New head coach Svetislav Pesic named 15 players 23 years or younger including a number of first-timers for the first training camp of Germany’s senior national team ahead of qualifying for the 2013 EuroBasket.
The roster features six players who are currently 20 years old: Boston College shooting guard Patrick Heckmann, Niels Giffey from University of Connecticut, Gonzaga swingman Mathis Mönninghoff, s.Oliver Baskets power forward Maximilian Kleber, and Brose Baskets Bamberg center Philipp Neumann and center Daniel Theis from New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig.
“This summer we have two major goals. First of all of course qualification for the 2013 European Championship in Slovenia. But in addition bringing players with perspective closer to the senior national team,” said Pesic, who is calling the 21 players to a training camp in Kienbaum near Berlin from June 19-21.
Germany are drawn into qualifying Group B with Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Sweden.
“The short training camp is a good chance to get to know all the players better. We will get informed about the physical status of the players and can give them individual programs for the time until the start of the European Championship preparations on July 11, 2012.”
Pesic said the priority for the 20-year-old players is the U20 European Championship this summer in Slovenia.
Obviously missing from the preliminary squad are NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman, but others who still make the team are Johannes Herber from Fraport Skyliners and Christopher McNaughton from Eisbären Bremerhaven.
Steffen Hamann (30), Heiko Schaffartzik (27), Philip Zwiener (26), Yassin Idbihi (28) and Jan-Hendrik Jagla (30) are the only players 26 years or older on the team.
A couple of new players in the senior team mix are Bamberg defensive specialist Karsten Tadda and Trier big man Maik Zirbes while Per Günther hopes to make the team under Pesic and Elias Harris and Yassin Idbihi are returning to the national team after being away for injury/personal reasons.
Here the roster by position including club and current age
Point Guards
Bastian Doreth, FC Bayern Munich, 22
Per Günther, ratiopharm Ulm, 24
Steffen Hamann, FC Bayern Munich, 30
Heiko Schaffartzik, ALBA Berlin, 27
Shooting Guards
Niels Giffey, University of Connecticut, 20
Patrick Heckmann, Boston College, 20
Lucca Staiger, ALBA Berlin, 23
Karsten Tadda, Brose Baskets Bamberg, 23
Small Forwards
Robin Benzing, FC Bayern Munich, 23
Philipp Schwethelm, FC Bayern Munich, 23
Philip Zwiener TBB Trier, 26
Mathis Mönninghoff, Gonzaga University, 20
Power Forward
Elias Harris, Gonzaga University, 22
Yassin Idbihi, ALBA Berlin, PF, 28
Jan-Hendrik Jagla, FC Bayern Munich, 30
Maximilian Kleber, s.Oliver Baskets, 20
Center
Philipp Neumann, Brose Baskets Bamberg, 20
Tim Ohlbrecht, Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, 23
Tibor Pleiß, Brose Baskets Bamberg, 22
Daniel Theis, New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig, 20
Maik Zirbes, TBB Trier, 22