The duo will participate in the 2024 FIBA Women's U20 EuroBasket By: Matt Paras https://gocards.com/news/2024/7/2/womens-basketball-istanbulluoglu-walz-selected-for-u20-turkish-national-team

 

Istanbulluoglu, Walz Selected for U20 Turkish National Team

July 02, 2024 | Women's Basketball

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The duo will participate in the 2024 FIBA Women's U20 EuroBasket

By: Matt Paras

ISTANBUL — University of Louisville forward Elif Istanbulluoglu and head coach Jeff Walz are overseas to take part with the U20 Turkish National Team. Walz will serve as an assistant coach on the staff while Istanbulluoglu will be one of 18 players named for the team that will be competing at the 2024 FIBA Women's U20 EuroBasket. The tournament will be held in Klaipeda and Vilnius from July 6-14.

Türkiye is one of 16 European nations that will compete in the tournament in Lithuania. The tournament begins with the group phase and Türkiye is in Group C with Poland, Italy and Finland. The Group Phase will occur across the first two days before a rest day on July 8. The final Group games will determine the seedings for the Round of 16 stage based on their position. The competition will continue in the form of the bracket until the Final on July 14, with Classification Games also determining each of the 16 positions.

Walz will be one of four assistant coaches on staff under coach Ekrem Memnun. Walz and Memnun have known each other over the past few years and Memnun has visited campus a few times to attend practices. Memnun has overseen the Turkish Women's National teams since 2022, his second stint in the role after leading the teams from 2015-18.

Walz has had plenty of international experience with USA Basketball in several different tournaments. In total, Walz has won four gold medals during his time with USA Basketball. He won gold as the head coach of the 2019 Women's U19 National Team in Bangkok and the 2018 U18 team in Mexico City. Walz was on the staff for the 2014 Women's U-18 National Team and worked as an assistant for the 2014 Women's U-19 World Championship Team and both squads earned gold medals.

In July of 2023, Walz led the Louisville Cardinals to Toronto for the 2023 GLOBL JAM as representatives from the United States. After playing national teams from Canada, Puerto Rico and BAL Africa in the group phase, the Cardinals took on Canada in the gold medal game and came away with a 68-66 win to claim the gold medal.

Istanbulluoglu is no stranger to the Turkish national teams as she has suited up for them in the past. In the summer of 2023, Istanbulluoglu participated with Türkiye at the FIBA U18 and U20 championships. At the U18 Championships, she averaged 11.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game and helped Türkiye reach the quarterfinals. At the U20 Championships, Türkiye finished eighth and she averaged double figures with 10.7 points per game during the tournament.

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