The Tall Blacks have been drawn to face powerhouse and current World Champions, the United States, in September’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Draw took place in Spain, with New Zealand and the USA placed in Pool C, alongside the Dominican Republic, Turkey, Finland and Ukraine. Pool play will take place in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao.

Head coach Nenad Vucinic says there are no easy beats in the pool but he is confident that his side will be competitive.“It’s the World Cup and all teams will bring their A game, including the Tall Blacks. We need to remember that world rankings can be deceptive. For example, Ukraine is only ranked 45 because they are in Europe and it’s tough to make the top eight in that competition. They have three NBA players in their team so we will not be taking them, or any team, lightly.”

He added, “It will be privilege to play against the USA and Turkey, they were finalists at the last World Cup. Every team wants to face the best in the world and test themselves.” Vucinic, as a Tall Black, played against the USA at the 2000 Olympics.

Vucinic and his coaching staff expect to have a strong field from which to choose the final Tall Blacks World Cup squad from. The main question mark is over NBA rookie Steven Adams, whose availability is expected to be known closer to the tournament. Vucinic said, “Most players have indicated they want to be in the mix so I am expecting fiercely contested trials mid-year. Every spot is contestable.”

Pool A is considered the ‘pool of death’ and features Spain, Serbia, Brazil, France, Egypt and Iran. The pools are grouped as A/B and C/D, with no cross over until the final so each grouping will provide one finalist.

BBNZ has arranged an official Supporters’ Tour to support the Tall Blacks in Spain, click here for more information.

BBNZ