By Utkan Sahin/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2023 FIBA World Cup is almost upon us. The flagship FIBA tournament is scheduled to be held from 25 August to 10 September in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
Eurohoops once again is bringing you all the action, starting from the preparation period for all 32 teams which will compete for the title. All the news, prep games scores and more are included in this post and will be updated daily.
Bookmark our team-by-team files to follow the path of every country toward the ultimate goal.
Watch the upcoming World Cup on the official streaming service of FIBA! Join Courtside 1891 and never miss a second of the action!
FIBA World Cup groups of the preliminary round
Group A – Bulacan and Quezon City, Philippines
Angola
Dominican Republic
Philippines
Italy
Group B – Quezon City, Philippines
China
South Sudan
Puerto Rico
Serbia
Group C – Pasay, Philippines
Group D – Pasay, Philippines
Montenegro
Lithuania
Mexico
Egypt
Group E – Okinawa City, Japan
Germany
Australia
Finland
Japan
Group F – Okinawa City, Japan
Georgia
Slovenia
Venezuela
Cape Verde
Group G – Jakarta, Indonesia
Group H – Jakarta, Indonesia
NOTE: All you need to do is to click on a country’s name in order to visualize the national team.
NOTE -2: You can see game stats by clicking on *.
NOTE – 3: Players’ new teams are not taken into consideration.
Angola – Roster (12 Players) – Group A
Childe Dundao (Petro de Luanda – PG) 8 games, 10.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Gerson Domingos (Petro de Luanda – PG) 8 games, 3.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Dimitri Maconda (Alianca Sangalhos – PG ) 25 games, 10.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists
Gerson Gonçalves (Petro de Luanda – G) 8 games, 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Leonel Paulo (Sangalhos – SF) 15 games, 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Eduardo Francisco (Benfica – F) 9 games, 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.3 assist
Antonio Monteiro (Porto – PF) 47 games, 4.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.5 assist
Kevin Kokila (JL Bourg – PF/C) 53 games, 4.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 block
Bruno Fernando (Atlanta Hawks – C) 39 games, 3.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 assist
Silvio De Sousa (Roanne – C) 33 games, 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 assist
Joao Fernandes (Sporting – C) 49 games, 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assist
Jilson Bango (Braunschweig – C) 25 games, 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.8 block
Note: Stats in World Cup Qualifiers
Head coach: Josep Clarós – In charge since 2021 –
- Five players of the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 squad and three players of the FIBA World Cup 2019 are on the roster.
Average age: 26.3 years
Players under 20 years: 1 player
Players aged 20-25: 5 players
Players aged 25-30: 3 players
Players over 30 years: 3 players
The youngest player in the squad: Eduardo Francisco – 19 years old
The oldest player in the squad: Leonel Paulo – 37 years old
Average height: 196.1 cm
Players shorter than 1.90 m: 3 players
Players between 1.90 m and 2.00 m: 2 players
Players taller than 2.00 m: 7 players
Shortest players: Childe Dundao – 1.72 m
Tallest player: Jilson Bango – 2.08 m
Players by leagues and competitions
LPB (Portugal Basketball League): 5 players
ABL (Angola Basketball League): 3 players
LNB Pro A (France Basketball League): 2 players
NBA: 1 player
BBL (Germany Basketball League): 1 player
BAL (Basketball Africa League): 2 players
FIBA Europe Cup: 2 players
EuroCup: 1 player
Preparation games schedule (1-4)
30 July Angola – Venezuela: 66-61 (Jilson Bango 15 points, Childe Dundao 12 points)
04 August Angola – Mexico: 76-78 (Bruno Fernando 18 points, Orlando Mendez 17 points) *
05 August Angola – Jordan: 56-70 (Childe Dundão 18 points, Freddy İbrahim 15 points) *
07 August Angola – Portugal: 67-72 (Eduardo Francisco 17 points, Childe Dundao 11 points)
12 August Angola – Japan: 68-72 (Jilson Bango 14 points)
15 August Angola – Japan: 65-75 (Childe Dundão 18 points, Keisei Tominaga 20 points) *
Team Lineup
PG : Childe Dundao – Gerson Domingos
SG : Gerson Gonçalves – Dimitri Maconda
SF : Eduardo Francisco – Leonel Paulo
PF : Bruno Fernando – Kevin Kokila – Antonio Monterio
C : Jilson Bango – Silvio Sousa – Joao Fernandes
Who is missing this tournament?
Yanick Moreira, one of the prominent figures of Angola basketball, is absent from the tournament due to a problem with the federation. Similarly, Carlos Morais, another name from the national team, did not receive an invitation. Aldemiro Joao and Aboubakar Gakou, the experienced names of the team, cannot come to the cup.
News
- Angola started its preparations for the World Cup on July 15th.
- Bruno Fernando and Silvio Sousa did not join the camp, but they are expected to join the team in the camp in Spain.
- After Angola finished 4th in the preparatory tournament in Jordan, the federation said in a statement that players should be aware of their responsibilities.
- Coach Josep Carlos cut Aboubakar Gakou, Aldemiro Joao, Clesio Castro, Wilscon Ambrosio, Marco Bala, Jeronimo Luis, Milton Valente, Helder Neto,
- Danilson Francisco and Aginaldo Neto from the roster.
- Joao Fernandes is expected to be the last name to leave the squad in Angola.
- Coach Josep Carlos cut Teotonio Do from the roster.
10 Simple Facts
Team Star: Bruno Fernando
Young Talent: Eduardo Francisco
Player to Shine: Jilson Bango
First-time World Cup Participants: Childe Dundao, Dimitri Maconda, Antonio Monterio, Eduardo Francisco, Bruno Fernando, Silvio Sousa, Joao Fernandes, Jilson Bango, and Kevin Kokila are participating for the first time.
Most Experienced Player in the World Cup: Leonel Paulo is going for the 3rd time.
Performance in FIBA World Cup 2019: They finished 27th.
Goal: Dominica and the Philippines eliminated them from the training, and this is the first time since Japan 2006 that they failed to advance from the group stage.
Biggest achievement: Angola became the most successful team in African basketball by winning the AfroBasket 11 times. Their best performance in the World Cup was finishing 9th in 2006.
Qualifying Rounds: Competing in Group E of the Africa qualifiers, Angola finished 2nd with eight wins and two losses and secured a spot in the World Cup.
Number of Appearances: This is their 9th time overall, with six consecutive appearances (1986, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019).
Dominican Republic – Roster (12 Players) – Group A
Andres Feliz (Joventut – PG) 64 games, 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 4.3 assists
Gelvis Solano (Cocodrilos – PG) 33 games, 11.7 points, 3.9 rebound, 5.2 assists
Victor Liz (Arecibo – G ) 40 games, 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Jean Montero (Real Betis – G) 16 games, 17.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists
Lester Quinones (SC Warriors – SG) 31 games, 21.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists
Rigoberto Mendoza (La Guiara – SG) 28 games, 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Gerardo Suero (Osos – SG) 5 games, 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists
L.J Figueroa (Humacao – SF) 16 games, 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Antonio Pena (Maracaibo – PF) 18 games, 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Karl Anthony Towns (Minnesota TW – PF/C) 29 games, 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Angel Delgado (Pınar Karşıyaka – C) 46 games, 11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Eloy Vargas (Aguada – C) 24 games, 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Head coach: Nestor Garcia – In charge since 2022 –
- Two players of the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 squad and four players of the FIBA World Cup 2019 are on the roster.
Average age: 29.2 years
Players under 20 years: 0 player
Players aged 20-25: 2 players
Players aged 25-30: 5 players
Players over 30 years: 5 players
The youngest player in the squad: Jean Montero – 20 years old
The oldest player in the squad: Victor Liz – 37 years old
Average height: 196.0 cm
Players shorter than 1.90 m: 4 players
Players between 1.90 m and 2.00 m: 6 players
Players taller than 2.00 m: 4 players
Shortest players: Andres Feliz – 1.83 m
Tallest player: Karl Anthony Towns – 2.11 m
Players by leagues and competitions
BSN (Puerto Rico League): 3 players
ACB (Spain League): 2 players
V-SLB (Venezuela League): 2 players
LNB (Dominican Republic League): 1 player
NBA: 1 player
G-League: 1 player
BSL (Türkiye League): 1 player
LUB (Uruguay League): 1 player
FIBA Champions League: 1 player
EuroCup: 1 player
Preparation games schedule (2-3)
2 August Dominican Republic – Memphis University: 91-84 (Lester Quinones 30 points)
4 August Dominican Republic – Puerto Rico: 84-93 (Victor Liz 20 points, George Conditt 22 points)
12 August Dominican Republic – Latvia: 69-74 (Elay Vargas 12 points, Dairis Bertans 11 points) *
18 August Dominican Republic – Canada: 94-88 (Karl Anthony Towns 20 points, Lue Dort 13 points) *
19 August Dominican Republic – Spain: 77-86 (Karl Anthony Towns 20 points, Juan Nunez 16 points) *
Team Lineup
PG : Andres Feliz – Jean Montero – Gelvis Solano
SG : Victor Liz – Rigoberto Mendoza – Gerardo Suero
SF : Lester Quinones – LJ Figuero
PF : Karl Anthony Towns – Anthonio Pena
C : Angel Delgado – Eloy Vargas
Who is missing this tournament?
Dominican Republic’s NBA players Al Horford and Chris Duarte decided not to join the national team, even though they were called up to the provisional squad. Former EuroLeague player James Feldeine was also not called up to the national team. Justin Minaya, Jassel Perez, who play in the G-League, and Sadiel Rojas, one of the experienced names of the team, are also absent from the World Cup.
News
- Karl-Anthony Towns has firmly declared he is to play for the Dominican Republic at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
- Chris Duarte, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, announced that he would rest this summer and will not play in the World Cup.
- Al Horford, although called up to the provisional squad, will not play in the World Cup.
- Team captain Victor Liz said that it is necessary not to criticize Al Horford for not joining the national team.
- Dominic Republic cut Joel Soriano, David Jones, Yaxel Lenderborg, Eddy Polanco, Anyeuri Castillo, Miguel Dicent, Brandone Francis, Sadiel Rojas, Jonathan Araujo, Juan Guerrero, Richard Bautista, Juan Suero, Luis Montero, Justin Minaya and Jassel Perez from the roster.
- Coach Nestor Garcia cut Angel Nunez and Luis Santos from the roster.
10 Simple Facts
Team Star: Karl Anthony Towns
Young Talent: Jean Montero, who made an impressive performance in Spain!
Player to Shine: Lester Quinones trying to make a name for himself in the NBA!
First-time World Cup Participants: Andres Feliz, Jean Montero, L.J Figueroa, Lester Quinones, Gerardo Suero, Angel Delgado, Karl Anthony Towns, Juan Guerrero and Antonio Pena are participating for the first time.
Most experienced players in the World Cup: Victor Liz and Eloy Vargas will be participating for the 3rd time.
Performance in FIBA World Cup 2019: They finished 16th.
Goal: To advance from the first-round group.
Biggest achievement: Dominican Republic won the bronze medal at the FIBA AmeriCup 2011. In the World Cup, their best performance was finishing 12th in 1978.
Qualifying Rounds: Competing in Group E of the Americas qualifiers, the Dominican Republic finished 2nd with nine wins and three losses, securing a spot in the World Cup.
Number of Appearances: This is their 4th time participating (1978, 2014, 2019).
Philippines – Roster (12 Players) – Group A
Kiefer Ravena (Shiga Lakes – PG) 49 games, 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Dwight Ramos (Levanga Hokkaido – G) 41 games, 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz – G) 61 games, 20.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Scottie Thompson (Barangay SM – G) 60 games, 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists
CJ Perez (San Miguel Beermen – SG) 59 games, 18.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Roger Pogoy (TNT Tropang – SG/F) 55 games, 18.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Rhenz Abando (Anyang KGC – SG/F) 50 games, 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist
Jamie Malonzo (Barangay SM – F) 56 games, 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Japeth Aguilar (Barangay SM – PF/C) 45 games, 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.9 assist
AJ Edu (Toledo – PF/C) 35 games, 2.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.4 assist
June Mar Fajardo (San Miguel Beermen – C) 46 games, 17.7 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Kai Sotto (Hiroshima Dragonflies – C) 54 games, 7.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.8 assist
Head coach: Chot Reyes – In charge since 2022 –
- Two players of the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 squad and four players of the FIBA World Cup 2019 are on the roster.
Average age: 28.0 years
Players under 20 years: 0 player
Players aged 20-25: 3 players
Players aged 25-30: 5 players
Players over 30 years: 4 players
The youngest player in the squad: Kai Sotto – 21 years old
The oldest player in the squad: Japeth Aguilar – 36 years old
Average height: 197.1 cm
Players shorter than 1.90 m: 5 players
Players between 1.90 m and 2.00 m: 2 players
Players taller than 2.00 m: 5 players
Shortest players: Kiefer Ravena – 1.85 m
Tallest player: Kai Sotto – 2.18 m
Players by leagues and competitions
PBA (Philippines League): 6 players
B League (Japan League): 4 players
NBA: 1 player
KGC (South Korea League): 1 player
Preparation games schedule (7-6)
27 June Philippines – Estonia University Team: 71-81 (Dwight Ramos 16 points, Carlos Jügens 20 points) *
28 June Philippines – Finland University Team: 85-89 (Dwight Ramos 15 points, Mro Little 19 points) *
1 July Philippines – Ukraine U20 National Team: 70-61
2 July Philippines – Ukraine U20 National Team: 84-74 (Justin Brownlee 21 points, CJ Perez 14 points) *
4 July Philippines – Lithuania University Team: 80-90 (Justin Brownlee 20 points, Jamie Malonzo 14 points) *
8 July Philippines – Lithuania University Team: 125-122 (Junemar Fajordo 28 points, Justin Brownlee 24 points) *
3 August Philippines – Iran: 76-65 (Jaime Malonzo 11 points, Amirhossein Yazarlo 9 points) *
4 August Philippines – Senegal: 64-72 (Junemar Fajordo 14 points, Dwight Ramos 11 points) *
6 August Philippines – Senegal: 75-63 (CJ Perez 14 points, AJ Edu 13 points) *
7 August Philippines – Iran B: 63-48 (Dwight Ramos 17 points, Amirhossein Yazarloo 9 points) *
18 August Philippines – Ivory Coast: 85-62 (Jordan Clarkson 13 points, Maxence Dadiet 12 points) *
20 August Philippines – Montenegro: 87-102 (Jordan Clarkson 27 points, Nikola Vucevic 18 points) *
21 August Philippines – Mexico: 77-84 (Scottie Thompson 14 points, Pako Cruz 18 points) *
Team Lineup
PG : Dwight Ramos – Kiefer Ravena
SG : Jordan Clarkson – Scottie Thompson – CJ Perez
SF : Rhenz Abando – Rogor Pogoy
PF : Japeth Aguilar – AJ Edu – Jaime Malonzo
C : Kai Sotto – June Fajardo
Who is missing this tournament?
Andray Blatche, who was the star of the team in 2019, is no longer in the national team as he retired from basketball. Christian Standhardinger has also retired from the national team. Robert Bolick did not receive an invitation to the national team. Filipinos’ naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame will also not be in the tournament.
Poy Erram will miss the tournament due to injury. The veterans of the national team, Bobby Ray Parks and Chris Newsome, are not going to the World Cup.
News
- On June 1, the Philippines started its preparation period and arrived in Europe on June 24. They will stay in Europe until August, during which they will have preparation games in Estonia and Lithuania. After their time in Asia, the team will proceed to China to participate in a tournament.
- Two key players of the team, Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto, did not join the national team. Clarkson’s situation remains uncertain as he will become a free agent in the NBA this summer. Sotto, who is pursuing his NBA dream, chose to participate in the NBA Summer League instead of joining the national team. Both players have expressed their desire to play for the national team, but it is still unclear whether they will participate in the tournament.
- Carl Tamayo, who was part of the roster for the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, has been removed from the national team due to an injury.
- In the Philippines, Jordan Clarkson, Justin Brownlee, and Ange Kouame are classified as naturalized players. According to the rules, the Philippines can include a maximum of one naturalized player in the roster for the World Cup. The Philippine Basketball Federation has made an application stating that Clarkson is not considered a naturalized player, but it is not expected to receive a response to this application before the tournament begins.
- Justin Brownlee, who played a significant role in the Philippines’ victory in the Southeast Asian Games, joined the European camp late due to an injury. Similarly, Rogor Popoy, Jordan Heading, and Calvin Oftana also joined the national team late due to injuries.
- Due to the Philippines’ preference for Jordan Clarkson as a naturalized player, Ange Kouame, who was also eligible for the same status, will not be able to participate in the tournament. Ange Kouame will leave the national team on August 1st. Coach Reyes expressed his gratitude to Kouame, stating that he made a significant contribution to the team, especially in helping June Mar Fajardo prepare well for the tournament.
- Kai Sotto, who is competing in the NBA Summer League, joined the national team camp on July 18th, but due to a back injury, he could not continue with the training sessions. It is still unknown whether the young star will be able to participate in the tournament. His availability for the World Cup remains uncertain until further updates on his injury and recovery status.
- Coach Reyes announced that he had chosen Jordan Clarkson as the naturalized player, and he also acknowledged that Justin Brownlee, who is also dealing with an injury, has left the national team camp. This means that Justin Brownlee will not be able to participate in the tournament due to his injury.
- Scottie Thompson, who suffered an injury, was not included in the roster for the preparation tournament in China. His injury has prevented him from participating in the tournament.
- Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto did not join the national team for the tournament in China.
- Jordan Clarkson came to the Philippines to join the national team.
- Poy Erram was removed from the national team due to a knee injury.
- Chot Reyes cut Bobby Ray Parks, Calvin Oftana, Thirdy Ravena, Jordan Heading and Chris Newsome from the roster.
10 Simple Facts
Team Star: Jordan Clarkson
Young Talent: Kai Sotto
Player to Shine: AJ Edu
First-time World Cup Participants: Dwight Ramos, Rhenz Abando, Scottie Thompson, Rogor Poy, Jamie Malonzo, Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and Jordan Clarkson are participating for the first time.
Most Experienced Player in the World Cup: Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo will be participating for the 3rd time.
Performance in FIBA World Cup 2019: They finished 32nd.
Goal: To advance from the first-round group or at least secure one victory.
Biggest achievement: Philippines won the bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup in 1954.
Qualifying Rounds: Despite being the host nation, the Philippines still participated in the qualifiers. In the Asia qualifiers, they finished 4th in Group E with six wins and four losses.
Number of Appearances: This is their 7th time participating (1954, 1959, 1974, 1978, 2014, 2019).
Italy – Roster (12 Players) – Group A
Marco Spissu (Umana Venezia – PG) 47 games, 9.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Matteo Spagnolo (Dolomiti Trento – PG) 42 games, 12.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Alessandro Pajola (Virtus Bologna – PG) 65 games, 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Stefano Tonut (EA7 Milano – SG) 62 games, 4.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.9 assist
Simone Fontecchio (Utah Jazz – SF) 52 games, 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.8 assist
Gabriele Procida (ALBA Berlin – SF) 55 games, 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 assist
Luigi Datome (EA7 Milano – F) 36 games, 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.3 assist
Achille Polonara (Zalgiris Kaunas – PF) 60 games, 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Giampaolo Ricci (EA7 Milano – PF) 73 games, 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.5 assist
Luca Severini (Derthona – PF) 39 games, 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 assist
Nicolo Melli (EA7 Milano – PF/C) 75 games, 8.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Mouhamet Diouf (Reggio Emilia – C) 33 games, 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.7 block
Head coach: Gianmarco Pozzecco – In charge since 2022 –
- Eight players of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 squad and one player of the FIBA World Cup 2019 are on the roster.
Average age: 27.1 years
Players under 20 years: 0 player
Players aged 20-25: 4 players
Players aged 25-30: 4 players
Players over 30 years: 4 players
The youngest player in the squad: Matteo Spagnolo – 20 years old
The oldest player in the squad: Luigi Datome – 35 years old
Average height: 199.6 cm
Players shorter than 1.90 m: 1 player
Players between 1.90 m and 2.00 m: 3 players
Players taller than 2.00 m: 8 players
Shortest players: Marco Spissu – 1.85 m
Tallest player: Mouhamet Diouf – 2.06 m
Players by leagues and competitions
Legabasket (Italy League): 9 players
NBA: 1 player
BBL (Germany League): 1 player
LKL (Lithuania League): 1 player
EuroLeague: 7 players
EuroCup: 2 players
FIBA Champions League: 1 player
Preparation games schedule (7-0)
4 August Italy – Turkey: 90-89 (Simone Fontechhio 21 points, Ömer Faruk Yurtseven 23 points) *
5 August Italy – China: 79-61 (Matteo Spagnolo 13 points, Zhou Qi 12 points) *
9 August Italy – Serbia: 89-88 (Simone Fontecchio 13 points, Nikola Jovic 18 points) *
10 August Italy – Greece: 74-70 (Simone Fontecchio 17 points, Nik Rogkavopoulos 12 points) *
13 August Italy – Puerto Rico: 98-65 (Simone Fontecchio 16 points, Ethan Thompson 14 points) *
20 August Italy – Brazil: 93-87 (Simone Fontecchio 26 points, Lucas Dias 18 points) *
21 August Italy – New Zealand: 88-81 (Matteo Spagnolo 14 points, Finn Delany 13 points) *
Team Lineup
PG : Marco Spissu – Matteo Spagnolo
SG : Stefano Tonut – Alessandro Pajola
SF : Simone Fontecchio – Gabriel Procida – Luigi Datome
PF : Achille Polonara – Giampaolo Ricci – Luca Severini
C : Nicolo Melli – Mouhamet Diouf
Who is missing this tournament?
Italian star player Danilo Gallinari is absent due to rehabilitation work. Experienced national team players Marco Belinelli and Daniel Hackett are not on the roster as they have retired from the national team. Darius Thompson is also not in the provisional squad, as his citizenship process has not been completed yet.
News
- Italy started its preparations for the World Cup on July 24th.
- Darius Thompson will not be able to participate in the national team as he has not yet obtained an Italian passport, and his wife is pregnant
- Italian basketball legend Luigi Datome has announced that he will retire from basketball after the World Cup.
- Italy’s efforts to include Paolo Banchero in the national team were not successful, as he has chosen to represent the United States instead.
- Danilo Gallinari, who suffered an injury while with the national team last summer, was not called up to the squad this time due to his ongoing rehabilitation process.
- Nicolo Mannion, who was called up to the provisional squad, has been removed from the roster as he expressed his desire to rest this summer.
- Captain Gigi Datome stated that Nicolo Melli and Simone Fontechhio are the leaders of the team.
- Riccardo Visconti was cut from the candidate squad.
- Simone Fontecchio: “I don’t want to talk about goals. We want to do our best and play well. Also, we need a bit of luck.”
- Gigi Datome after his last game in Italy: “It’s a beautiful summer”
- Tomas Woldetensae and Guglielmo Caruso were cut from the candidate squad.
- Gianmarco Pozzecco on Italy: “This is a loved and respected team”
- Fontecchio, Datome, and Melli spoke before Italy’s debut in the World Cup
10 Simple Facts
Team Star: Nicolo Melli
Young Talent: Matteo Spagnolo
Player to Shine: Simone Fontecchio, who had a good performance in EuroBasket, can also showcase his skills in this tournament.
First–time World Cup Participants: Except for Luigi Datome, all players will be making their debut in the World Cup.
Most Experienced Player in the World Cup: Luigi Datome, participating for the 2nd time.
Performance in FIBA World Cup 2019: Italy finished 10th.
Goal: To reach the quarter-finals without making mistakes and then push for a chance at a medal.
Biggest Achievements: Won silver medals at the 1980 and 2004 Olympic Games. Secured gold medals in EuroBasket in 1983 and 1999. Their best performance in the World Cup was finishing 4th in 1970 and 1978.
Qualifying Rounds: Italy finished 2nd in Group L of the European Qualifiers with eight wins and two losses, earning a spot in the World Cup.
Number of Appearances: Italy is participating for the 10th time in the FIBA World Cup (1963, 1967, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2006, 2019).