NZL - Loe on a high after Tall Black selection

AUCKLAND (FIBA Oceania Championship) - FIBA U19 World Championship star Rob Loe has been rewarded for his outstanding tournament with selection in the New Zealand Tall Blacks, becoming the youngest player ever selected to the New Zealand men's team.

The Tall Blacks are embarking on an eight game, 12 day tour of Europe in preparation for the FIBA Oceania Championship in August.

Standing at 211cm, Loe averaged 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four games at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, where his team placed 13th with a 2-3 record.

The Tall Blacks will be led by star shooting guard Kirk Penney, a veteran of 94 international games, two Olympics and two FIBA World Championships.

Other players in the squad with FIBA major tournament experience are 198cm rebounding machine Mika Vukona, athletic point guard Lindsay Tait and naturalised power forward Casey Frank, who averaged 6ppg at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Exciting 198cm guard Thomas Abercrombie, a rookie with the New Zealand Breakers in the Oceania NBL, makes his debut, and is joined by fellow Breakers youngsters Corey Webster and Alex Pledger (216cm), who were both in the Tall Blacks squad for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece last year.

While star forward Pero Cameron and forward/centre Craig Bradshaw are unavailable for the tour, the Tall Blacks are hopeful they will be in uniform for the FIBA Oceania Championship. 

The opening game of the European tour is today (Wednesday, July 22) against Estonia.


New Zealand Tall Blacks

Tom Abercrombie (NZ Breakers) - DEBUT
Michael Fitchett (Waikato Pistons) - 2007 (17)
Casey Frank (Auckland Stars) - 2005 (50)
Leon Henry (Wellington Saints) - DEBUT
Jarrod Kenny (Bay Hawks) - DEBUT
Rob Loe (Westlake Boys High) - DEBUT
Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers) - 1999 (94)
Alex Pledger (NZ Breakers) - 2008 (5)
Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) - 2003 (54)
Jeremiah Trueman (NZ Breakers) - 2006 (2)
Mika Vukona (Gold Coast Blaze) - 2005 (54)
Corey Webster (NZ Breakers) - 2008 (10)

Staff

Head coach: Nenad Vucinic
Assistant coach: Chris Tupu
Video technician: Dillon Boucher
Manager: Grant Chapman
Physio: Bryce Ebben
Doctor: Peter Burt

FIBA