven Dixon |
| Sam Jenkins | Kainoa Lepou | Jake McKinley | Harry Payne |
| Anzac Rissetto | Mac Stodart | Ezrah Vaiagfa | Marvin Williams-Dunn |
"We added some new concepts that all the players had to deal with, therefore giving the new players coming into camp an equal opportunity. I wanted to make the process as fair possible," said Bublitz after he held a camp with 20 players in Rotorua. "The selection of the final squad wasn't easy, but eventually we settled on the four additions."
Mitchell Dance paced New Zealand in scoring at the U16 Asian Championship followed by Tom Cowie and Shalom Broughton. Bublitz discussed the coaching staff's decision making process.
"Tall Blacks head coach Paul Henare and a couple of other coaches with experience attending major tournaments recommended we take three point guards to Argentina. With that in mind, we selected Ezrah (Vaiagfa) to compliment Tom Cowie and Marvin Williams-Dunn in that position," Bublitz said.
"THE TEAM IS THE FIRST U17 MEN'S GROUP TO ATTEND A WORLD CUP, SO IT IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED TO PLAY AGAINST THE OTHER BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD" Bublitz
"Sam Jenkins shot the ball really well and also picked up the new concepts quickly. Both Anzac Rissetto and Mac Stodart give us some added size. Mac could play as a stretch four or perhaps even a stretch five."
New Zealand have been drawn into Group C with Egypt, Canada and Montenegro.
"The team is the first U17 men's group to attend a World Cup, so it is a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved to play against the other best players in the world," Bublitz said. "It's also exciting on a personal note to test yourself against the best teams and coaches in the world at this age group. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
FIBA
