JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Australia will take on a quite interesting approach when they shoot for history in the highly awaited FIBA Asia Cup 2025 as their preliminary 14-man roster features a bevy of fresher talent.
The Boomers announced earlier this July what pundits refer to as a generationally diverse lineup, as none from the batch that secured a back-to-back in the 2022 competitions in Jakarta, Indonesia were included.
Even the head coaching spot would see a more youthful figure as well in Adam Caporn, who's coming in as the successor to Brian Goorjian after the legendary mentor left the program after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This, indeed, is a new era for the ever proud Aussies.
And the August 5-17 showpiece in the Saudi Arabian city should be their first big test together, given the track record their predecessors have built in FIBA's flagship event in the continent since joining in 2017.
The present-day Boomers are tasked to get a 'three-peat,' something that hasn't been accomplished in the Asia Cup for two decades now or since China won their fourth straight gold medal in 2005 in Doha, Qatar.
Lest we forget that Australia are coming in undefeated in the tournament, too, having accumulated a 12-0 record since their first stint - thus, the establishment of what's been a dominant reign from the hoopers Down Under.
Needless to say, expectations are high for this team. But they're up for the challenge, no doubt about that, especially if we take into account the work they have been putting in over the past several months.
While some of the names may sound a tad new, a number of them have already been indoctrinated to the Boomers' way - or the 'gold vibes only' mantra from their seniors - during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
There's the trio of Ben Henshall, Josh Bannan, and Will Hickey, all of which were key in their 6-0 sweep. Henshall and Bannan were two of their more productive scorers after averaging above 11.0 points each.
Dash Daniels and Owen Foxwell are coming in as first-timers to the senior level, with the former making the jump after a solid run with the Emus over the last three years - including the recent FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
A few players in the roster include guys such as Angus Glover, Harry Wessels, and Reyne Smith. The three had brief stints with the men's team a few years ago, particularly in the first Asia Cup Qualifiers cycle in 2020.
There's more youth in this team, yes, but there remains the old reliables, expected, of course, to provide much needed veteran presence - whether it be dishing valuable insights, or leading by example.
Leading the way would be 2024 Olympic team members Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay, along with Xavier Cooks and Jack White, both of which were part of the squad that played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
It remains to be seen as to which 12 men Caporn would go to for their title defense bid, but one thing is certain: whoever makes up Team Australia for the Jeddah games will be a challenge for the rest of the field.
FIBA