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20 August 2026  5 min read

From junior teammates to the senior stage: Josh Uduje and the next gen of GB stars

His first year with the Great Britain Senior National Team has not followed a straight line. There was the excitement of receiving his first call-up, the disappointment of being left out of the EuroBasket 2025 roster, the gradual progression through subsequent windows and, by the summer, a growing role and an opportunity to make a genuine impact on the international stage.

Rather than setting him back, the disappointment of missing EuroBasket only strengthened Uduje’s determination to become a consistent part of the programme.

"My first year with the Senior National Team has definitely been about progression," he says. "Not making the roster for EuroBasket 2025 really lit a fire underneath me and solidified the fact that I want to be a part of this programme as much as I can moving forward."

That progression has been evident with every opportunity.

From his first window last summer, through to February and then July, Uduje has continued to establish himself within the senior environment, learning from each experience and gradually increasing his contribution.

"From that first window last summer to February, there was progress even with limited minutes and then in July I felt I was able to really contribute in a positive way and help the team, which is something I’ve always wanted to do," he says.

Josh, Tosan and Amari reunited

Now, another step in that journey is taking place alongside two players who have been part of it from the very beginning.

Tosan Evbuomwan and Amari Williams have joined the senior team for the first time, reuniting with Uduje after years of growing through the GB system together.

For Uduje, their arrival represents something bigger than simply three familiar faces sharing a court again.

"To be back with Amari and Tosan is so fun," he says. "Amari is one of my closest friends and so is Tosan. He was a year older than us but we have that shared experience and grind of getting here that is special to reminisce on."

That journey began when they were teenagers, long before any of them knew exactly where basketball might take them.

They were together at junior national team level, developed alongside one another and eventually found themselves sharing another remarkable experience when all three were part of NBA Summer League in 2025.

"We were all together, which was surreal," Uduje recalls. "It’s funny that we spoke at the time about wanting to team up together again with the national team one day and now we’re here."

Even the staff environment carries reminders of those formative years. Team physiotherapist Aynkaran Vigneswaran, who worked with the players at U16 level, is also back alongside them.

"To reconnect with him when we all arrived today was really nice," Uduje says.

Those relationships are helping create an atmosphere on camp that Uduje believes can become the foundation for something significant.

"We’ve had a lot of conversations privately about our collective vision for what we want to bring to British basketball.

"There is so much talent in this country and it’s important that the best young talent commits as much as it can to this programme to help bring it forward and take it to new heights."

Creating moments for the supporters

For Uduje, the opportunity to represent Great Britain is about more than personal achievement. It is also about creating moments for the supporters who have followed the team and inspiring the next generation to believe they can do the same.

"It’s always nice for people to be able to see what we work so hard for, to play and have these moments on the international stage," he says. "It’s a blessing to be able to represent this country."

He has already experienced the feeling of giving supporters something to celebrate, but his ambitions extend far beyond the moments he has created so far.

"I hope I can help make many more moments like that over the next 10-15 years with this team."

That long-term ambition is shared by a group of young players who have grown up together within the GB pathway and are now beginning to make the transition into the senior programme.

Uduje sees enormous potential in what could happen if that generation continues to commit to the national team.

"We have limitless potential as a nation, we’ve just got to commit to it and that’s exciting," he says.

Beginning of something special for GB

For now, though, the focus is on the present.

With a strong familiarity and chemistry already established within the group, Uduje believes the environment is allowing everyone to bring out the best in one another.

"There is a great atmosphere on camp and that is going to help us bring the best out of each other," he says. "In the case of Tosan and Amari, to have the opportunity to play with them again after we started this journey together when we were 15 or 16, I’m very excited."

There is a sense that something is beginning to take shape.

For Uduje, it is another step forward in a journey that has already taken him from the junior ranks to the senior national team, while for the wider programme, the reunion of a generation of talented young British players offers a glimpse of what could lie ahead.

"I do think that this window and the foundations we lay here can be the beginning of something very special for British basketball."

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