LACEY LOWDOWN

The new pathway through Asia to the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was made clear with the draw of all pools for World Cup qualifying by FIBA overnight New Zealand time, with the Tall Blacks set to face Hong Kong, South Korea and China in Pool A in the first phase of qualifying.

Previously New Zealand has had to emerge out of Oceania if they were to qualify for FIBA World Cup and Olympic Games tournaments, but a change in that pathway now has Oceania included in Asia, with New Zealand and Australia included in the draw made overnight in China.

FIBA’s new qualification process for World Cups and Olympics tips-off in November in the first of six international windows – very similar to the same process utilized by FIFA in World Cup football qualifying. The other windows are scheduled for February, June, August and November in 2018, and February in 2019. Teams will play two games in each window – but not necessarily a home and away.

New Zealand will host South Korea on November 23, backed up just three days later by a game in Hong Kong on November 26. In 2018, they will travel to China on February 23 and South Korea on February 26, then close out the first round of qualifying by hosting Hong Kong on June 28 and China on July 1. The Tall Blacks will also be chasing a medal in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April in a busy calendar year for the team.

Head Coach Paul Henare is excited at news of the draw, with the format and games becoming very ‘real’ now the initial opponents are identified.

“The first thing to note is we have been drawn in a very good group, China has been the mainstay and powerhouse in Asia for a long time now that is going to be a good battle against a really tough team. South Korea, we had a five-game series with them in our 2014 build-up and outside of our first game when we got after them in Wellington, the series was a cracker and we had some good games against them. Hong Kong are an unknown quality but they have a good pro league and have the population and budget to assemble a competitive team for sure.

“Every game is huge, taking as many points as you can to the second stage will help, but this is totally new for everybody. For us and our programme and our team we are focused on each game in each window and making sure we have the best group possible for each game.”

Henare is also excited about the challenges facing his team, with the international windows not always occurring at optimum times to bring players back from Europe and the USA opening the door for others to step up.

“That will be interesting, the ones who definitely won’t be available will be anyone in the NBA when FIBA windows clash with that season. NBA and the USA college games don’t sit under the FIBA rules where they have to break in those windows, so they are unlikely to be available. But for the likes of Isaac Fotu and others in Europe I imagine they will have to break (as will the Australian NBL) to allow European players to play for their teams so I am hopeful that the likes of Isaac and any others in Europe will be available to us and enable us to have our best possible team.

“I have sat down with a couple of the key players in the Tall Blacks group and have others to catch up with in the weeks ahead. But we must have an eye on what the future looks like and work backwards from the Tokyo Olympics. To have a chance of getting there we must go to the 2019 FIBA World Cup so for me the start of this year and the Asia Cup is about getting to the Olympics in 2020, and to do that we need the best group of players coming together as often as possible.”

Henare is excited at the prospect of playing at home in truly competitive games.

“Already we have locked in a game in November playing at home and then we will come together again at the end of June and early July. While it will be great to sell out all games, the last one is really exciting against China. I can’t recall the last time we hosted a full-strength China team, I can already imagine a sold out Spark Arena with the fans maybe split down the middle, what a night that promises to be.”

The top three teams from each pool will progress to the next round of qualifying, taking their points tally with them. Should they progress, the Tall Blacks will then play a further three countries home and away, with the top three teams plus the best fourth place team from the two pools qualifying for the World Cup.

Asia will ultimately qualify seven teams – in addition to host nation China – for the World Cup, to be contested by an expanded 32 teams from August 31-September 15, 2019 in eight Chinese cities.

Both New Zealand and Australia will also contest the 2017 Asia Cup Tournament, in Lebanon in August.

Venues and specific details for the home games in Asian World Cup qualifying are yet to be confirmed by Basketball New Zealand, but CEO Iain Potter is excited about the prospect of genuine, competitive home games for fans to enjoy.

“We are entering into an exciting new era with the new FIBA World Cup qualifying process, one that brings with it plenty of financial and logistical challenges. But what it does guarantee is the chance to see the Tall Blacks play at home on a regular basis in do or die games with a genuine edge.

“Fans have been largely starved of international games of this nature, the next few years is about to get very busy and exciting for the game, our players and stakeholders, and for those who love to support our Tall Blacks.”

As suggested in the preview last week the 2017 Auckland Secondary Schools Boys Premier competition is expected to be the most competitive in recent seasons. The results from the first round, played on Friday, gave further credence to this prognosis. There were wins for Westlake, Auckland Grammar and St Kentigern but all three games were in the balance until the final minutes.

Zac Fitzgerald’s tenure as Westlake Boys High Prem coach got off to a successful start as his charges put together a strong fourth quarter performance to run out 78-72 victors at Mt Albert Grammar School.

A nervy opening quarter from both sides was edged by MAGS with Cole Pocock draining a deep three to give the hosts a 14-13 advantage.

Early second quarter points from forward Te Akau Pumipi got the home crowd aroused and a banked three from southpaw guard Mandela Baledrokadroka produced more excitement requiring a timeout from coach Fitzgerald to halt a 14-2 MAGS run.

A pair of James Moors triples and a Thabo Manyere jump shot and block stopped the charge as the sky blue lead was cut to 30-25 in the middle of the period.

An athletic drive from Xjanda Luamanuvae-Su’A was answered by a Matt Cairns-Hita triple before a Jonty Vink put back kept MAGS in the ascendancy and they led 42-37 after Su’A and Jackson Port exchanged threes.

Manyere led all scorers at the break with 12 points, Ryan Laumatia the best for a balanced Mt Albert effort with 9 points.

Port knocked down his third triple to open proceedings in the second half but three consecutive baskets from Vink took MAGS to a ten points lead.

Reuben Fitzgerald made a neat floater but Vink’s presence in the paint was causing Westlake headaches and they needed a timeout trailing 52-44 at the mid point of the third.

The timeout produced an exciting ‘Lake’ run closing the quarter with a 13-2 charge initiated by outstanding rim protection from Manyere producing blocks and steals on demand. Westlake ahead 57-54 at the final break.

A frantic spell ensued as the lead changed hands several times but the reintroduction of Manyere changed the game.

The Westlake forward was a defensive juggernaut in the closing stages providing rim protection with rebounds and blocks and finishing with a match winning stats line of 12 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks and 5 steals.

James Moors, easing back into action after injury, put Westlake ahead with 2:21 to play and then Reuben Fitzgerald scored in transition off an exquisite Josh Hidalgo pass (72-69).

Moors put the lid on the win as Westlake closed out the game with a 29-18 final quarter surge.

MAGS coach Daryl Cartwright admitted his team were “underdone,” entering the contest but their spirited performance showed that it was not by a great deal.

Score: Mt Albert 72 – Luamanuvae-Su’A 15, Vink 14, Pumipi 11, Baledrokadroka 10. Westlake 78 – Fitzgerald 21, Moors 17, Manyere 12, Port 11

Also grabbing a first up Premier Grade win was St Kentigern coach Aaron Young. His newly promoted team had to claw their way back from a 36-31 first half deficit against Kelston Boys playing under new coach Carl Buck.

St Kent’s Kyle Robb and Max Shorter shared 25 of the home team’s first half points but the more balanced scoring of Kelston led by Liam Milne and Shaun Falefa held sway at the half.

Momentum turned in the third quarter won 24-11 by St Kent’s. Zachary Chan initiated the swing with a couple of treys and Robb put a stamp on the stanza – trailing by 5 at the interval St Kent’s entered the final quarter 8 points ahead, 55-47.

Solomon Faapoi and Kale Lawson kept chipping away at the St Kent’s advantage but 8 fourth quarter points from Billy Simpson and some fine assists from Kyle Robb ensured a confidence boosting win for the hosts.

Score: St Kentigern 77 – Shorter 28, Robb 16, Chan 11, Simpson 10. Kelston 71 – Milne 14, Lawson 14, Faapoi 11, To’o Mase 10

Also back in Premier grade are Macleans College and they pushed Auckland Grammar all the way before going down 96-85.

It took a 37 points performance from debutant Auckland forward Tom Higgins to see off Macleans for whom Alex Arthur and Blake van Uden combined for 50 points.

Grammar edged an even first quarter 22-21 and despite 12 second quarter points from Sai Kuvelkar held a 43-38 advantage at the interval.

A balanced scoring effort from Grammar in the third (seven players found the basket) extended the lead to 73-59 at three-quarter time.

A high scoring final period followed with both offences in full flow. Arthur and van Uden kept Macleans in contention but Higgins, Anzac Risetto and Elijah Andrews ensured Grammar began the season with a win.

Score: Auckland Grammar 96 –Higgins 37, Andrews 12, Risetto 12, Leroy Brown 10. Macleans College 85 – Arthur 26, van Uden 24, Kuvelkar 18

The fixture between Rangitoto and Rosmini was postponed as Rangitoto are in Croatia attending the Secondary Schools Basketball World Championships.

Senior A Results:

Manurewa HS 64 Western Springs Coll 52

Pakuranga Coll 102 Northcote Coll 72

Avondale Coll 89 Massey HS 59

St Peter’s Coll 98 Liston Coll