TEMI FAGBENLE IN FOR ENGLAND’S 3X3 CHALLENGE

By Mark Woods on May 28, 2021

Stef Collins and Julius Joseph have called up two 12-person squads for England’s first pre-Commonwealth Games camp.

Temi Fagbenle, newly-signed for Turkish side Mersin, joins current Great Britain women’s team-mates Chantelle Handy, Cheridene Green, Chantel Charles and Hannah Shaw, who – like Collins – was a silver medal winner in basketball from the Gold Coast Games in 2018.

The men’s squad also features two players who represented England in Australia in Mike Tuck and Orlan Jackman, plus BBL recruits Josh Ward-Hibbert, Jordan Whelan and Jordan Williams.

Plymouth’s Ashley Hamilton was a late withdrawal with an ankle injury while his GB teammate Myles Hesson has also made his commitment to the programme clear but is unavailable next week.

While the camp is the first Team England get-together for the prospective 3×3 line-ups, it also acts as preparation for the Europe Cup qualifier in Romania this June when a GB team made up of England players will compete with the aim of reaching the finals in Paris later in the year.

Collins and Joseph will also use the Under-23 League of Nations and the summer’s Ball Out UK tour to give the selected players 3×3 experience and check out others.

Collins said: “Not only will this summer’s activities be an important starting point for Commonwealth Games preparation, but we also have a great opportunity to help boost our GB federation ranking by taking part in the Europe Cup Qualifiers in Romania and to further support and identify our player pool through the Ball Out UK tour and U23 League of Nations.”

Joseph added: “Next week will see the very first 3×3 national team camp and it will be exciting to get to work. 3×3 is a very strategic, physical, fast-paced game and we will need to adapt quickly.

“I’m looking forward to working with our best and most suited 3×3 players to build a programme that will compete and win on the international stage. We have a lot of work ahead of us, as other countries have started their national team 3×3 programmes ahead of us, but I still believe we have what it takes to be successful.”

Women’s squad
Evelyn Adebayo, Adareva, ESP
Shanice Beckford-Norton, BA London Lions
Chantel Charles, BA London Lions
Loren Christie, University at Buffalo, USA
Temi Fagbenle, Mersin, TUR
Cheridene Green, ENEA Gorzow, POL
Chantelle Handy, Casademont Zaragoza, ESP
Ebony Horton, Manchester Mystics
Shequila Joseph, Leganes, ESP
Abigail Lowe, Newcastle Eagles
Paige Robinson-Miller, BA London Lions
Hannah Shaw, Manchester Mystics

Men’s squad
Andre Arissol, Solent Kestrels
Flynn Boardman-Raffet, Barking Abbey
Danny Evans, L’Hospitalet, ESP
Tosan Evbuomwan, Princeton University, USA
Veron Eze, Barking Abbey
Orlan Jackman, Solent Kestrels
Eljay Morris, Emmanuel, USA
Josh Steel, Ciudad de Ponferrada, ESP
Michael Tuck, Sheffield Sharks
Josh Ward-Hibbert, London Lions
Jordan Whelan, Manchester Giants
Jordan Williams, Worcester Wolves

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