Hawks duo headline Boomers squad for World Cup qualifiers

With the third FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying window fast approaching, Basketball Australia has announced its Boomers team, headlineD by Illawarra Hawks duo Sam Froling and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, to play against China and Japan in Melbourne later this month.

Returning to coach the Boomers for his first event since Tokyo 2020, former Hawks coach Brian Goorjian is locked in to lead the series on home soil and will reunite with three-time Olympian and bronze medallist Matthew Dellavedova. 

The Boomers welcome some fresh yet familiar faces to the court, with highly experienced names set to represent Australia for the first time. 

Joining the Illawarra pair in the 12-person squad will be NBA G-League’s Thon Maker, Tasmanian JackJumpers’ Clint Steindl, Sam McDaniel and Jack McVeigh, Melbourne United’s Jack White and Dellavedova, Adelaide 36ers’ Mitch McCarron, Perth Wildcats’ Todd Blanchfield, Cairns Taipans’ Keanu Pinder and New Zealand Breakers’ Will McDowell-White.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">????<br><br>Squad ready.<a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BasketballAus</a> have named the Boomers team ready to compete in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and there&#39;s a whole lot of NBL talent on display.<br><br>Read more ? <a href="https://t.co/jJYalZGSEv">https://t.co/jJYalZGSEv</a> <a href="https://t.co/zswh0S7ntT">pic.twitter.com/zswh0S7ntT</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1534718847827443712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This Boomers' team announcement comes as a nod of recognition to the Australian basketball pathways, with seven of the 12 selected players having progressed via the AIS and BA’s Centre of Excellence. 

Coach Brian Goorjian is ready to see what this group of players can do. 

“I’m really excited by the depth of basketball talent in Australia, we have put together a competitive list of players, six who are playing as Boomers for the first time,” said Goorjian, who remains the Hawks’ special advisor for basketball operations.

“We know what China and Japan will bring to the table and what it will take for the win.

“We can expect Thon Maker, at seven-foot, to be a significant asset for us, alongside Delly, White and Froling - there is a lot to like with this group. 

“We only have a short time to train together, but we will make it count, I know the home crowd will give us the advantage.”

The Boomers will first face China on June 30 (tipping off at 6:30pm AEST) before taking on Japan (July 1 - 7:30pm AEST) and China once again (July 3 - 6:30pm AEST) - with all matches being played at John Cain Arena.