A UNIVERSITY of Worcester lecturer and three former students helped Wales to seventh place in a major international basketball tournament.

Sam Roberts, who has just finished his degree, and graduates Ben Potts and Damian Edwards competed at the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries.

Their assistant coach Alex Radu is senior lecturer in sports coaching basketball at the university as well as being number two at Worcester Wolves.

The Welsh side faced Armenia, who won the contest, second-placed Andorra, Moldova, Malta and Gibraltar.

Radu said the competition was tough with some squads fielding professionals.

He added: “There was visible progress in the way our team played from game to game but sometimes it was our inconsistency that kept us away from winning more than one match.

“We now have a strong foundation on which to build for future challenges.”

Former Welsh youth international guard Roberts, of Cowbridge, has just finished a three-year course in sports studies.

“It was a hard tournament for us,” said the 20-year-old. “The standard in Britain is not at the level of Europe so for us to adapt to that intense play was difficult.

“For me, I learned a lot. I have gained more confidence to bring back to the UK by playing against such high-quality opposition.”

He is focused on selection for the Commonwealth Games in Australia in two years.

Ex-Wolves forward Potts, 31, of Worcester, grew up in Wrexham and has played for his country for 15 years.

Now a personal trainer and tutor, he plays for Worcester Bears.

Guard Edwards, 26, a teacher from Harrow, played for Wolves for three years and for Wales since he was 22.