Basketball: Tall Blacks name squad for Asia Cup

Shea Ili in action. Photo / Photosport

Five debutants have been named in the Tall Blacks squad for next month's Asia Cup in Lebanon.

After a training camp, Paul Henare and his coaching staff cut the squad down from 15 trialists to a 12-man squad for next month's tournament.

Cut from the trialists were young trio Quinn Clinton, Callum McRae and Angus McWilliam, with just one of the Junior Tall Blacks - Isaac Letoa - making the cut to join the inexperienced squad for Lebanon.

As a result, the Tall Blacks will be a smaller-sized unit, with just James Hunter and Sam Timmins covering the centre position.

The centre duo are two of the five debutants, with Letoa, Luke Aston and Dyson King-Hawea all also getting an opportunity to impress in the developmental squad for the cup.

In absence of the Tall Blacks' best players, and with nobody on the squad older than 26, Henare is excited to see how the young players develop.

"The great thing about young players is their eagerness to learn and the freshness with which they approach everything. Many of them have had a taste of international basketball with the Select team, but they know that this is another level, I am fascinated to see how they react to the chance they have been given.

"We have spoken about our goals, we have spoken about what is expected of this group and they understand the opportunity that is in front of them, as individuals and as a group. The Asia Cup is a great opportunity for us, the first of many international challenges over the next 12 months, and it is important that we continue to build the depth of our playing pool, and ensure that we have players with international experience to call upon at any time."

The lack of experience in the squad should give Shea Ili a chance to parlay his excellent NBL form with the Wellington Saints into a chance to run proceedings as the main offensive option on the Tall Blacks, while Finn Delany, Jordan Ngatai and Reuben Te Rangi should also take on big roles.

The Tall Blacks will play two scrimmages against the Chinese national team this week, before travelling to China for some pre-Asia Cup preparation games.

The young squad will then take on South Korea, Lebanon and Kazakhstan in pool play at the Asia Cup, which starts on August 8.

Tall Blacks Asia Cup squad: Shea Ili, Derone Raukawa, Isaac Letoa, Reuben Te Rangi, Ethan Rusbatch, Luke Aston, Jordan Ngatai, Dyson King-Hawea, Finn Delany, Tohi Smith-Milner, James Hunter, Sam Timmins.