Basketball: Breakers name development players

NZ Herald

24 Aug, 2015 05:05 AM3 mins to read

Tai Wynyard will be a Breakers development player again this season. Photo / Dean Purcell

The New Zealand Breakers have today confirmed the final four places on the wider 2015/16 ANBL roster with confirmation of the four players on development contracts for the new season.

Shea Ili, Jordan Ngatai and Tai Wynyard return for further seasons as development players while Finn Delany is the newcomer amongst the group, after the 19 year old impressed at Rookie Camp after doing likewise during recent Tall Black trials.

The four players have all been signed following the Rookie Camp held at the club two weekends ago, with players from around the country invited to trial to be a part of the team for the coming season.

The quartet have all had strong NBL seasons as well, with Ili impressing for the Southland Sharks, Wynyard playing for the Supercity Rangers, Ngatai for the Manawatu Jets and Delany with the Nelson Giants.

The coaching staff were balancing a fine line, looking to select the players best able to contribute to the Breakers side for the 2015-16 ANBL season, while also keeping an eye towards which players can develop to be Breakers in the future.

Breakers high performance manager Mike Fitchett says competition was fierce over Rookie Camp weekend, with any number of players putting their hand up for inclusion.

"The 2015 Rookie Camp was a great success. The weekend long camp was attended by 20 athletes with professional ambitions, and the competition for development player positions was intense.

"The athletes were physically tested by FxV testing, which gives us a good idea of where each player stacks up against current Breakers squad members, as well as professional players in other leagues around the world.

"The players were then put through their paces on the floor by head coach Dean Vickerman and assistant Judd Flavell."

Development players are fulltime with the club, training alongside the ten contracted players and are available for selection in the event of injury or illness.

Wynyard has signed on a non-payment contract that protects his amateur status ahead of taking up his scholarship at Kentucky University in the USA. Teams can name up to 12 players on the roster for all home games, with development players eligible for consideration each week.

The players will assemble with the rest of the roster to begin pre-season training on Monday, with the first game of the season looming large on October 7 in Adelaide.