Basketball: Home is where Casey Frank's heart is

When Casey Frank first accepted an offer to play basketball in Auckland, he had to grab an atlas to check where New Zealand was.

Soon he may be representing his adopted country.

Frank, 27, captains the Auckland Stars in an NBL semifinal against Hawkes Bay Hawks at Waitakere's Trusts Stadium tonight after winning a call-up into the Tall Blacks squad this week.

He has some months until his citizenship papers arrive and will not be able to play against Australia in the Oceania series in August.

But he is aiming to compete for the one spot the international body FIBA allows for a relocated player in time for the Commonwealth Games in March and the world championships in Japan in August 2006.

"I like it better here than I like the States," Frank said yesterday. "I intend to make it my home. I've hardly been home since I arrived."

He also met Kiwi partner Mia after arriving just before the start of the 2002 season. "My girl is here, so that's good reason to stay."

His consistency has helped him to lead the Stars well in defending the title they won last season. He said the Stars' experienced and settled squad had given him confidence and made winning easier.

Frank's personal specialty is the dunk and his flying jumps have thrilled the crowds, sometimes delivered as the final shutdown of an opposition. They've built a 13-win, five-loss record, the captain's only regret being that the Stars have often dropped effort in one quarter of a game.

"Sometimes it's been the first quarter, sometimes the last quarter, but you can't afford to do that in playoffs."

Consistent performance for 80 minutes will be paramount against a side Frank rates as a major threat, despite two wins to Auckland in their regular-season games.

"It's hard to beat any team three times. They are one of the more talented teams, anyone in their top five can score 20 points in a game." That's Tall Black Paul Henare and former national squad member Paora Winitana, Australian NBL players Dusty Rychart, Derek Moore and A.J. Majstrovich.

The Stars, meanwhile, had six players at the Tall Blacks camp this week, current national team members Dillon Boucher and Aaron Olson, plus Lindsay Tait, Glen Joe, Mike Homik and Frank.

Frank had just returned to the US after a stint in Sweden when Stars coach Kenny Stone contacted him about playing. The contact came about through associations formed when Jamie Dixon was playing for Hawke's Bay before returning to the US to coach players including Frank.

He had heard a bit about the country and liked the sound of it.

"I said yes straight away, then I got off the phone and said, 'Wait a sec, where is New Zealand?"'

Does he aspire to play for his adopted country? "Definitely, but I have a battle on my hands."

He had a chance at the Breakers in their start, but was released amid coaching and other changes.

"They were looking at me as back-up to Pero and Ben Melmeth and both those guys got injured. There is a lot of pressure to win in the Aussie league - they had to make changes and it didn't work out for me."

He reckons he is up to the Australian league and would take another opportunity, if it came.

Meanwhile, he's in negotiations with the Stars for another season and hopes to stay. Back-to-back titles would doubtless help.

Shooting guard Aaron Olson broke a bone in a big toe during the Tall Blacks camp and remains in doubt for the semifinal. Tait will replace him, with Glen Joe going to point guard if he doesn't make it.

Meanwhile, Basketball Australia yesterday announced a deal with China for four consecutive annual tournaments involving themselves and two invitees.

The first tournament, starting on August 9 in Perth then moving to Sydney, will involve the Tall Blacks and Lithuania, with two successive games at each venue, the Boomers always in the second contest.


Casey Frank


Born: 23/9/77, Port Jefferson, New York, USA


Height/weight: 2.03m/110kg


Position: Forward


Schooling: North High School in Phoenix, Arizona.


Playing career: NCAA for Northern Arizona University; pro-player for Lacrosse Bobcats CBA, in France and Sweden; Auckland 2002-05. Averages 17.4 points at 58 per cent accuracy and 9.4 rebounds per game; Breakers 2003/04.