AUS – Boomers named for first training camp

MELBOURNE (Olympics) - Australia have named 20 players who will attend the first of three training camps ahead of this year’s Beijing Games.

The Oceania champions will be without many of their leading players, including Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who in the United States in talks over a new contract.

Those negotiations should be concluded by early July, which will then free Bogut up to join coach Brian Goorjian and the Boomers.

European-based stars David Andersen, Matthew Nielsen, Brad Newley and Damien Ryan are unavailable due to contractual obligations in Europe.

Andersen is coming off another winning season with CSKA Moscow, the Euroleague and Russia Superleague champions.

Among the players who will be at the camp at the Australian Institute of Sport are veterans Chris Anstey, CJ Bruton, Wade Helliwell, Mark Worthington and Glen Saville.

American Shawn Redhage, the naturalized player with the Perth Wildcats who hails from Nebraska, is involved as well as emerging teenage star Patrick Mills, who plays college basketball in the United States at St Mary’s.

All of the players will compete for places in the squad that will take on Iran in a three-game series. Those contests will be staged in Perth on June 16, Adelaide on June 18 and Melbourne on June 20.

Australia players for first training camp:

Chris Anstey, David Barlow, CJ Bruton, Peter Crawford, Adam Gibson, James Harvey, Wade Helliwell, Russell Hinder, Jacob Holmes, Joe Ingles, Luke Kendall, Matt Knight, Alex Loughton, Darnell Mee, Patrick Mills, Andrew Ogilvy, Shawn Redhage, Glen Saville, Luke Schenscher, Mark Worthington.

FIBA