By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
“We intend to qualify for the next FIBA Basketball World Cup,” said Petrovic in the press conference. “I know and really like the group. It is a pleasure for me to be the head coach of the Brazilian National Team, I’m very happy and I trust that we will be successful.”.
The coach, who qualified his home country’s national team Croatia to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, listed Augusto Lima, Ricardo Fischer, Vitor Benite and Vitor Faverani as key players for Brazil in their qualification process to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.
“I’ve followed these players and I want them in the team.”, said Petrovic. “I come here prepared. Little will be changed in the offense in the beginning. My focus will be on defense. I played against them and identified some aspects that need to be corrected. My priority is to add intensity to the team and have a team with big men that shoot. That’s the way the game is played right now. I really like Rafael Mineiro too and he will be on my list,” added the Croatian.
“The challenge begins as early as November. At first, the plan is to arrive in Chile three days before the game. For the game against Venezuela we will do a training before,” added Petrovic. “The plan is to work with players between the ages of 19 and 22.”.
“Players who are in Europe play on the 19th and it will take a lot of planning for them to be with us. I like Rafa Luz and I want to count with him if he’s recovered from his injury. If any of the athletes do not want to play with the National Team in the window, they will automatically be out of the World Cup. The National team will be composed of players that want to play,” he concluded.
The qualifying windows for the FIBA World Basketball Cup 2019 will be November 20-28, February 19-27 (2018), June 25 to July 3, September 10-18, November 26 to December 4, and February 20-28 (2019).
After the six windows, the top seven teams from the Americas will reserve a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China from August 31 – September 15.
Source: FIBA.basketball