WAIS Athletes Named in Australian Rollers Extended Squad
The Australian Rollers men’s national wheelchair basketball team has named a 21-player squad in contention for selection to represent the team at the 2014 IWF Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Incheon, South Korea.
The defending World Champions, the Rollers squad is littered with star power, including a core of the team that claimed the world title in Birmingham, England four years ago.
Following the official draw for July’s tournament last week, the Rollers will face a tough task to get out of the group, with games against European trio Germany, Sweden and Italy to challenge their hopes of winning back-to-back World Championships.
The squad includes eight players from the 2012 Paralympic Games silver medal winning team, including Tristan Knowles, Brad Ness and Justin Eveson, compiling 10 Paralympic appearances for the Rollers.
Ness and Eveson, are scholarship holders with the Western Australian Institute of Sport, and are joined by fellow WAIS athletes Adam Deans, Michael Hartnett, Shaun Norris and Kim Robins in the extended squad.
Adding to the experienced core is an exciting group of young players emerging following the 2013 IWBF Under 23 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships led by 2012 Paralympian Jannik Blair, Luke Pople and Tom O’Neill-Thorne.
Rollers Head Coach Ben Ettridge said the strength in depth of the squad is testament to the quality of wheelchair basketball in Australia.
“The depth of this extended squad is truly a testament to the talent that currently lies in the Rollers program,” Ettridge said.
“We have an experienced core in the form of Brad Ness, Mike Hartnett, Justin Eveson, Shaun Norris, Tristan Knowles, Bill Latham, Jannik Blair and Nick Taylor, who formed the team that claimed silver in London.”
“These players provide great leadership and really set the standards for the group, giving the younger players a clear expectation of what is required to be part of the Rollers program.”
The emergence of the youth coming through to the senior team has also excited Ettridge, believing this will ensure the contest for spots in the final 12 remains strong.
“This squad also includes some exciting young players who have come through our development pathway, such as Tom O’Neill-Thorne, Luke Pople, Michael Auprince and Jordan Bartley,” Ettridge said.
“All four of these players were keys to the success of the Australian Spinners at the Under 23 World Championships last year.
“The goal of the Rollers program is always to have pressure from beneath. No one owns their spot in the team and must earn it.”
The Rollers begin their preparation for the World Championships next month (10-22 April) with a tour of Europe for training camp and tournament games.
The 2014 IWF Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships takes place in Incheon, South Korea from 3-15 July.
In other Wheelchair Basketball news:
The Australian Gliders have completed their tour of Canada and the USA with a closeout victory over the USA in the final game of the 2014 Lakeshore Cup in Alabama.
Bringing an end to their 12-day tour that took in a total of 12 games, the Gliders played the USA three times in two days, producing a winning performance in the final outing of the three-team competition.
Playing double-headers, the Gliders were soundly beaten in Friday’s morning fixture 55-36, with the hosts racing to an 18-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 34-12 lead at half time. The visitors managed to outscore their opponents after the main break but could not challenge for the victory.
This was quickly avenged as the Gliders produced down the stretch to defeat the USA to end the Lakeshore Cup on a winning note 62-57, with WAIS athlete Amber Merritt (21 points) and Cobi Crispin (returning from injury to score 14 points) leading the team to victory.
Merritt was joined on the tour by fellow WAIS scholarship holders Sarah Vinci, Clare Nott and Georgia Inglis.
Gliders Head Coach Tom Kyle said the performance of his team to rebound from the earlier loss showed the character of his players.
“It was pleasing that when the game was on the line we made our free throws down the stretch, hitting 80% in the final three minutes of the game, which secured the win,” Kyle said.
“From the team’s perspective it was a good way to end the tour, as it proved to the girls that if we shoot with confidence and improve our percentages good things will happen.”
The victory ensured the Gliders would finish the Lakeshore Cup with a 3-3 record after two earlier wins over Japan.
On Thursday the Gliders easily accounted for Japan 56-33 courtesy of a dominant first half display that saw them concede just 16 points. A 14-6 quarter time lead set the tone for game, with Merritt (13 points) and Crispin (12 points) leading the scoring charge.
Kyle said the performance exemplified the quality of his team when they are able to play at their best.
“The win over Japan shows what we are capable of when we make the right decisions – when the girls are relaxed and calm their defence is unstoppable,” Kyle said.
In the second of the double-header against the USA, the Gliders suffered a 65-45 loss. Merritt would again lead the scoring charts for the visitors, with 14 points.
-BasketballAustralia