By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Greece wraps up the international window focused on the latest 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
Listed as doubtful to play, both Kostas Sloukas and Kostas Antetokounmpo were formally ruled out of the home game against Belgium set to be held in Athens tomorrow, Sunday. International teammates Giorgos Papagiannis and Ioannis Papapetrou stayed on the injury list. Camp newcomer Dimitris Kaklamanakis is out as well.
The next stop will be the 2022 EuroBasket. It is a race against time for the injured players to recover and be considered by senior national team selector Dimitris Itoudis for the 12-man roster. Barring another setback, Sloukas, Antetokounmpo, Papagiannis, and Papapetrou are all projected to be named on the final squad.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights the 12 players available for the second game in Group I of the World Cup European Qualifiers. Captain Kostas Papanikolaou along with Nick Calathes, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dimitris Agravanis, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Tyler Dorsey, Lefteris Bochoridis, Leonidas Kaselakis, Michalis Lountzis, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, and Giannis Kouzeloglou are also in the hunt to help their country improve to 4-2 in the group and inch closer to a berth in next summer’s World Cup.
Greece is currently at 3-2 and tied with Belgium in second place. Latvia leads the group at 4-1, while Serbia and Turkey have been backed down to 2-3, and Great Britain at 1-4 is on the bottom of the table. The top three national teams will progress to the final stage of the World Cup.
The EuroBasket opener follows next Friday as the team led by Itoudis takes on Croatia in Milan, Italy.