The
British Basketball League has strong representation in the 24-man longlist that
GB Basketball has today announced for the forthcoming FIBA 2023 World Cup Qualifying
double-header against Belarus.
Eight
of the 24 players in Acting Head Coach Marc Steutel’s longlist for the duo of
games against Belarus – the first being played away in Minsk on Friday February
25th and the second being played at home in Newcastle on Monday February
28th – represent clubs in the BBL.
Jamell
Anderson, Dan Clark, Josh Steel, Teddy Okereafor, Ben Mockford, Patrick Whelan,
Gareth Murray and Jordan Williams are all included in the 24-man roster, with
the final 12-man rosters to be confirmed before each game
GB enter the second window of FIBA World Cup
Qualifying in unprecedented form, having won 12 of their past 15 games – a run
that extends all the way back to the 2018-19 season.
This historic period of fine form includes a
famous win last November where GB toppled world-number-10-ranked Greece 78-69,
signifying the first time Great Britain had beaten the European powerhouse
since 1984, as well as significant victories against France and Germany within
that run.
Team
co-captain Dan Clark (110 caps) moves closer to becoming GB’s all-time leading
International Cap winner with only Eric Boateng (116 caps) ahead of him, with
the 33-year-old having a stellar debut season in the British Basketball League
representing the Manchester Giants.
The
Men’s team last faced Belarus in the Tbilisi City Hall Cup in 2014, where Belarus
came out 68-77, however GB Men’s last visit to Belarus was more fruitful, in
the FIBA EuroBasket 2007 Division B Group Phase, winning 83-51 on that
occasion.
Congratulations to the 24 players selected and good luck to the GB team for their forthcoming qualifiers at the end of the month.