June 15, 2004

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State sophomore center Patrick Tatham, who was earlier this week was one of 22 players to be invited to participate in the Canadian Young Men's National Team training camp, will be forced to miss the camp as he continues to rehabilitate from surgery on his right knee.

The training camp, which will select the Canadian junior national squad that will take part in the 2004 Under 21 Tournament of the Americas from July 28-August 1 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will take place from June 22-24 at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"I am honored to have been considered for the junior national team again this year but I am not far enough along in my recovery from knee surgery to take part in the trials," Tatham said. "I enjoyed playing on the team two years ago when we went to Argentina and I had looked forward to playing on it again this summer."

Tatham, a 6-6, 220-pound center from Brampton, Ontario, started 14 of the 23 games he played in last year as a true freshman, averaging 3.8 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He struggled with knee problems midway through the year continuing to play through the pain until finally undergoing knee surgery on Feb. 13, missing the last six games of the year.

"My knee is really starting to feel better," Tatham said. "The CSU athletic training staff recently cleared me to resume playing but I am nowhere near being ready to compete at the level of the junior national team trials. I hope that they will consider me to play with the squad next year and in years to come because it is a privilege to represent my country."

Tatham, the Mr. Basketball of Canada following his senior season in 2002-03, played on the Canadian Young Men's National Team that played in the 2002 Under 21 Tournament of the Americas in Argentina.