CANBERRA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) - Australian basketball's improvement has resulted in its players spreading out across the globe. While that may make it tough to always field the top teams in national team competition, one thing Green-and-Yellow fans can always expect is 100 percent heart and effort, says U19 talent Angus Glover.

The Mount Warrigal, New South Wales native has finished his youth national team career and now shifts his focus to the Boomers and fighting for a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers - the draw for which will take place on May 7.

"It's all about just those 12 guys who step on the court for Australia that day. Whether that's guys off the street or whatever, as long as you put on that uniform it means everything, and you give 100 percent," said Glover, who played for Australia at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2015 and the FIBA U18 Oceania Championship 2016. "Yeah, they might not be the most talented, but you know you’re going to get the most out of them in terms of how tough they are and their work ethic."

Glover is in a much different place at the moment than he had hoped for about half a year ago.

Back in December, the 1.92 meter guard had already made it back from a torn ACL in his right knee in 2015 and was one of the leaders for Australia at the FIBA U18 Oceania Championship - looking to help the Aussies get back to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup for the 13th time in 13 editions.

But Australia were missing a number of their top players and then came a 57-51 loss to New Zealand in the U18 Oceania final - meaning Australia would not be playing at the U19 global spectacle for the first time.

"It’s definitely upsetting," Glover admits four months later at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit. "But at the same time the sun will rise the next day. You just have to think of it as a stepping stone in everyone’s career and that is the stepping stone that all the players and coaches had in their career. We gave everything we could on that day. It’s disappointing that we didn’t come away with a win."

Then, instead of playing in the Hoop Summit and then flying back home to Australia to begin in earnest his professional career, Glover tore the ACL in his left knee four days before the Hoop Summit. The diagnosis was surgery and rehab for between six and nine months.

Glover remained in Portland and supported the World Select Team during the practices and the game - even getting a jersey and a spot in the team picture. And he hopes to return to Portland next year for the showcase - "redeem myself and show what I can do on this stage."

"I felt that I belonged there and felt I could be a pro straight away. I was never much of a fan of school and talked to a lot of people and thought I could take the pathway of Joe Ingles and go through the NBL and Europe and hopefully to the NBA."Angus Glover

Glover also spent time in Portland answering questions about his decision to forego playing collegiately in the United States at St. Mary’s in California to turn professional. He said his time as a development player with the Illawarra Hawks in the Australian NBL and training with professionals was the catalyst for his change of heart.

"I felt that I belonged there and felt I could be a pro straight away," said Glover, who played in two NBL games and collected 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 10 combined minutes. "I was never much of a fan of school and talked to a lot of people and thought I could take the pathway of Joe Ingles and go through the NBL and Europe and hopefully to the NBA."

He continued: "I always wanted to do some stuff different compared to other people and I thought that would be a good way to start out."

Having two torn ACLs before your 19th birthday and then making the Boomers is definitely not a common course, but a possible one for Angus Glover.

FIBA