Wednesday, July 26, 2017
OJC Men’s Basketball well represented at the Euros
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Andre Arissol, returning sophomore for OJC Men’s Basketball, celebrates with teammate Carl Wheadle. He was joined by incoming freshman Rattler Henri Langton on Great Britain’s U20 team this summer at the 2017 Division B European Championships held in Romania. The team won a bronze medal and earned promotion to Division A.
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Over the last few weeks, two young men with ties to Otero Junior College represented their country by playing for their national basketball team. Andre Arissol (returning sophomore) and Henri Langton (class of 2017 incoming freshman) played for Great Britain's U20 team in the 2017 Division B European Championships held in Romania.
Arissol and Langton were selected to the prestigious roster after weeks of training and evaluations from Great Britain's national team coaches. Furthermore, it was a reunion of sorts as the two players were teammates at Charnwood College before Arissol graduated and transferred to Otero.
Throughout the tournament both players saw significant action and helped their team advance to the knockout stage. From there, Great Britain won the bronze medal and earned a promotion to Division A, a huge accomplishment for the British side.
Arissol related his experience. "Gaining promotion with my national team this summer has been an experience for the books! Personally this meant a lot to me because a lot of people doubt Great Britain and our basketball, and I took that personal, so being able to come out as underdogs and achieve 3rd and promotion meant a lot."
Arissol and Langton will be reunited as teammates when they arrive on the OJC campus for the fall semester. Langton, who originally signed to Tulane University, will add important depth to the Rattlers inside, as he is a skilled 6'10 power forward/center.
"We are very proud of Andre and Henri. It is a huge honor for them to represent their country and earn a Bronze medal. We couldn't be more excited to have them back on campus with the rest of our team and get started with the 2017-2018 season," said OJC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brendan O'Connor.
Arissol returned that sentiment, commending Otero for his growth as a person and player. "Completing my first year at OJC helped me dramatically coming into camp. Otero made me mentally tougher and allowed me to keep myself in the game, alongside leading the team. Also Otero made me a much better athlete physically and took me to next level."
For more on the 2017 European Championships, check out the following links: http://www.fiba.com/europe/u20b/2017 and http://www.hoopsfix.com/2017/07/gb-20s-finish-3rd-achieve-promotion-back-division/?utm_content=buffer6004b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer .
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