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 Achara averaged 15.8 ppg. for the Dukes last season. |
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Achara to Try Out for Great Britain National Team
July 19, 2007
PITTSBURGH - Duquesne forward/center Kieron Achara (Stirling, Scotland/Maine Central Institute) has been named to the 20-man roster of the Great Britain National Basketball Team which opens its Florida Training Camp on Friday, July 20 in Sarasota, Fla.
Achara is hoping to make the final 12-man roster which will be announced at the conclusion of the camp on July 28. Team Great Britain will compete in EuroBasket Division B in August and early September with hopes of advancing to Division A and eventually qualifying for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to represent Great Britain," said Achara who has international experience as a member of the Scottish National Team. "I'm really looking forward to competing against some great talent."
Among those also on the roster selected by head coach Chris Finch are Chicago Bulls star Loul Deng and former George Washington University and current Dallas Mavericks roster member Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Arizona State's Eric Boateng is the only other player - along with Achara - who is currently competing at the NCAA level.
"Having the opportunity to represent Scotland on the Great Britain team means a lot to Kieron," said Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart. "I know he will work hard, be a great teammate and great ambassador for Duquesne University. The experience he'll gain can only help in his continued development as a player."
Achara, a two-year starter for the Dukes, averaged 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. His 2.6 blocked shots per game average ranked 16th nationally and earned him a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Defense Team. The 6-10, 240-pounder, who completed his undergraduate degree in May, was also the A-10 men's basketball Student-Athlete of the Year. Achara will be taking graduate-level classes this season.
To qualify for EuroBasket Division A, Team Great Britain must initially emerge from a group containing Slovakia, the Netherlands, Albania and Belarus in a series stretching from August 21 to September 5. If successful, the team will then face two promotion playoff matches in September to reach EuroBasket Division A, a place in which is a key criterion for Olympic qualification in 2012.
Team Great Britain will work out twice daily during the week-long camp.
| GREAT BRITAIN NATIONAL TEAM TRYOUT INVITEES | ||
| Below is a list of those invited to the Great Britain National Team's Sarasota, Fla. training camp July 20-28: |
| INVITEE | COUNTRY | CURRENT AFFILIATION |
| Kieron Achara | Scotland | Duquesne - USA |
| Robert Archibald | Scotland | Azovmash - Ukraine |
| Mike Bernard | England | Teramo - Italy |
| Andy Betts | England | Badalona - Spain |
| Eric Boateng | England | Arizona State - USA |
| Flinder Boyd | England | Rosalia - Spain |
| Luol Deng | England | Chicago Bulls - USA |
| Joel Freeland | England | Gran Canaria - Spain |
| Nick George | England | Treviso - Italy |
| Steve Hansell | England | unattached |
| Chris Haslam | England | Novy Jicin - Czech Rep |
| Roger Huggins | England | Liege - Belgium |
| Tarick Johnson | England | Hospitalet - Spain |
| Julius Joseph | England | Scottish Rocks |
| Mike Lenzly | England | Apoel - Cyprus |
| Pops Mensah-Bonsu | England | Dallas Mavericks - USA |
| Richard Midgley | England | unattached |
| Nate Reinking | England | Mons - Belgium |
| Chris Sanders | England | Penne - Italy |
| Andrew Sullivan | England | Badalona - Spain |
| HEAD COACH: Chris Finch | ||
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