Netherlands to take flight with Cornelius and Hof
AMSTERDAM (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers) - Netherlands will utilise the skills of former youth stars Laura Cornelius and Emese Hof for the forthcoming FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers.
AMSTERDAM (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers) - Netherlands will be able to utilise the skills of former youth stars Laura Cornelius and Emese Hof for the forthcoming FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers with the duo preparing to fly directly from the University of Miami to France.
That's the next destination for the Orange Angels in Group B, as they look to cause a surprise against Les Bleues and take a step towards their first-ever Final Round appearance.
| Netherlands 14-player preliminary squad for FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers | |||
| Jill Bettonvil | Loyce Bettonvil | Tanya Broring | Laura Cornelius |
| Lisanne de Jonge | Emese Hof | Maaike Klein | Maaike Klein |
| Karin Kuijt | Sonja Kuijt | Fieke Ligthart | Janis Ndiba |
| Natalie van den Adel | Charlotte van Kleef | Britt Zappeij | |
Both Cornelius and Hof have been the major figures in Netherlands youth basketball rising to the fore in recent years, with the former pulling the strings and the latter going to work in the paint. They both helped to harvest a first-ever youth medal and they also featured in several global tournaments, including the previous FIBA U19 Women's World Championship in Chekhov and Vidnoje.
The past 6 summers, 10 major tournaments and 125 official games have been amazing. Proud to be Orange!!! 🙏🏼🇳🇱❤️ pic.twitter.com/FCyvGhGlyC
— Laura Cornelius (@laaau96) July 21, 2016
Viewed as the future of Dutch basketball, Cornelius and Hof will press the pause button on their NCAA commitments to show they can deliver at the senior level for interim head coach Hakim Salem, who has replaced Remy De Wit.
As well as playing Les Bleues, Netherlands will also go up against Estonia as they not only stay focused on possible qualification to the Czech Republic, but also keep an eye on the importance of doing their best to ensure they are in an improved position for subsequent qualification campaigns.
"We have a good, nice mix of young talent and experienced internationals," mused Salem.
"We are relaxed under the circumstances, but we are staying sharp. We will train with great dedication and a work ethic and we want to close the cycle to ensure the highest possible ranking for the future," concluded the play-caller.
FIBA