Basketball New Zealand

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Nelson forward Adam Rainbird (Sylvia Wilkins)

National junior teams – particularly the Junior Tall Blacks – begin their busy 2008 schedule over the next 10 days as they assemble for the third All-NZ Camp in Palmerston North.

With Basketball New Zealand intent on providing more international opportunities for its up-and-coming players, these youngsters carry the hopes of future Tall Black and Tall Fern programmes.

Current national senior coaches Nenad Vucinic and Mike McHugh will attend the camp to cast their eyes over the young talent.

“This is one of the key parts of an on-going programme for the Junior Tall Blacks and Junior Tall Ferns,” says BBNZ player and coach development manager Ollie Dudfield.

“It’s the most comprehensive preparation they have had in terms of development and education. It’s a holistic approach to providing players with the skills and understanding they need for international basketball.

“The camp has two focuses, preparing the squads for FIBA championships – the juniors this year and the emerging players in 2009 – as well as forming part of a 10-year programme to produce future Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns.”

The Junior Tall Blacks have already accepted an invitation to the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany as part of their build-up to the FIBA Oceania Championships, a qualifying event for next year’s world junior championships.

The previous two editions of the All-NZ Camp were held in the Auckland region, but the third has been moved south in a bid to centralise the programme and make it more accessible to selected athletes throughout the country.

Six athletes will attend their third camp – Rob Loe (North Harbour), Poutu Edwards (Countries Manukau) and David Beck (Wellington) among the men, Chevannah Paalvast (Massey), Petra Erceg (North Harbour) and Ashlee Rigter (Canterbury) among the women.

The women assembled in Palmerston North on Thursday (January 24) and depart on Monday (January 28). The men’s camp will run January 29-February 2.

Junior Tall Blacks

Duane Bailey (Massey), David Beck (Wellington), Joshua Bloxham (Nelson), Adam Dunstan (Western BoP), Poutu Edwards (Counties Manukau), Hiwaroa Grant (Waikato), James Holland (Canterbury), Samuel King (Otago), Hemi Pairama-Lewington (Wellington), Robert Loe (Harbour), Jeremiah Makailitogia (Waitakere City), Morgan Nathan (Otago), Adam Rainbird (Nelson), Brook Ruscoe (Porirua), Scott Sharp (Wellington), Haylen Tahau (Hawkes Bay), Dennis Tawhiti (Counties Manukau), Tia Temata-Frost (Palmerston North), Logan van Beek (Canterbury), Dean van Maanen (Canterbury), Thomas Webb (Wellington)
Coach Kenny McFadden
Assistant coaches Jozef Molnar & Trent Adam
Manager Debbie Webb

Junior Tall Ferns

Kate Alemann (Massey), Mesha Blair (Massey), Mikayla Blair (Harbour), Kayla Cullen (Auckland), Mieke Elkington (Waikato), Petra Erceg (Harbour), Harriet Fenwick (Canterbury), Samara Gallaher (Otago), Natasha Hall (Harbour), Shiana-Rose Harris (Wellington), Cody Hippolite (Porirua), Jordan Hunter (Counties Manukau), Zoe Kensington (New Plymouth), Anna Lacey (Harbour), Kate Lacey (Harbour), Hannah Mackay (Canterbury), Milika Nathan (Harbour), Keryn Norman-Teddy (Rotorua/Australia), Chevannah Paalvast (Massey), Ashlee Rigter (Canterbury), Freda Riwai (Whangarei), Erin Rooney (Canterbury), Hope Thompson (Harbour), Jelena Vucinic (Nelson)
Coach Darrell Pene
Assistant coaches Tania Hunter & Angela Perrott-Hunt
Manager Philomena Terei

Emerging Junior Tall Blacks

James Ashby (Massey), Alex Bikoulov (Counties Manukau), Alonzo Burton (Hawkes Bay), Tamaki Courtney (Rotorua), Taylor Cross (North Harbour), Jaedyn Folwasser (Waikato), Magnus Holding (Harbour), Aled Jones (Waikato), Michael Karena (Canterbury), Chris McIntyre (Wellington), Jordan Ngatai (Porirua), Elliot Noble (Canterbury), Kirk Rangiawha (Waikato), Reuben Te Rangi (Counties Manukau), Croyden Thompson (Canterbury), Christopher Tomlinson (Canterbury), Tim Wyatt (North Harbour)
Coach Doug Courtney
Assistant coaches Deslea Wrathall & Seth Weakley
Manager Nick Power

Emerging Junior Tall Ferns

Georgia Agnew (Waikato), Shinae Blair (Harbour), Whitney Cairns (Western BoP), Aleesha Coulter (Counties Manukau), Megan Craig (Whangarei), Caroline Ewart-Tpuia (Canterbury), Brinkly Harris (Wellington), Renee Johnson (Otago), Kayla Kiriau (Wellington), Grace Love (Canterbury), Sarah McDonald (Southland), Georgina Papahadjis (Canterbury), Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (Waikato), Josie Stockill (Hawkes Bay), Moengaroa Subritzky (Waitakere), Shanice Swain (Hawkes Bay), Brittney Vermunt (Hawkes Bay)
Coach Rachel Gwerder
Assistant coach Sue Pene & Mata Cameron
Manager Margaret Courtney