The business end of FIBA World Cup qualification has arrived and the Australian Boomers have selected a Final 12 to meet it head on.
Australia will meet Group E opponents Syria (28 August) and Jordan (30 August) in a Manila double-header played at Mall of Asia Arena later this month.
Max Mackinnon (Brisbane) and Anthony Dell’Orso (Perth) are set to debut alongside a range of emerging and returning veteran stars.
FIBA World Cup qualification | Window 4
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1
Josh Bannan Forward
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2
Dash Daniels Guard
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3
Anthony Dell’Orso Guard
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4
Sam Froling Centre
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5
Angus Glover Guard
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6
Jacob Holt Forward
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7
Nick Kay Forward / Centre
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8
Tanner Krebs Guard
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9
Max Mackinnon Guard
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10
Elijah Pepper Guard
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11
Luke Travers Forward
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12
Tom Wilson Guard
We also welcome the return of Jacob Chance, who will fill Head Coach responsibilities in the absence of Dean Vickerman, who begins his tenure in the B-League for Nagasaki Velca and Adam Caporn, who heads back for pre-season with the Wizards.
“It’s been a little while since I was directly involved in the program, but you know I'm really lucky with my role and connection to the program,” says Chance.
“I've tried to stay as involved as I can from afar and took a little bit of a break for the FIBA Asia Cup, but I’ve been assisting remotely to implement our philosophies and style of play for the windows.”
“It was awesome to see Capes (Adam Caporn) come in with the opportunity to lead as Head Coach in the Asia Cup and last window in Perth and a good opportunity for other guys too,”
Chance and Caporn share a long-standing connection originating from Western Australia and as co-assistants in the Boomers program over the last decade.
The pair caught up in person in Melbourne recently to discuss Boomers, coaching & the upcoming window.
“I think the most important thing I can do for him is help with the continuity in the windows, as the other staff have done when they’re in this position,” says Chance.
“We've got such a great coaching support network led by Capes and Deano, and when me and the other coaches come in, our job is just to echo the same messages. Echo what it means to play for Australia and how important these windows are.”
“We’re really excited about this group. It's obviously a tricky time of the year with teams into deep pre-seasons all around the world. But, you know, we love the mix of guys who have played before, a couple of newer guys coming into the fold, you're seeing some guys return that have been out for a while,” Chance says.
“As always, we've got a bunch of selfless team-first characters that are coming in to do their absolute best for their country and do their best for our program. This is an important window for, us as they all are.”
Chance will be flanked by John Rillie (Perth) and Gerard Martin (Phoenix / Valley Suns).
The games against Syria, Jordan will be the first of Phase Two of Qatar's qualification of Qatar. The Boomers need to finish top three in Group E to automatically qualify for the major tournament next year.
The matchups tip-off at 7:00pm AEST on Friday, 28 August and Sunday, 30 August broadcast LIVE on ESPN and affiliated streaming partners.
ESPN is the official broadcast partner of FIBA World Cup 2027 in Australia and New Zealand.
