AUS - Former NBL stars' sons top Australian U17 men’s team

MELBOURNE (2012 FIBA U17 World Championship) - Two sons of former National Basketball League (NBL) stars are headlining Australia’s 16-man preliminary squad for the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.
 
Jack Purchase and Ben Simmons – sons of former Melbourne Tigers stars Nigel Purchase and Dave Simmons, respectively – will play a key role in Australia’s chances at the U17 tournament that will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania from 29 June to 8 July.

“I think there is still a significant amount of work to get done before the team’s ready to go for an assault on the World Champs. But the raw materials to work with is pretty impressive,” said Australia’s U17 head coach Guy Molloy.

“We’ve got a lot more length in terms of height and wing-span as physical characteristics, and associated athleticism that goes along with it, that defines this group better than we’ve had previously.

“In turn, that should let us become a lot better at the defensive end of the floor. We're a team that is able to cover a lot more floor space and also we’ve got an ability to open up the floor offensively, so we’ll be hoping to capitalise on those things.”

Molloy will hold an intensive four-day training camp from March 9-12 at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) before the U17 group heads to China in May for a preparation tour.

Australia qualified for the U17 Worlds after sweeping New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania U16 Championship last September.

In Lithuania, Molloy’s team has been drawn in Group A with China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France and title holders United States.

Not included in the squad is one of Australia’s greatest youngsters in 16-year-old Dante Exum – son of former NBL star Cecil Exum, a former collegiate team-mate of Michael Jordan.

The AIS star Exum last summer became the youngster player to be invited to the Australian Boomers senior side training camp as a 15-year-old, surpassing Andrew Gaze’s mark of 16 years.

Australia's 16-man squad for 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship: Sam Daly, Nick Dean, Josh Derksen, Nick Duncan, Matt Jackson, Sam Johns, Fabijan Krslovic, Michael Luxford, Geremy McKay, Darcy Malone, Gerard Martin, Christian Petracca, Jack Purchase, Ben Simmons, Cade Towers, Felix von Hofe.

FIBA