BASKETBALL

FIBA

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

TRARALGON’S Jack White has been selected as a part of the 12-man Australian Boomers squad competing at the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This will be the first time White suits up in the green and gold since the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Australia will be out to defend their crown when play begins on August 5 through August 17.

The Boomers have taken out the gold medal in 2017 and 2022 since joining the tournament in the last two editions.

Missing out on both the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2024 Olympic teams, this could possibly be White’s first taste of gold outside of junior international competition.

Before Australia joined the Asia Cup in 2017, it was once held every two two years and was a qualifying tournament for both the World Cup and the following Olympics – it is now a standalone competition and runs every four years.

Australia are placed in Group A, facing off against Qatar, Korea, and Lebanon – of which Korea, they played in the qualification rounds last year.

Traralgon hosted FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers last February, with the Boomers taking to the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium (GRISS) court against Indonesia and Thailand.

Many locals were eagerly anticipating the return of their star export who had made waves in the college basketball scene for Duke University and won an NBA title in 2023 for the Denver Nuggets.

Unfortunately, White was forced to withdraw from Boomers commitments after suffering a calf injury in December and then sustaining a back injury late into the NBL season just before Melbourne United’s finals campaign.

He would still return to his heartland alongside fellow Traralgon basketball star Jade Melbourne to run some local clinics and watched the second game on the regional slate.

Australia would lay waste to their opposition over the course of the qualifying stages, going undefeated across their six games with significant results throughout.

The Boomers average winning margin was 41 points, but Korea (who they are playing in group play at the Asia Cup), did best out of any opponent, with their first bout back in February 2024 being just a 14-point win, and furthermore, were up through three quarters of that game.

To go along with being the reigning back-to-back gold medallists of the Asia Cup, Australia also had by far the best point differential (points for versus points against) out of any country across the qualifying stages, making them the prohibitive favourites.

The 2025 FIBA Asia Cup will also jumpstart the next era of the Australian Boomers under new head coach Adam Caporn, taking over from Brian Goorjian, who led the men’s national team to their first Olympic podium finish in history when the Boomers secured the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games (played in 2021 due to the pandemic).

Caporn has leant on youth for his first window as Boomers coach, with an average age of 23.8 heading over to Saudi Arabia – making White, at age 27, one of the elder statesmen of the team.

Alongside former NBA players Xavier Cooks, Jack McVeigh, and Will Magnay, the senior group is said to be meshing well with the younger unit.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this group representing Australia and the dedication they’ve shown to the Boomers program,” Caporn said.

“It’s been a strong competitive start to camp, and we feel we’re building something special from these early foundations.”

The side also includes Dash Daniels, brother of Atlanta Hawks player, Dyson in the NBA.

That fresh and youthful talent was on display during the qualifiers, with many making their debut for the Boomers during their trip to Traralgon.

While not playing in the Gippsland showcase, future NBA draft pick Rocco Zikarsky featured in four games during the qualifying stages. Zikarsky was recently picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves and is now amongst the top four tallest players in the NBA at a giant seven foot, three inches.

The Boomers played University of Colorado at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre last Thursday (July 31) in their final bout before heading to Saudi Arabia.

Australia won a tight battle, 93 to 87, with White adding nine points, four rebounds, and two steals in 22 minutes of action off the bench.

The Boomers play their first game of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup tonight (August 6) against Korea from 6pm local time.

 

FELLOW Traralgon boy Will Hamilton was also recently selected to Australia’s under-16 FIBA Asia Cup side, which travel to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from August to September.

The Crocs held an initial preparation tour in China, which included eight games across 11 days in three different cities.

Current Brisbane Bullets assistant coach Greg Vanderjagt is leading the junior national team as they make their way through the Asia and Oceania competition.

“The international junior landscape is constantly growing in terms of the level of athletes and coaches who are participating for their nations,” he said.

“The challenges we will face at the Asia Cup are diverse and each day will present a different style for our team to combat.”

Much like the senior men’s team, Australia have dominated the Asia Cup since migrating to the FIBA Asia conference in 2018.

The Crocs have won the gold medal in the two previous Asia Cup tournaments in 2018 and 2023, as well as the U16 Asian Championship in 2022.

In Hamilton’s last venture in the green and gold, he took out MVP honours (Most Valuable Player) in Australia’s gold medal win at the FIBA U15 Oceania Cup, hosted in Canberra last November.

He has also recently undertaken a stint at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence alongside many of the top prospects from across the country.