Four debutantes highlight the New Zealand Tall Blacks team named on Thursday for the team’s European Tour.

Junior Tall Blacks centre Rob Loe, 2.11m, has made the immediate step-up to senior basketball with selection alongside fellow first-year players, Bay Hawks point guard Jarrod Kenny, Wellington Saints forward Leon Henry and Waikato Pistons swingman Tom Abercrombie.

Loe, who averaged 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four games for the Junior Tall Blacks at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland last week, will become one of the youngest Tall Blacks ever at 17.

Kenny, who made his way into the extended squad after team-mate Jeremy Kench withdrew, has forced his way in, while Henry and Abercrombie come in on the back of their performances in the National Basketball League, where Abercrombie was Rookie of the Year.

Shooting guard Kirk Penney, who did not attend the team’s camp at the Millennium Institute this week but will join the team en route, is the most experienced in the team with 94 internationals.

Pero Cameron, the Tall Blacks captain since 2000, has an ankle injury and was not considered for selection on the European tour, while Craig Bradshaw will also not tour as he trials for a professional contract.

Cameron and Bradshaw could both return for the two-game FIBA Oceania Championship in August.

Along with Penney, forward Mika Vukona, Wellington Saints point guard Lindsay Tait and Auckland Stars forward Casey Frank form the experienced core, while returning from last year’s team is Harbour Heat guard Corey Webster, Waikato Pistons centre Alex Pledger and guard Michael Fitchett.

Jeremiah Trueman makes his return to the Tall Blacks fold after three years away.

Trueman made his Tall Blacks debut in 2006 but has been out of the programme since while attending San Diego Christian College and University of Alaska-Anchorage. He returned to New Zealand and signed with the NZ Breakers last month.

The Tall Blacks will be together at the Millennium Institute on Auckland’s North Shore, with two-a-day trainings, until Sunday night, when they depart for Estonia, via Los Angeles, London and Copenhagen.

The opening game of their eight-game, 12-day tour is Wednesday, July 22, against Estonia.

New Zealand Tall Blacks

Tom Abercrombie (NZ Breakers) – DEBUT
Michael Fitchett (Waikato Pistons) – 2007 (17)
Casey Frank (Auckland Stars) – 2005 (50)
Leon Henry (Wellington Saints) – DEBUT
Jarrod Kenny (Bay Hawks) – DEBUT
Rob Loe (Westlake Boys High) – DEBUT
Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers) – 1999 (94)
Alex Pledger (NZ Breakers) – 2008 (11)
Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) – 2003 (54)
Jeremiah Trueman (NZ Breakers) – 2006 (6)
Mika Vukona (Gold Coast Blaze) – 2005 (54)
Corey Webster (NZ Breakers) – 2008 (10)

Staff
Head coach: Nenad Vucinic
Assistant coach: Chris Tupu
Video technician: Dillon Boucher
Manager: Grant Chapman
Physio: Bryce Ebben
Doctor: Peter Burt