Basketball: Fresh faces emerge to lead the way for Kiwi basketball

Corey Webster was New Zealand's top scorer in the World Cup, averaging 13.7 points a game. Photo / AP

It remains to be seen if he will be ushering in the next generation of Tall Blacks, but Nenad Vucinic believes the national side has a bright future.

New Zealand's just-completed World Cup campaign has seen the end of one era and the dawn of another. A third of the current Tall Blacks, including the last remaining member of the 2002 world championship side, Kirk Penney, are now in their 30s and are likely to assess their international futures upon their return home from Spain. But the tournament has also seen the emergence of four Kiwis aged 25 or under.

The oldest of the group, Corey Webster, finished the World Cup as New Zealand's leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points a game. He saved his best for last, scoring a game-high 26 points in the Tall Blacks' 76-71 round of 16 loss to Lithuania in Barcelona.

University of Hawaii student Isaac Fotu was New Zealand's third best scorer (9.5ppg), just behind Penney, while recent college graduate Rob Loe and teenager Tai Webster were integral members of the Tall Blacks' starting lineup.

When you add NBA sophomore Steven Adams and recent developing squad members Tai Wynyard and Jack Salt to that quartet, you start to see why Vucinic is excited about what New Zealand can achieve in the future.

"We can play, we've got talent [and] we've got some players coming through we've got to take care of," Vucinic said. "We've got American universities dying to sign our players."

Vucinic also believes the standard of coaching in the National Basketball League has increased immensely.

"Our coaches in the league now are incredibly good," he said. "When I was coaching [in the NBL] that wasn't the case. I was a player/coach and I could still manage to get to the top of New Zealand basketball and that shouldn't happen.

"Now we've got guys like Tab [Baldwin] and Pero [Cameron] and Paulie [Henare] coaching in the New Zealand league.

"All those things bode well for the future of New Zealand basketball and you know I'm proud that it's like that."

Vucinic has played down his role in the rise of the new generation and has instead hailed the Breakers and team owner Paul Blackwell for leading the development.

He says Blackwell has done more for New Zealand basketball than anyone.

"With his Breakers and with the opportunity for our top players to be in a professional situation all-year round, I think that's probably the biggest factor [in getting us to] where we are now," Vucinic said. "I just hope that Paul will continue to do that and if he does I think it'll be great for New Zealand basketball."

While happy to talk about the future of the Tall Blacks, Vucinic has refused to be drawn on whether he will be staying on as coach. He has been in charge of the national side since 2007 after six years as Baldwin's assistant.

"We'll see," Vucinic said, shortly after the loss to Lithuania. "I've got a contract 'til the end of the year. I don't want this to be about me."

He concedes a third of the current squad are unlikely to still be around for the next World Cup in 2019, but is hopeful the core of this year's group will stick together for the next couple of years.

"I believe that all those players are going to be in the mix for making the Olympics in 2016 and I have a good feeling they'll be there in Rio."

Veteran forward Mika Vukona is sure to be considering his international future, but he offered the same "we'll see" response as Vucinic when asked whether he will commit to another campaign.

Vukona says now is not the time for him to be making decisions about what he is going to do next.