U16 Men’s EuroBasket set to begin in Skopje, North Macedonia

GB U16 Men will begin their EuroBasket campaign in Skopje, North Macedonia, on 7 August against Austria.

GB will then take on Portugal, Sweden, and Montenegro to round out Group A.

Liam Jefferson, current Oaklands Wolves Elites Academy Head Coach, will lead the squad as Head Coach. Jefferson previously performed as an Assistant Coach for the U20 Men’s team at the 2023 FIBA EuroBasket Division B.

It’s a real honour to be appointed as head coach for the U16 men’s programme and one that I don’t take lightly. The work of the federation over the last couple of years has made it an extremely exciting time to be involved, and I hope to play a small part in continuing the momentum. We have a really intriguing group of players within this age group, and I can’t wait to work with them.Head Coach Liam Jefferson

The squad available to Coach Jefferson is as follows:

Santiago Keith Baffour-Rivera - Spanish Basketball Academy (Spain)

Elijah Imevbore - London Legends

Myles Barry - London Thunder

Joshua Mboura - London Westside Basketball Club

Kimbé N’Gabala - Richmond Knights Basketball

Maxx Tjongondjoza - Long Island Lutheran High School (USA)

Rufus Wilkinson - Derthona Basket (Italy)

Ziah Francis - Victoria Libertas Pesaro (Italy)

Daniel Onuoha - London Elite

Casey Burr - Derby Trailblazers

Jaydon Wise-Malcom - Teeside Lions

Oliver Bishop - Charnwood College Riders

GB’s squad features a plethora of young talent already well-experienced in international youth basketball.

6’6” and 6’7” forwards Rufus Wilkinson and Ziah Francis both play in Italy, developing their abilities through the youth systems there.

Wilkinson reached the national finals with the Derthona Basket U17 Excellence team this season, whilst Francis competed for Victoria Libertas Pesaro in the U17 EYBL. Both provide size and athleticism to Coach Jefferson’s side.

Santiago Keith Baffour-Rivera is the final GB player competing in Europe at the club level. The 6’0” point guard came through the Real Madrid academy and currently plays for the Spanish National Basketball Academy.

Coach Jefferson looks on in training camp

Elijah Imevbore won MVP at the U15 Home Nations International in Manchester this June, as England won all of their matches. A crafty 6’7” forward, Imevbore has dominated at every level of his career thus far, including at the West Coast Elite Basketball tournament against Trae Young’s team, and for the London Legends against England at the Future Stars International tournament.

Maxx Tjongondjoza is the only GB player currently playing in the US, where he attends Long Island Lutheran High School. Another rangy forward, Tjongondjoza, adds explosive athleticism and elite defence to GB’s squad.

Derby Trailblazer Casey Burr won Elite Academy Basketball League North MVP and U17 Player of the Year this season. Burr averaged 21.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, shooting 54% from the field, whilst proving himself as one of the league’s premier defenders.

Jaydon Wise-Malcom started playing basketball just two years ago, but is already a rising star in Great Britain’s youth development programme. Scouts highlight his quick feet and tenacious defensive attitude as central to his rapid improvement.

The coaching staff supporting Coach Jefferson is as follows:

Assistant Coach - Jesse Sazant

Assistant Coach - Steve Miknis

Apprentice Coach - Joe Hart

Team Manager - Mark Lloyd

Physio - Kenzie Zarudny

Strength and Conditioning - Ben Murray

Performance Analyst - Toby Pennels

GB begin the tournament against Austria, on 7 August at 10:00 am (BST). You can watch the game live on the FIBA YouTube channel.