FIBA Basketball
NZL - Build-up complete, squad named
AUCKLAND (FIBA World Championship) - The final pieces to the Tall Blacks' FIBA World Championships preparation are in place with a tour to South America and a further domestic series against Qatar confirmed for
AUCKLAND (FIBA World Championship) - The final pieces to the Tall Blacks' FIBA World Championships preparation are in place with a tour to South America and a further domestic series against Qatar confirmed for July/August.
After playing a four-game, home-and-away exchange with Australia (July 12-19), the national men's team will fly to Brazil for a four-game series against the host country (July 22-29), then on to Argentina for a four-nation tournament featuring the hosts, Brazil and Venezuela (July 30-August 2).
Before leaving for the world championships in Japan on August 17, the Tall Blacks will face emerging Asian powers Qatar in Dunedin (August 11) and Invercargill (August 13).
In last year's FIBA Asia Championship, Qatar, ranked 28th in the world, edged out South Korea for the third and final qualifying berth to Japan with Daoud Musa named the tournament's best guard. They have already begun their world championship build-up with a two-game series against Australian NBL club Perth Wildcats in Doha.
"Visiting South America and playing that brand of basketball against some of the world's top teams will be a new experience for our team," enthuses Tall Black coach Tab Baldwin.
"We would expect to see players like Ginobili, Oberto and Nocioni from Argentina, and Barbosa and Varejo from Brazil, who are all playing very well in the NBA."
New Zealand lost to Argentina at both the 2002 FIBA World Championship, where the Pumas went on to finish runners-up, and the 2004 Athens Olympics, where they captured the gold medal.
The Tall Blacks defeated Venezuela in pool play at Indianapolis four years ago and beat Brazil at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane.
"The visit from Qatar will be another new experience," says Baldwin. "They are a developing basketball nation that are not highly ranked, but have always performed reasonably well in an Asian zone dominated by China."
The 14-game itinerary is an improvement on the schedule leading up to the 2002 FIBA World Championship, where the Tall Blacks were beaten by eventual repeat champions Yugoslavia in the semifinals. On that occasion, the Kiwis played seven games en route to the tournament.
Also, New Zealand have managed to avoid playing any of their FIBA World Championship pool rivals - Germany, Spain, Japan, Angola and Panama.
Tall Black Schedule
July 12 vs Australia, Napier
July 14 vs Australia, Napier
July 18 vs Australia (venue tbc)
July 19 vs Australia (venue tbc)
July 22 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 23 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 26 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 29 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 30 vs Argentina, Buenos Aires
July 31 vs Brazil, Buenos Aires
August 1 vs Venezuela, Buenos Aires
August 2 vs Argentina, Buenos Aires
August 11 vs Qatar, Dunedin
August 13 vs Qatar, Invercargill
Baldwin has also released a 29-man extended squad to prepare for Japan, featuring several in-form players from the National Basketball League.
Canterbury guard Jeremy Kench, Waikato forward Ben Hill, Manawatu utility Aaron Nowell and Otago centre Miles Pearce will get a chance to build on their growing reputations. NZ-born Aussies Aaron and Calum Baynes are included, as is Queensland-based guard Zane Meehl, son of Tall Black legend Warwick Meehl.
NBA performer Sean Marks, who withdrew from the national programme last year, is not listed at this stage, pending further discussions over his availability.
The squad will be trimmed to 20 in mid-June for a training camp beginning July 3.
The full squad is ...
Thomas Abercrombie (Washington State University), Aaron Baynes (Washington State University), Calum Baynes (Bay Hawks), Ed Book (Nelson Giants), Dillon Boucher (Auckland Stars), Gerard Bowden (Savannah College of Art & Design), Craig Bradshaw (Winthrop University), Pero Cameron (Banvitspor), Brent Charleton (Harbour Heat), Mark Dickel (Lokomotiv Rostov), Mike Fitchett (Nelson Giants), Casey Frank (Auckland Stars), Jason Greig (Otago Nuggets), Paul Henare (Bay Hawks/Banvitspor), Leon Henry (Southern Idaho Junior College), Ben Hill (Waikato Pistons), Mike Homik (Harbour Heat), Phill Jones (Nelson Giants/Cantu), Jeremy Kench (Canterbury Rams), Calum Macleod (Valparaiso University), Zane Meehl (Maroochydore Clippers), Aaron Nowell (Manawatu Jets), Aaron Olson (NZ Breakers), Miles Pearce (Otago Nuggets), Kirk Penney (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Tony Rampton (Taranaki Mountain Airs), Lindsay Tait (Auckland Stars), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants), Paora Winitana (Bay Hawks)
Grant Chapman
After playing a four-game, home-and-away exchange with Australia (July 12-19), the national men's team will fly to Brazil for a four-game series against the host country (July 22-29), then on to Argentina for a four-nation tournament featuring the hosts, Brazil and Venezuela (July 30-August 2).
Before leaving for the world championships in Japan on August 17, the Tall Blacks will face emerging Asian powers Qatar in Dunedin (August 11) and Invercargill (August 13).
In last year's FIBA Asia Championship, Qatar, ranked 28th in the world, edged out South Korea for the third and final qualifying berth to Japan with Daoud Musa named the tournament's best guard. They have already begun their world championship build-up with a two-game series against Australian NBL club Perth Wildcats in Doha.
"Visiting South America and playing that brand of basketball against some of the world's top teams will be a new experience for our team," enthuses Tall Black coach Tab Baldwin.
"We would expect to see players like Ginobili, Oberto and Nocioni from Argentina, and Barbosa and Varejo from Brazil, who are all playing very well in the NBA."
New Zealand lost to Argentina at both the 2002 FIBA World Championship, where the Pumas went on to finish runners-up, and the 2004 Athens Olympics, where they captured the gold medal.
The Tall Blacks defeated Venezuela in pool play at Indianapolis four years ago and beat Brazil at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane.
"The visit from Qatar will be another new experience," says Baldwin. "They are a developing basketball nation that are not highly ranked, but have always performed reasonably well in an Asian zone dominated by China."
The 14-game itinerary is an improvement on the schedule leading up to the 2002 FIBA World Championship, where the Tall Blacks were beaten by eventual repeat champions Yugoslavia in the semifinals. On that occasion, the Kiwis played seven games en route to the tournament.
Also, New Zealand have managed to avoid playing any of their FIBA World Championship pool rivals - Germany, Spain, Japan, Angola and Panama.
Tall Black Schedule
July 12 vs Australia, Napier
July 14 vs Australia, Napier
July 18 vs Australia (venue tbc)
July 19 vs Australia (venue tbc)
July 22 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 23 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 26 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 29 vs Brazil (venue tbc)
July 30 vs Argentina, Buenos Aires
July 31 vs Brazil, Buenos Aires
August 1 vs Venezuela, Buenos Aires
August 2 vs Argentina, Buenos Aires
August 11 vs Qatar, Dunedin
August 13 vs Qatar, Invercargill
Baldwin has also released a 29-man extended squad to prepare for Japan, featuring several in-form players from the National Basketball League.
Canterbury guard Jeremy Kench, Waikato forward Ben Hill, Manawatu utility Aaron Nowell and Otago centre Miles Pearce will get a chance to build on their growing reputations. NZ-born Aussies Aaron and Calum Baynes are included, as is Queensland-based guard Zane Meehl, son of Tall Black legend Warwick Meehl.
NBA performer Sean Marks, who withdrew from the national programme last year, is not listed at this stage, pending further discussions over his availability.
The squad will be trimmed to 20 in mid-June for a training camp beginning July 3.
The full squad is ...
Thomas Abercrombie (Washington State University), Aaron Baynes (Washington State University), Calum Baynes (Bay Hawks), Ed Book (Nelson Giants), Dillon Boucher (Auckland Stars), Gerard Bowden (Savannah College of Art & Design), Craig Bradshaw (Winthrop University), Pero Cameron (Banvitspor), Brent Charleton (Harbour Heat), Mark Dickel (Lokomotiv Rostov), Mike Fitchett (Nelson Giants), Casey Frank (Auckland Stars), Jason Greig (Otago Nuggets), Paul Henare (Bay Hawks/Banvitspor), Leon Henry (Southern Idaho Junior College), Ben Hill (Waikato Pistons), Mike Homik (Harbour Heat), Phill Jones (Nelson Giants/Cantu), Jeremy Kench (Canterbury Rams), Calum Macleod (Valparaiso University), Zane Meehl (Maroochydore Clippers), Aaron Nowell (Manawatu Jets), Aaron Olson (NZ Breakers), Miles Pearce (Otago Nuggets), Kirk Penney (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Tony Rampton (Taranaki Mountain Airs), Lindsay Tait (Auckland Stars), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants), Paora Winitana (Bay Hawks)
Grant Chapman