Basketball: Dickel in squad for Turkey

By PETER JESSUP

Point guard Mark Dickel is going back to Belgium to ask his new club, Oostende, for a release so he can play for the Tall Blacks in the Istanbul World Cup tournament in Turkey in two weeks and so was named in the touring side yesterday.

If Oostende decline Dickel's request a replacement will be named next week.

It will more than likely be Auckland's Lindsay Tait, who was one of three players dropped from the 15-man squad who played the series against the Czech Republic.

Also out from that list are forwards Michael Tompson from Wellington and Daryl Cartwright from Auckland, who has struggled with a back strain since the Czech series.

Coach Tab Baldwin can take only 12 players to Turkey for the games against the host country, Italy and Yugoslavia, and has to cut that to 10 for the three-game Olympic qualifying series against Australia next month. Both teams are sure of a spot at Athens and only seeding is to be determined.

Tony Rampton, from the Cairns Taipans, is the "newcomer" in that he was named for the Czech games but could not play because of injury.

Boucher was with the team for the first two games, but did not play and then returned home with a virus.

The Aussie Boomers yesterday lost the first game of their European tour to Greece.

Tall Blacks: Ed Book (Nelson Giants), Dillon Boucher (Waikato Titans), Pero Cameron (Waikato Titans), Mark Dickel (Otago Nuggets), Paul Henare (Hawks), Mike Homik (Auckland Stars), Phill Jones (Nelson Giants), Aaron Olson (Auckland Stars), Miles Pearce (Manawatu Jets), Brendon Polyblank (Saints), Tony Rampton (Cairns Taipans), Paora Winitana (Hawks).