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DAVIS, Calif. – International standout Oliver Gehrke will join UC Davis basketball after submitting a National Letter of Intent during the spring signing window, as announced by head coach Jim Les on Monday. Hailing from Östersund, Sweden, the 6-foot-7 forward will join his new teammates this summer to take classes and participate in the Aggies' off-season workout and conditioning program.
 
As a member of the Swedish National Team, he played a key role in his country's successful run at the 2018 U18 European Championships by averaging 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Thanks to Gehrke, Sweden finished this annual event in seventh place, a considerable improvement from its 14th-place result during the 2017 tournament.
 
Throughout his three years representing his country against Europe's elite talents, Gehrke averaged 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
 
In his first international tournament, which took place in 2016 at the U16 European Championships, Gehrke's 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game drew attention from numerous European basketball experts. Following that event, he became the youngest member of Jämtland Basket when he joined that organization as a 16-year-old.
 
Throughout his three years with Jämtland, each as the youngest player on roster, Gehrke's skill set and maturity helped his team post winning records and qualify for the playoffs every season in Sweden's top basketball league.
 
During the 2018-19 campaign, he posted career-high figures across the board and became a fixture in his team's starting lineup. Thanks to Gehrke, Jämtland enjoyed its first back-to-back winning records this decade by finishing the regular season at 23-13.
 
After defeating BC Lulea 3-2 in the quarterfinal round of the Basketligan playoffs, Jämtland advanced to the semifinals and drew top-seeded Södertälje in a best-of-seven series. This is Jämtland's deepest postseason run in franchise history.
 
Gehrke is the latest addition to an incoming class that includes fall signees Aaron Murphy, Ezra Manjon and Elijah Pepper. 
 
 
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation.
 
Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis.
 
Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
 
TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
Directly impact the lives of potential, and current UC Davis basketball student-athletes, by joining the Aggie Round Table.
 
With support from this select group of insiders, the men's basketball program can expand its recruiting efforts to find prospects who will thrive at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation, compete at a championship level and represent the University in a first-class manner as one of its ambassadors. 
 
Contact Liz Martin (Assistant Athletics Director, Leadership Giving & Alumni Engagement) at (530) 574-8623 or emartin@ucdavis.edu to find out how you can join this exclusive club!
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
 
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.