Tolovae hoping to land gig at Taipans
Gliddon in Boomers Cup squad
BASKETBALL Kiwi forward Tony Tolovae is going to make an NBL roster, he believes now is the time.
The Taipans gave club debuts to Tad Dufelmeier, Tolovae, Jean-Luc Morel and George Blagojevic, who are trying to make the team for the upcoming campaign, in their first-up pre-season victory over California Baptist University on Wednesday evening.
Hobart Huskies point guard Dufelmeier stuffed the stat sheet while of the emerging bunch, Tolovae was arguably the most impressive.
The small forward is a year too old to be a development player under NBL rules, but he could become one of the Snakes’ final local signings.
Rookie Kouat Noi is all but certain to start at the three slot for the Snakes come NBL season proper but they do not have a back-up signed just yet – with the New Zealander hoping it can be him.
“Mike Kelly has been nice enough to let me train with them during the season, and maybe I can squeeze into the squad,” Tolovae said.
“I think I am ready, if there is any time, now is the time. “Hopefully.” Tolovae spent time with the Sydney Kings as a development player in the 2016-17 season, and is fresh off a season in the NZ NBL with the Canterbury Rams.
Tolovae was coached by former Cairns-based mentor Mick Downer at the Rams, with the forward crediting him for his quick development over the last 12 months.
The plucky California Baptist University sent a scare through an undermanned Taipans side as Cairns opened their pre-season on Wednesday night. Against the visiting college kids, the Snakes were made to work for a win in their first outing in Mike Kelly’s second season in charge.
From the Taipans rotation for the coming season, just Nate Jawai, Noi and Mirko Djeric featured, as the rest of the minutes were filled by local Cairns Marlins and training players look to snare a development player slot.
CBU led early in the second half but the experienced Taipans eventually pulled away to record a first-up win, 85-76.
Newly-signed big man Jawai was registered as the Snakes’ captain in the box score, and the leadership role suited the centre, leading the club in scoring in the first half.
As he was playing against college athletes, Jawai was like a man among boys at times as he overpowered the slight CBU front court.
The 32-year-old was active defensively, cut hard to the bucket and set hard screens for his teammates to get open looks, as well as finding the open man with a few backdoor cuts. It is still the earliest point of the pre-season but Jawai displayed positive signs of a strong season ahead.
Djeric led the Taipans with 17 points with Noi and Jawai not far behind.
Cairns prodigy Tamuri Wigness came from the bench for Cairns, despite Mike Kelly declaring last month the point guard will not be with the club for the new season. Did the Cairns Taipans make it 2-0 and beat Creighton? www.cairnspost.com.au BRISBANE Bullets sharpshooter Cam Gliddon feared his bid to make the Boomers squad for the FIBA World Cup would be scuttled by a hamstring injury.
But a red-hot shooting streak on the final two days of the Australian selection camp in Melbourne earned him a coveted green-and-gold singlet for basketball’s showpiece international event.
And the ticket to China was stamped by Australian basketball legend and Boomers assistant coach Luc Longley who told the former Taipans skipper that he was a unanimous selection across the national team’s coaching staff.
He always believed he was a chance of forcing his way into the 12-man team for the tournament alongside some of Australia’s NBA stars but a hamstring issue sidelined him for the first two days of the selection camp.
But then he made every shot count.
“I knew if I shot well and defended well that I could play a role in this Boomers team. I just had to perform,’’ Gliddon said. Longley and head coach Andrej Lemanis delivered the news to Gliddon that he was going to China.
“I was so excited, I missed most of what Drej and Luc said to me after they came out with ‘congratulations’,’’ he said.
“It was a blur. But it meant a lot to hear that all the coaches had picked me in their 12. It’s a great feeling and I’m proud of that. I must have done something right in those two days.”
The Boomers, also featuring Mareeba’s Aron Baynes play Canada in Perth twice before two more exhibition games against the US in Melbourne ahead of the World Cup that starts later this month.