Preparation is in full swing for the 2023 Under16 FIBA Mens’ Asia Cup.
Basketball Victoria High Performance Coach (Country) Nathan Cooper-Brown is the head coach of the Australian Under16 Men (The Crocs), as they prepare for tournament to be played in September this year, in Doha.
Cooper- Brown is being assisted by BA Centre of Excellence assistant coach Ash Arnott who have been working hard to train the squad for the final team announcement in August.
Cooper- Brown and his coaching team have had a close on eye on the athletes for many months, watching their performances at the U18 National Championships, state tournaments and other elite level competition, including NBL1.
The coaching team have had scouts all over Australia looking for the best squad of 22 to take to the selection camp which will be held in Canberra, 8-10 August at the Centre of Excellence.
As the athletes live all over Australia, Cooper-Brown and his coaching team have been relying on online platforms to conduct meetings and coaching drills to prepare the athletes for the selection camp. Their online meetings with the team consist of an array of themes including a supportive team culture, the style of play that will be implemented and overall expectations of the athletes whilst they are in camp. The coaching team have chosen to use online forums to offer the athletes as much preparation as possible so that when the camp is on, they can get the best out of each athlete in the small amount of time they have, this will ensure the best 12 athletes are selected for the final squad.
The team will arrive three days before the tournament to ensure the team can acclimatise to the conditions, re connect with each other and prepare to ensure the team is the court in the best possible condition!
The FIBA Asia Cup is the qualifier to the 2023 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup- Australia has to finish in the top three to qualify.
