MARYBOROUGH basketballer Matthew Dellavedova has been selected in the Australian Boomers 17-man squad ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers guard will now attend a camp at the Basketball Australia National Centre of Excellence in Canberra later this month.
Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis said he was pleased with the calibre of players selected in the initial squad.
“We have a good mix of experience and youth and I’m looking forward to seeing it all come together,” he said.
"I know we will have a team that plays the right way, where teammates will support each other and play for one another, it is the Australian way.
“It is always an honour to represent your country, we are all looking forward to the journey ahead.”
After the July 23 to 29 camp, Lemanis and his coaching panel will cut the squad to 12 players.
From there the Boomers will depart for a three-week tour of Europe ahead of the World Cup.
Dellavedova enhanced his chances of making the final cut after an impressive game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Summer League on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old scored a game-high 19 points in the Cavs 86 to 77 win in Las Vegas.
Dellavedova netted nine of his points in the final period.
He finished the game with four rebounds, one assist and a steal to continue Cleveland’s unbeaten Summer League run.
In the Cavs' first game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Dellavedova scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists.
In their second game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, he had seven assists and scored three points.
Lemanis said the success of players like Dellavedova and other Australians who have made their mark around the world brought added excitement to the national program.
The Boomers squad also includes NBA championship player Aron Baynes from San Antonio as well as Dante Exum and Cameron Bairstow.
"We now not only have players in the world’s best seasonal competitions, but they are playing significant roles with their teams,” Lemains said.
“This is yet another reflection of our strength as a basketball nation and the development our players receive through our high performance pathways."
The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held in Spain between August 30 and September 15.
Australia's first game is against Slovenia on August 31.