Casey Frank: Former Tall Black unpacks the junior team's success at the Basketball World Cup

New Zealand has surged to an historic quarter-final win against Switzerland at basketball's Under-19 World Cup in Lausanne. 

Down by six points at halftime, the junior Tall Blacks won 84-70 - the first time they've made the semi-finals of the global event in this age group. 

The team joins the 2002 Tall Blacks, who came fourth at the world championships, and the 2024 U17 side, as the one of the few teams to make it this far at the Basketball World Cup.  

Former Tall Black Casey Frank joined Nick Bewley to unpack the team’s success. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildergrave from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB, News Talks EDB. It is twenty six minutes past eight.
Nick Bully here on the All Sports Breakfast. As we've
mentioned throughout the course of the show, history for our
junior Tall Blacks at the Under nineteen Basketball World Cup
a short time ago, beating the tournament hosts Switzerland eighty
four points to seventy to book their place in the

(00:32):
semifinals where they'll face the United States tomorrow morning, six
am New Zealand time. Joining us on the line to
react to this huge result is former Tall Black Casey Frank.
Thanks for picking up the phone case just if you
can contextualize this for us. How significant of a result
is this for New Zealand basketball.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Well, it's a tremendous achievement. I think, even when looking
at the tournament and understanding that this team had aspirations
to get to that level and thought they could play
this well, to actually go over there and do it
is just it's kind of mind boggling really to see
this core group get to that top four for the
first time ever at this level. But the core group

(01:14):
that had done it, you know, just not a short
time ago at the under seventeen. They've got that experience
and to be on the precipice of giving themselves a
chance for a medal is fantastic. Regardless of coming up
against the USC team next, that's gonna be a pretty tough,
tough hit.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
What stood out for you in this game against the Switzerland.
We've been following it while we've been on here. The
Swiss set a double digit lead in the second quarter,
and then it just looks like a freight train from
New Zealand just came through in the third quarter in particular.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, that mental fortitude after dealing with that pressure in
the second quarter, You know, the physicality lifted there in
Switzerland with the home crowd really getting pumped up. You
could feel the energy in there, and you know, internationally,
I've been on the bat at the wrong end of
those ways before. There's a huge crowd but just starts
coming at you. The refs aren't coming your way, and
all of a sudden you go from up to down

(02:06):
fourteen and the game's over. But they dealt with it
so nicely, even in that quarter, started taking better care
of the basketball, made enough of a push in the
first half to be there in the second, and then
that third quarter was just dominant. I mean, obviously Hayden
Jones was fantastic scoring the basketball in those late clock situations,
but the physicality of after Goodman up front, what he

(02:27):
was finishing through those anyones, his power and I think
the best game from Julia Telaphanua we've seen in the
tournament yet, you know, played with great efficiency around the
basket and really gave them some problems with the size
that he was posing down low. So that that third
quarter in particular, mind now, what a wave to come
out and just play like that was really impressive.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's awesome. And Dave, so as we mentioned through the show,
that's irrespective of what happens tomorrow, as you say, case,
he's still an opportunity to play for a middle But
what worst case scenario from here, they're going to emulate
the under seventeens of last year and that Golden Generational
team in two thousand and two MS the best of
a result at a Fever tournament. Yeah, as you say,

(03:10):
mind boggling, It's what a time to be involved in
the sport of basketball.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
It really is and you know you speak about the
Golden Generation, but that really is what this group is.
They've got so much depth watching these young men develop,
you know, around the country playing for their schools, also
in the NBL, in the Rapid League, and just how
quickly they've gone to the world stage. Big things for
this group are all across. The depth I think really

(03:36):
stands out, the depth of talent. And now they get
to go do it against the US team and you
know all the dates. You never know what.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Hey, they got a bit of a shakeup overnight as
well against Canada. They might not be the unbeatable force.
Where we shall wait and see. Hey, case You've got
to keep moving here on the all sports spirit fast,
but really appreciate your time, your expertise, your knowledge and
as I say, what a time to be involved in
the sport of basketball.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
It's a pleasure. Well, always good. It's easy to get me.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
When I'm up early anyway, good man, Casey Frank.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
For more from The Sport Breakfast with Darcy Waltergrave, listen
live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings, or
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