BASKETBALL: The Australian men's basketball team have announced a 17-man squad for a selection camp in Melbourne from July 5-14 as they get closer to finalising a team for the Rio Olympics in August.
The squad has been narrowed from the initial 26-man squad and although this camp will only begin a month out from the Olympics, coach Andrej Lemanis does not believe it will hinder the team.
“You always want more time but it’s the reality of the circumstances,” said Lemanis. “Apart from some Asian countries, it’s also not too different than our competitors.”
A coaching conference last week helped finalise the coaches decision on this squad while they also looked into the team’s strengths and weaknesses as a whole as well as scenario planning for such events as end of game situations.
“The coaching staff had a discussion on what will give us the best opportunity for success and the players that make up that team.
“Several other factors come into it though including current form, previously proven experience with the Boomers, previous performances in the campaign since 2013, a familiarity with the team and the systems as well as team balance.”
All 12 players from the successful 2015 Oceania Championships will be present at the camp, Kevin Lisch will debut with the squad while Dante Exum’s rehabilitation is progressing.
“Dante is going really well,” said Lemanis. “His rehab is on track but there are still hurdles to overcome in terms of being confident enough to compete on the world stage.”
With daily training sessions as well as a couple of practice games scheduled, the Boomers will enjoy a busy itinerary once they convene in Melbourne.
“The camp will give us a chance to prepare ourselves as a team for Rio.
“We will work on our offensive and defensive frameworks and philosophies which are a continuation of what we have been doing in past years. To that effect, this is where a familiarity with the team comes into play.”
The dates and times have been finalised for the Boomers’ pool games at the 2016 Olympics and although only three of their five opponents are known, Lemanis and his coaching staff have already begun scouting.
“We have been putting in work based on the qualification tournaments from last year and we will continue to update those scouts as we get closer to Rio.”
Australian men's basketball squad:
David Andersen, Cameron Bairstow, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Ryan Broekhoff, Matt Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Adam Gibson, Cameron Gliddon, Chris Goulding, Joe Inges, Nathan Jawai, Kevin Lisch, Damian Martin, Patty Mills, Brock Motum, Brad Newley.
Basketball Australia
