Perth Wildcats Next Star Izan Almansa loves idea of playing on New Zealand Breakers’ 229cm centre Tacko Fall

Perth Wildcats Next Star Izan Almansa has declared he can’t wait to for the challenge of matching up on 229cm giant Tacko Fall when his team plays in New Zealand on Sunday. Fall came off the bench when the Breakers played in Perth last month and quickly suffered a knee injury which meant Almansa never spent any time on court with him. But with both men now starting for their clubs, 19-year-old Almansa will concede 21cm to the former NBA centre. Fall is an imposing prospect, particularly after having 21 points and 12 rebounds last weekend against Cairns. The Wildcats handed captain Jesse Wagstaff the task of stopping him during their last clash but Almansa is keen for the job. “I’m excited. I haven’t played with a player like that so I am excited. It’s going to be a challenge,” he said. “It’s going to be a big challenge because when he gets in the paint there’s nothing you can do. You have to do all the work before, keep him out of the paint and keep him out of his spots. He’s tall and he’s strong too so he’s going to be tough but I think we’re ready for that. “I’ll be physical with my teammates (at training) because if you’re not physical with him, he will get in the paint and dunk the ball. He is super tall so you have to be physical, box him out and move on.” Almansa has developed rapidly during his time at the Wildcats and been crucial to the team’s ability to handle Keanu Pinder and Kristian Doolittle missing games. The Spaniard said he has improved a lot by playing in the NBL. “I have more confidence and I play the way I play every time I step on the court. It’s been good to get more confidence and know more about how to play with my teammates,” he said. “When I started playing more when Keanu was sick and had longer rotations and played with different guys so I got to know everyone.” Almansa aspires to play in the NBA and had a decorated junior career. NBA teams have been closely monitoring his progress in Perth. he believes there is one clear area where he has improved. “My shooting. I’ve been shooting the ball. I need to improve my shooting but in general I feel like I have taken a step forward in my game in all of the aspects. I’m very happy with my improvement,” Almansa said.