*Updated: 22 June
GB will take part in the Europe Cup qualifier in Romania and the U23 League of Nations event in Israel.
Teams have been entered as part of a collaboration between Great Britain Basketball and Basketball England to help prepare Team England players for next year’s Commonwealth Games and set about improving the GB national teams’ 3x3 rankings.
Selection follows a Team England training camp in Manchester earlier this month and sees some of the nation’s most prominent 5v5 players commit to the three-a-side version of the sport, which will feature at Birmingham 2022 as a Games first.
GB co-captain Myles Hesson will line up alongside Josh Ward-Hibbert, 2018 Commonwealth Games representative Orlan Jackman in the senior men’s squad and GB's Ashley Hamilton, a late replacement for the Jordan Williams who has suffered an ankle injury.
Experienced national team stars Temi Fagbenle and Chantelle Handy are in the women’s senior squad with Shanice Beckford-Norton and Shequila Joseph.
The two groups will be led by Julius Joseph and Collins (pictured below) respectively.
Some bright young talent features in the two U23 League of Nations squads.
Barking Abbey duo Flynn Boardman-Raffet and Veron Eze plus US-based Eljay Morris (Emmanuel) and Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton) make up the men’s squad with Krumesh Patel as coach.
Abigail Lowe (Newcastle Eagles), Paige Robinson-Miller (BA London Lions), Loren Christie (University at Buffalo) and Katie Bennett (Durham Palatinates) form the women’s squad, led by Kenrick Liburd.
GB Men’s squad for Europe Cup Qualifiers
Myles Hesson #5, Elan Chalon, FRA
Ashley Hamilton #6, Plymouth Raiders
Orlan Jackman #7, Team Solent Kestrels
Josh Ward-Hibbert #9, London Lions
Coach: Julius Joseph
GB Women’s squad for Europe Cup Qualifiers
Shanice Beckford-Norton #4, BA London Lions
Chantelle Handy #6, Casademont Zaragoza, ESP
Temi Fagbenle #8, Mersin, TUR
Shequila Joseph #9, Leganes, ESP
Coach: Stef Collins
GB Men’s squad for U23 League of Nations
Flynn Boardman-Raffet #4, Barking Abbey
Veron Eze #5, Barking Abbey
Eljay Morris #6, Emmanuel, USA
Tosan Evbuomwan #7, Princeton University, USA
Coach: Krumesh Patel
GB Women’s squad for U23 League of Nations
Abigail Lowe #4, Newcastle Eagles
Paige Robinson-Miller #5, BA London Lions
Loren Christie #6, University at Buffalo, USA
Katie Bennett #7, Durham Palatinates
Coach: Kenrick Liburd
.
“It has been incredibly challenging to select such small squads from so much talent that attended the first-ever 3x3 national team camp. We were privileged to have some of the best players our country has to offer and we had to make really tough decisions.
“This is just the beginning of the 3x3 journey so there will be many more opportunities ahead this summer with Ball Out 3x3 and beyond.
“The selected squad players are all tough, versatile and can guard multiple positions and score consistently in a variety of ways. We will need to play smart, with composure and adapt very quickly as we are playing against teams that have been together for years.”
“The tournaments will be a great opportunity to see where we are as it is our first time entering teams into this competition and we will use this experience to continue to learn, adapt, and grow with 3x3.
“Our ambition is to continue supporting our long list of players and others to take part in 3x3 this summer through the various Ball-Out tournaments as this will be an important part in identifying talent and further boost individual and federation ranking points.”
For the Europe Cup qualifier, in Constanta on 26/27 June, the GB men are in a group with Hungary, Ukraine and Kosovo, while the women are matched with Hungary and Slovakia. All GB's games will take place on Sunday, 27 June.
There are four tickets to the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Finals in Paris available for both men and women. The teams are divided into four pools with the top two in each advancing to the knock-out round. The winners of each of four male and four female elimination games qualify.
In the U23 League of Nations there will be three days of action (28-30 June) in Tel Aviv, Israel. GB are drawn in the same conference as Spain, France, Israel 1 & 2 and the Netherlands in both men’s and women’s competitions.
The three-day stay equates to three ‘stops’ on the League of Nations tour, played for COVID-19 safety reasons, in a ‘bubble’ to minimise travel.
FIBA is planning two triple stops, with GB’s other in Israel. If a Nations League Final is played, the host will qualify directly along with the six conference winners and the next best ranked team across all conferences.
