FIBA Oceania Champs begin today

The FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships 2016 begin today, a pinnacle event for the Junior Tall Ferns and Junior Tall Blacks. The winners of this event will automatically qualify for the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in Cairo next year.

The tournament opens at 12:50pm with tournament favourites Australia men taking on Tahiti. The Junior Tall Blacks have a bye today, their first game will be on Tuesday 2pm. The Junior Tall Ferns first game will be today at 4:30pm against Guam. Click here to download a PDF version of the full schedule.

The event will be streamed live on FIBAs YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/fiba

Team Biographies - Junior Tall Ferns

Tiarna Clarke (North Harbour/Westlake Girls HS)

Age - 17 | Height - 167cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 9

A member of the 2016 North Harbour Under 19 National Championships winning team. The combo guard had a taste of senior international basketball in June playing for New Zealand Select against China B in two internationals. Clarke will be heading to the University of Northern Colorado next year to begin a four-year scholarship.

McKenna Dale (Edwin O Smith High School, Connecticut, USA)

Age - 17 | Height - 188cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 44

Based in the USA the athletic forward is a newcomer to the squad. Dale is also an extremely accomplished swimmer who recently swam at the State Champs in Yale. Father Darren is a former New Zealand 400 metres champion who competed at the 1993 Athletics World Championships in Stuttgart.

Aliyah Dunn (Southland/Verdon College)

Age - 17 | Height - 189cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 7

The 17 year old forward is one of just six players to have appeared in all eleven internationals that the Junior Tall Ferns have played in 2016, having toured China in April and competing in a home series against China Under 19 in September.

Jayden Fuiava (Queensland/John Paul College)

Age - 17 | Height - 175cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 12

A Queensland State representative player Fuiava won an Australian Secondary Schools national title with John Paul College in 2015. The small forward produced a dominant display in the Final, recording 26 points and 18 rebounds.

Kendell Heremaia (Waikato/St Peters Cambridge)

Age - 17 | Height - 171cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 14

Kendell has had a terrific year winning national titles with the Waikato Under 23 team and her St Peters school team. The small forward also represented New Zealand at the 2016 FIBA U18 3x3 World Championships in Kazakhstan. In 2017 she will head to Fordham University in New York on a basketball scholarship.

Alyssa Hirawani (Waikato/Hamilton Girls HS)

Age - 18 | Height - 170cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 10

Alyssa was also a member of the Waikato Under 23 championship winning team. The 18 year old guard, like Heremaia, also attended the Under 18 3x3 World Championships in Kazakhstan.

Zara Jillings (North Harbour/Westlake Girls HS)

Age - 18 | Height - 176cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 6

The 18 year old guard won a Under 19 national title with Harbour earlier in the year. Like three other members of the team she represented New Zealand at the FIBA Under 18 3x3 World Championships in June. Jillings will begin her freshman year at Fordham University alongside Heremaia early in 2017.

Charlisse Leger-Walker (Waikato/St Peters Cambridge)

Age - 15 | Height - 167cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 1

The fourth member of the team to attend the FIBA U18 3x3 World Champs, Charlisse is the youngest member of the Junior Tall Ferns at just 15 years of age. The accomplished point guard won MVP honours at both the Secondary Schools and Under 17 national championships as she captained St Peters and Waikato U17s to their respective titles.

Esra McGoldrick (Canterbury/Rangi Ruru Girls)

Age - 17 | Height - 187cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 13

The 1.87 metre forward missed the Tall Ferns tour of China as she recovered from an ACL injury sustained playing for Canterbury at the 2015 Under 17 National Championships. The 17 year old returned for the home series against China and impressed with her athletic rebounding.

Tera Reed (North Harbour)

Age - 18 | Height - 180cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 11

Tera was a stand out in the home series against China Under 18 notching 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in the second test. The 1.88m swingman has just completed her final two years of school at Life Centre Academy, New Jersey. She will head to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017.

Nicole Ruske (Otago/St Hildas Collegiate)

Age - 17 | Height - 174cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 5

Nicole was a member of the Otago team that were finalists at the Under 23 National Championships in Tauranga in August. Beaten by Waikato the shooting guard led all scorers with 20 points in the final. Ruske captained the NZ Under 17 team at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships

Charlotte Whittaker (North Canterbury/Rangiora HS)

Age - 16 | Height - 189cm | Position - Centre | Playing Number - 24

The 16 year old, like teammate Clarke, also played for New Zealand Select against China B in a couple of internationals earlier in the year. The 1.90m centre made a big impression against the much more experienced Chinese opponents and will be a key player in Fiji.

Team Biographies - Junior Tall Blacks

Josh Aitcheson (Otago/Kings HS)

Age - 18 | Height - 194cm | Position - Small Forward | Playing Number - 13

Head boy at Kings High School, Dunedin Josh will make his international debut at the Oceania Championships in Fiji. He has played for Otago in a number of age group teams including the 2013 Under 17 National Championship winning side.

Samson Aruwa (Auckland/Auckland Grammar)

Age - 17 | Height - 190cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 00

Samson played for the New Zealand Under 17 team at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships. Earlier this year Samson was a member of the Auckland Counties Manukau team that won the Under 19 National championships. He also played a key role in the Auckland Grammar team that finished fourth at the 2016 National Secondary Schools Championships.

Flynn Cameron (Australia/Hillcrest Christian College, Gold Coast)

Age - 16 | Height - 192cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 21

Flynn, the youngest member of the team is a left-handed point guard who has played representative basketball for Queensland South. Flynn will make his international debut at the Oceania Championships. He was a member of the Hillcrest Christian College team that won the Queensland Secondary Schools State Championships earlier this year. Father Pero Cameron is a former Tall Black and an assistant coach of the senior international team.

Tobias Cameron (Australia/Hillcrest Christian College, Gold Coast)

Age - 17 | Height - 193cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 11

Tobias, a shooting guard, is the eldest of Pero Camerons two sons. Like Flynn he has played representative basketball for Queensland South and will make his international debut in Fiji. He was MVP at the Queensland Secondary Schools State Championships earlier this year, the tournament won by his school Hillcrest Christian College.

Quinn Clinton (Canterbury/Christchurch Boys HS)

Age - 17 | Height - 190cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 8

Quinn scored 28 points for the New Zealand Uunder 17 team against Australia in the final of 2015 Oceania Championships. The shooting guard played seven games for the Canterbury Rams in the 2016 National Basketball League. He led the Christchurch Boys High School team to the Secondary Schools South Island title. Quinn attended the 2016 Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp and was named MVP of the camps All Star Game.

Taki Fahrensohn (Waitakere West/Auckland Grammar)

Age - 17 | Height - 198cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 20

Taki captained the Auckland Grammar School team that finished fourth at the 2016 National Secondary Schools Championships. The shooting guard will make his international debut at the Oceania championships in Fiji. Taki has recently committed to the University of Portland, a Division 1 college, for 2017.

Dan Fotu (North Harbour/Rangitoto College)

Age - 17 | Height - 205cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 42

Dan Fotu is a familiar name, being the younger brother of Tall Black Isaac Fotu. Dan was selected for the Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp, alongside three JTB teammates. He played alongside Sam Waardenburg at Rangitoto College the 2015 and 2016 National Secondary Schools Champions

Isaac Letoa (North Harbour/Westlake Boys HS)

Age - 17 | Height - 183cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 10

Point guard Isaac Letoa is the latest in a long line of JTBs that have been produced at Westlake Boys High School. He represented New Zealand earlier in the year at the FIBA Under 18 3x3 World Championships in Kazakhstan where the Kiwis finished a highly creditable fourth.

Hamish McDonald (Waikato)

Age - 17 | Height - 185cm | Position - Guard | Playing Number - 6

Hamish played alongside Waardenburg and Letoa in the New Zealand 3x3 team that finished fourth at the FIBA Under 18 3x3 World Championships in Kazakhstan. He won a silver medal in the Shoot Out Contest at those championships. Hamish averaged 11 points per game for New Zealand Under 17s at the 2015 Oceania Championships.

Callum McRae (Palmerston North/Palmerston North Boys HS)

Age - 17 | Height - 212cm | Position - Centre | Playing Number - 0

A seven foot tall centre Callum led the Palmerston North Boys team to a near upset win at the Secondary Schools Nationals in October, had it not been for the Rangitoto buzzer beater in the final second. He scored 33 points and snared 17 points in that game. Callum averaged 7.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for the NZ Under 17 team that finished runners-up at the FIBA Oceania Champs last year.

Taane Samuel (Wellington/Scotts College)

Age - 17 | Height - 198cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 2

Taane attended the Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp, alongside JTB teammates Sam Waardenburg, Dan Fotu and Quinn Clinton. Taane averaged 10,5 points and 7.0 rebounds for the New Zealand Under 17 team that finished runners-up at the 2015 Oceania Championships.

Sam Waardenburg (North Harbour/Rangitoto College)

Age - 17 | Height - 208cm | Position - Forward | Playing Number - 93

Sam Waardenburg has had a busy year attending the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Champs in Kazakhstan, being picked for the prestigious NIKE All Asia Camp, attending the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, attending the Adidas Nations Tournament and recently signing at Miami University on a full NCAA Division 1 Scholarship. He was also MVP at the National Secondary Schools Championships leading Rangitoto College to back-to-back titles.

More information:

- All games will run Live Stats, which can be viewed via the FIBA event website.

Please visit http://www.fiba.com/oceania/u18/2016 for all tournament information.

- Full game schedule here: http://www.fiba.com/oceania/u18/2016/competition-schedule

- All games will be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/fiba

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Basketball New Zealand