Jock Landale ruled out of FIBA World Cup in huge blow to Boomers’ medal hopes

Australia have been dealt a huge blow on the eve of the FIBA World Cup with a key Boomers star ruled out of the tournament.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 17: Jock Landale of Australia drives to the basket during the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on August 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Australia’s basketball World Cup hopes suffered a setback Saturday with the Houston Rockets’ Jock Landale ruled out with a left ankle injury.

The Boomers’ starting centre hurt himself during a warm-up match with South Sudan in Melbourne on Thursday and scans showed “a lateral ankle ligament injury”.

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Coach Brian Goorjian said it was a huge disappointment.

“The team is really hurting for Jock. He’s a big part of the culture in this team and everybody loves him,” Goorjian said.

“He was really excited about this, so it’s a real kick in the guts, but as far as our belief -- that hasn’t waned.”

Landale will head back to Houston to prepare for the upcoming NBA season.

If Jock Landale has to miss the World Cup due to injury it will be the 4th time the Boomers have lost their starting centre to injury in the last six major FIBA tournaments.

— AussieHoopla (@aussiehoopla) August 17, 2023

“All the build-up and preparation we go through as athletes just to have it yanked away 12 hours beforehand sucks,” he tweeted as the Australian team departed for Japan.

The moment Jock Landale rolled his ankle. Photo: Channel 9

The Boomers will aim to win a medal without their best big man. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

“Focus turns to supporting them how I can and preparing for this season with the @HoustonRockets.”

The Boomers were already without Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons who opted out of the World Cup, which runs from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

But they have a slew of other NBA players on board, including veteran Patty Mills and rising star Josh Giddey.

Australia finished fourth at the World Cup in China in 2019 and third at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 12-man Boomers team has arrived in Japan and will play a warm-up game against France on Sunday in Tokyo and Georgia (August 22, Okinawa), before their first FIBA World Cup game against Finland in Okinawa on August 25.