On the eve of their departure to Europe for a friendly series against Finland and Poland, the Tall Blacks have announced a change to their FIBA Olympic Qualifiers squad of 14.
Reserve Dan Fotu will step in for the injured Hyrum Harris, who has been battling a knee injury over the past three months. Fotu is no stranger to the black singlet, having earned eight caps for New Zealand since 2018 – including a pair of FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier appearances earlier this year.
Tall Blacks head coach, Pero Cameron says that while Harris’ injury is lamentable, the squad will welcome Fotu on board.
“Really unfortunate with Hyrum and his injury, it’s tough luck for him and also for us; I know what he can do and what he brings to our team. But I’m looking forward to having Dan Fotu step in and having an impact, I’m happy to see him get this opportunity as he’s always growing and has done well for us in the past,” says Cameron.
“Our guys are more than capable of earning this spot.”
Cameron sees the two friendly games as a key part of the Tall Black’s preparation, heading into the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers in Greece from 3-7 July.
“Last time we played Finland was some time ago [2014 FIBA World Cup] and they were tough, they had a great crowd; we managed to come out on top and I remember it was a great game for both sides. And then Poland is not a team I’ve faced before, but some of our players have played in their domestic leagues and say the competition is tough.
“So these games aren’t going to be easy but it’s just what we need for our prep – the quality and the toughness of these games will help to get us battle-ready for the Olympic Qualifying tournament.”
Cameron says that the players and staff all share the belief that this Tall Blacks squad ‘has what it takes’ to earn a ticket to Paris.
“We’ve been looking forward to this, it’s right near the back-end of the [Sal’s NBL] season so everyone’s got something going on, we’ve got a few guys like Yanni [Wetzell] playing overseas and I know a lot of our guys have been having these back-to-back seasons – but this is a great opportunity for our guys. We’re really looking to the challenge of these Olympic Qualifiers and playing some tough opponents.
“We’ll get together and plan out our preparations, knowing we have to move through it all pretty quickly as we’ve got less than two weeks until the Qualifiers start – and knowing that there’s just four spots for the 16 teams [across all four Olympic Qualifier tournaments]. So every game is tough for us – and we love it, we welcome it.
“The boys have accepted the challenge and we all want to get to the Olympics, as obviously we haven’t been there for a while. Our guys are more than capable of earning this spot.”
Assistant Coach Update
In addition to the roster change, Coach Cameron has named his assistants for this tour in Ross McMains, Trent Adams and Jovan Gorec.
US-based McMains has been a Tall Blacks assistant since 2016. He will join the Tall Blacks in Europe following the end of the NBA Finals, where he is embedded with the Boston Celtics as their player development coach.
Adam has been a Tall Black assistant coach since 2022, and most recently has been coaching in the Japan B-League.
Serbia-based Gorec is a newcomer to the Tall Blacks coaching sidelines but is familiar to the coaching staff – having worked with the team in the past in a video analysis and scouting role. Currently the head coach for PEAC-Pecs in Hungary, he has an extensive coaching resume in Serbia, Lebanon, Hungary and China and will provide valuable insight to the New Zealand team.
Tall Blacks Travelling Squad of 14 – FIBA Olympic Qualifiers 2024
Flynn Cameron, Taranaki Airs / Melbourne United
Finn Delany, Casademont Zaragoza
Dan Fotu, Nelson Giants / BNZ Breakers
Ben Gold, Marquette University
Tyrell Harrison, Southern Districts Spartans / Brisbane Bullets
Shea Ili, Geelong United / Melbourne United
Izayah Le’Afa, Wellington Saints / Sydney Kings
Jordan Ngatai, Hawkes Bay Hawks
Ethan Rusbatch, Franklin Bulls
Reuben Te Rangi, Auckland Tuatara / S.E. Melbourne Phoenix
Tom Vodanovich, Auckland Tuatara
Sam Waardenburg, Cairns Taipans
Corey Webster, Auckland Tuatara / Perth Wildcats
Yanni Wetzell, Alba Berlin
Schedule – Friendly games vs Finland & Poland
26 June – New Zealand vs Finland
29 June – New Zealand vs Poland
Schedule – FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Greece
4 July – Croatia vs New Zealand
5 July – New Zealand vs Slovenia
