Four newcomers, including three teenagers, have been called into the Tall Blacks basketball squad for their upcoming tour of China.
With several senior players unavailable for the tour, the coach Nenad Vucinic has taken the opportunity to blood new talent, introducing rookies Reuben Te Rangi, Brook Ruscoe, Jack Salt and Izayah Mauriohooho Le'afa.
The Chinese tour is preparation for next month's FIBA Oceania Championship, a home-and-away series against Australia that gets underway on August 14 at the North Shore Events Centre.
Tall Blacks: Tom Abercrombie (NZ Breakers), BJ Anthony (Otago Nuggets), Everard Bartlett (Bay Hawks), Josh Bloxham (Nelson Giants), Casey Frank (Wellington Saints), Jarrod Kenny (Bay Hawks), Izayah Mauriohooho Le'afa (Wellington Saints), Brook Ruscoe (Nelson Giants), Jack Salt (Super City Rangers), Reuben Te Rangi (Southland Sharks/NZ Breakers), Jeremiah Trueman (Manawatu Jets/NZ Breakers), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants/NZ Breakers, captain), Corey Webster (Wellington Saints/NZ Breakers)
