By JONAS TERRADO
The decision to play pro ball overseas has been paying dividends for Far Eastern University’s Fil-Kiwi standout Ken Tuffin after he was named in New Zealand’s national team pool for future international competitions.
Tuffin, who helped the Taranaki Mountainairs reach the semifinals of New Zealand’s National Basketball League, was one of 10 players submitted by Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron for possible inclusion in the Commonwealth Games the Olympics.
“The (New Zealand NBL) has been a great opportunity to gauge our depth of talent and to discover new players that we might not have had on our radar previously,” said Cameron, as quoted by the country’s national federation Basketball New Zealand.
The 23-year-old Tuffin has been solid since the NBL season began last month, posting averages of 9.4 points on a 45-percent shooting with 4.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
He scored nine points on three triples Wednesday afternoon as the Mountainairs downed the Franklin Bulls, 99-90, to make the semis.
Taranaki, which finished fourth in the regular season with an 8-6 record, were slated to face the Manawatu Jets for a spot in the league’s Grand Final on Saturday.
Tuffin was named by the NBL website as among the five players that surprised everyone during the season.
“(While) the Airs duo of Marcel Jones and Derone Raukawa have been stealing most of the headlines, Tuffin has been posting some impressive numbers of his own,” the NBL’s website said in a story posted last July 20.
“His performances may also have caught the eye of a Tall Blacks selector or two,” it added.
