Canterbury has two in basketball squad

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33712, 9 December 1974, Page 34

Canterbury has two in basketball squad

(By

R. O. DEW)

Two 6ft 4in Canterbury forwards, B. Shipley and S. Ferguson, have been named in the final New Zealand Games basketball squad which will begin a week of training at Trentham on January 10.

A squad of 15 was announced yesterday after two days of trials in the Christchurch Boys’ High School gymnasium.

It will be reduced by three during the Trentham training camp by the selector-coach, Mr S. R. McKean. He had hoped to select the final team of 12 at the completion of the week-end trials but a ruling by the national executive made this impossible. Surprise choice There is one major suprise in the 15 chosen —the inclusion of the American, J. Sanders, who has not yet arrived in New Zealand.

Before the trials, it was understood that Sanders would be unable to reach New Zealand in time for the Trentham training camp — he is at present in Australia. However, new information was given to the selectors (Messrs McKean, G. D. Demp-

sey and D. Sharp) and they elected to include him. i They were helped in their decision by the lack of top guards available. Sanders is to take up a teaching appointment in North Shore early next year. Three other Americans are in the squad — L. Durante (North Shore), B. Beard (Auckland), and P. Mitchell (Wellington).

Canterbury’s 6ft 7in centre, R. Millard, who was brought into the trials at the eleventh hour, has been omitted, although he was clearly superior to his younger and slightly taller rival, D. Joustra (North Shore). The other big man in the squad is the Nelson centre, S. Hill, who is 6ft 9in. Millard would almost certainly be brought in if either Hill or Joustra were unable to play. Whelan injured The former representative forward, J. Whelan (Otago), dislocated a bone in his leg on Saturday and was admitted to hospital yesterday. In spite of his brief appearance at the trials, he has been named in the squad. He

still has hopes of recovering in time for the training camp. The squad is.—R, Arblaster, Durante, Joustra, Sanders (North Shore); Beard (Auckland); P. Bevin, J. R. Fairweather, Mitchell, J. Saker, P. Sewell (Wellington); Shipley, Ferguson (Canterbury); J. McDonald (New Plymouth); Hill (Nelson); Whelan (Otago).