Who's In - Great Britain Men

GENEVA (London 2012) - No side at the 2012 Olympics will have been under more pressure since 2007 to prove its worth in international basketball than Great Britain.

When London was awarded the Games, the Brits were put on noticed by FIBA - basketball's world governing body - that they had to demonstrate they would be able to put a competitive team on the floor at the Olympics before being allowing to take up the spot normally reserved for host countries.

Because England, Scotland and Wales had had their own teams, first they had to agree to move forward as Great Britain.

Next, the mission for the Brits was to win promotion from EuroBasket Division B and then to make it through a tough Division A qualifying campaign and reach the EuroBasket.

Led by Chris Finch, an American who played professionally in England and then coached in the British league, and with terrific performances by a host of players like forward Luol Deng and big man Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the British team excelled.

They qualified not only for EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, but also EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

As acknowledgement of the huge strides on the court by Finch's teams, FIBA's Central Board in March of 2011 voted in Lyon, France, in favor of the British men playing at the London Olympics.