Basketball New Zealand

Wellington Saints forward Brendon Polyblank (Photosport)

NZ Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic has named 19 players for his national team trials at North Harbour from June 16-19.

Given the retirements of veterans Dillon Boucher, Tony Rampton and Phill Jones, and unavailability of point guards Mark Dickel and Paul Henare, at least five changes are in store from the roster that faced Australia in the FIBA Oceania Championships last year.

Nine of those selected have yet to suit up for the Tall Blacks. They are …

• Tom Abercrombie – NZ Emerging Tall Black guard, just signed as a development player with NZ Breakers after two years at Washington State University

• Hayden Allen – veteran Harbour Heat guard, averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals

• Callum Baynes – Bay Hawks forward, averaging 7.9 points and 4.4 rebounds

• Chris Daniel – Nelson Giants guard, NZ Emerging Tall Black recently signed with Singapore Slingers in the Aussie NBL, averaging 13.7 points and leading the NBL in 3pt% (48.8)

• Leon Henry – athletic Wellington Saints forward, NZ Emerging Tall Black, 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds

• Nick Horvath – newly naturalized Wellington Saints centre, formerly of Duke University, averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, will challenge incumbent Casey Frank for naturalized berth

• Jeremy Kench – Canterbury Rams point guard, leading the NBL in steals (3.4), averaging 18.6 points and 3.6 assists

• Calum Macleod – seven-foot centre fresh from five-year US college career, most recently Valparaiso University, NZ Emerging Tall Black,

• Alex Pledger – seven-foot centre, just completed second year at University of Missouri-Kansas City

Others, like Mike Fitchett, Ben Hill and Brendon Polyblank, have a chance to claim more permanent spots in the rotation after playing part-time roles in the past.

“This squad is indicative of where the Tall Black programme is right now,” observes Basketball New Zealand national teams general manager Grant Chapman. “Sure, we have lost some great players, but we still have veteran talent in our squad and some exciting youngsters whose time may have arrived.”

Certainly, on average, this squad is younger (by two years) and taller (3cm) than the 2007 Tall Blacks lineup. At 21, Abercrombie and Pledger represent the youngest prospects, while seven-footers Pledger and Macleod offer much needed height for the future.

“All these newcomers have experience at either American colleges or in the Australian NBL,” says Chapman. “The challenge is to elevate their games to international level and to maintain the high standards set by their predecessors over the past decade.”

At the end of the four-day trial, 14 players will be named for the Al Ramsay Shield series against Australia, starting with an encounter at the North Shore Events Centre on June 26. The roster will then be trimmed to 12 as the Tall Blacks head to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece, via Canada and Slovenia.

Average age = 26.1
Average height = 1.99m