Third-year Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will play for Turkey’s national basketball team in this month’s FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, according to Fanatik.
It was previously reported that Sengun would skip this set of games. However, Fanatik reports that Sengun finished his individual training in the United States early to join the national team.
Turkey’s pre-qualifying tournament games take place in Istanbul from August 12 through August 20. Turkey will face Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Iceland in Group C action, while Group D features Croatia, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The two top teams from each group advance to a knockout stage, and the tournament winner earns a ticket to next year’s qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics.
Sengun averaged 14.8 points (55.3% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 9.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 28.9 minutes with the Rockets last season. He remains Houston’s expected starting center heading into training camp for the 2023-24 NBA season, which starts in October.
A native of Giresun, Turkey, Sengun was drafted with the No. 16 pick in the 2021 first round. The 6-foot-11 big man is now 21 years old.
