Basketball: Penney anxious before Sydney clash

An inexperienced, under-sized Tall Blacks side will take the court for the Oceania Championship series, which begins tomorrow, against Australia in Sydney.

The match is the first leg of a home-and-away series for the regional title. The second leg is in Wellington on Tuesday.

An already underpowered Tall Blacks side has been shorn of even more veterans thanks to the unavailability of Pero Cameron (injured), Craig Bradshaw (professional commitments) and Jeremiah Trueman (attending the birth of his child in San Diego).

The Kiwis, then, will be relieved they have already booked their spot at next year's world championships in Turkey, with the top two teams from the region qualifying for an expanded 24-country event.

Pushed for a guide on the young team's prospects in the series - which still counts for seeding in Turkey - captain Kirk Penney didn't exactly come out swinging.

"It's very difficult to say. I don't know, man. It's like never before. I don't know which way it is going to go or how it is going to go."

The Boomers' mixed form is part of the reason for Penney's uncertainty. While the rebuilding Tall Blacks compiled a 2-6 record on a European tour of mainly second- or third-tier countries, an also experimental Boomers side fared little better in a swing through South America.

The Boomers did manage an impressive double overtime victory over Argentina but were soundly beaten by Brazil.

There is much excitement across the Tasman surrounding the first Boomers appearance on home pine by Nathan "Baby Shaq" Jawai, the former ANBL star recently picked up by the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

The Aussie line-up will also include Breakers sharpshooter Oscar Forman, who has recently cemented a place in the side. His club coach Andrej Lemanis is Boomers' assistant coach.

The Tall Blacks' starting five is likely to see Lindsay Tait at the point, Penney and fellow Breaker Tom Abercrombie in the guard spots, Mika Vukona at small forward and Breakers development player Alex Pledger at centre.

Pledger is tall but raw, as is schoolboy back-up Rob Loe, the standout Kiwi at the recent U19 World Championships. Harbour Heat forward BJ Anthony has joined the squad after impressing during trials, meaning Vukona and Casey Frank are the only seasoned options in the forward line.

With the Boomers boasting a clutch of giants, including Jawai and Kiwi-born Aron Baynes, Penney is expecting them to attempt to dominate on the inside. "They've got some big bodies - maybe four seven footers or close to it. How are they going to play together with a new coach? I don't know. But I'm sure they'll be very, very confident about their chances."

With the bulk of their strength and experience in the guard spots, the Tall Blacks will concentrate on shooting and running the floor.

"We need to really run when we can and really not play conservative," Penney said. "With a young team like this, early on in the game is going to be crucial for us. We need to get our tails up a bit and get some confidence."

The series will be decided on the aggregate score, effectively turning it into a single extended game, Penney said.

"Every possession is important, every basket is important. It is an interesting way to do it, but that's how it is. I think we just try to win the game. If we get too much into playing conservative basketball we could be in trouble."

TALL BLACKS

Tom Abercrombie, BJ Anthony, Michael Fitchett, Casey Frank, Leon Henry, Jarrod Kenny, Rob Loe, Kirk Penney (captain), Alex Pledger, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona, Corey Webster