The tournament gets under way today.
The Otago under-20 men are blessed with a talented roster that includes Otago Nuggets trio Oak Chisholm, Harry Bezett and Toby Hunt.
Junior Tall Black Harry Townsend is a key member of the squad, and Boston Paerata is another player to watch.
Coach Sam Fielding is optimistic the team will do well, but is also aware they will face some stiff competition.
‘‘There’s a lot of top players from all around New Zealand who are going to be there, guys who are playing college basketball in the States,’’ he said.
‘‘So, although we’ve got a very strong team, we know the competition is going to be tough as well.’’
Otago have been drawn in pool D with Nelson, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.
Nelson have a couple of gun players in Hayden Jones — son of former Tall Black Phill Jones, who once scored 100 points in a club game in Dunedin — and Elijah Inwood, who is in the Nelson Giants squad.
Hawke’s Bay finished second last year.
Meanwhile, the Harbour squad boast a familiar name. They are coached by Greg Brockbank, a former long-serving employee at Basketball Otago.
He is being assisted by former All Black Jeff Wilson, whose son Harper is in the team.
Former Nuggets coach Alf Arlidge is coaching the Otago women’s side, which includes Kiana Brown.
Her mother, Jodi Brown, was a goal attack for the Silver Ferns and also played basketball for Otago, and Kiana’s father, Markham Brown, played for the Otago Nuggets.
Promising netballers Hazel Mason and Shanti Kara are also in the team.
They were recently named in the New Zealand secondary schools netball side alongside Kiana.
