GB 3×3 men’s & women’s squads named for europe Cup qualifiers
Great Britain squads for this weekend’s FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Qualifiers have been confirmed.
Head coaches Stef Collins and Julius Joseph have selected their four-player teams for the competition in Romania on 4 and 5 June following a four-day invitational camp in Manchester.
The GB Men face Spain and Turkey in their pool games with the Women playing Hungary and Denmark on Constanta’s open-air seaside court.
Collins has selected national team veteran Chantelle Handy, along with Shanice Beckford-Norton and Cheridene Green – who all featured in last year’s campaign which saw the Women reach the finals in Paris.
Hannah Jump, fresh from a winning a second consecutive PAC 12 Championship in the US and a visit to the NCAA Tournament, makes up the quartet with her first appearance in GB colours.
Joseph also brings back a face from last year’s men’s squad with vet Orlan Jackman returning. He is joined by Jamell Anderson, Andre Arissol and Jacksonville State alumnus Kayne Henry.
GB have again entered the Europe Cup in collaboration with Basketball England as part of a joint mission to improve the national team’s FIBA 3×3 and prepare Team England for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.
GB Women’s head coach Stef Collins said:
“It’s been a successful few days in camp. We’re really pleased to see how the squad has progressed within such a short space of time as we continue our preparation for our 3×3 debut in the Commonwealth Games.
“We look forward to the challenge of the FIBA Europe Cup Qualifiers as we compete with the best in Europe and carry our preparations onwards to Serbia which will be another fantastic opportunity to learn, adapt and grow as a squad.”
GB Men’s head coach Julius Joseph said:
“I’ve been very impressed with the talent that we’ve seen this week. The guys have grasped the 3×3 strategies very well and made a tremendous amount of progress.
“I’m pleased with the foursome we have going to Romania for the Europe Cup Qualifiers and we’re looking forward to the challenge. I’m happy with the group and confident in their ability.
“Looking forward to the Commonwealths with England we’ll have a group of six to announce soon and within that group there’s scope for movement ahead of our finals Games selection.”
GB Women’s 3×3 squad
Shanice Beckford-Norton – London Lions
Cheridene Green – DVTK Miskolc
Chantelle Handy – TTT Riga
Hannah Jump – Stanford University
GB Men’s 3×3
Jamell Anderson – Manchester Giants
Andre Arissol – Solent Kestrels
Kayne Henry – Jacksonville State
Orlan Jackman – Solent Kestrels
*Clubs/teams listed are last played for
Schedule
Women
4 June, 10.10am: GB v Denmark
4 June, 11.30am: GB v Hungary
Men
4 June, 9.50am: GB v Turkey
4 June, 11.10am: GB v Spain
How it works
Other qualifiers will take place in Tel Aviv, Israel and Limassol, Cyprus with the Finals taking place in Graz, Austria on 9-11 September.
Action will be in round-robin style in four pools in day one, followed by one elimination round starting with the quarter-finals on day two.
In the men’s category, the winners of the semi-finals will qualify to the Europe Cup.
In the women’s category, the winners of the semi-finals will qualify to the Europe Cup and the two semi-finals losers will play one additional game and the winners of that game will also qualify.
Besides that, the best third in the men’s category and the best fourth in the women’s category (comparing the Romania and Israel Qualifier) will also earn a ticket to Graz.
Six men’s teams and four women’s teams will not have to go through the qualifiers having clinched their tickets to Graz by winning the last edition in front of the Eiffel Tower, as hosts and based on ranking.
Men: Austria (Hosts), Serbia (reigning champions), Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium and Netherlands (Federation Ranking).
Women: Austria (Hosts), Spain (reigning champions), Germany and France (Federation Ranking).
Serbia are the defending men’s champions, while Spain memorably won the women’s event in 2021 in Paris – which is the site of the 2024 Olympic Games.