Basketball: Tall Blacks name extended squad for FIBA World Cup qualifying window

Isaac Fotu. Photo / Getty

The Tall Blacks have named a settled, and predictable, extended squad for their upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and China later this month.

Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare has selected an initial squad of 15 for the two away clashes, to cover any unavailability or injuries that crop up during the New Zealand Breakers' final two regular season games.

Mika Vukona is the notable omission, with the Tall Blacks veteran deemed unable to travel by the Breakers medical team, instead being best saved for the Australian NBL season. Vukona is not an essential piece anyway, with Isaac Fotu, Finn Delany, and Tohi Smith-Milner set to cover the power forward position.

"The advice on Mika is that he shouldn't travel and play in these games and has therefore not been released," said Henare.

Dan Fotu is the only new name in the squad, with the Junior Tall Black swingman a chance to follow in the footsteps of several other promising prospects by getting international experience at a young age.

That would be more likely if Tom Abercrombie is unavailable, with the Breakers small forward understood to be awaiting the birth of his second child. Otherwise, the squad features the same 12 players who played in the first qualifying window - including the three overseas stars in Isaac Fotu, Tai Webster and Corey Webster - with the selections surely straightforward for Henare.

"We have reviewed and gone over November's window in fine detail, but the bottom line is we didn't come out firing, we weren't as ready as we should have been against Korea in Wellington," analysed Henare.

"This window has an even tighter schedule, we will get together for the first time as a group in China, have two days on the floor and then go to battle against a very good side, arguably one of the toughest in the world to beat at home."

The two games hold more importance for the Tall Blacks after their 86-80 defeat to South Korea in November. While they will qualify for next stage regardless of their results this month, points carry through to second stage of qualifying, so there is a chance to put themselves in a dominant position with two wins.

The Tall Blacks take on China on February 24 at 12.30am, before heading to Korea two days later at 11.30pm - with both games likely to be tough encounters, but also both eminently winnable with a strong performance.

The final 12 will be revealed next Monday,

Tall Blacks squad: Shea Ili, Tai Webster, Derone Raukawa, Jarrod Kenny, Reuben Te Rangi, Corey Webster, Ethan Rusbatch, Tom Abercrombie, Jordan Ngatai, Finn Delany, Dan Fotu, Isaac Fotu, Tohi Smith-Milner, Alex Pledger, Rob Loe

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