Hawks young guns Mitch Norton and Nick Kay have confirmed their status as two of the NBL’s rising stars after being named in the Boomers squad for the FIBA Asia Cup next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Illawarra duo were named as part of a 12-man squad for the tournament after impressing during a training camp on the Gold Coast over the past week.
Their selection caps off a strong twelve months on the court for both players and is their maiden selection in the national team at the top level.
They are the only Hawks players to feature in the squad, which features at least one member from every Australian NBL franchise.
London Olympian and Melbourne United forward David Andersen will likely lead the team at the Cup, with several players set to make their Australian debut at the tournament.
“It is a great opportunity for the first-timers to get that international experience with the Boomers which will serve us well as we progress through the qualification process,” Boomers head coach Andrej Lemanis said.
“I’ve been so impressed and humbled with the attitude that everyone came into camp with.
“I know how much it means to them to be in a Boomers environment and every time you are around them, it reminds you just how lucky we are to be involved in a wonderful program with wonderful people.”
The team will stay in camp until Thursday before jetting to Lebanon on August 2 in preparation for the Cup.
They will begin their campaign against Japan on August 8 before playing Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
Semi finals and finals will then follow.
The tournament will provide both Kay, 24, and Norton, 24, with the chance to make a strong impression on Lemanis ahead of several key World Cup qualifiers in November this year.
“Part of this camp’s purpose was to set the scene for the next 18 months or so through the first set of qualifiers,” Lemanis, who also coaches Brisbane Bullets, said.
“We wanted to continue to build with the broader group and establish the team’s trademarks as well as offensive and defensive understandings”