NBL success has thrust Appliance Shed Harbour Heat duo Hayden Allen and Daryl Cartwright back into national team consideration.

New NZ Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic has selected 19 players for his first selection camp, beginning July 1 in Napier. The group will be trimmed to 14 (July 7) for a three-test series against Venezuela (July 20-24), then 12 for the remainder of the 2007 campaign.

The Tall Blacks main assignment this year is to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and they will face the Australian Boomers in a three-game qualifying series across the ditch in August.

Vucinic’s initial squad includes all those who contest last year’s FIBA World Championships in Japan, except retired guard Aaron Olson.

Allen has never played for the Tall Blacks and Cartwright last pulled a black singlet against the Czech Republic in 2003, but they have been key contributors in the Heat’s winning Dominion Finance NBL regular season campaign.
Allen emerged as Harbour’s leading scorer, averaging 17.1 points (48.4% FG, 79.2% FT, 33.3% 3pt) and adding 2.7 steals.

Cartwright came off the bench for 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, shooting a career high 80% FT. With Aussie import Oscar Forman on Boomers duty, he underlined his form with 23 points/16 rebounds in the Heat’s final outing against U Park It Waikato Pistons.

“To be honest, I was not considering guys like Hayden and Daryl in March,” admits Vucinic. “But because of their form and especially how well they have made their team perform through the NBL, I have taken that into account.

“The league is an ideal environment to judge players trying to break into this level and it’s fair to say some players didn’t make these trials because they haven’t performed well in the NBL.”

Newcomer Everard Bartlett also forces his way into contention after a season in which he was promoted into the Easy LPG Bay Hawks starting five.

Previously known as a NZ Breakers development player and ANBL slam dunk champion, he added three-point range to his repertoire, averaging 13.9 points a game in his expanded role.

Vucinic has included five point guards – Mark Dickel, Mike Fitchett, Paul Henare, Jeremy Kench and Lindsay Tait – in his squad. Last year, the Tall Blacks were caught short and Henare logged up huge minutes as the team’s only specialist point after Tait broke his wrist and Dickel was suspended for drug use.

American Nick Horvath, who has played as an import for Century City Wellington Saints over the past two seasons, is in the squad and will contest the team’s one naturalised spot with incumbent Casey Frank if his NZ citizenship application is approved in time.

The full squad is …

NameTeamPositionBornHeightHayden AllenHarbour HeatGuardNov 10, 19791.91mEverard BartlettBay HawksGuardFeb 6, 19861.91mDillon BoucherAuckland StarsForwardDec 27, 19751.96mCraig BradshawWinthrop University (US)CentreJuly 28, 19832.05mPero CameronWaikato PistonsForwardJune 5, 19741.98mDaryl CartwrightHarbour HeatForwardMar 22, 19772mMark Dickel GuardDec 21, 19761.88mMike FitchettNelson GiantsGuardSept 20, 19821.83mCasey FrankAuckland StarsForwardOct 23, 19772.03mPaul HenareBay HawksGuardMar 4, 19791.92mBen HillWaikato PistonsForwardApril 18, 19791.96mNick HorvathWellington SaintsCentreFeb 18, 19812.08mPhill JonesCantu (Italy)GuardJan 25, 19741.96mJeremy KenchCanterbury RamsGuardApril 27, 19841.85mKirk PenneyAlba Berlin (Germany)GuardNov 23, 19801.91mTony RamptonWest Sydney RazorbacksCentreMay 30, 19762.13mLindsay TaitAuckland StarsGuardJan 8, 19821.94mMika VukonaNelson GiantsForwardMay 13, 19821.93mPaora WinitanaBay HawksGuardDec 6, 19761.95m

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