Tall Blacks build up tour to World Champs!
The NZ Tall Blacks have confirmed a nine-game build-up to the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Championship for Men in Turkey, late August.
The playing schedule consists of three tournaments in Turkey, Slovenia and Croatia, also featuring games against Iran, Serbia, Russia and Jordan.
“It’s great to play the top European teams,” says Dillon Boucher, a member of the Tall Black coaching staff. “To succeed at the world champs, you have to beat these teams.
“It’s a great build up, especially playing in such a hotbed of basketball in nations such as Croatia and Turkey as well as Slovenia.”
Although New Zealand comes up against some highly rated nations in their world championship pool at Izmir, Boucher says no one team has been targeted to beat. Every game is important.
“You have to beat teams to advance, no matter what pool you are in. There are no easy teams, as it’s a world championship, and every team is there with a purpose – to win.”
Boucher is part of a three-pronged coaching staff, along with head coach Nenad Vucinic and assistant Chris Tupu, who coaches the Nelson Giants in the National Basketball League.
Vucinic has been based in Turkey where he has been coaching the Darussafaka team in Istanbul.
New Zealand’s pool opponents at the world championships are defending champions Spain (ranked third), Lithuania (sixth), France (15th), Canada (19th) and Lebanon (24th), coached by former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin.
The Tall Blacks, ranked at 13th, open their tournament against Lithuania on August 28.
The full schedule is …
July 23–25
NZ Tall Black Trials at Auckland
July 26
Depart New Zealand
July 28–August 5
Training camp at Istanbul, Turkey
August 6–8
Tournament v Iran, Serbia & Turkey at Istanbul, Turkey
August 9–11
Training camp at Istanbul, Turkey
August 13–15
Adecco Cup v Russia, Serbia & Slovenia at Maribor, Slovenia
August 16–18
Training camp at Rogla, Slovenia
August 20–22
World Cup v Russia, Jordan, Croatia in Zadar, Croatia
August 24–25
Training camp at Izmir, Turkey
FIBA World Championship For Men
August 28–September 2
Pool D at Izmir, Turkey
August 28 v Lithuania
August 29 v Spain
August 31 v Lebanon
September 1 v Canada
September 2 v France
September 4–7
Eighthfinals at Istanbul, Turkey
September 8–9
Quarterfinals at Istanbul, Turkey
September 10–11
Semifinals in Istanbul, Turkey
September 12
Final at Istanbul, Turkey
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