Luc Longley praises Canberra world cup hopeful

By Jon Tuxworth
Updated April 23 2014 - 8:08pm, first published April 15 2014 - 9:00pm

She has already impressed Australia's most famous export Luc Longley, now Canberra Capitals youngster Carley Mijovic wants to prove she is ready for a shock world cup call-up. 

Mijovic recently had a one-on-one session with former NBA championship winner Longley, and hopes to use the tips she learnt to convince Opals coach Brendan Joyce to gamble on her for the tournament in Turkey in September.  

The 19-year-old's speed and athleticism has caught Joyce's eye, and the forward was one of three Capitals named in a 20-player squad for a training camp on the Gold Coast from April 13 to April 18. 

Mijovic is undergoing a scholarship at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, based at the Australian Institute of Sport, where her main focus is adding muscle to her lean 196-centimetre frame.

But Australian Boomers assistant coach Longley, who won three NBA championships with Chicago, said the makings are there of an international star.

"What I saw was a girl who was going to be quite frail and weak, but she hit the bag really hard and surprised me, and was not afraid to give me an elbow on her way through,'' Longley said.

"I like her length, she's quite athletic and deceptively strong.

"She could get more down low grunt strength if she's going to be a post player but she's slippery, she moves quick and has decent feet. 

"I like her.''

Mijovic said Longley had helped her defensively, something she is working hard to improve to counter the bigger girls in the post. 

"He was teaching me back-to-basket stuff," she said. "I'm usually a front-to-basket player because I don't like contact and he's trying to draw me to that.

"Strength is always something I work hard on, because I don't have the body frame of some of them. 

"It's exciting to be in the Opals. It's been my goal since I've been really young. 

"There's so many great players and Olympians at these camps. I have to prove I can hold my ground against those better players.''

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