AUCKLAND (2016 Rio Olympics) - If there is one year that springs to mind for most fans when the subject of the New Zealand Tall Blacks comes up, it's 2002.

It was the time when New Zealand jumped onto the map of international basketball.

After winning the 2001 FIBA Oceania Championship series, 2-1, over Australia to qualify for the 2002 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Tall Blacks travelled to the United States and went on a magical, unexpected run to the Semi-Finals.

The country has played at every FIBA Basketball World Cup since and, after competing at the 2004 Athens Games, the New Zealanders have featured at the 2008 and 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), something they will also do next year in a bid to reach Rio de Janeiro.

New Zealand will be hoping to not only maintain their habit of competing at big events in the coming years but to also improve on their No. 21 spot in the FIBA World Ranking.

A national team program is only as good as its pipeline of talent and in that regard, New Zealand appear to be in good shape.

One cause for optimism is 17-year-old Tai Wynyard, who played for New Zealand this summer at the FIBA Oceania Championship and figures to be a Tall Black for many years.

Wynyard has decided that American college basketball is his best route to the professional ranks and will play for the Kentucky Wildcats.

A FIBA U18 3x3 World Championships winner and MVP this summer, Wynyard announced months ago his intention to play for Kentucky but he made it official on 16 November.

The 2.08m power forward could end up playing in December this season or choose not to start until the 2015-16 campaign.

Wynyard has made no secret of his long-term ambition.

"It's going to be just a lot of hard work, getting better, and trying to get myself up to that next level which is the NBA," he said.

"And hopefully win a championship as well with one of the best teams in the NCAA."

There is other talent in the New Zealand pipeline.

Tai Webster, the starting point guard for the Kiwis at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, is now a junior at Nebraska.

Jack Salt is a redshirt freshman at the University of Virginia while Sam Timmins and Matthew Freeman will start playing next year at the University of Washington and University of Oklahoma, respectively.

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger says Freeman can help the Sooners a lot.

"He's very skilled and will bring a lot of versatility to Norman," the veteran tactician said.

Timmins and Freeman were also in New Zealand's triumphant FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship team this summer.

It's going to be interesting to monitor the players' progress in the coming years.

While there are no guarantees, the New Zealanders look as if they will remain a force in the men's game.

FIBA