University of Tennessee Athletics
Milicic Jr. Competing for Poland Olympic Qualifying Roster Spot, Alexander on Canada’s Training Camp Squad
June 20, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Tennessee senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. is one of 17 vying for a spot on Poland's 12-man 2024 Summer Olympics qualifying roster, while VFL Kyle Alexander is one of 20 players on the Canadian national team training camp roster.
Poland's current 17-man team began practice on June 17 and will eventually cut its roster from 17 to 12 prior to contending for a spot in the Paris Olympics field through competing in a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), which is scheduled for July 2-7 in Valencia, Spain.
The members of Poland's final 12-man roster are set to begin competition in Group B games against the Bahamas on July 3 and Finland on July 4, before advancing to a bracket stage that will also include Angola, Lebanon and Spain. The winner of the bracket stage will earn a spot in the Paris Olympics, scheduled to run from July 27 through Aug. 11.
Canada, meanwhile, has already qualified for the Paris Olympics and will cut its roster from 20 to a 12-man team before the event. Camp for Team Canada is set to start on June 28 and will run through July 7, when the team will travel to Las Vegas for a friendly exhibition showcase versus Team USA on July 10.
Alexander, who played at Tennessee from 2015-16 through 2018-19, ranks second in UT's career blocked shots list with 185 and fifth in offensive rebounds with 287. He helped lead the Volunteers to the 2018 SEC regular season title and 2019 Sweet 16.
Miličić's father is Igor Miličic Sr., the third-year head coach of the Polish National Team. He played professionally from 1993-2013 and owns five Polish Cup titles, three as a player and two as a coach.
Miličić Jr. signed with the Tennessee program on May 9 as a transfer from Charlotte, where he competed for two seasons after spending one year at Virginia. A 2023-24 Third Team All-AAC selection, he possesses career averages of 8.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game across 82 appearances.
