Basketball New Zealand

Darron Larsen (Sylvia Wilkins)

Former Manawatu Jets NBL coach Darron Larsen will step up to take the reins of the NZ U18 Men in Australia next week after the late withdrawal of head coach Colin Driscoll.

Driscoll was originally appointed to the role last year, but stepped aside only in the last couple of weeks due to a change in career and location, leaving the national team in the hands of his assistant.

But Larsen is no stranger to coaching at this level, having steered New Zealand through the 2007 World University Games in Thailand. He was also Tall Blacks video technician that same year and has waited eagerly for another chance to return to the national team programme.

“I think it’s always going to be difficult picking things up less than a week before the team leaves for their preparation camp and tournament,” says Larsen. “The most difficult part is trying to implement your own systems in such a short period of time with only six one-hour sessions to work with.

“That will be a big challenge for both me and the boys.”

Former Taranaki NBL coach Trent Adam has been called in to fill the void as assistant, the same role he already holds with the Junior Tall Ferns.

“The boys are working hard,” says Larsen. “We have had four trainings already, and they have absorbed a lot and improved every day, so that’s promising.”

The Australian U18 State Championships in Terrigal, New South Wales, will be a tall order for the Kiwis, both men and women. Some of the top players in this age group have been called up for Junior Tall Blacks and Junior Tall Ferns service, so this is more an exercise in developing depth.

“Of course, we are going out to win every time, but development is the focus for me, not merely wins and losses,” says Larsen. “As long as we improve on a daily basis and the kids learn something over the next week, we will have increased the depth of our programme.”

Southland’s Bert Tobia will coach the women, a squad that struggled to find a full contingent of 10 players due to injuries and defections, so that depth has already been severely tested.

They have drawn a bye to open their campaign, while the men face West Australia Metro and Northern Territory in a Day One doubleheader.

In 2009, New Zealand defeated Northern Territory in the men’s playoff for 13th, while the Kiwi women lost to the same opponents to finish 14th.

2010 Australian U18 State Championship

Terrigal, New South Wales
NZ Men
Alex Bikoulov (Counties-Manukau), Te Ra Hodges-Tai (Waikato), Magnus Holding (North Harbour), Thomas Ingham (Nelson), Michael Karena (Nelson), Matt Loulanting (West Auckland), Blair Manners (Auckland), Croydon Thompson (Canterbury), Tim Wyatt (North Harbour)
Head Coach Darron Larsen
Assistant Coach Trent Adam
Manager Maryellen Bezzant

Draw
Saturday, April 10
9.30am v West Australia Metro
8.30pm v Northern Territory

Sunday, April 11
5.30pm v Victoria Metro

Monday, April 12
1pm v Queensland North

Wednesday, April 14
9am v New South Wales Country

Thursday, April 15
1pm v South Australia Metro

NZ Women
Dallas Frederikson (South Canterbury), Kimberley Goodearl (Hutt Valley), Brinkley Harris (Wellington), Renee Johnson (Otago), Grace Love (Canterbury), Alicia McEwen (Palmerston North), Pamela Purdie (Rotorua), Summer Roberts (Nelson), Tiana Thompson (Hutt Valley), Dayna Turnbull (Otago)
Head Coach Bert Tobia
Assistant Coach Pina Lissaman
Manager Ricky Ariki

Draw
Sunday, April 11
1pm v South Australia Country

Monday, April 12
1pm v Victoria Metro

Tuesday, April 13
9am v New South Wales Country
7.30pm v Queensland South

Wednesday, April 14
3pm v West Australia Metro

Thursday, April 15
3pm v Northern Territory