2010 Tall Blacks Warm up Tournaments

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

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2010 FIBA World Championships draw - Turkey 

Preliminary Round:	Time	Team A	vs	Team B	Stadium	Score
28th August 2010
Game D1	4pm	Greece	vs	China	Ankara
Game C1	4pm	New Zealand	vs	Lithuania	Izmir
Game A1	4:30pm	Australia	vs	Jordan	Kayseri
Game B1	4:30pm	Tunisia	vs	Slovenia	Istanbul
Game C2	6:30pm	Russia	vs	Puerto Rico	Ankara
Game D2	6:30pm	Canada	vs	Lebanon	Izmir
Game A2	7pm	Angola	vs	Serbia	Kayseri
Game B2	7pm	USA	vs	Croatia	Istanbul
Game C3	9pm	Cote d'Ivoire	vs	Turkey	Ankara
Game D3	9pm	France	vs	Spain	Izmir
Game A3	9:30pm	Germany	vs	Argentina	Kayseri
Game B3	9:30pm	Iran	vs	Brazil	Istanbul
29th August 2010
Game C4	4pm	China	vs	Cote d'Ivoire	Ankara
Game D4	4pm	Lithuania	vs	Canada	Izmir
Game A4	4:30pm	Jordan	vs	Angola	Kayseri
Game B4	4:30pm	Slovenia	vs	USA	Istanbul
Game C5	6:30pm	Puerto Rico	vs	Greece	Ankara
Game D5	6:30pm	Lebanon	vs	France	Izmir
Game A5	7pm	Serbia	vs	Germany	Kayseri
Game B5	7pm	Croatia	vs	Iran	Istanbul
Game C6	9pm	Turkey	vs	Russia	Ankara
Game D6	9pm	Spain	vs	New Zealand	Izmir
Game A6	9:30pm	Argentina	vs	Australia	Kayseri
Dame B6	9:30pm	Brazil	vs	Tunisia	Istanbul
30th August 2010
Game A7	4:30pm	Jordan	vs	Serbia	Kayseri
Game B7	4:30pm	Slovenia	vs	Croatia	Istanbul
Game B8	7pm	Tunisia	vs	Iran	Istanbul
Game A8	7pm	Australia	vs	Germany	Kayseri
Game B9	9:30pm	USA	vs	Brazil	Istanbul
Game A9	9:30pm	Angola	vs	Argentina	Kayseri
31st August 2010
Game C7	4pm	Russia	vs	Cote d'Ivoire	Ankara
Game D7	4pm	New Zealand	vs	Lebanon	Izmir
Game C8	6:30pm	Puerto Rico	vs	China	Ankara
Game D8	6:30pm	France	vs	Canada	Izmir
Game C9	9pm	Greece	vs	Turkey	Ankara
Game D9	9pm	Spain	vs	Lithuania	Izmir
1st September 2010
Game C10	4pm	China	vs	Russia	Ankara
Game D10	4pm	Canada	vs	New Zealand	Izmir
Game A10	4:30pm	Serbia	vs	Australia	Kayseri
Game B10	4:30pm	Croatia	vs	Tunisia	Istanbul
Game C11	6:30pm	Cote d'Ivoire	vs	Greece	Ankara
Game D11	6:30pm	Lebanon	vs	Spain	Izmir
Game A11	7pm	Germany	vs	Angola	Kayseri
Game B11	7pm	Iran	vs	USA	Istanbul
Game C12	9pm	Turkey	vs	Puerto Rico	Ankara
Game D12	9pm	Lithuania	vs	France	Izmir
Game A12	9:30pm	Argentina	vs	Jordan	Kayseri
Game B12	9:30pm	Brazil	vs	Slovenia	Istanbul
2nd September 2010
Game C13	4pm	Puerto Rico	vs	Cote d'Ivoire	Ankara
Game D13	4pm	Spain	vs	Canada	Izmir
Game A13	4:30pm	Angola	vs	Australia	Kayseri
Game B13	4:30pm	USA	vs	Tunisia	Istanbul
Game C14	6:30pm	Greece	vs	Russia	Ankara
Game D14	6:30pm	Lebanon	vs	Lithuania	Izmir
Game A14	7pm	Argentina	vs	Serbia	Kayseri
Game B14	7pm	Slovenia	vs	Iran	Istanbul
Game C15	9pm	Turkey	vs	China	Anzir
Game D15	9pm	New Zealand	vs	France	Izmir
Game A15	9:30pm	Jordan	vs	Germany	Kayseri
Game B15	9:30pm	Brazil	vs	Croatia	Istanbul
3rd September 2010		REST DAY		REST DAY
Eighth-Finals Round:	Time	Team A	vs	Team B	Stadium	Score
4th September 2010
Last 16 G1	TBC	1st Pool A	vs	4th Pool B	Istanbul
Last 16 G2	TBC	2nd Pool D	vs	3rd Pool C	Istanbul
5th September 2010
Last 16 G3	TBC	1st Pool C	vs	4th Pool D	Istanbul
Last 16 G4	TBC	2nd Pool B	vs	3rd Pool A	Istanbul
6th September 2010
Last 16 G5	TBC	1st Pool B	vs	4th Pool A	Istanbul
Last 16 G6	TBC	2nd Pool C	vs	3rd Pool D	Istanbul
7th September 2010
Last 16 G7	TBC	1st Pool D	vs	4th Pool C	Istanbul
Last 16 G8	TBC	2nd Pool A	vs	3rd Pool B	Istanbul
Quarter-Finals Round:	Time	Team A	vs	Team B	Stadium	Score
8th September 2010
Quarter Final 1	TBC	Winner of G1	vs	Winner of G2	Istanbul
Quarter Final 2	TBC	Winner of G3	vs	Winner of G4	Istanbul
9th September 2010
Quarter Final 3	TBC	Winner of G5	vs	Winner of G6	Istanbul
Quarter Final 4	TBC	Winner of G7	vs	Winner of G8	Istanbul
10th September 2010
Classification G1 (5-8)	TBC	Loser of Qf1	vs	Loser of Qf2	Istanbul
Classification G2 (5-8)	TBC	Loser of Qf3	vs	Loser of Qf4	Istanbul
11th September 2010
Playoff 7th/8th	TBC	Loser of CG1	vs	Loser of CG2	Istanbul
Semi-Final Round:	Time	Team A	vs	Team B	Stadium	Score
11th September 2010
Semi Final 1	TBC	Winner of Qf1	vs	Winner of Qf2	Istanbul
Semi Final 2	TBC	Winner of Qf3	vs	Winner of Qf4	Istanbul
12th September 2010
Playoff 5th/6th	TBC	Winner of CG1	vs	Winner of CG2	Istanbul
Grand-Final Round:	Time	Team A	vs	Team B	Stadium	Score
12th September 2010
Bronze Medal Match	TBC	Loser of SF1	vs	Loser of SF2	Istanbul
Gold Medal Match	TBC	Winner of SF1	vs	Winner of SF2	Istanbul