Nathan Hanna has had quite a month.

The 18-year-old has just returned from Thailand, where he helped the Junior Tall Blacks finish second at the Fiba under-18 Asia Championships.

The New Zealanders were beaten 72-63 by Australia in the final, but the result qualified the team for next year’s under-19 world championships.

Hanna’s Thailand experience followed a trip to Las Vegas with a North Harbour team, where he encountered some American talent in the lead-up.

It had been a big month for the 1.98m forward and he had been pleased with how it all went, although it had been a learning curve.

'’It was very different to what I’m used to down here,’’ the year 13 Otago Boys’ High School pupil said.

'’The strength, athleticism and speed was all at another level.

'’Playing against guys - they’re full-time basketball players, those guys in the Asian countries - it’s very different to playing against the semi-social high school basketball competition in Dunedin.’’

A strong rebounder and finisher around the hoop, Hanna has come a long way in the past year.

It was not until late last year that he was on the national radar, and he attended his first selection camp in May this year.

Playing for the Magic Lions he was the dominant big man in Dunedin club basketball this year and had been key for the Otago under-19 side.

'’Confidence has been a big thing and just realising that I’ve physically been gifted with some things that allow me to be all right at basketball.

'’So realising that and having a bit of confidence has allowed me to improve pretty quickly, which I think has brought me here out of nowhere, I guess.’’

Something which made that easier was that his school coach, Dunedin’s Gavin Briggs, has also been his national team coach.

That familiarity made it easier for him to adapt to play with those he had never previously played with.

His loose goal for next year is to attend college in the United States, although he was just starting to go through that process.

The tournament he played at in the US, against AAU teams, had given him a chance to experience the American game.

That had been different again. The skill level was not much higher, but the athleticism and strength was another step up.

He also hoped to make the Junior Tall Blacks world championships side, which would be reselected early next year.

Before then he has his school season to finish. Otago Boys’ High is playing at the South Island tournament in Invercargill next week.

If it finishes in the top six, it will qualify for the national championships.

Story: ODT