N.Z. basketball team progressing well

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32659, 15 July 1971, Page 22

N.Z. basketball team progressing well

The touring New Zealand men’s basketball team arrived In Christchurch last evening unperturbed by its unexpected 87-90 loss to Nelson on Tuesday its first to a provincial side and determined that there be no repeat of this outcome against Canterbury at Cowles Stadium this evening. "We have been training every day. There has been no let-up at all,” said the national coach, Mr J. W. Hinton (Auckland). "When we do take a rest the team should freshen up considerably." The loss to Nelson was en-

gineered by two outstanding Amercian players, S. McKeen and R. South, who had been invited to help strengthen Nelson. McKeen scored 39 points. This loss has done nothing to lessen Mr Hinton’s confidence in his players. “This is the finest New Zealand team I have seen,” he said. “The men train so well everybody who has seen them up and down the country has been impressed with them. The form they have shown in training has not quite got across to the matches yet; they have not yet really played up to their Mill potential. But I am sure they will before long.” Mr Hinton is firmly convinced that New Zealand will win the three-match test series against Australia next month and qualify for the Munich Olympic Games. “The Australian team has been chosen we know who is in it and I am confident we can beat it. There is one chap of 6ft Win but the team is only of average height, the same as us.”

The 12 players in the New i Zealand team had made trei mendous progress since they had been brought together, i “You will see that tomorrow”; Mr Hinton said. Criticised in some quarters ■ for his scheme to keep the i players together for about I eight weeks of extensive training, Mr Hinton is convinced that this method is i the only one which can suc- : ceed. “We are aiming to play .in the Olympic Games. Any i sportsman who wants to : reach this level has to be de- ; dicated and has to make sac- ' rifices,” he said. Referring to his team, he I said: “These men were not used to this type of training • and yet they are thriving on I it. I am convinced that this ■ is the answer.” t Mr Hinton said he was not > concerned by the players who ■ had dropped out of his origi inal squad. Some had legit- > imate reasons and he res- > pected those. The ones who > had no valid reason were not > the type of person he wanted. ! “The players I have got have certainly proved themselves.”