FIBA Basketball

    Junior Tall Blacks Bringing Size

    PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea) – Approaching the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship, the Junior Tall Blacks, are eager to show off their improved size and are ready to compete.

    PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea) – Approaching the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship, the Junior Tall Blacks, are eager to show off their improved size and are ready to compete.

    New Zealand Head Coach, Matt Lacey announced his full roster in mid-August, and it’s a group brimming with size, posing an instant threat to the rest of the field.

     

    “We are looking forward to our FIBA Oceania campaign,” Head Coach Lacey said. “We are excited to assemble a new group of Junior Tall Blacks for the event. Given that it’s our first international competition it will be a great opportunity to build connections among the playing group and our style of play throughout our week in Papua New Guinea.”

    The FIBA U17 Oceania Championship will be the first time the team plays together in an international tournament which will be the beginning phase for the Junior Tall Blacks as they strive for qualification and a spot at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.

    While this New Zealand team hasn’t been explicitly tested on the international stage, many of the athletes boast well-rounded experience.  Julius Halaifonua, Tamatoa Isaac, Ryan Hunt, Kahuranaki Treacher, and Carter Hopoi all attended the Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Abu Dhabi earlier this year with Halaifonua going on to compete at the NBA Academy Games.

    “Julius Halaifonua is one of the many players on our roster with big upside,” Head Coach Lacey said. “Given his size and skillset he is a player with a lot of potential and growth ahead of him.”

    Halaifonua is a 7-footer who attends Rosmini College in Auckland. He has set his sights on securing a scholarship to play basketball in the United States.

    “I’m most looking forward to playing with a new group, forming new connections and going up against some talented teams,” Halaifonua said.

    Halaifonua represented New Zealand at the 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Qatar, where he dominated, posting 12.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He also suited up in the FIBA U17 World Championship later in the year, which included a 26-point outburst against highly ranked Serbia.

    Julius Halaifonua will lead the Junior Tall Blacks in PNG

     “I feel every part of my game I’ve grown a lot in the past year,” Halaifonua said. “Physically, I feel I’ve taken another step, because now I’m able to use my skills for a longer duration on the floor.”

    Halaifonua represents the headline for the Junior Tall Blacks: The Team’s Size.

    “Compared with our team in 2019, we have a little more size this time around, which we hope will help us at both ends of the floor,” Head Coach Lacey said.

    Lacey, Halaifonua and the rest of the Kiwis will relish their opportunity to compete against Oceania rivals under bright lights in Papua New Guinea.

    “Any chance we have to play our Pacific neighbours, including Australia is a great opportunity,” Head Coach Lacey said. “Particularly off the back of a long COVID-induced break from international basketball. Our boys will be fired up to compete.”

    The Junior Tall Blacks are brimming with confidence — they aren’t the underdog in this tournament.

    “One of our challenges when we play international basketball is that we’re often seen as the underdog,” Head Coach Lacey said. “But in the Oceania context, that’s not the case at all. So, for our team, it’s about focusing on things we can control, going about our preparation and executing the system and the style we want to play – focusing on that rather than circumstances we can’t control.”

    And for each of the Junior Tall Blacks, the honour of representing their nation reigns supreme.

    “You're not only representing the whole of New Zealand, but also your family,” Halaifonua said. “So, I take great responsibility and a great honour to represent New Zealand.

    “The biggest factor will be how professional we are off the court. We have all the tools on the floor to win.”

    The 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships will be hosted by the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby at Sir John Guise Stadium from October 2 to 6.  The Championships serve as the first step in the qualification process to the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.  The top two placed teams at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships qualify to the 2024 FIBA U18 Asian Championships.

    Sam Brief

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