Finch ready for the off

Great Britain coach Chris Finch gave his side a clean bill of health in Warsaw last night ahead of their Eurobasket opener, against Slovenia, on Monday evening. With guard Jarret Hart returning to practice after a bout of stomach flu, Finch was finally able to give his entire 12-man roster a run-out at the Torwar Arena as the final preparations were set in place. Finch, who is in charge of Belgian club Mons, admits that preparations have been far from ideal due to a series of injuries and illnesses during the month-long build-up to the tournament. However he is confident that GB will be able to peak when it matters most. The American said: "Mentally, I think we're ready. I'm not sure we'll be pretty to watch but we'll play hard from the tip-off. As a coaching staff, we feel we have a good handle on our opponents. We haven't maybe had enough time to perfect all the things we wanted to do but with the games coming thick and fast, we've just got to get it done now." Joel Freeland, who recently rejected an offer from the Portland Trailblazers to join Spanish club Malaga, is likely to be relegated to a reserve role to accommodate the belated arrival of Houston Rockets forward Pops Mensah Bonsu.