Basketball: Penney out of squad for China tour

Star scorer Kirk Penney has withdrawn from the Tall Blacks squad ahead of their four-nation tournament in China to chase a spot in the National Basketball Association with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Point guard Mark Dickel is also unavailable for the upcoming Chinese tour but both will come into the squad for a second tournament in Australia in August then the Oceania series against the Boomers here.

Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin is expected to bring a replacement for Penney into their camp at Hamilton today.