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Division B
#1
Teams in Division A are playing for qualification to European Basketball Championship while teams in Division B fight for a place in Division A. Division B games start on Septemer 2nd.



GROUP A

1. Romania

2. Switzerland

3. Ireland

4. Cyprus



GROUP B

1. Albania

2. Slovak Republic

3. Netherlands

4. Belarus

5. Great Britain



GROUP C

1. Iceland

2. Georgia

3. Austria

4. Finland

5. Luxembourg
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#2
do they know how to play basketball ? <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Biggrin' />
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#3
The Division B shows how different is basketball to football. There's a huge gap between the best and the not that good...





Of all that lot, I can only remember Holland taking part in a prper tournament finals. They gave us a scare, we were 21 points down at half time but won by 6. It was the days basketball had 2 20 minutes periods and the Spanish team was in a bad patch (eraly 90s I think)



Slovakia has played along the Czechs as Czechoslavkia, but ages ago... I think they were runners up of the Eurobasket 85 or alike



Great Britan had a close play off with a developing Greece around those ages. The Greeks won it and have become a powerful side. The British... well, no
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#4
^

Seconded diego, britain are absolutely useless. So i jsut ahev to support your guys contries <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Biggrin' />
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#5
I thought I'll update for those that are interested.



Qualifying Round



GROUP A



1. Romania 3/0 6

2. Switzerland 2/1 5

3. Ireland 1/2 4

4. Cyprus 0/3 3



Coming fixtures



Cyprus 25.08.2007 Romania

Ireland 25.08.2007 Switzerland



GROUP B



1. Netherlands 3/1 7

2. Belarus 3/1 7

3. Great Britain 2/2 6

4. Slovak Republic 2/2 6

5. Albania 0/4 4



Coming fixtures



Great Britain 21.08.2007 Slovak Republic

Netherlands 21.08.2007 Belarus



GROUP C



1. Finland 4/0 8

2. Georgia 3/1 7

3. Austria 2/2 6

4. Iceland 1/3 5

5. Luxembourg 0/4 4



Coming fixtures



Luxembourg 21.08.2007 Georgia

Austria 21.08.2007 Finland



[url="http://http"]All the info here[/url]
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#6
Cool, Ireland are in the top league although they are doing too well. They might be able to make it. Britain are doing better, only 1 off the others, I reckon they can probably make it, maybe a few more wins and they'll be there. Quite interesting seeing as they're doing well <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Smile' />
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#7
TBH, I've never really understood why Great Britain have been comparatively bad at basketball. I mean, they have some decent players but maybe Europe as a whole is full of good basketball teams.



It will definately be interesting to see how they'll do at he 2012 Olympics. I would bet that they'll do quite well. Hopefully Lithuania will qualify for them. But you never know.
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#8
Just like every other sport, we aren't very good at this one either. Only positive is that we have low expactations in basketball so we don't get let down by their failure everytime! <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Laugh' />
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#9
the thing with GB is that we need to pursaude ben gordon to play for us as he is yet to decide which country to play for.

in a interview he said if the USA team dont need me then GB sounds great espec. with london 2012 and alongside deng and freeland we would have a pretty good team no?
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#10
Hi guys,I haven't visited the forum for quite a long time,so nice to meet you again and congratulation to the forum team for the great new layout!



About Great Britain,for the first time in their history they have the oportunity to do sth good,also except Gordon and Deng,the have some really promising players like Daniel Clark and Joel Freeland!



Also in 2nd division there is Georgia,a team that always produces super talent but little from them have developed themselves to great players.I don't know what's going wrong...
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#11
[quote name='"the_black_planet":e7be6']Hi guys,I haven't visited the forum for quite a long time,so nice to meet you again and congratulation to the forum team for the great new layout![/quote]

Hello mate. Thanks for returning. I really hope you'll stay this time. We need good members and then the forum will progress. Please stick around <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thup.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':thup:' />
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#12
Howdy folks..

Yes i think the main problem with the G.B sqaud is 1st the country is a football country through and through.

Now the Pro league they have is the BBL, that league consists of mainly American players brought over and the ones who have been around for years and a have a passport, not to mention the ones who married British woman. Now if you add all that up you have alot of Americans, this means that the local players don't get much of a chance to play and develop.

The other main problem is most of the teams don't stay long in the league, they end up folding and going bust for cash and as a result of this the coaches don't take much of a chance to play the local guys because if the teams loses they will get sacked.

I think though there are some good players dotted around Europe and U.S college, N.B.A ect.

Another thing i must add is the Associations of the other countries of the U.K don't have the funding to take the game to another level and now don't even have the chance to compete in European competitions with the team now being G.B.

Which is frustraiting to see teams like Luxamburg, Ireland, Iceland, whom i have competed against. To give u an idea our most well know player Robert Archibald never played for the National mens team because his clubs would not allow it perhaps because of money..
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#13
A similar situation is in German league. They have lots of Americans and there is no limitation for foreigners in one team. The difference is the financial side of the league. German clubs play in ULEB Cup and Euroleague. Their national team is quite highly ranked and play in major competitions.
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#14
Quote:Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng is one of three NBA players called up by Great Britain coach Chris Finch for the team's summer programme. Pops Mensah-Bonsu of Dallas and Golden State's Kelenna Azubuike are the other NBA-based players in the 24-man squad.

The squad assembles in Florida in July to prepare for four crucial European qualifiers in August and September.

Finch has recalled 11 of last summer's team to a squad that is probably the strongest ever assembled in Britain.

"Definitely the loyalty factor was at work there," said Finch. "All 11 of them won't be on the final squad, but those guys made the commitment last year.

"We have to build commitment into the programme."

Finch describes the squad's potential as "a tantalising thought - we have some top talent. It's important that talent turns up, though."

Azubuike, 23, was born in London and indicated to Finch only last weekend that he wished to be included.

The Golden State player was visited two weeks ago by GB assistant coach Tony Garbelotto in a bid to secure his involvement.

Azubuike has yet to acquire a British passport, but has been selected as a wild card by Finch on the assumption that he will have one by the time the qualifiers begin.

Deng starred on Monday as the Bulls secured a 4-0 whitewash over reigning NBA champions Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Four of the players, including captain Andrew Sullivan, play in Spain's ACB League, rated the best in Europe.

Only six members of the squad played in the BBL last season.

Finch will bring the squad back from Florida in early August for a series of seven warm-up internationals in France, Croatia and London before the opening qualifier against Slovakia in Newcastle on 21 August.

Great Britain will probably need to win all four of their matches in order to qualify from Group B for a two-leg promotion play-off tie in mid-September.

In all, the team are scheduled to play 13 internationals including the other qualifying ties against Netherland, Albania and Belarus.



Great Britain squad:

Kieron Achara (Duquesne Uni, USA), Robert Archibald, Andrew Betts, Andrew Sullivan (all Unicaja, Spain), Mike Bernard (Teramo, Italy), Eric Boateng (Arizona State Uni, USA), Flinder Boyd (Rosalia, Spain), Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls), Jermayne Forbes (Dombovar, Hungary), Joel Freeland (Gran Canaria, Spain), Nick George (Imola, Italy), Steven Hansell (Evreux, France), Chris Haslam (Kunin, Czech Rep), Roger Huggins (Charleroi, Belgium), Tarick Johnson (London United), Julius Joseph (Scottish Rocks), Michael Martin (Guildford), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Dallas Mavericks), Richard Midgley (unattached), Nate Reinking (Bree, Belgium), Chris Sanders (Penne, Italy), Alto Virgil (Chester), Yorick Williams (Leicester), Kelenna Azubuike (Golden State Warriors).

This might help to make a little progress but it will be very hard for Great Britain to progress to Division A.
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#15
im still hoping ben gordon joins up with them
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#16
Burke Out For Ireland





14.06.2007



Phoenix Suns big man Pat Burke will be unable to line up for the Irish men's National Team for their crucial EuroBasket Division B qualifiers due to family commitments.



The 2.08 meter Burke has just completed a grueling NBA season and was forced to spend the last four months separated from his family as they traveled back to their native Orlando to look after a seriously ill relative.



Burke was set to return to the international fold for Ireland for the important games against Switzerland at the National Basketball Arena on August 25th before jetting off for games in Romania and Norway in September.



However, by joining up with his Irish teammates, Burke would then be apart from his family for an even longer period at a time of concern for a close relative.



The 33-year-old Dublin native was the first Irish born player to play in the NBA when he signed with the Orlando Magic in 1997.
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#17
Quote:It has been a long season for the Bulls forward, who in 82 games averaged 18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, but he insists his body is fit and ready for a hopefully successful Eurobasket campaign, which starts in Birmingham against Slovakia on August 21 and could possibly end in promotion to Eurobasket A in Sheffield later in the summer.



"Last season I played about 100 games, but I did a good job in taking time off with my body," said the 22-year-old.



"I'm really excited about this summer, I've been looking forward to it all year.



"I don't know what the turnout will be like at the games but hopefully it will be great - as a team we are looking forward to it. We have to understand we are really on a mission, these games really matter to us."



In his youth, Deng was both a talented footballer and basketball player, but it was the latter which captured his imagination and at the tender age of 14 he crossed the Atlantic to pursue his NBA dream, which came true when he joined the Bulls, in 2004, on a three-year-contract worth $6.1million.



But despite spending time in the States Deng has always considered England to be his home, after his father sought political asylum in 1993.



"Since I first played for England when I was 14 I have always hoped some point in the future that I would that I would play for England. I just didn't know when it would come and now the Olympics is going to be in London.



"I'm really motivated by the ambition of playing in 2012. Everyone understands 'playing in the Olympics', it is a dream. We want to show everyone how good we can be. This summer is really crucial for the team.



"The sport could be really big in Britain. Basketball has grown in Europe and is very big in the national game. Right now the UK is behind in terms of players and development of basketball, but there are four or five players at college right now who are considered NBA prospects so in five or 10 years Britain is going to be at its best in terms of basketball.



"Raising the profile of the game in the UK is something I have been trying to do. I have been trying to raise awareness of basketball in England. As long as GB does well it will bring more attention to the sport."



But Deng admits that returning to relative anonymity in his home country is something he is looking forward to.



"In a way I like it. This year has really been hard for me especially in Chicago where basketball is really big. You receive a lot of attention when you step out of the door so I like being able to step outside the door with my friends and family."



Tickets for the Eurobasket games in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield can be bought at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.basketballgb.com" target="_blank">[url="http://www.basketballgb.com"]http://www.basketballgb.com[/url]</a><!-- m -->.
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#18
Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Mavericks) and Loul Deng (Bulls) will join Great Britain. If GB want to be given a chance to play in 2012 Olympics they need to meet FIBA requirement which is to qualify for either 2009 or 2011 Eurobasket.
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#19
Netherlands 77:72 Belarus

Great Britain 77:52 Slovak Republic



1. Netherlands 4/1 9

2. Great Britain 3/2 8

3. Belarus 3/2 8

4. Slovakia 2/3 7

5. Albania 0/4 4



Great Britain had Loul Deng for the first official game and he helped with 21 points.



Luxembourg 60:88 Georgia

Austria 63:87 Finland



1. Finland 5/0 10

2. Georgia 4/1 9

3. Austria 2/3 7

4. Iceland 1/3 5

5. Luxembourg 0/5 5
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#20
Good win for GB.



How many of Group B get into Group A and when?
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