Marshall to make Boomers debut next week

Adelaide 36ers local product Nick Marshall will wear the green and gold for the first time later this month after being selected in the Australian Boomers team for the next FIBA World Cup qualifying window.

The Boomers will play Bahrain on February 23, then tackle Kazakhstan on February 26 with both games to be played at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne.

Marshall said the chance to represent his country on home soil was a dream come true.

“I got a phone call on Wednesday afternoon just asking for some details then Dean (Vickerman, Boomers coach for this window), sent me a text last night and said I was selected,” Marshall said.

“I just got up after I got that text and said, ‘let’s go’, I was so happy.

“I was waiting for a phone call, but I got a text message.

“He will call me today (Thursday) to go over some more details, my role, and stuff like that.”

MARSHALL: ‘I’M KEEN TO START MORE’

The 198cm swingman was elevated to the main roster in NBL23 and has averaged 3.1 points per match across his 33 NBL games, including a breakout 15-point performance against South East Melbourne last December.

“When I started making my way into the 36ers, that’s when my Boomers dreams began and I started to think about it that it would be pretty cool to represent Australia and play for my country,” Marshall said.

Mitch McCarron is also on the Boomers team and Marshall said it was special to make his international debut with his club captain.

“Yeah, that is going to be sick, not only Macca (McCarron), but Pearl (36ers assistant coach Jamie Pearlman) and Jazzy (team manger Jared Campbell), will also be there, which is pretty special,” Marshall said.

“And to play with Isaac Humphries again, it will be cool to be apart of it with those guys as well.”

Australia sits on top of Group F with a 9-1 record and have already qualified for this year’s World Cup, but the Boomers will be wanting to put on a show in front of their home fans for the first time in almost 12 months.

2023 FIBA WORLD CUP – QUALIFYING WINDOW 6
BOOMERS SQUAD
Mitch McCarron, Nick Marshall (Adelaide 36ers), Nathan Sobey (Brisbane Bullets), Mitch Norton, Todd Blanchfield (Perth Wildcats), Isaac Humphries, Mason Peatling (Melbourne United), Kyle Adnam (South East Melbourne Phoenix), Dan Grida (Illawarra Hawks), Nick Kay (Shimane Susanoo Magic), Rhys Vague (Kagawa Five Arrows), Alex Toohey (NBA Global Academy).