Issue 52 - June 2012 Hi from the Front Desk In this Issue Welcome to the June edition of the Basketball New • Newcomers Named in Tall Blacks Zealand Newsletter . • Tall Ferns Tour of China We are less than two months away from the 2012 London • Pirates are the 2012 NBL Champions Olympics and we wish the Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks the • 2012 NBL Awards very best as they are preparing for their respective Olympic • Notices Qualifying tournaments. • Under 21 National Championships The Tall Ferns have just finished up in China playing a prep- • Under 19 National Championships aration tournament, before they travel to Ankara, Turkey to • Under 17 National Championships play in the 2012 FIBA Women’s OQT , which begins on June 25th. • Upcoming Tournaments The Tall Blacks will contest the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas, Venezuela, from July 2-8, hoping to snatch one of three spots still available at the London Olympics . With the loss the of Tall Blacks Kirk Penney , Thomas Abercrombie and Benny Anthony through injury, Tall Blacks Head Coach Nenad Vucinic has selected four new caps for the upcoming tournament. Congratulations to the Auckland Pirates who are the 2012 Bartercard NBL Champions , preventing the Wellington Upcoming Events Saints from a historic three feat. • WBC Nelson Tournament (June 22-24) Alex Pledger was named Finals Most Valuable Player for • Fiba Womens Olympic Qualifier (June 26- July 1) his performance in the Pirates semi final and final. • Fiba Under 17 Mens Championships (June 28) • Fiba Mens Olympic Qualifier (June 29-July 8) On behalf of Basketball New Zealand, thank you to all those • Under 13 Premierships (July 6-8) who attended our recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) • Under 15 Premierships (July 13-15) and Member’s Forum (All of Basketball Pathway Plan) on • the 9th June, 2012 at the Mercure, Wellington. We value the WBC Hutt Valley Tournament (July 20-22) • time and commitment you made to join us in overseeing the London Olympics (July 27-August 12) • growth and future development of our game within New Open Premierships (August 10-12) Zealand. Following the 2012 AGM, BBNZ will conduct a consultation process with the Basketball community to test the solutions proposed within the overall plan and to assist in the finalisation of the Implementation Plan. If you wish to provide feedback, please submit a written sub- mission by the 15th July, 2012 to the following email address – [email protected] . Wishing you all the best, The team at Basketball New Zealand Issue 52 - June 2012 Newcomers named in Tall Blacks who kept him out of the team,” says Vucinic. “It’s really pleasing for us coaches that he’ll be there.” Four players will make their Tall Blacks debuts as the roster Everard Bartlett is another who’s been close to making the to contest next month’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tall Blacks for several seasons and showed dramatic Tournament in Venezuela has been determined by attrition. improvement in the Australian NBL over the past 18 months. When forward Isaac Fotu withdrew to prepare for his “Everard is still a young player and this is another level up, upcoming scholarship at University of Hawaii, coach Nenad but he should feel confident that he belongs here.” Vucinic was left with just 12 candidates for 12 spots and no decisions left to make. In the end, the biggest decision Vucinic, along with assistant coaches Pero Cameron and Paul Henare , had to make The team departs for Australia on Wednesday and Vucinic was who should fill the one naturalised spot available on the must now hope there are no more injuries or withdrawals roster. That position has gone to incumbent Casey Frank , before then. who beat out the challenges of guard Kevin Braswell and forward Marcel Jones . “It hasn’t been an ideal process,” he admits. “We started with 24 players on our list, but we’ve had so many injuries this Braswell, a former Breakers import, never really got the year and unavailability, there weren’t really too many guys to opportunity to push his case after he was unable to secure pick from. NZ citizenship in time. “That’s unfortunate, but I’m still looking forward to this trip Although Jones, a small forward with the Manawatu Jets, and the guys are very motivated.” was sworn in by the Department of Internal Affairs on Thursday, Vucinic has decided he needs Frank’s experience All four debutants are among guards, where the Tall Blacks more. have lost Mark Dickel , Mike Fitchett , Kirk Penney and Co- rey Webster from last year’s squad. “Casey has been with us for some time and knows what we need,” says Vucinic. “We have some very promising, big Teenager Tai Webster , viewed as more of a long-term Kiwis coming through, but they are a little short of prospect when the selection process began, will enter experience right now – Casey gives us that.” international basketball in similar circumstances to older brother Corey four years ago. Frank arrived in New Zealand 10 years ago as an import for the Auckland Stars and has stayed ever since. He made his He turned 17 just a few days ago, making him one of the Tall Blacks debut in 2005 and gained his citizenship in time youngest ever selected for the Tall Blacks, and was a for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games the following year. member of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championship in Italy last year. The 2012 Tall Blacks team are: Hayden Allen (Auckland Pirates), Josh Bloxham (Nelson NZ Breakers development player Josh Bloxham (22) will get Giants), Everard Bartlett (Bay Hawks), Casey Frank to show what he’s learned during the franchise’s two (Wellington Saints), Leon Henry (Otago Nuggets), Jarrod championship seasons. Kenny (Bay Hawks), Robert Loe (St Louis University, US), Alex Pledger (Auckland Pirates), Lindsay Tait (Auckland Pi- “Initially, we probably didn’t intend to go this deep, but with all rates), Jeremiah Trueman (Manawatu Jets), Mika Vukona the injuries, they have their chance,” says Vucinic. “We’re (Nelson Giants), Tai Webster (Auckland Pirates) very pleased with what Tai showed us during the trials and would have gone close even if there had been more players They will contest the OQT in Caracas from July 2-8, hoping – I believe you always have to have players for experience to earn one of three spots still remaining in the men’s draw and the future.” at London. New Zealand faces Macedonia and Angola in pool play. After more than a decade on the fringe, veteran Hayden Allen (32) will finally follow father Glen into the national team. The Tall Blacks players and staff will be available for media Allen’s promotion comes less than a year after surviving a interviews this afternoon. Practice is scheduled for 11-2pm near-fatal car accident. and media are welcome to attend from 1.30pm. “Hayden has been one of the unluckiest players in terms of To confirm attendance, please contact Tall Blacks media selection, because he was always playing behind great manager Grant Chapman by return email or mobile 027 687 players like Kirk Penney and Phill Jones , 5373. Issue 52 - June 2012 Tall Ferns Tour of China The NZ Tall Ferns have just finished their tour of China where they played against China , Angola and the Australian Emerging Opals . The national women’s basketball arrived at Suzhou City, less than 24 hours before their first game which would be against hosts China. Despite the misadventures, caused by weather delays, they proved more than competitive with the world’s seventh- ranked team, nine spots higher than the Kiwis, falling just short 73-79. Guard Micaela Cocks scored 16 points to lead the Ferns. (Jillian Harmon—Photosport) Next up for the Tall Ferns would be the competitive The Ferns would have a 55-51 lead against China in the Australian Emerging Opals, who led by as many as 19 in the final quarter, but were not able to close out the game losing first half to edge out the Ferns 72-64. 73-75. “Tonight was a real wake-up call for the team,” reflected The Chinese took advantage of generous hometown Head Coach Kennedy Kereama , who was video analyst at officiating – they shot 29 free throws to the Ferns’ 11 – to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “Once again, the possession edge ahead down the stretch. At one point, the Kiwis in- game let us down and we allowed 15 offensive rebounds. curred seven consecutive fouls. The conversion rate for those second chances would have “In the dying moments, we had a shot to put the game into been at least 80% and they also out-rebounded us 47-34, overtime and Lisa Wallbutton had an uncontested look, clearly showing us we have some improvements to make in but was fouled from behind on an obvious call that was this area.” missed by the baseline official,” lamented Kereama, clearly frustrated. Captain Natalie Taylor led her team with 16 points, a tally matched by forward Jillian Harmon and Cocks, although “I’d love the opportunity to play China in New Zealand, Taylor achieved hers far more effciently. Harmon also added where they won’t have the home court advantage. We 10 rebounds for a double double. played a great game of basketball and although the officials didn’t miss the number of layups and shots we had through- The Tall Ferns put their Olympic campaign back on track out the game, they certainly contributed to the amount of with a 68-58 victory over African champions Angola at Su- free-throw shooting opportunities that China had.” zhou, China.