Mark Rogers, Tauranga City Basketball general manager, said the Junior Tall Blacks (Under 19) are using the tournament as preparation for their international programme.
"They will be younger than the other men's teams playing, but what they are after is tough competition," he said.
"They are playing, but don't have the opportunity to win the tournament."
Many of Tauranga's top male basketballers are spread through the teams competing, which dilutes the pool of players available to pick a Tauranga team from.
Sam Smith is playing for Canterbury Metro, Alex Schipper is fronting for Waikato, Ashton McQueen for Rotorua, and Derone Raukawa and Theo Smith for Counties Manukau.
Rogers says the men's division will be highly competitive as always.
"[Defending champions] North Harbour will be very strong again. They have a lot of junior New Zealand players that are coming though, like Alonzo Burton who has played national league for Hawke's Bay and Manawatu, and point guard Matt Lacey is very strong.
"Rotorua, with Jeff Green coaching, you never know what is going to front.
"They have some talent there and Ashton McQueen is playing for them.
"Counties Manukau have just about a national league team of bench players playing for them, Otago should be strong, so it will be an interesting competition with decent talent spread around all the teams."
Match schedule:
Today's pool play, 9am to 7.30pm
Tomorrow pool play and quarter-finals, 9am to 7.30pm
Friday pool play and semifinals, 9am to 4pm
Saturday pool play 9am, semifinals 10.45,
women's grand final 4pm, men's grand final 5.45pm
Men's Pools:
1 North Harbour, Rotorua, Palmerston North
2 Counties Manukau, Te Tai Tokerau, Otago
3 Auckland, Canterbury Metro, Hutt Valley
4 Porirua, Waikato, Canterbury Country, Junior Tall Blacks
Women's Pool
Tauranga City, Rotorua, Counties Manukau, Porirua, Canterbury Metro, Waikato, North Harbour
