Long-time Illawarra teammates Sean Cranney and Angus Glover are on the cusp of selection in the Australian under-17 basketball side for a tour of China.

Cranney and Glover played starring roles for the NSW Country team which reached the final of last week's national under-18 championships in Canberra.

The pair were named in a 16-man Australian squad and will return to Canberra on Thursday for a four-day selection camp.

The final team will be picked on Sunday night to take part in an upcoming four-nation tournament in China.

"It's definitely the best thing I've achieved so far," Glover said.

"It's going to be tough to make the team. It depends on what the coach is looking for and how I trial. I'd love to have the opportunity to play in China."

Glover doesn't turn 16 until September and will remain eligible for under-17 national selection in 2015.

The 190-centimetre guard and Holy Spirit student has been a perennial state selection for the past few years.

"I want to go to college in America, play basketball and get an education, and see where that takes me," Glover said. "I'd love to play at the highest level in the NBA, but I'll just continue to play basketball whatever happens."

Cranney, who attends Smith's Hill high school, has been cruelly robbed of past state selections because of untimely injuries.

The 16-year-old point guard is looking forward to testing himself in elite company at this week's training camp.

"Just making the squad has been pretty special, so I'm quite grateful to be where I am at the moment," Cranney said.

"It was pretty amazing just being at my first nationals and competing with the best players in Australia, and to get the call-up was really special. It means everything to me. To represent my country would be absolutely amazing.

"The guards we played against at nationals are quality players, so nothing's going to be easy. We're going to really have to work to impress."

Cranney and Glover know each other's games inside and out.

"I've been playing with him in rep teams for six or seven years now," Cranney said.

"I'm really happy for him. It's really good to be playing at this level with someone I've been so close with throughout the years."

Glover is equally proud of his mate.

"It's a great opportunity for him because he's had a lot of bad luck with injuries over the years."

Cranney also hopes to play in the US after finishing high school, as he has long dreamt of going to college and furthering his education there.