FUTURE STARS HONOURED TO BE PART OF COMBINE HELD BY BASKETBALL WALES
The most promising junior players in the country all felt a sense of pride and honour being part of the annual Great Britain Youth Team combine, proudly hosted by Basketball Wales.
The top U16 and U18 players were put through their paces on Thursday and Friday (January 2-3), with GB head coaches Liam Jefferson (U16M), Donnie MacDonald (U16W) and Krumesh Patel (U18W) all watching on.
For the coaches, it was a first glimpse to see the players showcase their talents and in what is the first step on the road to FIBA Youth EuroBasket this summer. The Combine is an integral part of selecting the final squads for the GB Youth teams.
“The Combine was extremely useful for us to get a number of our players on the floor together for the first time and to start the journey towards our goals this summer,” commented Great Britain U16 Men’s coach Liam Jefferson.
“The staff and I were really pleased with the level of our players and look forward to following their progress over the coming weeks and months.
“I’d like to also pass on my thanks to Basketball Wales and their staff for their hospitality and support across the event to ensure it all ran smoothly.”
The Combine is an exclusive invitation-only selection day in partnership with Basketball Wales. It highlights the continuously high standards of the BBF and its Home Country Associations.
Great Britain Men’s General Manager, Dan Clark said: “We’re really happy with how the combine went this year. It’s another big step forward as we keep growing and building as a federation.
“It’s getting better every year, and while we know there’s still room to improve, it’s becoming such an important part of what we do with the GB youth teams.
“It’s helping us shape the GB way, that defines a vision for how all our teams should approach the game, with a consistent style of play, values, and clear identity that every player and staff member embodies, from U16 to Senior teams, whenever they wear the GB jersey.”
More than 80 players participated in the Combine, and despite representing different clubs from around the country, they all felt the same way when asked about their experience.
“It’s an honour to be here, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Unibasket Logrono’s Sytira Smith.
“It’s exciting to be here and compete against some of the best players in the country, and I’m excited to see what happens in the future,” said Team Solent Kestrels’ Anna Idiata Mendez.
Ethan Round, who plays for John Madejski Academy, added: “It’s an honour to be here. From the testing to the training to the scrimmages, it’s been really high quality.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
“The GB Combine was great this year,” said Manchester Magic’s Jack Walton. “The extra testing and competitive opportunities to go up against players of similar talent was really fun.
“Basketball Wales hosted with a great venue where all the players had their needs catered for.”
| U16W: Nina Wadda, Clara Dick, Sophie Heron, Grace Alexander, Caoimhe Stupart, Chloe Hall, Chloe Collett, Katie Hancock, Neve Rugette, Mojan Malek, Ophella Lardar-Lee, Anya Williams, Ayna Scruton, Kyhanna Campbell, Chantelle Okili, Anna Koscielny-Lemaire, Sytira Smith, Nikita Cornford, Chayana Collins, Jess Joley, Eadie Fell, Jada Nnaji, Ella Wright, Millie Lowe | U18W: Megan Verbeeten, Alice Woodward, Ayla Habbal, Caitlin Ryan, Elizandra Costa, Kara Bassil, Monife Abidekun, Rihanna Smith, Anna Idiata Mendez, Bade Isik, Chloe Vella, Fleur Gamal, Irene Oboavwoduo, Kaiya Bateman, Kamilah Yakubu, Talitha Crane, Tiarna Chambers-Desmond, Amelia Orugbeja, Seren Richards |
| U16M: Brice Tiako, Romero Della-Verde, Oliver Bishop, Joshua Mboura, Myles Barry, David Akhidime, Casey Burr, Rufus Wilkinson, Samuel Muleba, Luca Bakary, Lucas Shallard, Taylan Ertekin, Andrew Young, Emmanuel Onwuneme, Lucas Snee, Hayden Watson, James Balleny, Jaydon Wise-Malcolm, Charlie Bartlett, Hamza Fadel, Daniel Onuoha, Ismael Cisse | U18M: Corey Hill, Elliott Mackay, Harry Sheehan, Ike Davids, Isaac Fiagbe, Isaac Spurrier, Jack Walton, Leo Regan, Lewis Stevenson, Maxwell Revell, Nicholas Wild, Oluwademilade Babalola, Nojus Zajankauskas, Onanefe Atufe, Andrew Nwokolo, Khyle Justin Capanzana, Ethan Round, Kelvin Clement Aigbogun, Kervy Mabaya |