PARRAMATTA (2009 FIBA Oceania Championship) – Australia’s men’s basketball team, the Boomers, will begin a five day training camp at The Kings School in Parramatta tomorrow with South America on the mind.

Athlete performance at the camp will determine the team that Basketball Australia selects to tour South America, with the side departing Sydney on Monday 27 July bound for Brazil and Argentina.

The Boomers will play matches against the host nations and Uruguay while on tour as part of its preparation for the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship against New Zealand in Sydney and Wellington on August 23 and 25.

The August 23 match at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre tips off at 6:00pm and will determine Australia’s seeding at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men in Turkey.

Nineteen athletes will attend the camp including big men Nathan Jawai, Aron Baynes and Luke Nevill as well as Beijing Olympian Joe Ingles, who all recently returned from the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Ingles’ Beijing team mate David Barlow will also attend the camp, while NBA players Andrew Bogut and David Andersen along with former Captain Matt Nielsen visiting the camp on Friday but not suiting up.

Six members of the Boomers team that toured China in late June have not been included in the latest squad, with Rhys Carter, Brad Hill, Jacob Holmes and Matthew Knight cut from the group while Aleks Maric (quadriceps) and Damien Martin (wrist) are unavailable through injury.

Athletes attending Boomers Training Camp July 22-26:

Name / Most recent college or pro team / Junior Association / Age / Height

Adam BALLINGER / Adelaide 36ers / Bluffton HS (USA) / 29 / 206cm
David BARLOW / Melbourne Tigers / Sandringham Sabres / 25 / 205cm
Aron BAYNES / Washington State University (USA) / Cairns, QLD / 22 / 208cm
Matt BURSTON / Adelaide 36ers / Perry Lakes, WA / 26 / 210cm
Jason CADEE / Australian Institute of Sport / Bankstown, NSW / 18 / 185cm
Peter CRAWFORD / Townsville Crocodiles / Mt. Isa, QLD / 29 / 193cm
Matthew DELLAVEDOVA / Australian Institute of Sport / Maryborough, VIC / 18 / 189cm
Daniel DILLON / South Dragons / Bulleen, VIC / 23 / 193cm
Cody ELLIS / Australian Institute of Sport / Stirling, WA / 19 / 202cm
Oscar FORMAN / New Zealand Breakers (NZ) / Sturt, SA / 27 / 206cm
Adam GIBSON / Gold Coast Blaze / Launceston, TAS / 22 / 188cm
James HARVEY / Gold Coast Blaze / Perry Lakes, WA / 30 / 196cm
Joe INGLES / South Dragons / Southern Tigers / 21 / 203cm
Nathan JAWAI / Dallas Mavericks (USA) / Cairns, QLD / 22 / 208cm
Brock MOTUM / Australian Institute of Sport / Brisbane / 18 / 205cm
Luke NEVILL / University of Utah (USA) / Stirling, WA / 23 / 216cm
Jorden PAGE / Australian Institute of Sport / Maroochydore, QLD / 18 / 182cm
Stephen WEIGH / Perth Wildcats / Rockhampton, QLD / 22 / 202cm
Luke SCHENSCHER / Adelaide 36ers / Noarlunga, SA / 26 / 216cm

Basketball Australia