Basketball: Nemeth's overseas players problem

Richard Taylor
Saturday 14 November 1998 00:02 GMT
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IF YOU want to play for England, play abroad. The squad for the European Championship games against Denmark, Spain and Ukraine this month confirms that English fans no longer have the opportunity to watch the best English players.

The England coach, Laszlo Nemeth, has named 12 players based overseas in a squad of 15. The exceptions are Manchester's Ronnie Baker, Derby's Yorick Williams and Peter Scantlebury, England's most capped player, who a week ago thought his international career was over when he left the Newcastle Eagles but has now signed for the Sheffield Sharks. The three maintain a tenuous presence for the Budweiser League, which is dominated by up to five Americans per team. Nemeth axed eight league players from his original squad of 24.

Nemeth's task is to generate teamwork from men who rarely see each other, let alone play together. He will name 12 to face Denmark in Birmingham on 25 November, then Spain in Leon on the 28 November and Ukraine in Kiev on 2 December.

Nemeth has watched most of the overseas players in recent weeks and will be at league games this weekend to see Baker, Scantlebury and Williams. Nemeth said: "I need to be certain that I choose the right players. We have to perform as a unit on the floor."

ENGLAND SQUAD : J Amaechi (Tau Vitoria, Sp), R Baker (Manchester Giants), A Betts (Bologna, It), S Bucknall (Fabriano, It), R Carter (Oberwald, Aut), S Cheung (Ypres, Bel), S Dunkley (US), A Gardiner (Wevelgem, Bel), S Hansell (Verona, It), C Haslam (Appollon, Gr), D Herriman (Den Helder, Neth), R Huggins (Antwerp, Bel), P Scantlebury (Sheffield Sharks), J Turner (Ghent, Bel), Y Williams (Derby Storm).

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