Krebs Reflects on Talent-Loaded World Cup Conquest

Photo: MU Media

Tanner Krebs was a member of Australia’s NBL-laden 2015 U19 FIBA World Cup squad, and says any time a player gets to pull on Boomers colours is a special occasion.

A side featuring the likes of NBL stars Will McDowell-White, DJ Vasiljevic, Angus Glover and Jack McVeigh finished the tournament in seventh place, with Krebs dropping 31 points in the team's final game of the tournament, against traditional powerhouses Spain.

With the FIBA World Cup on the near horizon, and Krebs’ new club teammates Chris Goulding and Matthew Dellavedova named in Australia’s extended squad, the 27-year-old reflected on his experiences representing his country on Melbourne United’s Extra Pass Podcast.

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“Any time you get to put on the green and gold it’s a special moment. That’s the first time I represented Australia at a world five-on-five event,” Krebs said.

“There were some really talented players on that team … and to be put in that category of guys was really cool. It just makes inspired to continue playing for Australia and trying to get those opportunities to put the jersey back on.

“I look at the talent on the other teams playing, like USA – Jalen Brunson and Jayson Tatum, (Ivica) Zubac for Croatia, Dillon Brooks for Canada cooked us a couple of times. He actually dunked on Jack (White) pretty badly – sorry Jack – and was carrying on like he still does today.

“Just incredible talent and real big-name players now who were playing in these tournaments.”

Krebs is one of a raft of Australian players to have played his collegiate basketball at Saint Mary’s. The guard represented the Gaels alongside former Illawarra Hawk Emmett Naar.

After redshirting his true freshman season, Krebs spent five seasons at the school, before turning professional in 2020 with the Brisbane Bullets.

He says one player in particular stood out to him in his early days as a professional.

“I talk a lot about Jason Cadee and how smart is basketball IQ is,” Krebs reflected. “I remember those few training sessions just watching him control the game and control the tempo.

“I’d never been around a player like that – probably the closest was Emmett Naar in college, but Jase was on a different level of being able to control the flow of the game.

“That kind of stood out to me as being next level of guys playing. I think as you get older that comes with it a little bit, but it’s also as testament to how talented the league is and how good players have to be.”