Great Britain National Team

[HIGHLANDER]

The GB Team beat Albania in Edinburgh last night 110-78.
Luol Deng had 19 points and Robert Archibald had 21 points and 7 rebounds.
The GB team are now 1 more victory away which will give them a play-off game with the chance to go into the big boys league in division 1.

[FilWelsh]

From Times OnlineSeptember 4, 2007

Britain expects . . . despite loss of Haslam against Belarus
Ian Whittell

The personnel problems that have dogged Great Britain’s European Championship preparations continued on Tuesday morning when Chris Haslam, the back-up forward, was called from the check-in line at Edinburgh airport to be with his pregnant wife.

The 6ft 7in Haslam has emerged as an increasingly able and important back-up to Andy Betts, Robert Archibald and Roger Huggins, the big men in Britain’s European Championship campaign, and his late withdrawal was hardly ideal as Chris Finch prepared his team for Wednesday’s vital concluding group game against Belarus in Minsk.

Already without Nick George, Joel Freeland, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Eric Boateng and Mike Bernard, who all withdrew from the national team under pressure from their clubs, the latest departure leaves the Great Britain coach with just nine men for the winner-take-all encounter with a big and bruising Belarus team.

However, Finch remained philosophical about the latest developments. “We knew from day one of our training camp that there was always a possibility of Chris being called away and, obviously, that is exactly what has happened,” he said.

Related Links
Britain face Belarus with depleted squad
Deng does it again for Great Britain
“We were stood in the check-in line when he received the phone call to say his wife had gone into labour, that’s how close it all was. It is unfortunate for us but some things in life take precedent and this is one of them. We’re excited for Chris and we wish him and his family all the best.

“We knew Chris was desperate to be a part of the GB team and we also knew he would accept his role on the team which meant backing up guys like Andy and Rob. He has done that really well and played increasingly effectively for us. But I think Belarus is going to be more a power game and that isn’t really Chris’s style of play so, in that regard, his loss isn’t too harmful.”

Haslam’s departure places more emphasis on the veteran Roger Huggins, who celebrates his 40th birthday on Wednesday. Finch said: “I don’t know what more you can say about Roger and the career he has had. It’s nice that we’re all going to be able to celebrate his birthday with him and it’s a testimony to the type of player and the type of person he is that he is still able to play a meaningful role in international basketball at his age.”

Britain will face a fine for having fewer than ten players on the bench although that will prove a minor inconvenience should they beat Belarus, a result that would win the group and see them advance to a two-legged decider against Switzerland, Finland or Romania — the winners of which gain promotion. Defeat on Wednesday, however, would mean Britain cannot gain promotion to Europe’s A Division until 2009, at the earliest.

Finch said: “For our programme, this is the ultimate game and, because of what is at stake, it has to be one of the most important games I have ever coached in. We have been working towards this goal for a year and half now and taken some major strides. I’m looking forward to the game and seeing how our players respond to the challenge.

“My major concern is about our mental toughness. Belarus are a big team and they are going to play dirty. We have to match that.”

Britain: Sullivan (Mons, Belgium, capt), Deng (Chicago), Archibald (Mariupol, Ukraine), Betts (Sevilla), Midgley (Newcastle), Lenzly (Mons), Huggins (unattached), Reinking (Mons), Sanders (unattached).

[Picek]

Great Britain with +15 lead at the end of third..
so they've made it..
4 wins in 4 game..
is that it? or do they need to play additional games?

[Nikoo]

result that would win the group and see them advance to a two-legged decider against Switzerland, Finland or Romania — the winners of which gain promotion

[HIGHLANDER]

The GB Team beat Belarus 83-51 last night to play Switzerland i a play-off the gain promotion.
Deng had 27.
I think this proves that with all the players available they belong in the top level.
By the way i would not normally support the GB in any sports but as we don't have a representative Scottish team i will follow them. And they have 2 Scots in the squad anyway..

[FilWelsh]

Great Britain surpasses Belarus to win Group B

by Eurobasket News - Sep 6, 2007

Belarus - Great Britain 51:83

Great Britain won their last game in Group B of Eurobasket Division B and enured the playoff birth. They finished with 6-2 record on top of the ladder and will now face Switzerland in a two-game qualifying battle.
Both teams entered the game with 5-2 records and needed a win to advance. However the encounter turned out to be rather one-sided traffic as Belarus were not able to maintain British superstar Luol Deng (201-F-85, college: Duke). Chicago Bulls forward led his team with 27 points, 7 steals, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Belarussian players could hardly match up his effort and had to surrender at the end.

Kudrautsau opened the scoreline with a knocked down free throw to give Belarus 1:0 lead. However Andrew Betts (216-C-77, college: Long Beach St.) replied with a jump shot 28 seconds later to claim 2:1 lead for good. Great Britian never gave it up further on and drove to a comprehensive victory at the end. British team led by 8 points at halftime 38:30. Belarus came up as close as 5 points early in the second half on Kudrautsau's jumper. But Great Britian held on to the advantage and entered the fourth frame leading 60:46. A bunch of misses early in the fourth frame from the hosts enabled Great Britain to establish a 68:47 gap and Belarus never recovered.
Andrew Betts provided 12 points and 10 boards for the winners. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) answered with 13 points and 11 boards. Egor Meshcherakov netted 12 points in defeat.

Great Britian tip off the series against Switzerland on September 11.

Belarus: Vladimir Veremeenko 13+11 boards, Egor Meshcherakov 12
Great Britain: Luol Deng 27, Andrew Betts 12+10 boards

[FilWelsh]

After brilliantly topping their group, Team GB will next face the Swiss team in two-leg playoffs. . . It would be an exciting match, imagine Luol Deng against his Chicago Bulls' teammate Thabo Sefolosha, who is the main man for the Swiss. . .

[HIGHLANDER]

I think they have made quite an impressive turnaround recently.


Deng leads GB to comfortable win
by Rob Dugdale in Sheffield

Luol Deng
Deng once again led the GB team to victory
Luol Deng hit Switzerland for 31 points and Nate Reinking added 13 as Great Britain won the first leg of their European promotion tie 74-41.

GB's defence proved decisive with Switzerland managing only 15 points in the second and third quarters.

Deng's Chicago Bulls team-mate Thabo Sefolosha had 21 points for the Swiss.

GB travel to Geneva for the second leg on Saturday knowing only a disaster would prevent them qualifying for Europe's Division A for next season.

Once there, they will have a chance to qualify for the 2009 Eurobasket and the 2010 World Championships.

Either of those results would guarantee them taking a host spot in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Deng had 13 points in the third quarter and nine more in the last 10 minutes as GB's lead stretched towards 34 points.

GB coach Chris Finch was satisfied with his team's performance in a dour, defensive encounter - especially the work they did guarding Swiss danger man, Sefolosha.

"The guys really take pride in their defensive focus - Dru (Andrew Sullivan) is our best defender and he keeps Luol from getting into foul trouble," he said.

"With a player like Sefolosha, you just have to run as many guys at him as possible to keep him on the back foot. We didn't care if he scored a lot of points as long as he took a lot of shots doing it."

Finch expects that his team will finish the job in Geneva on Saturday but is warning against dangers like complacency and injuries.

"Our biggest thing is we want a really good start. If we put distance in the game right away, then life gets really difficult for Switzerland."

[FilWelsh]

Britain secure promotionE
Eurosport - Sun, 16 Sep 15:36:00 2007


Great Britain secured promotion to Eurobasket A with a 89-78 victory over Switzerland in the second leg of the play-offs. Despite arriving in Geneva with a 33-point lead, Great Britain were handed their sternest test of the campaign as their defence was unable to recreate a similar display to that in Sheffield, which emphatically shut the Swiss out of they game.

Four Brits ended on double figures, Scotland's Robert Archibald (pictured) led on 23, Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng on 22, captain Andrew Sullivan with 12 and finally Nate Reinking with 10.

Another dominant lead looked to be on the cards in the first quarter thanks to some sweet drives by Sullivan and yet another one of Reinking's tasty three pointers, but the tide turned in the final quarter as the Swiss fought hard to give the home crowd something to cheer about.

Twice they clawed their way back to within a one-point deficit, which was in no small part down to Derek Stockalper and David Ramseier, who scored a combined total of 14 in that final ten minutes.

Britain were forced to dig deep but in the end they did what was required to secure victory and more importantly ensure that they will be mixing it with Europe's elite next summer.

And chairman of British Performance Basketball, Alistair Gray, was delighted with the summer's work: "As far as the guys are concerned this is an outstanding achievement and surpasses anything the team has accomplished in the modern era. The players and coaches deserve congratulations for everything they have done.

"The margin of victory has been pleasantly surprising. It gives us hope that with further seasons we can be in good shape. Everyone involved in preparing the team could not have done better.

"The last five years in basketball in Britain, and England in particular, has been a sorry and sad sight. Many people have said to me that this season's campaign has been a breath of fresh air in a sport where there has been too much stagnant air over recent years.

"2012 has created a point for a new beginning in basketball in this country and there is this real opportunity to now take this sport and move it on, because no one is going to give it to you. You have to take it and deliver it."

And it was not just the men celebrating on the continent this weekend, as their female counterparts beat Portugal 60-49 on the same day to secure a promotion playoff game against the Netherlands, to take place at the Amaechi Centre, Manchester on 22 September.

Luol's sister Arek Deng was forced to sit out the game through injury, while Kirsty Lavin top-scored with 18 points and Megan Moody finished with 12

Eurosport

[FilWelsh]

Finally, we got it. . . it's a beginning of more uphill battles ahead facing those Euro basketball elites next summer. . . Kudos to the lads for their brilliant performance, winning all their 6 games this summer. . . albeit with the help of Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng. . .

[HIGHLANDER]

GB 2009 Euro Qualifiers

European draw offers GB men hope
Chris Finch
Chris Finch's team avoided top-ranked France and Italy in the draw
Great Britain men's team have been handed a real hope of qualifying for the 2009 European Championship after the draw was made in Venice.

Chris Finch's team were drawn with Israel, Bosnia and the Czech Republic, avoiding top-ranked Italy and France.

In contrast, the women were handed a tough draw against Lithuania, Germany, Israel and Ukraine in Group A with only the top two teams sure to advance.

The qualifying matches will take place in August and September.

The winners of the four men's qualifying groups, plus the three best second-placed teams, will qualify for the European finals, with one more place available next year.

Both teams are looking to secure a hosts' spot in the 2012 Olympics.

"We managed to stay clear of the some of the traditional powerhouses," said GB men's coach Chris Finch.

"But the most important thing for us, and for the other teams, is to get our best players together.

Finch's team benefited from adding top-flight European-based players and Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng last season.

"There's still a lot of excitement and momentum out there (among the players) for the programme."


We have to respect everyone and fear no-one

GB women's coach Mark Clark

GB women's coach Mark Clark admitted the draw was a tough one. "There's never an easy draw in the A Division," he said. "Every one of these teams has a pedigree.

"Last year we focused on doing what we're good at. This time we're going to have to play at high level every game and make sure we get some wins at home."

Both teams won promotion from Division B at in September 2007 after recovering from difficult starts in their respective qualifying groups and staying unbeaten.

"It's similar to Chris' position - if we have all our players and the team stays healthy, we'll be competitive," said Clark. "We have to respect everyone and fear no-one."




I don't think there are any easy games but if they have all there players available (Mens that is) they can qualify..

[mvblair]

Some expected news:

National pride -- Chicago Tribune, April 1, 2008, by KC Johnson

Ben Gordon, who was born in London, has joined Luol Deng on Britain's roster for this summer's European Championship qualifiers. Britain will play six games in late August/early September trying to qualify for 2009 EuroBasket in Poland and an eventual berth as London plays host to the 2012 Olympic Games.

There's no guarantee Gordon will play, but he's now eligible...

[damelo]

Denng only brought them instant punch, I think they went unbeaten last summer with him, after losing all without him?

Maybe Azubuike could join too... He is listed as British by nba.com

I'm happy France is not in their qualification group( i think tey're not).

[Neozyrus]

Some of the players of the final roster for the pre-olympic could be maybe here:

Great Britain:

POINT GUARD

F. Boyd (Rosalia) - 1.80 - 1980
M. Lenzly (Mons) - 1.89 - 1981
N. Reinking (Mons) - 1.83 - 1973
R. Midgley (Newcastle) 1.98 - 1983
A. Virgil (Sheffield) - 1.88 - 1982

SHOOTING GUARD

B. Gordon (Chicago) - 1.88 - 1983
K. Azubuike (Golden State) - 1.96 - 1983
T. Hansell (Apoel Nicosia) - 1.92 - 1975
T. Johnson (L´Hospitalet) - 1.92 - 1981

SMALL FOWARDS

L. Deng (Chicago) - 2.01 - 1985
A. Sullivan (Mons) - 2.03 - 1980
N. George (Alicante) - 1.98 - 1982
J. Mccord (Strasbourg) - 2.01 - 1973
C. Sanders (Gothia) - 2.02 - 1982
R. Richards (G. Canaria) - 2.05 - 1991
M. Martin (Guilford) - 2.00 - 1974

POWER FOWARDS

P. Archibald (Azovmash) - 2.11 - 1980
J. Freeland (G. Canaria) - 2.08 - 1987
D. Phillip (CAI zaragoza) - 2.01 - 1978
P. Mensah-Bonsu (Benetton) - 2.06 - 1983
M. Bernard (Napoli) - 2.05 - 1978

CENTER

A. Betts (Sevilla) - 2.16 - 1977
w. Helliwell (Rieti) - 2.12 - 1979
c. Haslam (Everton) - 2.08 - 1974
D. Clark (Breogan) - 2.01 - 1988
Boateng (Arizona St) - 2.08 - 1985

[jugoplastika]

Ben Gordon has already played several games for USA NT.
So, as I know, he cannot play for Great Britain NT.