EMERGING OPALS AND BOOMERS READY FOR 2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES

Also known as the Summer Universiade, the tournament features almost 10,000 athletes who are currently completing university studies competing across 18 disciplines including basketball.

16 teams will battle for the gold medal in the men’s and women’s competitions with the Emerging Opals drawn into Group D alongside China, Finland and Canada while the Emerging Boomers will take on Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico in Group A.

Australia must finish in the top two from their group to advance to the finals but classification games are played through to the last day to determine final standings.

The Emerging Opals team includes four players out to defend their gold medal from 2017 in Abigail Wehrung, Alex Sharp, Keely Froling and Lauren Scherf.

The women have a strong history at the World Uni Games, having won a gold medal in 2007 as well as bronze medals in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Keely Froling (University of Canberra Capitals), Scherf (Brydens Sydney Uni Flames), and Wehrung (Bendigo Bank Spirit) are joined by fellow Chemist Warehouse WNBL players from 2018/19 in Lara McSpadden (Flames), Stephanie Reid (Free Agent) and Maddi Rocci (UC Capitals).

2018 FIBA World Cup silver medalist and first-round pick for the Seattle Storm in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Ezi Magbegor also adds a wealth of experience to this already talented group.

The Emerging Boomers will utilise the experience of returning players from the 2017 World University Games in Dejan Vasiljevic and Tanner Krebs while NBL players Will Magnay (Brisbane Bullets) and Alex Mudronja, who recently signed with the Adelaide 36ers, also feature.

A plethora of talented college players will don the green and gold alongside them including Duke University’s Jack White and Jock Perry who has attended St. Mary’s alongside Krebs and Mudronja.

The Emerging Boomers medaled at the 2013 World Uni Games, winning silver with a team including future Olympians Cameron Bairstow and Ryan Broekhoff.

Image via @joetertzakian.

Stats for all games should be available through the official tournament website link here while the schedule can be found here.

Unfortunately, only the Semi-Finals and medal games of the men’s and women’s tournaments will be live-streamed by FISU. Stay tuned to Basketball Australia’s social media channels for updates through the games as well as any live-stream links that are provided.

The Emerging Opals team for the 2019 World Uni Games:

Alicia Froling
Keely Froling
Lara McSpadden
Ezi Magbegor
Anneli Maley
Stephanie Reid
Maddi Rocci
Lauren Scherf
Alex Sharp
Jasmine Simmons
Abbey Wehrung

The Emerging Boomers team for the 2019 World Uni Games:

Jonah Antonio
George Blagojevic
Kyrin Galloway
Tanner Krebs
Will Magnay
Alex Mudronja
Jock Perry
Jack Purchase
Dejan Vasiljevic
Isaac White
Jack White
Kyle Zunic

The Emerging Opals and Emerging Boomers Schedule for the 2019 World Uni Games:

July 3: Women vs. Finland at 10.00pm
July 5: Women vs. Canada at 2.30am
July 5: Men vs. Israel at 2.30am
July 5: Women vs. China at 7.30pm
July 5: Men vs. Mexico at 7.30pm
July 7: Men vs. Czech Republic at 5am
July 8: Women’s Quarter-Finals at 2.30am or 5am
July 8/9: Men’s Quarter-Finals at 7.30pm, 2.30am or 5am
July 9: Women’s Semi-Finals at 2.30am or 5am
July 10: Men’s Semi-Finals at 2.30am or 5am
July 11: Women’s medal games at 2.30am and 5am
July 12: Men’s medal games at 2.30am and 5am

The largest multi-sport event apart from the Olympic Games begins tomorrow and the Emerging Boomers and Emerging Opals are ready for the World University Games, being held in Naples, Italy from July 3-14.

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