Just over 24 hours into the team's preparation camp at the Millennium Institute in Auckland, the Porirua 18-year-old was already feeling the effects of the step-up from junior to senior hoops.
Actually it only took the opening session with strength and conditioning coach Claire Dallison on Tuesday afternoon for Ruscoe to feel it.
"I was knackered," Ruscoe said. "They put us through a pretty tough one and then with the shooting drills at the beginning, I was stuffed.
"This is, from the training point of view, another five levels up from what I'm used to.
"Just the intensity and the speed that it all happens at and how fast you've got to pick everything up at, is just a higher level."
Ruscoe, who averaged 16.2 points per game for New Zealand at the recent under-19 world championship, putting him in the top-10, was one of three juniors invited into the camp, along with 2.11m centre Rob Loe and captain Dion Prewster, who did not attend after falling ill.
"I've really enjoyed it so far and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can."
Loe, 17, was first invited to a Tall Blacks camp in 2006 as a 14-year-old and this is the North Harbour 17-year-old's third time with the senior national team, although he is yet to be selected.
Loe, who went for 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists at the world championship, had the fifth-best scoring average and second-best field goal percentage of 59.5 percent, behind only Australia's Brock Motum.
Loe said his right Achilles tendon that was strained in the opening game against Argentina continued to give him some discomfort.
"The Achilles has been worse the last few days but you keep playing and pushing through it and hope that the physio can do a good job, work his magic."
Ruscoe and Loe have been battling over the last two days to be named among the 12 players for the Tall Blacks' tour of Europe next week, which includes two games against Estonia and Belgium and one each against Italy, Portugal, Canada and Finland.
Head coach Nenad Vucinic was to name his team for the tour this afternoon.
