After some uncertainty, word is in from Basketball Australia that Aleks Maric will indeed be available to represent Australia at the upcoming FIBA World Championships in Turkey. This is hugely important news for the Boomers, who lack meat inside with the unavailability of NBA big men Andrew Bogut and Nathan Jawai. Maric will team up nicely with David Andersen to provide a European-experienced interior combo.
More info comes from the BA press release:
The World Championship campaign of the Golden Star Australian Boomers men’s national basketball team has received a major boost with European-based star big man Aleks Maric confirming that he has made himself available for selection.
The availability of Maric, who was named to the 2009-10 All-Euroleague First Team this year, had previously been in significant doubt. The 210cm centre completed a gruelling 10-month season with his team, Partizan Belgrade, where he led the Serbian club to the national Radivoj Korac Cup Trophy, as well as the Adriatic Championship.
After having a short holiday in Australia however, Maric says he is now rested and ready to rejoin the Boomers when they go into their next training camp from 7 – 13 August in Melbourne.
“It was a long, tough, gruelling season in Europe that went right up to the 20th of June, and at that point all I wanted to do was rest and get my mind off basketball because the season was so long,” said Maric, who recently signed with Greek super club Panathinaikos. “I’d been in contact with coach (Brett) Brown all the time and he said take as much time off as you need and just don’t forget about us.
“I did that, as I’d always had the ambition to play for Australia, especially in the World Championships. So I took some time off and relaxed and thought about my options and I came back refreshed and anxious to play for Australia. It was a quick decision when I came back from vacation.”
Maric said he’d always wanted to represent his country at a senior level ever since joining with Andrew Bogut to win the junior world championships in Greece in 2003 and he felt he could bring some additional toughness to the Boomers squad.
“(I think I can bring) physical and emotional toughness,” Maric said. “That’s what I brought to my team in Europe and I feel that’s something I can bring to this team – toughness. Everyone in the world knows Australian teams are renowned for their toughness.”
Boomers Head Coach Brett Brown was grateful that Maric sacrificed much of his limited off season to join the Boomers.
“Al, like many of our players, has put his country first with his acceptance of our invitation to play with us,” Brown said. “His talents, physical presence, and most importantly, his team-first attitude, will fit in perfectly with our current group. We are all excited to welcome him into our team.”
Maric will join 15 other players at the Boomers’ Melbourne camp as coach Brett Brown looks to finalise his team for the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey from 28 August to 12 September.
All 12 of the Boomers’ players from the recent Stankovic Continental Cup, where Australia went 3-1 and finished second, will participate, including NBA stars Patrick Mills and David Andersen. Also invited to the Melbourne camp are exciting young prospects Hugh Greenwood and Matthew Dellavedova and newly signed Cairns Taipans’ forward Alex Loughton.
The Melbourne training camp will include sessions at both Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and Caulfield Grammar School.
A full training camp player list is below.
Golden Star Australian Boomers – World Championship Training Squad
Name / Height / Age / Position / Most Recent College or Pro Team
David ANDERSEN / 212cm / 30 / Centre / Toronto Raptors (NBA)
David BARLOW / 205cm / 26 / Forward / CAI Zaragoza (Spain)
Aron BAYNES / 207cm / 23 / Centre / EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Germany)
Matthew DELLAVEDOVA / 189cm / 19 / St Mary’s College (USA)
Adam GIBSON / 188cm / 23 / Guard / Gold Coast Blaze
Hugh GREENWOOD / 189CM / 18 / Australian Institute of Sport
Joe INGLES / 203cm / 22 / Forward / CB Granada (Spain)
Alex LOUGHTON / 206cm /272 / Forward / Cairns Taipans
Steven MARKOVIC / 190cm / 25 / Guard / KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (Serbia)
Aleks MARIC / 210cm / 25 / Centre / Panathinaikos (Greece)
Damian MARTIN / 188cm / 25 / Guard / Perth Wildcats
Patrick MILLS / 183cm / 21 / Guard / Portland Trail Blazers (NBA)
Brad NEWLEY / 198cm / 25 / Guard / Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)
Matthew NIELSEN / 209cm / 32 / Forward / Olympiacos (Greece)
AJ OGILVY / 211cm / 22 / Centre / Besiktas (Turkey)
Mark WORTHINGTON / 202cm / 27 / Forward / Brose Baskets (Germany)
