New head coach Flavell excited to unleash next generation of Tall Blacks talent

Judd Flavell is set to tackle his first assignment as the new head coach of the Tall Blacks in a pair of FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers this month.

New Zealand will square off with the Philippines in Manila on November 21 before returning home to face Chinese Taipei on November 25.

The 13-strong NZ roster features a few new faces, most notably Michigan commit Oscar Goodman, who starred at the FIFA U17 World Cup earlier this year and Breakers development player Kaia Isaac, alongside the likes of breakthrough Breakers big man Sam Mennenga.

Flavell - who took over from Pero Cameron last month - says he's excited to take the reins at a time when the stocks of young Kiwi basketball talent is at an all-time high, reflecting the soaring popularity of the sport across the country.

"There's certainly a growing base of talent coming out of this country and it's exciting to see," Flavell told SENZ Mornings.

"Oscar in his U17 group, they got fourth in the world this year. It's in good shape. We have the talent coming through.

"We currently have a large base of our top-tier Tall Blacks that are playing in the Australian NBL and playing significant roles with their teams.

"For me as a national coach, it's great to have the luxury to call upon these guys, look at the future and see the talent that's coming through."

If New Zealand win both of their upcoming ties, they'll secure their spot at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia next August, with two qualifiers still to play.

Listen to the full interview below: