Basketball Australia has locked in the final 12-man team set to represent the Crocs at the upcoming FIBA Under 17 Men’s World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey from 29 June to 10 July.
The list is bolstered with a range of key performers from the recent Foot Lock Under 18 National Championships in Queensland with tournament MVP Dash Daniels, Victoria Metro guns Harrison Beauchamp, Ryder Cheesman and South Queenslander Indy Cotton.
Mading Kuany, Sa Pilimai, Henry Sewell and Roor Akhuar round out the Victorian contingent and are joined by James Dyson Merwe from New South Wales, Ajak Nyuon from ACT, Alex Dickeson from South Australia and Nash Walker from Tasmania.
Australia will face Egypt, Germany, and Canada in Group D with the top two in the group progressing to the knockout rounds.
Nathan Cooper-Brown’s team will head to Europe with high expectations considering the level of talent at his disposal.
“As Australians we always put high expectations on ourselves, and the Crocs are no different. Although we have extremely limited preparation time compared to our friends in other countries, we believe we have a talented group of athletes, coaches, and staff. We are eager to take on this monumental challenge,” said Cooper-Brown.
The Crocs final team was selected across a range of scouting points and Cooper-Brown looks forward to the opportunity presented for the representatives.
“This team is created through a very thorough and layered process. This considers multiple factors such as character, their ability to be a great teammate, their tactical understanding and technical skill,” said Cooper-Brown
“We utilise National Camps, their high-performance coaches, and other points of feedback and their performance under the bright lights at the recent U18 Nationals was a contributing factor in selection,”
The Crocs begin training camp for the World Cup in June before playing a series of pre-tournament friendlies from 17 – 28 June in Istanbul.
Australia – U17 Men’s Crocs | |
Roor Akhuar (VIC) | James Dyson Merwe (NSW) |
Harrison Beauchamp (VIC) | Mading Kuany (VIC) |
Ryder Cheesman (VIC) | Ajak Nyon (ACT) |
Indy Cotton (QLD) | Sa Pilimai (VIC) |
Dash Daniels (VIC) | Henry Sewell (VIC) |
Alex Dickeson (SA) | Nash Walker (TAS) |
Head Coach | Assistant | Assistant |
Nathan Cooper-Brown | Luke Cann | Ashley Arnott |