FRA - Seraphin making strong case for London

VITORIA (Euroleague/Olympics) - Since helping France to a silver medal at EuroBasket in September, Kevin Seraphin has gained in confidence and grown in stature.

The 21-year-old now hopes that a strong showing with Spanish side Caja Laboral will lead to him once again being a part of the French team that will end a 12-year Olympic absence next summer in London.

With veteran Ronny Turiaf missing in action through injury in Lithuania, Seraphin provided a lift off the bench for Vincent Collet's side as they reached the title game and booked their place for the 2012 Games.

The 2.05m big man played limited minutes in Les Bleus' drive to the Final, but made the most of them.

His 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks in only 17 minutes in France's Preliminary Round win over Serbia was the perfect example of his efficiency.

Seraphin showed no lack of confidence while going up against the talented Serb frontline that includes the likes of Nenad Krstic and Milan Macvan.

"I got more and more confident during the game and just played my style," Seraphin said at the time. "It was a big game and I knew I had to be focused."

Seraphin had his best offensive outing at EuroBasket when filling in for Joakim Noah in France's lopsided defeat at the hands of Spain in the Second Round, leading all scorers with 18 points in only 19 minutes of play.

After helping the French senior team to their first silver medal in an international competition since 2000, he had an important decision to make. With the NBA lockout dragging on, he had to determine where he could play and stay in shape before having to return for duty with the Washington Wizards.

Seraphin's former team of Cholet - for which he played three years prior to being picked in the 2010 NBA Draft - and Spanish side Caja Laboral were both very interested in his services.

While the appeal of going back to a team familiar and close to his heart was hard to turn down, Seraphin opted for the tougher option and the chance to play under legendary coach Dusko Ivanovic.

"I'm very happy to play for Caja Laboral. I don't regret my choice," he said.

"I'm an underdog and I like challenges. It's a challenge for me to play at the highest level in Europe."

So far, Seraphin has not disappointed. He is one of Caja Laboral's only two players - Bosnia and Herzegovina star forward Mirza Teletovic is the other - to have scored in double-digits in all four of Caja Laboral's Euroleague games to date.

Whereas Teletovic logs heavy minutes, Seraphin does his damage in under 21 minutes a game, averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds through four games.

His high level of efficiency is hard to match and has played a big part in helping Caja Laboral top Group A with a 3-1 mark heading into Wednesday's game against Bizkaia Bilbao Basket.

While there is still a long way to go in both the domestic season and the Euroleague - and potentially a return to the NBA - Seraphin has the Olympics firmly within his sights.

"I had a spot on the team last summer so I don't see why I can't do the same next year," he said.

"If I continue to work hard, I'm confident that I'll be in London next summer.

FIBA