University of Tennessee Athletics
Milicic Jr. Makes Poland’s Olympic Qualifying Roster
July 01, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Tennessee senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. has made Poland's 12-man Olympic qualifying team and is set to begin qualifying competition Wednesday in Valencia, Spain.
Previously named to the initial 17-man roster, Miličić Jr. made the cut for the finalized 12-man roster after practicing in Poland and competing in friendlies with the team for the past two weeks.
On June 21, Miličić Jr. posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double during Poland's friendly against Greece.
13 PTS / 12 REB
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) June 21, 2024
Igor posts a double-double in Poland's friendly vs. Greece https://t.co/UTmlt21SHm
Poland is contending for a spot in the Paris Olympics field through competing in a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), running July 2-7 in Valencia.
Poland is now set to begin competition in a Group B game versus the Bahamas this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET, before facing off against Finland at 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday. From there, it advances to a bracket stage that includes 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. The qualifying games will be live streamed on DAZN.
Overall, 12 countries qualify for the Paris Olympics. The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup produced seven of those qualifying teams and France received an automatic bid as the event's host. The remaining four spots in the field are reserved for the winners of the four different FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournaments.
Miličić's father is Igor Miličić 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.
Photo: FIBA
