POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Travis McAvene
Date: August 14, 2018
-- Niasi Malua To Continue Through 2020 As Tonga Men's National Team Managing Director --
The future leadership for the Tonga Basketball Men's National Team was disclosed today when Tonga Basketball Chairman Niasi Malua officially announced that four-time Copa Mitchell Cup Championship and longtime International Head Coach Travis McAvene has been named Head Coach of the Tonga Basketball Men's National Team for the 2018-20 quadrennium. Additionally, Tonga Basketball announced that Malua will continue in 2018-20 as Managing Director of the Tonga Basketball Men's National Team. Tonga Basketball's Board of Directors approved the two selections.
As head coach, McAvene will coach the Tonga National Team over the course of the 2018-20 quad, which could possibly include all Tonga Men's National Team training camps, and if the Tonga qualifies, the 2018 FIBA Polynesia Cup in Samoa (November) and the 2019 Copa Mitchell Cup (Jan. 2-8) in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
'I'm extremely humbled and honored to have the opportunity to represent our country as the coach of the Tonga National Team,' said McAvene. Tonga wants to take their basketball culture to the next level and I look forward to helping them compete for FIBA Championships this upcoming year.
Internationally, McAvene served as an Assistant Coach for the USA Basketball National Teams where he served under former NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell , while winning one Silver and one Bronze medal. He served as the Head Coach for the 2012 USA National Selection Team that finished in second place with a 6-3 record in the 2012 FIBA William Jones Cup (Taiwan). McAvene would later win 4 championships in the Copa Mitchell Cup (Dominican Republic). Last summer, he was named Head Coach of the Chabibeh Sporting Cup of Lebanon. In the 2018 Liga Mediterranean Cup in Barcelona, Spain, McAvene led the Lebanese club to a Gold medal.
McAvene graduated from Taylor University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2006, he became the Head Assistant at NCAA 1 Coppin State University. In 2012, McAvene was named Usbasket.com Minor League Coach of the Year after leading the Cincinnati Slam (UBA) to a 22-2 record. After several impressive showings in Spain, Dominican Republic and Taiwan; McAvene was named Head Coach of the Turks Island National Team.
Tonga's first FIBA event will be at the 2018 Polynesia Cup this November in Samoa! 'We've been targeting Coach McAvene to become our National Team Head Coach since this past Spring," said Tonga Federation spokesperson Niasi Malua. "Coach McAvene is a proven winner on the international level and knows how to get the best out of his players," added Malua. "Our top priority is to qualify for the 2019 Pacific Games.'
Tonga Basketball
This will be Tonga's first Men's National Team since 2011. The target plan starts in Vancouver, Canada at training camp. The Samoan club will then join the FIBA Polynesia Cup in Samoa. After a tour of the Oceans Conference, Tonga's National Team would like to join the 2019 Copa Mitchell Cup (Dominican Rep.) and the Liga Mediterranean Cup (Spain). "We want to prove to our community that Tonga Basketball is real," said Malua. "Signing coach McAvene will be the step we need in the right direction."
https://www.fiba.basketball/news/samoa-excited-to-bring-the-best-of-polynesia-and-the-pacific-to-apia
