NZL - Opportunity knocks for several Tall Black hopefuls

AUCKLAND (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Isaac Fotu is one of the finest players in the FIBA 3x3 game, something he proved last year in Italy when representing New Zealand at the 3x3 Youth World Championship.

Now the 2.06m power forward is looking to make his mark with the Tall Blacks.

Coach Nenad Vucinic has named the teenager in his 17-man preliminary squad.

With injuries having sidelined Kirk Penney and Tom Abercrombie for the summer, Vucinic will be hoping that others seize the opportunity to show they can contribute to the Tall Blacks when trials are held, starting 13 June in Auckland.

Hayden Allen, Josh Bloxham, Everard Bartlett, Morgan Natanahira and Tai Webster have been invited to the trials ahead of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), which gets underway in Caracas, Venezuela, on 2 July.

Americans Kevin Braswell and Marcel Jones have also been included, although neither has received his citizenship yet.

If granted, each will compete with Casey Frank for the naturalized spot on the national team roster.

A guard, Braswell moved to New Zealand in 2010 and played for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's WNBL.

He has since played for the Southland Sharks in the New Zealand national league.

Jones, a forward, first played in the country in 2009 and is married to a New Zealander.

The Tall Blacks played at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004 but did not reach the 2008 Games in Beijing after competing at the 2008 OQT in Athens.

In Caracas, they will go up against The ormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Angola in Group D.

New Zealand preliminary squad for FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Hayden Allen (Auckland Pirates), Josh Bloxham (Nelson Giants), Everard Bartlett (Bay Hawkes), Isaac Fotu (Harbour), Casey Frank (Wellington Saints), Leon Henry (Otago Nuggets), Jeremy Kench (Wellington Saints), Jarrod Kenny (Bay Hawks), Robert Loe (University of St Louis Missouri) , Morgan Natanahira (Bay Hawks), Alex Pledger (Auckland Pirates), Lindsay Tait (Auckland Pirates), Jeremiah Trueman (Manawatu Jets), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants) and Tai Webster (Auckland Pirates).

FIBA