Len hopes this is the year he plays for Ukraine

PHOENIX (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Ukraine may receive a large dose of NBA quality this summer if Phoenix Suns center Alex Len finally has his way.

Len, the latest in a tradition of Ukrainian big men to play in the world's top league after Vitaly Potapenko, Slava Medvedenko, Kyrylo Fesenko, Oleksiy Pecherov and Slava Kravtsov, has yet to put on the national team shirt but is eager to play at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

"Hopefully everything works out well this summer so I can get to my country early in the summer," he said to FIBA.com. "I want to go play for the national team. I have been talking to the people from the federation, but haven't talked to the coaches yet."

If Len were to play, Ukraine would have a couple of twin towers since Sidigas Avellino giant Kyrylo Fesenko is on the roster. Fesenko, who formerly played in the NBA, is the national team captain.

Len, who entered the NBA in 2013, is averaging 7.6 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game this season for the Suns.

Ukraine will play in Group B in Tel Aviv against Lithuania, Georgia, Italy, Germany and Israel.

"I think it is a good draw," Len said. "I think we can beat Israel, Georgia, and fight for the win against Italy and Germany, who are going through a period of transition.

"I feel good about it. If everybody comes to play with the national team, including guys such as Pooh Jeter, we are going to have a good squad."

Jeter, a key man in the Ukraine team that finished sixth at FIBA EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, also played at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was not with the squad at FIBA EuroBasket 2015.

"We will take it one game at a time," Len said. "The first goal is to get out of the group, that is for sure. Then during the knockout stages, anything can happen. We are going to work hard and fight every night."

Len, meanwhile, says he has been in touch with another Ukrainian with national team experience who is also in America. Kansas Jayhawks junior Sviastoslav Mykhailiuk, a member of the Ukraine side that played at the World Cup, is getting to play a lot this season under coach Bill Self.

"I am happy for him as he is having a good NCAA season," said Len, who played a year of college basketball at Maryland before turning professional.

"He is in the starting line-up now so it's going well for him at the moment. He has been developing very well.

"We have a good core of young guns coming up, like Svi (Mykhailiuk), Joel Bolomboy (Utah Jazz) and myself. If we all come to the national team, we can do great things."

FIBA