JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Expect a combination of old and new faces when New Zealand commence their bid of capturing another medal in the prestigious FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in this sprawling city next month.
Bannering the Tall Blacks for the August 5-17 showpiece are Flynn Cameron and Tohi Smith-Milner, as head coach Judd Flavell ensured to include remnants of the team that reached the podium back in 2022.
Both the athletic combo guard and the sweet-shooting big man played key roles in a historic campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia, where they brought the program its breakthrough medal in the competition by copping bronze.
The duo also played in the recent Qualifiers, with Smith-Milner key in completing a two-game sweep of Window 3 with 18.0 points as he helped New Zealand post masterful wins versus Hong Kong and the Philippines.
In fact, there are actually four figures from that 2022 squad which have been called to suit up for the Jeddah festivities, the other two being seasoned playmaker Taylor Britt and forward Max Darling.
Not to be forgotten is Jordan Ngatai, who played alongside Cameron, Smith-Milner, and Britt in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Group Phase in Manila and is coming in as the most grizzled of the unit.
The 32-year-old has already played in 84 games with the men's national team. And rightfully so, he was named captain of this team for the Asia Cup, a task that he's extremely honored to be entrusted with.
"It’s a huge honour for not only myself, but for my family," Ngatai told Basketball New Zealand.
"Honestly, I don’t think I would have imagined myself being the captain of my national team – let alone one of the veterans to last this long in a Tall Black singlet as well,” the 1.96 M (6'5") swingman furthered.
Other pieces in the roster that have put on the black singlet in a number of stints are Taine Murray, Ben Gold, and Carlin Davison as Flavell made sure that there won't be any shortage of experience among his men.
But what makes this team quite intriguing is the addition of three debutants following solid campaigns for their respective ball clubs in the New Zealand-NBL - Mojave King, Jack Andrew, and Dontae Russo-Nance.
These 11 names are shoo-ins for the much-awaited tilt, with the 12th and final member to be chosen among Jordan Hunt, Hayden Jones, and Luca Yates as the troika were brought in for their preparation games ahead.
New Zealand are set to compete in two pocket tournaments leading up to the Asia Cup and from there, the final lineup will be determined. Thus, the excitement among fans as to which player will comprise the team.
But whatever composition they come up with, what's sure is that the Tall Blacks impose a daunting challenge for the 15 other teams looking to achieve as much success as they can in FIBA's flagship event in the continent.
New Zealand have been drawn in Group D together with a budding basketball rival in the Philippines, as well as Chinese Taipei and Iraq. To learn more about their upcoming stint in Jeddah, click here.
FIBA