Basketball On The Internet.

THERE'S a nice synergy (always wanted to insert a "buzz" word) in the fact Brendan Joyce's new Opals will have their first hit-out against Tom Maher's China.

Both earned their stripes at Nunawading Spectres, Joyce as a burgeoning talent who would play NBL for the club, Maher as a coach par excellence who won the first of his historic list of WNBL championships with the Spectres in 1983-84-86-87-88.

Maher, who coached Australia to the international medal playoffs at his first attempt in 1994 and onto the medal podium in 1996 - where it has stayed except for one brief slip to fifth in 2010 - is back coaching China.

His assistant is another player who starred at Nunawading, Michele Timms. Joyce's new Opals staff includes assistant Lori Chizik, another former Spectres great ... albeit, Canadian.

Like Maher when he first took the Opals' reins, Joyce is prepared to gamble on new faces and has four players making their senior international debuts against the Chinese on June 19, 21 and 23.

Bendigo Spirit championship-winning hustling guard Kelly Wilson, Dandenong championship winner and now Logan forward Tegan Cunningham, recent Bendigo recruit and AIS star Sara Blicavs and exciting West Coast prospect Natalie Burton will don the green-and-gold in China.

London Olympians Jenni Screen and Belinda Snell will pace Joyce's team in the absence of injured, ill, recuperating or unavailable regular selections Lauren Jackson, Suzy Batkovic, Kristi Harrower, Laura Hodges, Abby Bishop, not to mention WNBA quintet Erin Phillips, Rachel Jarry, Jenna O'Hea, Penny Taylor and Liz Cambage.

Clearly, the stocks still are pretty solid as the remaining six players all have played as Opals before.

Cayla Francis and Marianna Tolo return from pro stints in France, guard Natalie Hurst also back for the 2013-14 season at Canberra.

Logan's super playmaking veteran Kristen Veal and new Flames guard Renae Camino come into the team as WNBL championship winners, along with Bulleen's multi-talented Tess Madgen.

Madgen's selection and that of her brother Ben for the Boomers, recalls the great past days of Brad, Mark and Karen Dalton in the 80s, and Andris and Ilze Blicavs in the 70s as the front-runners of sibling national players.

Jayco Australian Opals - China Tour, June 16-24
Name / Height / Position / DOB / Club
Sara Blicavs / 188cm / Forward / 15 Feb 1993 / Bendigo Spirit (WNBL)
Natalie Burton / 194cm / Centre / 23 Mar 1989 / West Coast Waves (WNBL)
Renae Camino / 177cm / Guard / 19 Nov 1986 / Sydney Uni Flames (WNBL)
Tegan Cunningham / 186cm / Forward / 23 Jan 1988 / Logan Thunder (WNBL)
Cayla Francis / 192cm / Forward-Centre / 1 May 1989 / Aix-en-Provence (France)
Natalie Hurst / 163cm / Guard / 8 Apr 1983 / Canberra Capitals (WNBL)
Tess Madgen / 180cm / Guard / 12 August 1990 / Bulleen Boomers (WNBL)
Jenni Screen / 180cm / Guard-Forward / 26 Feb 1982 / Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
Belinda Snell / 180cm / Guard / 10 January 1981 / CCC Polkowice (Poland)
Marianna Tolo / 196cm / Forward-Centre / 2 July 1989 / Aix-ene-Provence (France)
Kristen Veal / 176cm / Guard / 24 July 1981 / Logan Thunder (WNBL)
Kelly Wilson / 170cm / Guard / 1 January 1985 / Bendigo Spirit (WNBL)

Also in action in China will be the new "Emerging Opals" team under the guidance of Townsville Fire Grand Final coach Chris Lucas.

They will content a four-nation tournament against China's emerging young stars and the World University Games lineups of the US and Hungary from June 15-27.

Three quarters of the team currently are cutting their teeth in the WNBL while the remaining three players - Kate Gaze, Nicole Seekamp and Alex Sheedy - are playing college basketball in the US.

Jayco Emerging Australian Opals – Four-Nation China Tournament, June 15-27
Name / Height / Position / DOB / Club
Stephanie Cumming / 178cm / Guard / 26 July 1990 / Townsville Fire (WNBL)
Mikhaela Donnelly / 173cm / Guard / 30 Apr 1994 / Logan Thunder (WNBL)
Katie-Rae Ebzery / 178cm / Guard / 8 January 1990 / Sydney Uni Flames (WNBL)
Rosie Fadljevic / 183cm / Forward / 17 Sep 1993 / Dandenong Rangers (WNBL)
Kate Gaze / 173cm / Guard / 18 Feb 1990 / Saint Mary’s College (USA)
Emma Langford / 187cm / Forward / 29 Jan 1989 / Logan Thunder (WNBL)
Tessa Lavey / 170cm / Guard / 29 Mar 1993 / Bendigo Spirit (WNBL)
Amy Lewis / 177cm / Guard / 14 May 1986 / Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
Lauren Mansfield / 170cm / Guard / 18 Dec 1989 / Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
Nicole Seekamp / 178cm / Guard / 26 Apr 1992 / University of South Dakota (USA)
Alex Sheedy / 186cm / Forward / 17 Nov 1992 / Fresno State University (USA)
Olivia Thompson / 187cm / Forward / 20 Jan 1993 / Townsville Fire (WNBL)

The news story of today's announcement: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/it-keeps-getting-bigger-for-blicavs-as-daughter-sara-is-selected-in-opals-team-to-tour-china/story-fndekpx4-1226661535344