SYDNEY (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Australia is buzzing about basketball and for very good reasons.

National team stars Pat Mills and Aron Baynes are celebrating an NBA title that they helped the San Antonio Spurs capture just two weeks ago, and the Boomers have two new players headed to the league with Dante Exum taken in the first round of Thursday night's draft and Cameron Bairstow selected in the second.

The Utah Jazz used the fifth pick overall on Exum, a 1.98m guard who turns 19 on 13 July while the Chicago Bulls used the 49th pick on Bairstow, a 2.06m power forward coming off a sensational senior year with the University of New Mexico.

Each played for Australia coach Andrej Lemanis in last year's FIBA Oceania Championship triumphs over New Zealand and both stand excellent chances of playing for the Boomers at the FIBA Basketball World Cup this summer in Spain.

Lemanis, shortly after the players had their names called at the NBA Draft in New York late Thursday night, spoke to FIBA.Com.

FIBA: A lot has happened in Australian hoops since we last spoke to you at February's draw for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Barcelona.
Lemanis: Well, it's an exciting day for Australia with Dante Exum going at No. 5 and Cameron Bairstow in the second round, but I guess that is a reflection of where Australian basketball is right now, to have two players drafted. It is going to be exciting moving forward.

FIBA: Everyone expected Exum to go high in the draft but maybe not that much is known about Bairstow. What can you tell us about him?
Lemanis: Cameron was with us (the Boomers) last year, came to the (World) University Games and did a great job last year at Oceania Championship. He's developed a lot over the last four or five years. Just being with him, I can appreciate his work ethic and professionalism and him being the best he can be. It's players like him and others - you preach it all the time that if you put in the work and believe good things will come, they will. And it puts a smile on your face when it comes to fruition.

FIBA: What is the next step for Australia with respect to the World Cup preparations?
Lemanis: We're about to name our squad of 16 players to come into camp 23 July in Canberra. We should be making an announcement on the squad next week. We go to Europe 5 August where we will have a lot of games.

FIBA: And the Boomers have already had the four-game Sino-Australia Challenge, which you split 2-2 with the Chinese. Did you uncover any gems in that series?
Lemanis: That China series is always a good one to see our emerging group and see who we haven’t seen in a while and see how they can contribute. Bairstow, he was one of the players last year to play in it. He came in last year against China and showed how he can help and he also had some fantastic learning out of that that he transferred to his college season. This year, there were a couple of players who helped their positions with the Boomers with their performances.

FIBA: What about Exum, Bairstow, Baynes and Mills? Will they be onboard at the World Cup?
Lemanis: Just talking to those guys, that's the intention, with Dante and Bairstow, both want to be available. We just need a little bit of time to discuss it with their clubs. We expect to have everybody available but you never know. Hopefully we'll have them.

FIBA: And has Andrew Bogut made a decision on this summer?
Lemanis: Bogut has already announced he won’t be available.

FIBA: Do you know any more about the Group D opponents Lithuania, Slovenia, Mexico, Angola and Korea you are going to will face in Gran Canaria?
Lemanis: I've been spending a little bit of time watching their games in their qualifying championships and they're all good teams. You get to the World Cup, they’re all good, they play different styles. We'll have a good team and we feel if play how we want to, we’ll have a good World Cup.

FIBA