Ili shakes off jet-lag for World Cup clash

Shea Ili is a Kiwi hoops talent going places.

Just a few days ago the 25-year-old point guard was in Dallas going through tryouts for the Mavericks of the NBA. Then he was in Invercargill to fulfil New Zealand NBL duties with the Wellington Saints. Yesterday, it was Rotorua where he’s preparing with the Tall Blacks for the short Fiba World Cup qualifying window.

Little wonder, then, that Ili was feeling a little frazzled in the lead-in to tomorrow’s opener against Hong Kong at Rotorua’s Energy Events Centre.

He has barely had time to catch his breath, let alone recalibrate his body-clock, and will soon be charged with leading the Tall Blacks’ backcourt charge in the absence of the Webster brothers, Corey and Tai.

Ili admitted he was ‘‘pretty stuffed’’ after his shortturnaround dash to Dallas, but would be ‘‘fine’’ by tomorrow night.

‘‘It has been tough on the body but you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do.’’

For Ili, one of the big movers in Kiwi hoops, the travel goes with the business of basketball.

Last year he led a youthful Tall Blacks team to the Asia Cup in Lebanon with aplomb, named to the All-Star five after an impressive tournament. Then came a standout campaign in the Australian NBL with the Breakers which saw him pick up the league’s most improved player award. He’s their designated starting point man for 2018-19.

Now he’s the driving force for the Wellington Saints in the Kiwi NBL, second in the league in scoring (25.4 a game) and fourth in assists (6.7).

For now he has plenty to concentrate on with two important home games with the Tall Blacks (China on Sunday in Auckland will complete the window), and then a league title to chase with the Saints.