Basketball: Perham named in New Zealand team for Asian champs

Rotorua Boys' High School basketballer Sharne Perham. Photo/File

Rotorua's Sharne Perham has been named in the New Zealand under 17 boys team for the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in China next month.

The 13-team tournament, which runs from April 2 to 8 in Foshan, will double as Asia's qualifying tournament for the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup to be held in Argentina later this year.

New Zealand has been drawn in Pool A along with China and Hong Kong, with the top placed team advancing directly to the quarter-finals. If placed second New Zealand will face the third placed team in Pool B for a spot in the last eight.

Pool B is made up of Australia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Pool C comprises of Iran, Chinese Taipei and Macau with defending champions Korea, Japan, Lebanon and India in Pool D.

Perham, a student at Rotorua Boys' High School, was first selected to play for the New Zealand under 17 team in the Philippines last July.

He will be joined by Rotorua Boys' High School basketball coach Doug Courtney who is New Zealand's assistant coach.

Perham is the younger brother of New Zealand Warriors player Hayze Perham.

New Zealand head coach Dave Bublitz is looking forward to the tournament with preparation a long time in the making as the championship was originally scheduled for October 2017.

"We held our first camp back in December 2016 so we have had a long time preparing for this event.

"The majority of the team we have selected came on a tour of the Philippines in July last year. We used that tour to gain experience playing against Asian style basketball, which is very guard orientated and quite different to the style we are accustomed to in New Zealand.

"We have had a total of six camps as a build up to the Asia qualifier, the last being in Rotorua in December. That camp was very beneficial and I know when the team comes together again later this month they will bond very quickly."

Bublitz stated that the goal for the coaching staff and players was very simple.

"We want to make the quarter-finals then from there we are one win away from a place at the FIBA U17 World Cup."

Bublitz expects the main competition to come from traditional foes.

"I imagine Australia will start favourites and Asian powerhouse China are always formidable. I've also heard that Japan and Korea operate with fulltime coaches so we can expect those two teams to be strong."

The team will gather for a couple of days training in Auckland on March 26 and will also play a couple of warm-up games in China before the tournament gets under way on April 2.

Aon New Zealand Under 17 Boys team:

Shalom Broughton - power forward (Tauranga)
Tom Cowie - point guard (Southland)
Mitchell Dance – shooting guard (North Harbour)
Haven Dixon - small forward (Wellington)
Kaino Lepou – small forward (Waikato)
Jake McKinlay – small forward (Palmerston North)
Harrison Payne – shooting guard (Waitakere West)
Sharne Perham – shooting guard (Rotorua)
Te Tuaio Rautangata – shooting guard (Waikato)
Jaylin To'o - small forward (Wellington)
Morgan Trott - small forward (Taranaki)
Marvin Williams-Dunn, point guard (Auckland)

Staff:

Head coach: David Bublitz

Assistant coach: Doug Courtney

Assistant coach: Aaron Young

Manager: Delwyn Whale

Team doctor/physio: Todd Wolfe

Non-travelling reserves:

Cullen Marsters (Waikato)
Louis Oskam (Canterbury)