Josh Green took one step closer to becoming the fourth former Arizona Wildcat to play in the Olympics after he was named to Team Australia β also known as the Australian Boomers.Β
The Sydney native, who's in his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, was announced as a member of his home country's 24-player national basketball team on Monday. The official 12-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics will be determined by the Australia Olympic committee "later this year," according to the official announcement.Β
If Green is selected to Australian Olympic basketball team, he will join Leon Wood (1984), Richard Jefferson (2004) and Andre Iguodala (2012) as ex-UA basketball players to compete in the Olympics. But Green could be the first non-U.S. Wildcat in the summer games.Β
It'll be tough for Green to secure a spot considering the other NBA talent expected to play for Australia, including Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons, Spurs guard Patty Mills, Jazz wing Joe Ingles, Raptors center Aaron Baynes, 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle, Cavaliers point guard Matthew Dellavedova and Rockets guard Dante Exum. Nine players from Australia's NBL also made the roster on Monday.Β
"It is a well-balanced squad selected by position with a nice blend of experience coupled with a lot of new and exciting players coming through," said Boomers head coachΒ Brian Goorjian. "These are our top 24 available players and included is significant representation from the NBL, showing the strength of our local league where the standard of competition is recognized worldwide. I have spoken to each player over the past fortnight and have been extremely impressed, to a man, by their overwhelming desire to play for Australia in Tokyo.β
In 16 games β and five starts β this season with the Mavericks, Green has averaged 2.6 points, 2.4 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game as a 3-and-D player for Dallas.Β
