Wildcats duo named in Boomers squad for Japan series

The Australian-born, American-raised Pepper will join fellow young gun Henshall in the youthful Boomers squad who will to be playing for the Nissay Cup.

The two games are on Saturday 22 June (1.30pm WA time) and Sunday 23 June (3pm WA time).

Pepper signed a two-year deal with the Wildcats in April after a decorated college career in the US at UC Davis, where he became the school’s all-time leading point-scorer and second highest in Big West history.

The 22-year-old won this season’s Big West Player of the Year and is also a two-time All-Big West First Team member and dual All-Big West Second Team member.

Pepper qualifies as a Boomers prospect due to holding an Australian passport after being born in Shepparton in country Victoria and spending the first four years of his life there.

Henshall made the most of his Australian opportunities in a pair of FIBA World Cup qualifiers, including 14 points and three rebounds on debut in a  hard-fought victory over Korea in Bendigo in February.

He’s currently plying his trade with Otago Nuggets in New Zealand, averaging 19.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

The squad will be coached by Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman.

A selected group from this squad will return to attend training camp in late June with the Olympic-select Boomers squad in Melbourne.

“This tour of Asia helps us bring a broader group across our senior teams together and reinforce that they are a part of the whole,” Basketball Australia’s EGM of High Performance Jason Smith said.
  
“The Boomers aren’t defined by the final 12 that eventually head to tournaments like the Olympics but a sum of every player that contributes and competes. 
  
“Our aspiration continues in providing a multi-faceted system where every player feels supported in their journey as an Australian basketballer. This starts from their days as a junior representative on to the biggest stages in the world.”  

Boomers squad v Japan: Kyle Bowen, Alex Condon, Ben Henshall, Sam Froling, Keli Leaupepe, Mitch McCarron, Mitch Norton, Elijah Pepper, Tyler Robertson, Reyne Smith, Alex Toohey, Rocco Zikarsky