NZL - Cameron makes Tall Blacks squad for worlds

AUCKLAND (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Veteran Pero Cameron will lead New Zealand into battle at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

The 36-year-old Wellington center has been named as the Tall Blacks captain for the tournament in Turkey next month.

Coach Nenad Vucinic confirmed the appointment as he named his final 12-man squad for the last stage of preparations.

That Cameron has made the squad at all has come as a bit of a surprise, not least to Vucinic himself, after the player missed the NBL season.

“Over the weekend, I thought it was going to be a real struggle for him,” Vucinic said. “He came right completely. I think he was surprised himself.”

Cameron admitted it was struggle at first, but he felt more comfortable as the camp went on.

“The last two sessions were my best sessions,” he said. “I kept on getting better.

“It was a bit of a mental thing – am I able to keep turning it up? But there was progression and the confidence came with it.

“There’s some good old heads in the team and plenty of experience. It’s a good solid team.”

Cameron is in line to make his third appearance at a World Championship, as is vice-captain Kirk Penney and Phill Jones.

However, Vucinic has left the door open to revise his squad before events begin in Turkey, which could allow New Orleans Hornets star Sean Marks to make the trip if he can recover from shoulder surgery in time.

“It was a tough call for myself, Dillon (Boucher) and Chris (Tupu) to select this team. They worked hard over the past couple of days,” Vucinic said.

“It was the hardest one I’ve had to pick. There are seven disappointed guys out there.

“But let’s hope it makes them stronger for the future. Any of them could have been there.

“Sean Marks is still a possibility … a small possibility. We’ll just have to see if that happens.”

The Tall Blacks will now leave for Europe ahead of a warm-up tournament in Istanbul involving Iran, Serbia and Turkey.

They then have further warm-up games scheduled against Russia, Serbia and Slovenia in Maribor, Slovenia, with another camp afterwards, and then a mini tournament in Zadar, Croatia, features matches against Russia, Jordan and the home side.

Once the FIBA World Championship begins, New Zealand will face reigning champions Spain, Lithuania, France, Canada and Lebanon, now coached by former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin.

New Zealand squad: Thomas Abercrombie, Benny Anthony Jnr, Craig Bradshaw, Pero Cameron, Casey Frank, Phill Jones, Jeremy Kench, Mike Fitchett, Kirk Penney, Alex Pledger, Lindsay Tait, Mika Vukona.

FIBA