Basketball New Zealand confirmed four national junior age-group squads on Wednesday for tournaments in Australia later this year.

The Emerging Junior Tall Blacks and Ferns squads will contest the
FIBA Oceania U17 Championships in Brisbane in August while the U16
teams travel to Ulverstone, Tasmania, in July for the Australia U16
Championships.

Three members of New Zealand's U18 team that took bronze at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival James Ashby (West Auckland), Michael Karena (Nelson) and Kirk Rangiawha (Waikato) headline the Emerging JTBs team, coached by Waikato's Doug Courtney.

The Emerging JTFs has a strong Waikato flavour, with three members
of the association's U15 national championships team tournament MVP Veshae Asaua-Wilkinson, Kalani Purcell and Rhaiah Spooner-Knight along with Georgia Agnew.

Waitakere City's Penina Davidson and Nelson's Hana Wilkinson were the other U15 tournament teamers named in the side, coached by Rotorua's Sue Pene.

Both Emerging squads will also contest next week's BBNZ U21 National
Championships in Tauranga from May 6-9, giving them valuable
preparation game time.

Six tournament team selections MVP Kurt Heatherley (Waikato), Tim Apisai (Counties Manukau), Logan Botica (West Auckland), Scott Cameron (Nelson), Mat Lacey (Harbour) and Hoani Walker-Te Pania (Porirua) - from last year's U15 national championships fill out the core of Seth Weakley's U16 boys team.

Isabella Lawrence (Waitakere City), Deena Franklin (Harbour) and Alex Svoboda (North Canterbury) were the three U15 tournament team players included in Rachel Gwerder's U16 girls line-up.

Emerging Junior Tall Blacks

James Ashby (West Auckland), Phillip Baldwin (New Plymouth), Alonzo
Burton (Hawke's Bay), Tamaki Courtney (Waikato), Magnus Holding
(Harbour), Thomas Ingham (Nelson), Michael Karena (Nelson), Jordan
Ngatai (Porirua), Te Aro Pairama-Lewington (Wellington), Kirk Rangiawha
(Waikato), Czebalos Smiler (Hawke's Bay), Tim Wyatt (Harbour)
Non-travelling reserves: Elliott Noble (Canterbury), Clayton Rosa (Australia)

Coach: Doug Courtney
Assistant coach: Colin Driscoll
Manager: Shona Miller

Emerging Junior Tall Ferns

Georgia Agnew (Waikato), Veshae Asaua-Wilkinson (Waikato), Aleesha
Coulter (Counties Manukau), Megan Craig (Whangarei), Penina Davidson
(Waitakere City), Kayla Kiriau (Wellington), Shannon Perrett (Nelson),
Kalani Purcell (Waikato), Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (Waikato), Josie
Stockill (Hawke's Bay), Moengaroa Subritzky (Waitakere City), Hana
Wilkinson (Nelson)
Non-travelling reserves: Dallas Frederikson (South Canterbury), Renee Johnson (Otago), Alicia McEwen (Palmerston North)

Coach: Sue Pene
Assistant coach: Sarah Molisa
Manager: Robyn Ruka

U16 Boys

Tim Apisai (Counties Manukau), Logan Botica (West Auckland), Scott
Cameron (Nelson), Taylar Davidson (Nelson), Kurt Heatherley (Waikato),
Aaron Keppler (Waikato), Mat Lacey (Harbour), Reuben Te Rangi (Counties
Manukau), Hoani Walker-Te Pania (Porirua), Joshua Young (Counties
Manukau)
Non-travelling reserves: Quentin Potts (West Auckland), Corey Te Tai (Whangarei), Mark Kelly (Western Bay of Plenty), Sam McIlwaine (Australia)

Coach: Seth Weakley
Assistant coach: Dale Sharp
Manager: Gerard Mullin

U16 Girls

Jaime Campbell (Marlborough), Deena El Shall-Puketapu (Hawke's Bay),
Deena Franklin (Harbour), Morgan Hunter (Southland), Isabella Lawrence
(Waitakere City), Emma Mayo (Wellington), Morgan Roberts (Waitakere
City), Alex Svoboda (North Canterbury), Te Aomihia Watene (Waikato),
Meaghan Wilby (Wellington)
Non-travelling reserves: Marnie Block (North Canterbury), Te
Oramae Solomon (West Auckland), Faustina Tuala (Waitakere City),
Monique Hornby (New Plymouth)

Coach: Rachel Gwerder
Assistant coach: Sean Fuller
Manager: Rena Keightley