Basketball New Zealand

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New NZ Tall Black Mike Fitchett (Photosport)

Point guard Mike Fitchett, a hero of Nelsonís 2007 NBL championship, will make his NZ Tall Black debut in the upcoming series against Venezuela this month.

Fitchett is the only new cap named by new coach Nenad Vucinic in the build-up to the FIBA Oceania Championships, the Olympic qualifying event against Australian in August.

Vucinic has had 18 players in camp for the past week in Napier and today reduced that squad to 12. Veteran point guard Mark Dickel and NBA prospect Craig Bradshaw are expected to join the group before their first outing against Venezuela, also in Napier, on July 20.

All 14 are expected to get a run against the South Americans.

Fitchett, who played under Vucinic in Nelson, scored 34 points (8/10 3pt) in the Giantsí overtime semifinal win over Waikato and then shot 5/9 3pt in the championship decider against Bay Hawks. He gets his chance with the national team because Dickel is still battling for fitness after undergoing back surgery in February.

Harbour forward Daryl Cartwright earns a recall after four yearsí absence. He last donned the black singlet against the Czech Republic in 2003, but enjoyed a solid season off the bench (9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 79.7% FT) in the Heatís regular season success and has responded well to the new Tall Black regime.

Auckland point guard Lindsay Tait also returns after missing last yearís FIBA World Championships with a broken wrist.

During the past seven days, the emphasis has been on strength and conditioning, a programme overseen by new trainer Claire Dallison.

ìIt has been a tough week, not just physically, but also getting to know a new and complex system,î observes Vucinic.

ìIím pretty pleased with how they have applied themselves and it is hard to cut six good players at this stage. I would not be surprised if all six play for New Zealand in the future and, who knows, there are still ways for them to get a call up this year.

ìThis is also a new management team and we have also come together well over the week. Things seem to be working pretty smoothly so far.î

Vucinic will trim the roster to 12 before the team leaves for the Boris Stankovic Cup in China on July 26.

The Tall Black squad for the series against Venezuela is Ö