WUHAN, China — New Zealand are through to the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup 2026 after finishing 3-1 in Pool B, and Joshua Book believes the team’s willingness to trust their shooting will be crucial as the knockout rounds begin.
The U23 Tall Blacks opened their pool phase on Day 2 with a 21-11 win over the Philippines before falling 21-16 to Latvia. They bounced back on Day 4, beating Spain 20-15 before closing out their campaign with a 21-16 victory over Egypt to secure their place in the top eight.
Hitting twos
Book played a key role in both Day 4 wins, scoring nine points against Spain before producing 12 points against Egypt, including sinking a total of seven two-pointers across those two wins.
"That's how we like to play," Book said. "We like to get up a lot of twos. It's a very efficient shot for us, so anytime the defense they go under, the first look is to shoot it."
That mentality is straightforward: take the opportunity when it comes.
"We're gonna take that shot every time, miss or make, we're gonna take it every single time, and we're gonna be happy with it," Book added.
One focus
New Zealand's run in Wuhan comes after their success at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2026, but Book highlighted what makes the U23 World Cup different: the global depth of the competition.
"The World Cup, it features teams from Africa, Europe, the Americas, the whole world," he said. "It's the best that the under-23s has to offer, so it's great to come out here and compete against them all."
The players also bring lives away from the court. Te Tuhi Lewis is a teacher, Aidan Tonge works outside basketball and is coaching the team in Wuhan, while Book and Chris Martin are students.
Once the team comes together, though the focus shifts entirely to 3x3 basketball.
"We've all got other things outside of this, but whenever we come together, this is it, this is the focus," Book said. "So it's nice to get a break from all that and come compete at this."
That focus now turns to no less than FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup defending Men's champions Lithuania, with the Quarter-Final set for Day 5.
New Zealand have made it this far taking their shots, no matter how far. They certainly aren't going to change that now.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3x3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3x3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3x3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3x3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3x3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
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