Three HBS Bank Hawks players have been named in the Tall Blacks squad they are; Everard Bartlett (HBS Bank Hawks), Jarrod Kenny (HBS Bank Hawks), Morgan Natanahira (HBS Bank Hawks). In the interests of player development Alonzo Burton (HBS Bank Hawks) has been invited to attend.

Americans Kevin Braswell and Marcel Jones face a race against the clock to win NZ citizenship this week and stake their claims for a spot in the Tall Blacks.

Head coach Nenad Vucinic has invited 17 players to trial for the national men’s team as they attempt to nail down one of three spots remaining in the London Olympics basketball draw.

But Braswell and Jones have been named on the proviso they can gain citizenship before the trials begin on June 13 in Auckland.

Guard Braswell first came to New Zealand in 2010 as an import point guard for the NZ Breakers team that won their first Australian NBL title. He’s since played two seasons for the Southland Sharks in the NZ national league.

Forward Jones first played locally in 2009 and married a Kiwi. He’s played two subsequent NBL seasons and was a third import on the Manawatu Jets roster this year, hoping his citizenship would arrive in time for him to play as a Kiwi. Now they both have extra incentive to hasten that process.

If they succeed in time, they’ll compete with Tall Blacks veteran Casey Frank for the one naturalised spot available on the national team roster.

Retirement, unavailability and injury have forced the absence of several incumbent Tall Blacks, including starters Kirk Penney and Tom Abercrombie, and opened up opportunities for others to step up to international basketball. Seven of those trialling have yet to play for the Tall Blacks – Braswell, Jones, Hayden Allen, Josh Bloxham, Everard Bartlett, Morgan Natanahira and Tai Webster.

Perhaps the most notable inclusions represent opposite ends of the age and experience spectrum.

Veteran guard Hayden Allen (32) has been on fringe of selection several times over the past decade without ever quite making the cut. He was a key contributor to the Auckland Pirates’ NBL triumph this year and gets another chance less than a year after surviving a serious car accident.

With older brother Corey still serving a drug suspension, Junior Tall Black guard Tai Webster (17) gets a chance to get his guard spot in the family. The younger Webster, along with Tall Black forward Isaac Fotu, helped New Zealand to victory at the inaugural FIBA 3×3 Youth World Championships in Italy last year.

The trialists are:

Everard Bartlett ((HBS Bank Hawks)), Jarrod Kenny (HBS Bank Hawks), Morgan Natanahira (HBS Bank Hawks), Hayden Allen (Auckland Pirates), Josh Bloxham (Nelson Giants), Isaac Fotu (Harbour), Casey Frank (Wellington Saints), Leon Henry (Otago Nuggets), Jeremy Kench (Wellington Saints), Robert Loe (University of St Louis Missouri) , Alex Pledger (Auckland Pirates), Lindsay Tait (Auckland Pirates), Jeremiah Trueman (Manawatu Jets), Mika Vukona (Nelson Giants), Tai Webster (Auckland Pirates)

In the interests of player development, Vucinic and assistant coaches Pero Cameron and Paul Henare have also invited four juniors – Alonzo Burton (HBS Bank Hawks), Michael Karena (Nelson Giants), Tohi Milner-Smith (Auckland Pirates) and Reuben Te Rangi (Harbour Heat) – to attend.

The Tall Blacks will contest the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas, Venezuela, from July 2-8, and face Macedonia and Angola in pool play.