Ilay Dolinski has been released from Israel's national basketball squad for this month's FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying window, ONE reported, with the 21-year-old forward instead heading to the United States to begin his studies on time.
Head coach Ariel Beit-Halahmy's squad was preparing for a warm-up match in Georgia on August 23 before flying on to face Poland on August 27 and Latvia on August 30, both World Cup qualifiers. Dolinski needed to be in America by August 26, leaving no way to fit in even the friendly.
The Israel Basketball Association confirmed the decision was made to protect his move abroad. "In order not to harm the continuation of his academic and professional path, his request was granted," the union said, adding it hopes to see him back in national team colours before long.
Dolinski is not the only late change to the squad. Idan Zalmanson was also released from the same training camp after picking up a quadriceps injury, leaving Beit-Halahmy to reshuffle his frontcourt options just days before the Poland fixture.
For Dolinski, the timing is dictated by a big step in his career rather than any setback. The 2.04-metre forward committed to the University of Tulsa in July, joining the Golden Hurricane program for what will be his first season of NCAA basketball after a career built entirely in Israeli and European youth basketball.
He arrives in Oklahoma off a breakout campaign in Israel's top flight, where he averaged 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in around 17 minutes a night while on loan at Ironi Kiryat Ata from parent club Hapoel Tel Aviv, who hold his contract through 2029.
The move caps a rapid rise through the Israeli system. Dolinski progressed through the national cadet and under-18 sides before starring for Israel's under-20 team in 2024, and he earned his first senior call-up only this past February.
Missing the August window means Dolinski will watch from afar as Israel opens its World Cup qualifying campaign, but the federation's message was one of patience rather than frustration — a player they clearly view as part of the senior team's future, even if his path there now runs through American college basketball first.
