Basketball: Tall Blacks take second enormous hit

Tom Abercrombie has been ruled out of the Tall Blacks Olympic qualifying campaign. Photo / Paul Kane.

The Tall Blacks' chances of qualifying for the London Olympics have taken a second enormous hit.

Swingman Tom Abercrombie has been ruled out of the campaign after being forced to undergo surgery on the the ankle he injured in the Australian Basketball League semifinals.

Abercrombie will be out for up to eight weeks and is 'gutted' about the injury.

"Obviously very disappointed to realise that something was going on there that needs to be addressed but I just want to get it taken care of as quickly as possible," he says.

It means the Tall Blacks have lost their two most prolific scorers in Abercrombie and Kirk Penney who's also out through injury.

Penney tore a calf muscle while playing for Fuenlabrada in the Spanish ACB and has opted for recovery instead of risking further damage during the Tall Blacks' upcoming Olympic qualifying campaign.