Broekhoff Named to Australian Boomers, Will Vie for Spot on Olympic Team

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Valparaiso junior forward Ryan Broekhoff(Frankston, Victoria, Australia/Australian Institute of Sport) is one of 25 players on the 2012 Australian Boomers basketball squad, as named earlier this week by Basketball Australia.  With his selection, Broekhoff will have a chance to earn a spot on Australia’s team for the 2012 Olympic Games, as the 12-player Olympic roster will be comprised of players from the Boomers squad.

Broekhoff earned his spot on the Boomers and the chance to vie for a roster spot on the Olympic squad after an outstanding junior campaign at Valparaiso.  Broekhoff was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and received Honorable Mention All-American accolades from the Associated Press after leading Valpo to its first league regular season championship and a berth in the 2012 Postseason NIT.

The junior led the team and the league in rebounding this season, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game, and also paced the Crusaders with 14.9 points per game, good for fourth in the league.  He also ranked among the league’s top-10 in free throw percentage (.795, 4^th), 3-pointers/game (1.9, 6^th), steals (1.3, 9^th) and 3-point percentage (.391, 10^th).

Broekhoff is no stranger to representing Australia on the worldwide stage, having donned his nation’s jersey in a pair of major worldwide competitions over the last few years.  He tied for team-high honors at the 26^th World University Games in the summer of 2011 averaging 10.9 ppg while also posting 4.3 rpg.  Previously, Broekhoff played for Australia at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship, averaging 7.0 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game while helping the team to a fourth-place finish.

Broekhoff is one of five players among the 25-player Boomers roster who is currently playing NCAA Division I basketball.  The roster also contains one NBA player in Patty Mills, nine players competing professionally in the NBL (Australia’s professional league) and 10 players playing professionally elsewhere worldwide.  The available members of the squad will gather June 3 in Perth for the first team camp, with the Olympic roster expected to be named later that month.  The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London July 27-August 12.