The FIBA Under 17 Oceania Championships tip-off next Monday in Noumea, New Caledonia, with both our boys and girls looking to go one better than their predecessors.
 
The tournament will feature eight different nations in a men’s women’s divisions, with all of them set to stake their claim as the best in the region. 
 
The last Under 17 Oceania Championship saw both National teams finish runner’s up to Australia, each side was well beaten in the big dance. 
 
Under 17 Men's Head Coach Aaron Ferne said whenever you’re playing international basketball the opposition can never be taken lightly.
 
“It’s an honour to play for your country and anyone in any singlet will tell you that.
 
“Getting intel and scouting some of the Pacific nations is pretty difficult, so we’re going in a bit blind and with that, we’ll have to play what’s in front of us and adapt.
 
“We want to qualify for FIBA Asia and that means playing well in Oceania. If we play with belief and effort we’ll give ourselves a chance.”
 
The men will be without FIBA World Cup bolter Taine Murray as he continues to press his claims for a boarding pass to China. He has been replaced by Harbour representative Harrison Payne.
 
Payne will join the team in Noumea after taking part in the Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Tokyo, Japan, which kicked off yesterday and runs until Sunday. 
 
The women’s squad has also made one change, with Chynelle Marama coming in for the injured Waiata Jennings. Jennings alike Murray is a big blow, but the team is still spearheaded by three members of the 2019 Aon Under 19 National Championships tournament team; Rochelle Fourie, Jess Moors and Caitlin O’Connell.
 
Under 17 Women’s Head Coach Hernando Planells said the Oceania Championships are a great opportunity for players to develop, but also to gain life experience.
 
“Being able to travel anywhere for basketball is a privilege, and so our time in New Caledonia is sure to be a great cultural experience.
 
“In saying that though, we have to remember that this is a business trip and we have some goals to achieve while we’re there.
 
“We want to play to our strengths and so over the next few days we’ll be relearning a lot of things, which will put us in a good position for next week.”
 
Earlier this year, Basketball New Zealand hosted the New Caledonian Under 17 National teams, as they took part in Basketball New Zealand age-group selection camps. 
 
Both teams will tackle Australia, Guam and Samoa in the group stages, with a high placing setting them up for a playoff contest against a lower placed side in the other pool.
 
The top two teams from each division will advance to the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in 2020, which is the official qualifier to the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.
 
All matches streaming live at https://www.youtube.com/user/FIBAWorld/
​

“We love it. It’s a great feeling to play in front of a big crowd. It’s about bragging rights in Takapuna. If we lose, the whole school suffers,” Jayden Boucher responds when asked about the increasing hype surrounding the Rosmini College basketball fixture against Westlake Boys’ High School. 

This Friday, the two North Harbour powerhouses will clash in front of a crowd of more than a thousand at Eventfinda Stadium. 

With only three rounds remaining in the Auckland Premiership, both schools are in desperate need of a win to remain in the semi-final hunt. 

Westlake have a 7-5 record and Rosmini are 7-4. The leaders in the competition are Saint Kentigern College (10-1), Rangitoto College (9-2) and Auckland Grammar School (6-6).

“It’s been a tough season,” Boucher admits.

“We’ve been National champs the last two years so we’ve definitely got a target on our backs. We’ve had a lot of boys away with rep camps and national duties.”

On Monday, Rosmini beat Rangitoto 85-74 to strengthen their position in Auckland. 

Basketball New Zealand has named the men’s and women’s Under 17 National teams competing in the FIBA-Oceania Championships.
 
The competition takes place in Noumea, New Caledonia from the 19 - 24 August, where a top-two finish secures a place in the FIBA-Asia Under 18 Championships in 2020.
 
Earlier this year, Basketball New Zealand hosted the New Caledonian Under 17 National teams, as they took part in Basketball New Zealand age-group selection camps.
 
Both teams will come together in August to prepare the tournament, before travelling to the Pacific Island in the hope qualifying for Asia next year.
 
U17 FIBA-Oceania Championship 2019 (Women)
Waiata Jennings - Rotorua
Jessica Moors - Harbour
Caitlin O'Connell - Taranaki Country
Olivia Williams - New Zealand
Arielle Williams - New Zealand
Ashlee  Strawbridge - Canterbury
Emilee Bree Tahata - New Zealand
Hannah Louise Matehaere - Otago
Ella Paleaae-Cook - New Zealand
Parris Mason - New Plymouth
Rochelle Fourie - Manawatu
Sophie Rose Adams - Mid Canterbury
 
Coaching Staff
Hernando Planells - Head Coach
Melissa Downer - Assistant Coach
Bronwen Davidson - Assistant Coach
Shay Haira - Assistant Coach
Shannon Spicer - Team Physio
Kat Wills - Team Manager
 
U17 FIBA-Oceania Championship 2019 (Men)
Ezrah Vaigafa - Wellington
Alexander McNaught - Auckland
Connor Ngan - Auckland
Taine Murray - Harbour
Sean Murphy - Harbour
Reihana Maxwell-Topia - Harbour
Ezekiel Stallworth - Wellington
Finn Lally - Waikato
Robert  Coman - Auckland
Mac Stodart - Canterbury
Campbell Atkinson - Harbour
Rishon Royce - Auckland
 
Coaching Staff
Aaron Fearne - Head coach
Matt Lacey - Assistant Coach
Lindsay Tait - Assistant Coach
Aaron Young - Assistant Coach
Lidia Belles Escrig - Team Physio
Mike Cockburn - Team manager

​Basketball New Zealand has named the Junior Tall Black team travelling to Greece for the FIBA Under 19 World Cup.
 
Sixteen teams will battle it out in Heraklion, Greece, from 29 June to 7 July, for their chance to be crowned world champions.
 
The Junior Tall Blacks have been grouped with competition heavyweights The United States, as well as 2017 World Cup quarter-finalists Lithuania, and Senegal. A top-two finish is needed to progress to the knockout stages.
 
Their first contest is with the US on 29 June. Head Coach Gavin Briggs said he can’t wait to face-off against the “basketball powerhouse”.
 
“People would think that the biggest game for us would be against the Australians, but honestly I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a game than for our first game in the World Cup.
 
“That game can’t come soon enough.”
 
The team leaves for Paris on 19 June, where they will play Canada, France and Puerto-Rico in an International tournament in preparation for the World Cup.
 
 
2019 Junior Tall Blacks (New Zealand Under 19) - FIBA Under 19 World Cup
 
Flynn Cameron, New Zealand
 
Kruz Perrott-Hunt, North Harbour
 
Isaac Faamausili, Manawatu
 
Jaga Mete-Smith, Waitakere
 
Max de Geest, Canterbury
 
Oscar Oswald, Manawatu
 
Samuel Mennenga, North Harbour
 
Maxim Stephens, Waikato
 
Tomas Higgins, Canterbury
 
Maxwell Darling, Nelson/Canterbury
 
Rawiri Poppe, Waikato
 
James Moors, North Harbour
 
 
Staff
 
Gavin Briggs - Head Coach
 
Miles Pearce - Assistant Coach
 
Leyton Haddleton - Assistant Coach
 
Glenda Kaan - Manager
 
Todd Wolfe - Physio

• By Adam Blackwell

Food poisoning cut short 16-year-old point guard Jordan Rangitawa’s New Zealand Under 19 basketball camp last weekend but she has plenty more to look forward to this year.

The year 13 student, who is entering her fifth and final year in the Hutt Valley High School Senior A basketball team, has big aspirations.

Among those are getting selected to the New Zealand Under 19 team to play in the Oceania Championships in New Caledonia in August this year, as well as trying to earn a scholarship to play in the United States next year.

Part of competing for a spot in the New Zealand Under 19 team was the New Zealand basketball age group selection camp held in Auckland this past weekend.

Unfortunately, Rangitawa came down with food poisoning and said she was “absolutely gutted” that she had to return home early from the camp.

If she is successful in making the New Zealand Under 19 team it will add to her growing list of representative honours.  In the past few years, Rangitawa has been selected for Wellington Under 17, New Zealand U16, and the New Zealand Basketball Academy Varsity team.

In addition to making the New Zealand U19 team, she also had goals of claiming the Wellington Female Basketball Player of the Year and performing well individually and as a team at this years national secondary school tournament.

These lofty goals are backed up by Rangitawa’s exceptional work ethic; she has basketball specific training seven times a week and also goes to the gym twice a day.  “I always take a day off to rest and recover though,” she said.

Rangitawa has also played representative level netball, as well as touch and volleyball but has recently focused solely on basketball in the hope of gaining a United States college basketball scholarship.  An opportunity she said some of her friends are already relishing.

“I have a few friends overseas at the moment experiencing this,” she said.  “They love it over there.”

When it comes to role models Rangitawa doesn’t have to look further than her own household. She said her parents were her biggest role models and they have helped in so many different ways, from fundraising for her basketball trips to putting things into perspective for her.

“Not only do I wanna continue with basketball because this is what I want, but also I want to succeed because of them,” she said.

​The Auckland secondary school Premier Boys Basketball competition starts early next term and runs through the winter months, leading up to the Championship final this year on 22 August.

Some of the best secondary sport in the country occurs on Friday nights around Auckland’s school basketball courts – such as when Westlake Boys’ High School plays keen rivals Rosmini College, who are the defending Auckland Premier and NZSS AA champions and who are currently in Crete contesting the Basketball World Schools Championship.

“That is a big game, with 500-1000 people watching. We will play one home and one away game against them, and then if we meet for a third time it will be in a quarter-final, semi-final or final, whatever that may be,” says Westlake’s Sam Mennenga.

Last year it was the quarter-final, and Rosmini won, consigning Westlake to an eventual fifth placed finish. Sam wasn’t playing that night, but he had good reason to be elsewhere. “I was away in Thailand with the Junior Tall Blacks at the time and once I got back the season was over,” Sam laments.

A fortnight ago the tables were turned. Sam helped Westlake win the NZSS 3 x 3 Senior Championships in Tauranga – beating Rosmini 18-14 in the final and winning all 11 games at the tournament.

 “We knew it was going to be a tough game. They are quite a small but aggressive team, so we used our height against them and we came out on top,” he enthuses.

Other members of the winning Westlake 3 x 3 team were fellow year 13s Dylan Wilkie and Campbell Atkinson and year 12 Josh Kooiman.

How does 3 x 3 basketball compare to playing full court five-a-side basketball? “It is more one-on-one and a quick-paced game. It is played on a half court, if you get the rebound you go outside the 3-point line and you come back in and go at the same hoop.”

Sam hopes that win can be a springboard to success in both Auckland and nationally, where Westlake haven’t won since 2015.

First there are some trips overseas with the Junior Tall Blacks – starting this week.

The team is playing an invitation pre-World Cup tournament in China. “We are playing some European national teams and the Chinese national team. It is a practice run before the World Champs in Greece.

At the World Champs starting at the end of June, the Junior Tall Blacks meet the best first up. “We have got the top dogs the USA in our pool  - I am really excited to go at them and see what they have got.”

Following the USA, NZ plays Senegal and Lithuania in pool play.
​
Sam and the Junior Tall Blacks qualified for the World Championships at the aforementioned trip to Thailand last year. The team finished second at the Asia Championships and qualified for the FIBA U19 World Championships in Greece this coming July.

​In February, Sam, along with St Peter’s School’s Charlisse Leger-Walker, attended the prestigious Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp in North Carolina in the United States.

“It was a camp with the top 60 males and females our age from throughout the world. We trained for three days and we got put into a team and played against other, with NBA scouts and the big GMs, as well as some professional players.”

No Steve Adams though. “I was hoping he would be there, but I think it was a Nike thing and he is an Adidas athlete.”

Sam was grateful for the experience. “I was pretty nervous at the start, but once I got on the court I just played.”

The BWB camp serves as a stage to win college scholarships.

“I have got a couple of offers, but I am not going to choose my college until the end of this year,” says Sam.
Sam started playing basketball when he was 12. “I followed on from my older brother, who was playing. I played in the same team for Westlake with him together.”

He used to played rugby and football, but now the focus is on basketball.
​
Sam Mennenga  attended the Steven Adams' basketball camps featured on Maori Television's new show Holding Court on Maori Television on Wednesday, April 17, 8.30pm. 

St Peter’s, Cambridge won their second successive 3x3 national Girls title after beating Hamilton Girls 15 - 7. St Peter’s put on a defensive masterclass, snuffing out any opportunity Hamilton had to score. They would lead from the outset, with Dominique Stephens and Charlisse Leger-Walker scoring the majority of their points and negating all of Hamilton’s attempts to keep the game close.  

Earlier in the day, Hamilton Boys took out the junior boys open grade after they toppled St Peter’s, Cambridge. Hamilton led by 5 with fewer than 2 minutes to go but a couple of quick scores brought the game close. However, the boys in red managed to grind out the win with one last score to finish 13-11.

Westlake Girls won the junior girls open grade when they beat Mount Maunganui College Parauri 16-9. Westlake was always in control of their final and kicked off the winning run for the North Shore schools. Westlake Boys would then make it two from two for Harbour when they defeated Te Kura Kokiri Tane in the senior boys open final. Kura put up a tough fight but couldn’t match Westlake’s shooting and would go down 19-13.

Westlake Girls made it three out of a possible four open grade final wins following their win over Tauranga Girls in the senior girls open final. Tauranga was leading the game right up until the last minute before a light shower inside the Trustpower arena saw Westlake make it rain and tie the game up with only seconds to spare.  Westlake would then make them pay for letting it go the extra period, sinking another two to keep the North Shore’s unbeaten finals streak alive in a 12-10 win.

The junior girls elite final was played out between Westlake Girls and Tai Wananga, the lowest scoring final of the afternoon. The bulk of the game’s points came from beyond the arc as both teams found it difficult to have the ball fall through the hoop when coming within 10 feet of it. A handful of defensive stops for Westlake would be the difference in the end, as a Tai Wananga long range two would rattle off the rim and give Westlake an 11-9 victory.

Hastings boys beat St Thomas of Canterbury in a tight affair that had to be settled in overtime. The game was dominated by points inside the paint but come the last minute it was all long-range jump shots. St Thomas relied heavily on big man Hunter Adam who scored all but one of his team’s points. The back and forth bout saw Adam, who was at this point running on fumes, sink a 2 pointer with only 10 seconds left and send the game the extra distance. His efforts would cruelly prove to be not enough, as the first possession in overtime saw Hastings rattle home their own deuce and take the crown.

The senior boys elite grade was played out between Westlake and Rosmini, a contest which would give the rivals bragging rights up until Schick Champs (AA Nationals) later this year. The final would live up to the pregame hype, with both teams bringing their A-game and starting fast out of the blocks. Rosmini would lead during the early stages thanks to their two-point shooting, but Westlake would battle back from inside and keep Rosmini’s interior defence honest with a pair of And-1s. With the game in the balance and the championship on the line, Westlake would convert on a long-range jumper and then turn a Rosmini miss into a momentum-shifting dunk. They would then follow this up with a defensive stop, gifting Sam Mennenga a clear run to the hoop which he thankfully accepted and flushed home with a roof-raising two-handed jam. Rosmini was deflated at this point but to their credit pushed right through to the final buzzer and finished gracious runners-up in an 18-14 loss.

Thomas Kepa from Rotorua Boys took home the 3 point shootout after sinking 5 triples in 26 seconds.

At just 16 years of age, Tuhua Taikato-Litz from St Peter's, Cambridge is the youngest player in the New Zealand Deaf Basketball team. Not only that, he is also the team’s new vice-captain.
 
Tuhua’s selection was announced last week after trials for the open men's team.
 
“I was so happy, I just wanted to tell my family because I knew they’d be so proud of me,” he said
 
Tuhua has played for the St Peter’s senior premier boys’ team for the past two years.
 
The new team will present a bit of a challenge for Tuhua because not only will he have to work with new players, he also needs to become fluent in sign language. He started learning sign language when he was five, but stopped three years later because his hearing aids allow him to hear well.
 
“Communicating with people will be a bit hard, but I’m going to learn. My coach doesn’t speak sign, so he can talk to me, but there’s also a translator who can translate for other people in the team,” he said.
 
“Off the court, it will be okay, but in the game, I’ll have to really focus and learn people’s expressions and what they mean.”
 
Over the next few weeks, Tuhua will meet his other team members. They will then begin training for the Asia Pacific Deaf Games in November in Hong Kong.
 
Tuhua is big on teamwork and wants to help the Black Thunders win every game possible. Even if they lose some, he will make sure the players keep their heads up and stay focused.

“We got into New York and a few of the boys had shorts and jandals on. It was -14 degrees,” Kalib Mullins laughs when reflecting on the initial culture shock experienced by the Rotorua Boys’ High School basketball team on their recent US tour.

For a fortnight 22 students, including the senior A team, traveled through New York, Boston and Philadelphia playing basketball and absorbing as much of the local culture as possible.

The Rotorua players were split into two teams. Each team won three out of five games against American high schools. The style of play and the environments in which the fixtures were contested were vastly different from home.

“The first game we played was against the Gators in New York. We were interrogated by security and put in the tenth gym at the school,” Mullins recalls.

“The facilities were amazing, the crowds got stuck in, but the style of play was quite individual and fast. In New Zealand we tend to share the ball more. In the US each school has one or two star players.”

Rotorua’s top team won that first game by a point and generally surprised Americans with their talent, tenacity and of course the haka.

“I think the haka freaked them out a bit,” Mullins chuckled.

“They were surprised at how big and physical we were. We were determined to compete and try and win every game.”

Rotorua Boys' basketball director Theo Tait confirmed this sentiment in the Rotorua Daily Post.

“A lot of the kids at the schools we played had never heard of New Zealand before and if they did, it was all about rugby. I think overall, we woke them up a bit on the basketball side, we have some really talented boys.”

Mullins himself is a 6 ft 6 power forward in Year 13. He enjoys bustling inside the key, but has developed a longer range shooting game. His ambitions for Rotorua are high. The US trip is not intended to be a ‘rest on our laurels’ junket.

“We’ve got a real good brotherhood and great coaches. Our goal is to keep working hard and try and win the National championship,” Mullins warns.

Rotorua were 16th at Nationals last year but in 2015 finished fourth, narrowly losing the semi-final to eventual champions Rangitoto College. Rotorua’s present coach Mark Elers was involved with that 2015 campaign with his son Logan Elers earning a scholarship to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Rotorua saw plenty of top class talent in the US attending the following NBA games:

Philadelphia 76ers v San Antonio Spurs
New York Knicks v Miami Heat
Boston Celtics v Brooklyn Nets

“Going to the NBA was amazing. In Philadelphia they put us in a corporate box which was like, ‘no way,’" Elers said.

“The level of competitiveness is something to really aspire to. I think that was the biggest lesson I learned.”

Learning the history of the sport was also an invaluable lesson. In Massachusetts the boys visited the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while in Manhattan they stepped on to the floor of the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

“That was huge. Madison Square Garden has so much history and it’s not just sport, it’s music and everything else.” Elers marveled.

Rotorua performed a haka to honour Kiwi Ross McMains who is part of the Knicks coaching team there.

Each boy had to pay $6500 to make the trip. A year of fundraising occurred, but Mullins reached his target quickly.

“My father used some his rugby connections to help auction off an autographed Maori All Blacks centenary jersey. We got seven and a half grand for that,”  Mullins explains.

“I saved half for myself and put the rest in a team fund.”
​
Kalib’s father Mike Mullins played 116 games for Munster and 16 tests for Ireland.

Two young Kiwi talents have been selected for the prestigious Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp in the United States. It will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, 15-17 February.

Tall Fern and 2019 St Peter's School head girl Charlisse Leger-Walker has become the first-ever female from New Zealand to be selected, while Junior Tall Black and Westlake Boys’ High School student Sam Mennenga has also been called up.

Run in partnership by the NBA and FIBA, there have been 56 BWB camps in 35 cities in 28 countries on six continents since 2001. Of the BWB alumni, 53 have been drafted into the NBA. The most recent NBA Draft in 2018 saw two former BWB Global participants selected in the top 11 picks.

FIBA and the NBA have announced the top 63 boys and girls from 31 countries and regions who will attend.

This is the fifth BWB Global Camp, where players are selected ‘based on their outstanding basketball skills and leadership abilities’. While a small selection of Kiwis are often invited to attend the BWB Asia Camp each year, through a Basketball New Zealand and FIBA talent identification process, the BWB Global Camp is an even tougher club to be in.

The Global is offered to invite-only attendees who are considered the best in their age-group from around the world. It includes being hosted and trained by NBA and WNBA stars, and coincides with the chance to attend the NBA All Star game and to meet the stars.

Leger-Walker, who played a big role in helping the Tall Ferns secure a Bronze Medal at the 2019 Commonwealth Games this year, says this invitation is a great privilege and one she’s looking forward to.

“I expect to be challenged by coaches who have experience at a high level and maybe even on an international stage. This opportunity is very exciting because it will allow me to learn and grow as a player, and it will also enable me to identify what I will need to work on to add to my skill set. Plus it is also around the NBA All Stars game, so I might get to watch some of that!”

Sam Mennenga was selected to be a part of the Junior Tall Blacks in the 2018 Asia championships in Thailand where the team placed second and qualified for the FIBA World Championships, which will be held in Greece July 2019. The 17 year old says this camp is a big deal due to the opportunity to play against the best high school players in the world.

“I am excited about the Camp because I will be able to meet some NBA players and attend the NBA All-Star Game. I am also excited to learn from the coaches to help improve my game and get me to the next level.

“My goal in Basketball is to eventually make it to the NBA. To complete this goal I hope to go to America next year on a scholarship and play college basketball,” says Mennenga.

Leger-Walker says she’s looking forward to making new connections and friends from all over the world whilst learning more about the game. The youngest-ever Tall Ferns says she’s enjoyed a summer holiday from St. Peters Cambridge School and has taken a small break from the court. As part of that holiday, she and her family went to Colorado to visit older sister Krystal (also a Tall Fern).

“In terms of training I haven’t been playing much basketball, just doing my own trainings to stay in shape and fit. Occasionally I will get into a gym and get shots up and get in a good workout. When I was in the US, I would train with my older sister as they (the University of Northern Colorado) are in season at the moment. However, these next few weeks I will be getting back into basketball a bit more so I can start training for the camp and also 3x3 for school that is coming up soon,” says Leger-Walker.

2019 NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro), 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick and former BWB camper Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), and 2017-18 All Rookie Second Team member Bogdan Bogdanović (Sacramento Kings; Serbia) will coach the top high school age campers from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. They will be joined by a number of former NBA veterans and US College coaches.

All participants will take part in basketball positional development, strength and conditioning, life skills sessions, and games and competitions during the day, followed by visits to NBA All Star events in the evening.  NBA and FIBA players and coaches will coach the participants of the camp. NIKE is the presenting partner for the camp, and each camper will be provided with NIKE basketball shoes, uniforms, and other apparel. Participants’ flights, ground transportation, food, lodging and insurance during the camp will also be provided.