Victorians picked for Australian Under-19 Emus squad

The Emus qualified for the Under-19 World Cup, which will be held in Heraklion, Greece from June 29-July 7, by winning gold at last year’s Under-18 Asian Championships where they finished with a perfect 6-0 record.

All 12 members of that team have been named in the squad and will be joined by Luke Travers, Hunter Clarke, Kobe Williamson, Josh Bannan and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk who competed at last year’s FIBA Under-17 World Cup.

Josh Green, who has been touted as Australia’s next NBA star and is currently representing IMG Academy at high school in Florida, is also included in the squad.

“This squad’s biggest strength is that we have so many guys who can play in multiple positions,” said Emus coach Darren Perry.

“Previous performances for Australia can certainly help in players’ confidence levels but we have 23 guys coming into the camp that will all vie for a selection spot.

“However, some of the guys will not be able to attend the camp due to commitments in the USA.’

Squad additions may also transpire dependent on athlete’s performances at the Under-20 Championships next week.

The Emus will get together for a four-day selection camp at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence from March 8-11.

“We have done extensive reviews of every team that has qualified for the World Championships so we know what we will be up against,” said Perry.

“This camp will help identify the 12 athletes who will make the commitment on defence, buy into the system and have the belief that we can challenge for a gold medal at the World Cup.”

The Emus previously won a gold medal at the 2003 Under-19 World Cup with a team that included Andrew Bogut, Damian Martin and Brad Newley while they also won silver in 1995.

“The opportunity to represent your country does not come every day and it is the same for the coaches as it is for the players,” said Perry.

“From a coaching point of view, it is an honour to represent and it’s a great responsibility to help this team compete on the international stage.”

The Australian Emus squad for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup:

Head Coach – Darren Perry

Coach – Robbie McKinlay

Coach – Chris Anstey

Team Manager – Chris Ohlback

Doctor – Greg Macleod

Physiotherapist – Ryan Carroll

Press release courtesy of Basketball Australia

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PREPARATIONS are underway for the men’s 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup with the announcement of the squad for the Australian Emus

The post Victorians picked for Australian Under-19 Emus squad appeared first on Basketball Victoria.