Australia's 2017 Asia Cup side taking shape
The Boomers 20 man squad for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup has been announced for next month’s training camp on the Gold Coast.
At the conclusion of the camp a squad of 12 players will be named, who will then leave the country to begin playing practice games in preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup running from 8-20 August in Lebanon.
The squad consists of mostly NBL players, with two European-based players in Ben Madgen and Clint Steindl included in the squad. 2016 Rio Olympians David Andersen, Chris Goulding and Kevin Lisch have also been named for the camp, with Andersen having just completed a stint in France following the NBL season.
The Aussie NBA players are unavailable for the tournament, while European stars Ryan Broekhoff and Brock Motum have also not been named. Boomer’s mainstay Cameron Bairstow will not take part at the camp due to an ACL injury he sustained last December.
Veterans Damian Martin, Nathan Jawai and Aleks Maric have all not been named to the squad, with Martin and Jawai nursing injuries in the back half of the NBL season.
The tournament serves as an opportunity to allow some fresh faces to represent Australia while also blooding some future Boomers in the process.
Rising stars in Nathan Sobey, Mitch Creek and Jason Cadee have all been invited to the camp, with the trio widely expected to feature heavily for the Boomers into the future.
2016 Olympians David Anderson, Kevin Lisch and Chris Goulding are likely starters in the Asia Cup team given their experience. Boomers veteran Brad Newley, who narrowly missed out on a Rio Olympic berth, also has a high chance of making the final roster.
The full roster can be viewed below. FIRST NAME SURNAME TEAM David Andersen Melbourne United Todd Blanchfield Sydney Kings Angus Brandt Perth Wildcats Jason Cadee Sydney Kings Mitch Creek Adelaide 36ers Cam Gliddon Cairns Taipans Chris Goulding Melbourne United Matt Hodgson Adelaide 36ers Tom Jervis Brisbane Bullets Nic Kay Illawarra Hawks Daniel Kickert Brisbane Bullets Kevin Lisch Sydney Kings Ben Madgen Lietkabelis, Lithuania Majok Majok Melbourne United Mitch McCarron Cairns Taipans Brad Newley Sydney Kings Mitch Norton Illawarra Hawks Nathan Sobey Adelaide 36ers Clint Steindl Leuven, Belgium Jesse Wagstaff Perth Wildcats Team Staff Andrej Lemanis Head Coach Luc Longley Coach Will Weaver Coach Adam Caporn Coach David Hillard Head of Medical Services Anthony Kaleel Massage Therapist Jason Membrey Head of Delegation Junior Albert Equipment Manager