Basketball: Black days as leg injury dogs Pero Cameron

By PETER JESSUP

Bad news from the Tall Black camp. Captain Pero Cameron continues to struggle with an unidentified leg injury and may need to rest for up to six weeks.

Cameron tore a quad muscle while playing for Chester Jets and has struggled with it and associated problems in his left hamstring and groin since.

He took little part in the four-day squad camp in Lower Hutt this week.

Scans have ruled out a stress fracture of the femur, but medical staff predict he will be out for up to six weeks. Cameron says three to four.

Either way, it is doubted he will play the Czech Republic next month.

The Nelson Giants 2.08m centre Ed Book took no part in the camp, sidelined with a calf muscle tear.

Cairns Taipans centre Tony Rampton was also hobbled due to recent knee surgery so coach Tab Baldwin's test and selection ability was limited.

He was pleased with the intensity on display from the 25 triallists.

There was a good opportunity to see newcomers Mike Homik and Daryl Cartwright (Auckland), Mike Tompson (Wellington), Glen Newbold (Palmerston North) against each other at small-forward and taller point guards Glen Joe (Waikato, 1.90m) and Lindsay Tait (Auckland, 1.93m) against incumbents Paul Henare (Hawks, 1.83m) and Judd Flavell (Nelson, 1.88m).

There was also good competition at shooting guard, incumbents Phill Jones and Paora Winitana pushed by Aaron Olson (Auckland), Terrence Lewis (Wellington) and others.

"The camp's clarified some of our thinking - I'd like to have a mini-camp prior to the Czech series but we're not sure if the budget stretches to that," Baldwin said.

The focus so far has been on what the team needs rather than individual skills. That will be addressed once a squad of 12 is finalised.