Inexperienced squad picked

Former Otago Nuggets Luke Aston and Sam Timmins have been selected to attend a six-day Tall Blacks camp in Auckland later this month.

Breakers forward Finn Delany, who played club basketball in Dunedin in 2015, has been included in the 14-man squad as well.

Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare has selected an inexperienced group in order to manage player welfare as the team prepares to compete in the Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut in August.

With demands on players set to increase, Henare has identified the World Cup qualifiers, beginning in November, as the priority as the Tall Blacks look to secure a place at the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

''This will be a great group to work with, and one that has the potential to surprise in Beirut,'' he said.

''But this is also a great investment in the depth of our game, with these players almost certainly needing to be ready to play their part over the next three years as we build towards the ultimate goal of Tokyo 2020.''

As well as taking the opportunity to develop younger players, Henare is ensuring the senior group is refreshed before a busy 12-month period.

''I have spoken to all other players and explained the long-term thinking. A number of them weren't available for a variety of reasons, and while some are disappointed not to be selected for the Asia Cup, everyone understands what we are trying to achieve is on board with the longer-term goals.''

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