It's great to see Brian Goorjian has been keeping tabs on the Aussies in the NCAA. He's added those topliners to the best in the NBL to put together a squad for the world championship qualifiers against NZ. The squad without a doubt is a giant step above what Australia has had on the court since 2000 and more than likely will develop into the best team we've ever had.
Bogut and Bruce driving the team, Loughton in the centre, Schenscher coming off the bench as his backup, Kickert dropping 3's, Newley cutting to the rim.. I'm really very excited by this teams potential to go top 3 and eventually cement a place there.
Bogut leads new wave of Boomers
Date: 13/04/05
By James Dampney
The evolution of the Australian men's basketball team has gathered pace, with Andrew Bogut headlining a new generation of players selected to face New Zealand in the upcoming Oceania Championships.
After more than a decade of stability anchored around the quintet of Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Luc Longley and Andrew Vlahov, generation next has well and truly arrived in Australian basketball.
Heal's retirement after captaining Australia at the Athens Olympics signalled the end of the most successful era in Boomers history, which yielded fourth-place Olympic finishes in 1988, 1996 and 2000.
The likes of Olympians Jason Smith, Brett Maher, Chris Anstey, CJ Bruton and Matt Nielsen still represent the core of the national team.
But Bogut, the likely No.1 pick in June's NBA Draft, leads a swathe of US college standouts picked for a 20-man Boomers squad.
Aaron Bruce (Baylor University), Luke Schenscher (Georgia Tech), Daniel Kickert (St Mary's) and Alex Loughton (Old Dominion) are among a group of virtual unknowns who have spent at least the past 12 months honing their games in the US college system.
They, along with Bogut - who got his first taste of international basketball in Athens last year - will carry the men's team into the next decade and beyond.
Australia will tackle the Kiwis in a best-of-three world championship qualification series in New Zealand in August.
"The squad is a mix of the core players from the last Olympic team and nine or 10 guys we haven't seen in an international context, but who've all been playing well in their environment," coach Brian Goorjian said.
"We've got a lot of young developing guys performing very well in college (plus) the kids who won a gold medal at the 2003 under-19 world championships and have come into the NBL and performed well."
Townsville standout Brad Newley, West Sydney's Steve Markovic and Adelaide's Jacob Holmes have all taken the next step from the NBL to the national squad.
New Brisbane signing Sam Mackinnon is back in the fold after being controversially left out for Athens, along with Bullets teammate Stephen Black.
The Melbourne Commonwealth Games, where Australia will be the gold medal favourite, and 2006 world titles in Japan loom large on the horizon for Goorjian's team.
But the national coach already has one eye on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"I think 90 per cent or even 100 per cent will come out of this group when we get to the Olympics in Beijing," Goorjian said.
"There may be someone who comes in off the radar, like Bogut did last year, but we have included everyone who is currently on the radar for the next four years.
"Our goal is to develop and move forward with a group that can play in Beijing."
The squad will attend a training camp in June before attending tournaments in Japan and China in preparation for the Oceania Championships, to be held in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin from August 17-21
Bogut and Bruce driving the team, Loughton in the centre, Schenscher coming off the bench as his backup, Kickert dropping 3's, Newley cutting to the rim.. I'm really very excited by this teams potential to go top 3 and eventually cement a place there.
Bogut leads new wave of Boomers
Date: 13/04/05
By James Dampney
The evolution of the Australian men's basketball team has gathered pace, with Andrew Bogut headlining a new generation of players selected to face New Zealand in the upcoming Oceania Championships.
After more than a decade of stability anchored around the quintet of Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Luc Longley and Andrew Vlahov, generation next has well and truly arrived in Australian basketball.
Heal's retirement after captaining Australia at the Athens Olympics signalled the end of the most successful era in Boomers history, which yielded fourth-place Olympic finishes in 1988, 1996 and 2000.
The likes of Olympians Jason Smith, Brett Maher, Chris Anstey, CJ Bruton and Matt Nielsen still represent the core of the national team.
But Bogut, the likely No.1 pick in June's NBA Draft, leads a swathe of US college standouts picked for a 20-man Boomers squad.
Aaron Bruce (Baylor University), Luke Schenscher (Georgia Tech), Daniel Kickert (St Mary's) and Alex Loughton (Old Dominion) are among a group of virtual unknowns who have spent at least the past 12 months honing their games in the US college system.
They, along with Bogut - who got his first taste of international basketball in Athens last year - will carry the men's team into the next decade and beyond.
Australia will tackle the Kiwis in a best-of-three world championship qualification series in New Zealand in August.
"The squad is a mix of the core players from the last Olympic team and nine or 10 guys we haven't seen in an international context, but who've all been playing well in their environment," coach Brian Goorjian said.
"We've got a lot of young developing guys performing very well in college (plus) the kids who won a gold medal at the 2003 under-19 world championships and have come into the NBL and performed well."
Townsville standout Brad Newley, West Sydney's Steve Markovic and Adelaide's Jacob Holmes have all taken the next step from the NBL to the national squad.
New Brisbane signing Sam Mackinnon is back in the fold after being controversially left out for Athens, along with Bullets teammate Stephen Black.
The Melbourne Commonwealth Games, where Australia will be the gold medal favourite, and 2006 world titles in Japan loom large on the horizon for Goorjian's team.
But the national coach already has one eye on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"I think 90 per cent or even 100 per cent will come out of this group when we get to the Olympics in Beijing," Goorjian said.
"There may be someone who comes in off the radar, like Bogut did last year, but we have included everyone who is currently on the radar for the next four years.
"Our goal is to develop and move forward with a group that can play in Beijing."
The squad will attend a training camp in June before attending tournaments in Japan and China in preparation for the Oceania Championships, to be held in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin from August 17-21
