MANILA, Philippines — Former PBA import Tom Vodanovich returns to Manila with the New Zealand national team playing against Gilas in the second FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window at the MOA Arena tomorrow night. The 6-7 Vodanovich averaged 20.8 points in five winless games for Converge in the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup.
Vodanovich, 30, is one of six players on the 13-man Kiwi pool who saw action for New Zealand at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece this year. The others are 6-2 Corey Webster, 35, 6-5 Flynn Cameron, 24, 6-2 Izayah Le’afa, 28, 7-0 Tyrell Harrison, 25, and 6-9 Sam Mannenga, 22. The New Zealand players who suited up at the 2023 FIBA World Cup are Cameron, Le’afa, 6-2 Taylor Britt, 28, 6-5 Walter Brown, 21, and 6-7 Hyrum Harris, 28. Making their debut on the Kiwis squad are 6-1 Kaia Isaac, 21, and 6-7 Oscar Goodman, 17. Rounding up the cast are 6-5 Max Darling, 21, and 6-10 Sam Waarndenburg, 25.
Goodman, a power forward, was named to the Mythical Five at the recent FIBA U17 World Cup and will play for the University of Michigan next season. Darling was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines but has lived in New Zealand since childhood. Seven players went to US schools, including Mannenga who attended Steph Curry’s alma mater Davidson.
The Philippines has not beaten New Zealand in four FIBA competitions from the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila in 2016, losing by an average margin of 24.3 points. The latest setback was a 92-75 drubbing at the FIBA Asia Cup in 2022. Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo are the only Gilas players held over from the Asia Cup defeat while Mannenga, Britt and Cameron are the New Zealand returnees. Both Gilas and New Zealand are unbeaten in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers with only two more wins to seal outright tickets to the 16-team Jeddah tournament on Aug. 5-17 next year.
New Zealand will be piloted by first-time national coach Judd Flavell. Webster, a two-time World Cupper who played for Dallas in the 2017 NBA Summer League, leads the squad with 97 caps. Eight players have made at least 10 appearances on the Kiwi squad.