LACEY LOWDOWN

With Tall Blacks trials being held in Auckland on Tuesday and Wednesday I thought it appropriate to give some background to the new boys on the block.

With a number of first choice players unavailable for selection I expect two or three of the players below to be chosen for their first taste of full international duty when the squad for the tour of China is named later in the week. Jack Salt and Reuben Te Rangi seem almost certain to be chosen and I expect one of the young guards to also get the nod.

Seventeen years old Jack Salt is yet another product of the Westlake Boys High School system following the likes of Tai and Corey Webster and Tom Abercrombie into the Tall Blacks programme. Salt played for the New Zealand Under 20 team earlier in the year and has just completed a season with the James Blond Super City Rangers in the NBL. The 6’10” centre averaged 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Rangers in his rookie season.

Shooting guard Marco Alexander has risen through the North Harbour age group basketball programme. The 22 year old made his debut in the NBL for the Dean Vickerman coached Waikato Pistons in 2011 followed by the Harbour Heat in 2012. With the Heat unable to field a team this season Alexander returned to the Pistons and has averaged 22 minutes court time contributing 11.3 points per game.

In 2011 Reuben Te Rangi was a member of the 3on3 team that won a gold medal at the Youth World Championships in Rimini, Italy. In 2012 he was voted Rookie of the Year in the New Zealand NBL after averaging 8 ppg for the Harbour Heat and shooting 44% from behind the 3 point arc. Later in 2012 he captained the Junior Tall Blacks in their three game series against Australia before making his debut for the Breakers against Townsville Crocodiles in November. Attracted by the proposition of being coached by Tall Blacks assistant coach Paul Henare, Te Rangi has spent the recent season with the NBL Championship winning Southland Sharks scoring 13.1 points per game. Still only 18 years old Reuben looks set to provide the back up for swing man Tom Abercrombie.

Another player originating from North Harbour, guard Brad Anderson had a four year stint in the Breakers Academy before graduating in 2011. Anderson has enjoyed a productive season with the Taranaki Mountain Airs after previously playing for the Auckland Pirates and Harbour Heat. This season he has averaged 12.7ppg, shooting the three ball at 37%.

Swing man Dion Prewster was a prodigious talent as a junior player captaining the 2009  Junior Tall Blacks at the World Championships held in Auckland that year. Prewster was a development player at the Breakers in 2012 having spent three years in the US prior to that. This season he has played for the Bay Hawks in the NBL averaging 13.6points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

A shooting guard, Brook Ruscoe was also a member of the 2009 Junior Tall Blacks, a starter, he enjoyed a good tournament averaging 16.2ppg. In 2012 he was a member of the NBL Champion Auckland Pirates before moving south to play for the Nelson Giants this season. Playing a significant amount of time as a point guard he has averaged 11.8ppg and 2.5 assists. Ruscoe has international pedigree, uncle Matt Ruscoe was a Tall Black in 1977 and cousin Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe has been a long time member of the Tall Ferns.

Forwards Jordan Ngatai and Tom Vodanovich are surprise picks as neither has played in the NBL this season. Both forwards hail from Wellington and are due to embark on US College careers shortly. Tom, a JTB last year will be heading to James Madison University, Virginia and Jordan who played for the Wellington Saints in 2012 is off to BYU-Hawaii.