The Netherlands national basketball team has named jorge Alonso as its new head coach, the Latvian Basketball Federation announced Wednesday. Alonso, who most recently led UCAM Murcia to a second-place finish in Spain’s ACB league, brings a wealth of experience coaching across Europe’s top basketball circuits. This appointment comes after a successful pre-qualifying campaign for the FIBA World Cup and signals a commitment to building a competitive program as the Dutch look to elevate their standing on the international stage.
Jorge Alonso has been tapped to lead the Netherlands national basketball team, the Latvian Basketball Federation confirmed. Alonso, currently the head coach of UCAM Murcia in Spain’s ACB league, guided the team to a second-place finish in the Spanish league last year, featuring Rodion Kurucs on the roster.
Alonso’s coaching career includes stints with several prominent Spanish clubs: Joventut Badalona (2008-2010), Gipuzkoa Basket (2011-2014), Bilbao Basket (2014-2016), Baskonia (2017), and Barcelona (2018). His experience will be crucial as the Netherlands looks to build momentum on the international stage.
In the fall of 2018, Alonso also took the helm at Zagrebas Cedevita in Croatia. He emerged as the preferred candidate over Janis Gailitis after being evaluated by the Latvian Basketball Federation’s Coaching Committee, with a majority favoring his appointment.
Several players currently competing in top European leagues are expected to contribute to the Netherlands’ success. Jannik Franke, a key player for the Dutch national team, is currently teammates with Robert Blumbergs at Izmir Petkim Spor in the Turkish Super League, where he’s averaging 15.7 points in nine games this season.
Keyes van der Vuurst de Vries is also making an impact in Turkey, averaging 13.6 points and 8.7 assists in nine games for Bijiçekmedje ONVO in the Turkish Super League. Meanwhile, David N’Gesan is contributing 10.5 points per game in eight appearances for Braunschweig in Germany’s Bundesliga.
In Spain’s ACB league, Yannick Krags and Sander Hollander are key contributors for Badalona Joventut and Girona Basquet, respectively. Their experience in a highly competitive league will be valuable as the Netherlands prepares for future challenges.
The Netherlands recently completed a successful pre-qualifying campaign for the FIBA World Cup in August, securing wins against Bulgaria twice and a victory over Austria. These wins demonstrated the team’s potential and set the stage for Alonso’s arrival.
Two additional players, Malevijs Leons (20.0 points per game) and Tristan Enaruna (17.1 points per game), bolstered the Dutch squad last summer, but are currently focused on their development in the NBA G League. Their future availability will further strengthen the Netherlands’ roster.
