The promising basketballers will join the Junior Tall Blacks at the Albert Schweitzer tournament as part of their rigorous build-up towards the 2009 Oceania Under-20 Championships.
The 16-team tournament, held in Mannheim, Germany, will provide the Junior Tall Blacks with the toughest of opposition.
Most of the world's top junior sides will be there, including Greece, Spain, Russia and The United States.
‘‘We'll get to see how good the other countries are and measure ourselves against some of the best players in the world,'' Sam (16) said.
The 1.98m, 115kg year 12 pupil was a stand-out performer for the Otago under-17 team at the age group nationals last year.
The power forward helped guide Otago to the final, in which it was beaten 73-70 by North Harbour. Along with team-mate Paratene McLeod he made the tournament team, and caught the eye of the national selectors.
Sam was encouraged to ditch rugby and take up basketball six years ago by a school teacher and has not looked back.
He would like to play in the National Basketball League and has hopes of playing for the Breakers and the Tall Blacks one day.
Morgan (17) made the Junior Tall Blacks last year and has a slighter build than Sam. Speedy and agile, he is also a gifted athlete.
The teenager had mapped out a career in athletics after some superb performances at the Colgate games in 2003. He won the 100m, 200m, 400m and long jump in his age group, but he kicked athletics to the kerb when he discovered basketball.
Both have dreams of securing a basketball scholarship to play in the US.
Many of their opponents in Germany will go on to become big basketball names, and there are likely to be scouts in the audience looking for future NBA and college players.
The Junior Tall Blacks leave for Germany in the middle of next month.
