Tom Abercrombie and his ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne colleagues started their quarter final series against Limoges in the French National League play-offs full of optimism. Continue reading
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Category Archives: Tall Blacks
Vukona makes impressive debut in Lebanon
Mika Vukona made a stunning debut for Lebanese club side Byblos on Sunday. After two weeks confined to practice and side line support Vukona was unleashed by coach Nenad Vucinic to great effect. Continue reading
Abercrombie and ASVEL advance
Tom Abercrombie had a quiet game for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne as they cruised to victory, 106-74 against Roanne on Monday.
Abercrombie scored 4 points (2 from 3 f/g) playing just 13 minutes.
The win in the final regular season game of the French National Basketball League season secured ASVEL (17-13) a best of three game quarter final match up with Limoges (20-10).
Seventh placed ASVEL lost both league games against the second placed Limoges this season but with the margins just 3 points and 5 points they will be optimistic about their chances of progressing to the semi-final.
The first game is scheduled for May 12th at Limoges
ASVEL and Abercrombie defeated.
Tom Abercrombie and his ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne team are leaving their qualification for the French National League play-offs a little late.
The eighth placed ASVEL (16-13) lost a home game against second place Limoges (19-10) on Tuesday. Continue reading
Breakers players overseas
The surprise news in the past few days has been the jetting-off to the middle east of Mika Vukona.
I’m not sure the Lebanese correspondent for eurobasket.com had done his homework when writing about the Breakers power forward describing him as an “ex international forward”.
He then went on to describe Vukona’s game; “needs to expand the range of his outside shooting because most of his field goals come from lay-ups, also needs to improve his 32% free throw shooting”
Well I doubt Mika has shot 32% free throws since Year 5 in primary school. In fact that has become quite a strong point in his game during the past 18 months. In the last Breakers season he shot a commendable 78% from the charity stripe. In addition that mid range jump shot has become quite a weapon for Vukona.
More research needed from our Lebanese basketball writer I think.
The 2014 SKY CITY Breakers MVP had been anticipating playing a couple of games for the Nelson Giants over Anzac weekend. Instead he answered an SOS call from Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic and within a matter of hours was heading to Lebanon to link up with Vucinic’s club side Byblos. One of the American imports playing for Byblos has suffered an injury and Mika has been called in to provide cover at a critical stage of the season. His stay in Lebanon could be as short as a week as Byblos are involved in a best of three quarter final tie in the Labanese Championship. Byblos won game one against Moutahed 74-65, Mika’s services not required.
Tom Abercrombie has played four games for his new club in France. In his first game for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne he only logged a couple of minutes having had just one training session with his new team mates following his arrival from NZ. Since then he has been playing good minutes although not required to take on too much offensive responsibility. ASVEL are in 8th place in the league with two regular season game remaining, one more win will secure them a play-off berth. Their next game is Tuesday night (NZ time).
Gary Wilkinson has returned to Puerto Rico to link up with club side Indios de Mayaguez, the team he played for in 2013. Wilkinson is averaging 16.6pts/7.1 rebounds but Mayaguez languish ninth in a ten team league.
Lindsay Tait to miss Oceania Pacific Champs
Lindsay Tait, for the second time in 2013 will be forced to go under the surgeons’ knife to repair damage to his left hand.
Tait broke a small bone in his wrist when taking a tumble playing for Youthtown Clique in the Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam last Tuesday.
The injury will result in the classy guard missing the FIBA Oceania Pacific Championships being held in Wellington next weekend. Tait was due to captain the New Zealand Maori team.
Earlier in the year, New Zealand’s premier point guard missed the conclusion of the NBL season and the whole of the Tall Blacks international programme after breaking his thumb.
Tall Blacks Depth Chart
The Sky City Breakers use a depth chart to help them track potential players and make decisions when recruiting. With the NBL season wrapping up last month, having observed the recent trials for the Breakers Development spots and the Tall blacks last night, I decided to create a Tall Blacks depth chart – what do you think of my choices? Continue reading
Two schoolboys in the Tall Blacks.
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Izayah Le’afa will be a surprise inclusion in the Tall Blacks squad being named tomorrow
The Tall Blacks team , due to be announced tomorrow will include four debutants. Thirteen players will make the trip to China next week. Tom Abercrombie will meet up with the team on tour therefore 12 are to be named from those that attended the trial over the past two days. An additional place has opened up due to the likely unavailability, at least for the China tour, of Alex Pledger.
All the players with international experience will be named:
Forwards – Mika Vukona, Jeremiah Trueman, BJ Anthony and Casey Frank
Guards – Jarrod Kenny, Corey Webster, Josh Bloxham and Everard Bartlett
Centre Jack Salt, the tallest player in the squad and Reuben Te Rangi are certainties.
That leaves five guards vying for two spots – Dion Prewster, Brad Anderson, Brooke Ruscoe,Marco Alexander and late addition to the squad Izayah Le’afa. Ruscoe will gain one the place as he has more experience than the other three at playing the point guard spot. Cover for the point position looks light following the withdrawal of Lindsay Tait due to injury, therefore the coaching staff will be looking to develop another player to assist with the ball carrying duties. But the bolter will be Wellington schoolboy Le’afa the son of former Wellington Saints point guard George Le’afa. Le’afa will join Salt in having to ask for time off school!
More Bad News For Vucinic
Lindsay Tait has been ruled out of the Tall Blacks 2013 International campaign
The Tall Blacks 2013 international campaign was this morning dealt a major blow with the news that Lindsay Tait has a fractured hand. The injury means that Tait will miss the trip to China and the series against Australia. Head coach Nenad Vucinic has now been robbed of his two premier backcourt players, Kirk Penney having already made himself unavailable for selection.
With exciting prospect Tai Webster fulfilling university obligations in the US, the onus will now fall heavily on Corey Webster and Jarrod Kenny to provide the on court leadership for the upcoming games.
Tall Blacks Defections Mount
Nick Horvarth the latest to withdraw from Tall Blacks trial
The number of Tall Blacks unavailable for the upcoming tour to China seems to be increasing by the day. Already deprived of the services of Kirk Penney, Rob Loe, Leon Henry and others, Nick Horvath is the latest player to pull out. Horvath’s wife is expecting a child in the near future and the big centre has opted to remain at home in Palmerston North rather than committ to this year’s international programme.
Of more serious concern was the absence from the first training session today of Lindsay Tait and Alex Pledger. Tait is having further scans on his injured hand, a suspected fracture would almost certainly rule him out of the China tour and the home and away series against Australia. Pledger’s absence was less clear, Tall Blacks management citing personal issues being the reason for his none presence.
A couple of new caps in the international team looked likely when the squad was first announced – they now look certain. The team will be announced on Thursday morning.
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