Basketball: Twitchy times for Tall Ferns coach

The New Zealand Olympic Committee will today announce the squad of 12 Tall Ferns to prepare for a trip to Cuba and then the Commonwealth Games, two players to be cut after a camp in Auckland over the long weekend.

For coach Mike McHugh it is a nervous but exciting time. Seven players have gone from the squad that finished eighth at the Athens Olympics but some great new talent - including North Harbour teenager Jessica McCormack who, at 16, is marked down as a star of the future.

Donna Loffhagen shapes as most likely to be named captain after the retirement of long-serving Gina Farmer. Also gone since Athens are Farmer's sister Sally, Tania Tupu, Kim Crocker, Megan Compain, Kim Weilens and Julie Ofsoski.

The average age of the new squad, including veterans Loffhagen, Rebecca Cotton and Aneka Kerr, is just 24.

"It's a bit scary looking at going into such a tournament [the Games in March] but when you look ahead to Beijing it's very exciting for New Zealand basketball," McHugh said.

The Cuba trip would provide invaluable experience for the younger members of the squad. The Cubans, who are ranked fifth in the world, are expected to play a hard and physical game in the four or five "tests" (number to be confirmed). The Tall Ferns assemble in Auckland on February 12 and fly to Cuba on February 15, the series to be played over the period to February 25. The players have one week off after returning, then go into camp for the Melbourne Games.

McHugh was pleased with the players' fitness, after they had been on tailored programmes for several months.

However the spread of players overseas and around this country made it hard to integrate the squad.

"It's a challenge but I couldn't be happier with where we're at," McHugh said.

"We have players on three levels: those who have just missed out in the past, those who have come through the junior programme and those who are new talent. It's particularly exciting finding someone like Jessica who is potentially a great player."

* Canberra's point guard Angela Marino, who is a certainty for the Games, will be a late arrival as her team is involved in the WNBL playoff series.


The squad

Squad to be cut by two today: Kim Barnes (Counties Manukau), Micaela Cocks (Harbour), Rebecca Cotton, Aneka Kerr (Townsville), Donna Loffhagen, Angela Marino (Canberra), Jessica McCormack (Harbour), Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Cairns), Lisa Pardon (Tasmania), Charmain Purcell (Sydney), Jody Tini (Harbour), Leanne Walker (Waikato), Lisa Wallbutton (Harbour), Noni Wharemate (Harbour).