Wildcats trio to feature in Boomers' Asia Cup qualifiers in Gippsland

First-year Wildcats guard Pepper and emerging big man Okwera, in his second season at the club, were named in the Boomers’ 12-player squad to take on Indonesia and Thailand on Thursday 20 February and Sunday 23 February respectively.

Australia has already qualified for the FIBA Asia Cup, boasting an unbeaten record of 4-0, with Pepper and fellow Wildcat Ben Henshall both featuring in previous games.

The Shepparton-born, US-raised Pepper is averaging 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his debut season as a pro.

Okwera has also been an important contributor for the Wildcats in NBL25, playing several games as a starter and averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.

Wildcats assistant coach and Academy director Crawford will also make the trip east as part of the Boomers’ coaching panel, led by former Wildcats assistant Jacob Chance.

There’s a couple of former Wildcats championship-winning players in the squad - Nick Kay and Mitch Norton.

Kay is currently plying his trade in Japan, while Norton is at Brisbane Bullets.

The Thursday game tips off at 4.30pm WST, while the Sunday game is a 1.30pm WST start.

Both are available to watch live on Kayo.