FIBA Basketball

    Hosts Finland excited by deep roster

    HELSINKI, (FIBA U20 European Championship 2016) - Finland have named a strong roster to lead the home side at the FIBA U20 European Championship.

    HELSINKI (FIBA U20 European Championship 2016) - Finnish basketball fans had already circled July's FIBA U20 European Championship as one of the biggest events of the year, but as we approach the tournament more reasons arise for excitement in Helsinki to reach peak level.

    The 2016 edition of the tournament, which tips off on 16 July in the Finnish capital, will mark the maiden participation of Finland's U20 national team in Division A and also the first time the country hosts the showpiece youth competition.

    The occasion was therefore important enough in its own right to captivate the Finnish fanbase, but now U20 national team head coach Anton Mirolybov has made sure to add extra spice to the already appetising mix.

    Mirolybov announced a 22-strong preliminary roster for the event which gives the hosts the right to dream of a promising showing in their first-ever FIBA U20 European Championship Division A tournament.

    The Finnish roster includes five players of the fantastic 2015 team, which conquered the gold medal in the Division B tournament in Hungary, earning the historic promotion to the top flight for the Scandinavian nation.

    They are Tuomas Hirvonen, who led that tournament in assists with 6.9 per game and also averaged 10.4 points per contest, fellow point guard Harold Aidoo and wingers Arttu Saarijärvi, Okko Järvi and Joonas Tahvanainen.

    That core is joined by one of the most exciting 1997-born prospects in Europe, Lauri Markkanen, who will make the jump to the NCAA and the Arizona Wildcats this summer.

    The 2.11 center was the top scorer of last year's FIBA U18 European Championship in Greece, averaging 18.2 points as well as 6.3 rebounds per game.

    “We have a deep squad full of excellent players and talent at every position,”  commented coach Mirolybov.

    “All the players have played key minutes in their respective teams this past season and I believe this helps us to complete our puzzle at an early stage.
     
    “I believe that Finnish basketball fans will help us create an extraordinary atmosphere in our home court.”

    Meanwhile a player who is something of an unknown quantity for the European audience in general, the youngest of the Murphy brothers, is an addition that generates great expectations among Finnish fans.



    The 2.06m Tomas Murphy, who goes to Northfield Mt. Hermon high school, has been included in the preliminary roster and is poised to make his debut with the Finnish national team following in the footsteps of older brothers Eric and Alex.

    “Tomas Murphy is a new acquaintance to all of us, but I believe he will fit right into our ‘family of wolves’,” said Mirolybov.

    “It’s important to make Tomas familiar with our programme and let him help the team that way.

    “We are going to play against some of the best countries of this age group already in our preparation games and that tells already quite a lot about how Finnish basketball is respected in other European countries.”

    Finland commence their warm-up games on 22 June and will play back-to-back games against Germany before travelling to Belgrade to face Serbia.

    The Finns then return home to go up against Turkey just a couple of days before the tournament tips off.

    The hosts were drawn in Group B of the FIBA U20 European Championship, together with Israel, France and Spain.

    Finland 22-player preliminary roster for FIBA U20 European Championship 2016: Harold Aidoo, Aapeli Alanen, Elias Eerikinharju, Juho Gummerus, Lasse Gummerus, Akseli Hartikainen, Juho-Matti Henttonen, Tuomas Hirvonen, Okko Järvi, Henri Kantonen, Aatu Kivimäki, Lauri Markkanen, Tomas Murphy, Samuli Nieminen, Henri Niemistö, Lassi Nikkarinen, Remu Raitanen, Eemil Räisänen, Arttu Saarijärvi, Matias Suvanto, Joonas Tahvanainen, Ilmari Toikkanen.

    FIBA