Basketball: Positive attitude counts, says Baldwin

By PETER JESSUP

The Tall Blacks will find out today who their pool opponents will be - and thus what their chances are - at this year's world championships.

Get pitched in with the United States, Russia and Yugoslavia and they're no show.

On the other hand they have had recent wins over China, Canada and Angola.

The 16 sides - the other qualifiers are Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Spain, Turkey and Venezuela - are to be drawn into four pools of four, with top qualifiers from each pool to continue to finals in the Indianapolis event in late August-early September.

Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin has a nervous eye on the outcome but yesterday said that, even given the worst-case scenario of being lowest-ranked side in the top-ranked pool, the team had only one attitude to take.

"Whatever we get delivered, we have to figure a way to be successful in our pool," Baldwin said.

"The worst thing you could do is drop your head and say, 'It will be fun being there."'

Basketball New Zealand general manager David Crocker will telephone with the news from the world championships venue, the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

He also hopes to finalise other championships arrangements while away.

The only confirmed international opposition for New Zealand before the championships is a tour to China in June.

On the local scene, the Waikato Titans look set to secure the services of North Harbour captain and Tall Blacks guard Brendon Cathie-Pongia, who has trained with the squad for the past few weeks.

He will join Auckland captain Dillon Boucher, signed for two seasons, and Otago's Haydn Allen, signed for one, Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron and former international forward Riki Strother in what will clearly be the strongest side in the National League.

Guard Nat Connell will take the season off to allow a long case of knee tendinitis to heal but has committed to Waikato for two seasons after that.

Clifton Bush has gone to Palmerston North but the rest of last year's championship squad remains.

Titans coach Jeff Green said they would not be bringing in the one allowable import - his and several team members' aim being to be the first side to win the championship without American input.

All the new talent was fitted under the NBL salary cap of $100,000, Green said, with job and other contractual arrangements that were outside the league's scope used to entice players.

The NBL will this week rubber-stamp ownership changes at Auckland, with Baldwin and former netball and league sponsorship and marketing man Dean McLoughlin joining two silent partners to take over from Ian Shaw and Ari Hallenberg.

Former Auckland centre Kenny Stone returns as player/coach, the 36-year-old now over long-term knee problems.

The new management has been conducting contract negotiations with players this week.

Daryl Cartwright looms as likely captain, and second-season youngsters Lindsay Tait and Lance Baker will have the chance to step up.

Baldwin said he would have no time for full-on involvement with Auckland and trusted Stone to do the rebuilding job.

"I expect a competitive league with plenty of players pushing for the world champs squad. The door's open - it's going to be tough to roll the incumbents, but not impossible."