Former Otago Boys' High School players Sam Timmins, Joe Cook-Green and Luke Aston were all named in the New Zealand select team to tour China next month.
Former St Kilda Saints forward Finn Delany and 2014 Otago Nugget Tony Tolovae were also included.
Timmins and Cook-Green are coming off their first years of college in the US and are two of Otago's top young prospects.
Aston, who played 27 games for the Nuggets, now plays for the Southland Sharks and has been a reliable player in the NBL for several years.
The young squad, with an average age of 23, excites coach Paul Henare.
''One of the things I like about this group is the relative inexperience in international basketball for most of these guys,'' Henare said.
''That's not usually something to get excited about but I like the fact that these guys will be tested and taken out of their comfort zones.
''Seeing how they react to that is what excites me, because then you'll see who can operate under pressure at this level.''
He said the team could act as a good stepping-stone for those included.
''The purpose of this team is to expose players to some international hoops to see how they perform and to see how they interact within the group,'' Henare said.
''We're looking for guys that can step into the Tall Blacks if called upon - that is the guts of why this team exists and why Basketball New Zealand has invested in the concept.
''It's a short window where some of the Tall Blacks' coaching and management team can get to know these guys a bit better, which helps if or when their name is called for higher honours.''
The team will assemble in Auckland on June 20 to depart for China.
