Bonga, Freudenberg back into talented German squad
HAGEN (FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017) - Germany go into their first FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup since 1987 with a deep pool of talent, including the returns of Isaac Bonga and Richard Freudenberg, who missed the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016.
Freudenberg, who was named as the team captain for the Cairo tournament from July 1-9, was one of the leaders of the German team that won the 2016 Albert Schweitzer Tournament. But he could not play at the FIBA U18 European Championship since he was attending college in the United States during the tournament.
Bonga, meanwhile, was injured for both the Albert Schweitzer Tournament and the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 and has not played for Germany since the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015. Both Freudenberg and Bonga are back in the mix for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic's team, which is one of the most talented in Germany's history.
| Germany's roster for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 | |||
| Isaac Bonga | Oscar Da Silva | Richard Freudenberg | Philipp Hadenfeldt |
| Philipp Herkenhoff | Bennet Hundt | Lars Lagerpusch | Kostja Mushidi |
| Louis Olinde | Moritz Sanders | Nelson Weidemann | Ferdinand Zylka |
The team will also feature Kostja Mushidi, Oscar Da Silva and Lars Lagerpusch - three of the 10 players back from the German side that finished fourth at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016.
For as good as Germany's team looks to be, Ibrahimagic will be missing a major part of the group's success at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 as Isaiah Hartenstein is unavailable after being selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Harstenstein led the German team in scoring - jointly with Mushidi - while also being tops in rebounds, steals and blocks and second in assists at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016.
Hartenstein, however, did miss the Albert Schweitzer Tournament and Germany were still able to win their first ever title at the biennial event. Ibrahimagic's players will need to pick up their games collectively, especially in the post where Germany really only have one low post player in Lagerpusch.
Germany, who are drawn into Group B in Cairo with Egypt, Lithuania and Puerto Rico, will be making their third appearance at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. They were fourth in 1987 and fifth in 1983.
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