JTBs Ready For World
Tagged in: FIBA U19 World Championship, Junior Tall Blacks
The preparation games are over, the tournament and media formalities complete, now come the games.
With a collaboration of nerves and excitement, New Zealand’s Junior Tall Blacks are ready to jump it up in their first game of the FIBA U19 World Championship on Thursday night.
The JTBs, making New Zealand’s first appearance at a FIBA U19 tournament, had a day of rest on Wednesday, their main assignments at the Captains’ Call media press conference and resting tired bodies that have competed in six games in seven days.
New Zealand, hosting the country’s first FIBA World Championship, will play the final game on day one against FIBA Americas champions Argentina at the North Shore Events Centre, tip-off 8.30pm.
“I think we’re the best we’ve ever been preparation-wise,” said guard Brook Ruscoe, who has been fighting off a bout of flu since the team arrived in Auckland on Sunday night.
“Playing Lithuania and Puerto Rico, and Egypt and Syria as well, has given us exposure to the different kind of styles that we’re going to face in the tournament. Puerto Rico are like Argentina, Lithuania like Croatia and Egypt and Syria like Kazakhstan.
“We’ve got more coaches as well. We’ve had Mike McHugh come in and help us with scouting and defence, so we feel like we’re ready.”
The JTBs completed the tight preparation schedule with a 69-59 win over FIBA Asia bronze medalists Syria on Tuesday night, trading in two on-court training sessions on Wednesday for recovery and video sessions.
“At the moment, all we’re focused on is Argentina. We have talked a little bit about Croatia and Kazakhstan but it’s all about what we have to do to against Argentina.
“We want to go out and show everyone we can play, that we’re not just the host country that gets an automatic bid. We want to go out and show we can play, put up a fight and make some noise here.
“We have to play as a team. That’s our thing, we have to play as a team. We’ve got to go out and run and get to the free-throw line. Hopefully that will be enough for us to get over the hump.”
After Argentina on Thursday comes FIBA Europe bronze medalists Croatia, a team boasting seven players over 2.00m (6ft 7in), on Friday (7.30pm tip-off) and FIBA Asia runners-up Kazakhstan on Saturday (7.30pm tip-off).
To progress through to the second round, New Zealand has to finish in the top-three in group D, with likely one win enough to advance. Wins against teams also progressing move forward to the second stage, where group D qualifiers will play the three group C (Australia, Canada, Spain, Syria) qualifiers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
“Because we’re not the tallest team we have to do the little details,” said forward David Beck, from Wellington. “We have to be the best at what we can do – communication, execution and team-work. That’s important.
“We’ve played Argentina and Croatia before, so we kind of know what they’re going to do. Argentina are quick and we know they can run. Croatia are massive, so we know that’s going to be physical. Kazakhstan, we don’t know too much about but we thought they were going to be taller.”
New Zealand head coach Kenny McFadden has no major injury worries ahead of the tournament’s opening day, with 12 healthy players ready to go in front of a near-capacity home crowd at the NSEC.
New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks Schedule
GROUP D
Thursday, July 2
vs Argentina, 8.30pm, North Shore Events Centre (Sky Sport 3, Radio Sport)
Friday, July 3
vs Croatia, 7.30pm, North Shore Events Centre (Sky Sport 3, Radio Sport)
Saturday, July 4
vs Kazakhstan, 7.30pm, North Shore Events Centre (Sky Sport 3, Radio Sport)
Squad
David Beck (Wellington), Josh Bloxham (Nelson), Riki Buckrell (Hutt Valley), Richie Edwards (Lakeland HS, Florida), Tipene Friday (Porirua), Sam King (Otago), Rob Loe (North Harbour), Morgan Nathan (Otago), Dion Prewster (San Jacinto College, Texas), Tom Rowe (Otago), Brook Ruscoe (Porirua), Logan van Beek (Canterbury)
Head coach: Kenny McFadden
Assistant coach: Judd Flavell
Video technician: Jozsef Molnar
Technical advisor: Mike McHugh
Manager: Debbie Webb
