25
Jul
U16 Asia Cup
Crocs team named for FIBA U16 Asia Cup
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Will Hamilton won MVP at the U15 Oceania Tournament last year. Photo: FIBA
Australia's next generation of stars will be looking to win a fourth straight gold medal.
- The Australian Crocs team will look to add another FIBA U16 Asia Cup gold medal to their trophy cabinet at the tournament in Mongolia starting next month
- Former NBL big man and current Brisbane Bullets assistant coach Greg Vanderjagt will coach the team
- The Crocs have won the last three gold medals at the tournament
National Under-18 Championships standout and gold medal winner Will Hamilton headlines the Australian Crocs team announced to compete at the FIBA U16 Asia Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in August and September.
Basketball Australia announced the 12-man roster for the tournament today with Brisbane Bullets assistant coach and former NBL big man Greg Vanderjagt to coach the side.
Vanderjagt and the Crocs recently took part in a preparation tour in China, where they played eight games in 11 days across three cities, and the former Townsville Croc and Gold Coast Blaze centre said he looked forward to leading the country's next generation.
“Anytime you get the opportunity to represent Australia is an honour, having the opportunity to lead our nation in this campaign is something I am incredibly grateful for,” he said.
“Competing the right way for our country with a group of young men who have a common purpose and goal is what I am most excited about. Seeing the growth and development of each of these athletes across the journey is incredibly rewarding for me.”
Australia have won gold at every tournament in the U16 category since moving to the FIBA Asia conference and most recently beat New Zealand 79-76 in the final of the last tournament, which was hosted in Doha.
“The athleticism and skill level of athletes is accelerating rapidly across the globe which presents us with significant challenges which we are ready to meet head on," said Vanderjagt.
“"The international junior landscape is constantly growing in terms of the level of athletes and coaches who are participating for their nations. The challenges we will face at the Asia Cup are diverse and each day will present a different style for our team to combat," said Vanderjagt.
“From the speed and shooting of Japan, to the physicality of New Zealand to the sheer size of the Chinese group we will face we have to be flexible and adaptable in our planning each day to put our athletes in a position to have success.”
Crocs Team | FIBA U16 Asia Cup
Yahya Basaran (VIC), Antonio Browne (NSW), Lucas Byrne (VIC), Tom Dammers (VIC), Alexander Edwards (WA), Will Hamilton (VIC), Isaiah Jorgenson (QLD), Alex Mabbott (VIC), Josh McCann (VIC), Luke Paul (WA), Max Pavey (VIC), Andrew Watene (QLD)
