By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The senior national team of Spain is on the way to the next international window of FIBA and two games against Slovakia.
The Spanish Basketball Federation, FEB, confirmed the selections of head coach Sergio Scariolo on Tuesday.
Among the 16 players called up by the reigning EuroBasket champions for the next batch of Qualifiers, four are newcomers to the senior national team, Izan Almansa, Josep Puerto, Mario Saint-Supery, and Rafa Villar. Players attached to the NBA and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague were left out of the selections.
Spain’s list of 16 players
- Izan Almansa (Perth Wildcats)
- Carlos Alocen (Dreamland Gran Canaria)
- Jonathan Barreiro (Unicaja)
- Alberto Diaz (Unicaja)
- Fran Guerra (La Laguna Tenerife)
- Sergio de Larrea (Valencia)
- Xabi Lopez-Arostegui (Valencia)
- Oriol Pauli (Hiopos Lleida)
- Tyson Perez (Unicaja)
- Jaime Pradilla (Valencia)
- Josep Puerto (Valencia)
- Mario Saint-Supery (BAXI Manresa)
- Miquel Salvo (Dreamland Gran Canaria)
- Yankuba Sima (Unicaja)
- Rafael Villar (Hiopos Lleida)
- Santi Yusta (Casademont Zaragoza)
“We are trying to respond to two major demands ahead of us. The first is trying to advance to the 2025 EuroBasket. And the second is to proceed with the generational change in progress over recent years,” noted Scariolo.
Before the home-and-away series opposite Slovakia, his side sits at 0-2 in Group C of the Qualifiers, tied with the upcoming opponent and two games behind Belgium. With Latvia receiving an automatic berth as one of the four EuroBasket hosts, the two remaining tickets will be awarded to the top two seeds between Spain, Belgium, and Slovakia.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net
