New Zealand coach to test new players for U19 warmup tour
WELLINGTON (New Zealand) - New Zealand head coach Gavin Briggs will get a look at a few new players for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 as the Junior Tall Blacks travel to China for a warmup tour.
WELLINGTON (New Zealand) - New Zealand head coach Gavin Briggs will get a look at a few alternative players for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 as the Junior Tall Blacks travel to China for a warmup tour.
Briggs named seven of the New Zealand players that finished second at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 for the tour of China later this month.
| New Zealand's preliminary roster for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 | |||
| Max de Geest | Isaac Faamausili | Samuel Mennenga | Jaga Mete-Smith |
| James Moors | Matthew O'Connell | Kruz Perrott-Hunt | Rawiri Poppe |
| Taiaroa Porima-Flavell | Maxim Stephens | Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones | Nathan Wilson |
The leaders of the team will be leading scorer and rebounder from the FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018, James Moors and Kruz Perrott-Hunt. The 12-player group will be missing New Zealand’s leading assist man from last summer, Flynn Cameron; third-leading scorer and rebounder Maxwell Darling as well as Nathan Hanna, Thomas Higgins and Oscar Oswald. Not on the U18 team in Thailand but on the tour will be Jaga Mete-Smith, Rawiri Poppe, Taiaroa Porima-Flavell, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones and Nathan Wilson.
"We’ve got a few new faces in the line-up, so this will be a great chance for them to put their best foot forward and really push for that final squad," Briggs said. "Most importantly though this trip gives us time to build on the existing culture and create cohesion not only on the court but also off of it."
New Zealand will land in Shanghai on April 17 and has friendly games against Denmark and China before playing in the annual Atlas Sports International Tournament, starting on April 19.
“WE'VE GOT A FEW NEW FACES IN THE LINE-UP, SO THIS WILL BE A GREAT CHANCE FOR THEM TO PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND REALLY PUSH FOR THAT FINAL SQUAD.”
"This tour gives us the opportunity to get together and play other international teams and presents a great challenge for us in the build-up to the World Cup," Briggs said.
The Junior Tall Blacks have been drawn into Group A with the United States, Senegal and Lithuania in the U19 World Cup, which starts on June 29 in Heraklion. And Briggs said the team is buzzing to face the United States in their opening game.
"People would think that the biggest game for us would be against the Australians, but honestly I don't think I've ever been more excited for a game than for our first game in the World Cup," the coach said. "That game can't come soon enough."
FIBA