Australia has become one of the first teams to officially announce its preliminary roster for the 2023 Basketball World Cup.
18 players have been included in the preliminary squad for summer’s major FIBA tournament, which will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia (August 25 – September 10).
10 current NBA players (Patty Mills, Matisse Thybulle, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale, Josh Green, Matthew Dellavedova, Jack White, Xavier Cooks, Dyson Daniels, and Josh Giddey) headline the roster, which also features EuroLeague and Partizan star guard Dante Exum. Brooklyn Nets superstar Ben Simmons is not part of the preliminary roster.
“Pulling together this extended squad has taken time – it’s been a thorough process. The coaches and I have had many discussions about getting the mix right, but I’m really pleased with where we’ve landed with the guys we’ve selected, there’s a good balance across the court,” Australia head coach, Brian Goorjian, said.
The preliminary squad will take part in a training camp in Cairns in the lead up to the Basketball World Cup, before the final roster of 12 is named ahead of the team’s opening game in Japan on August 25.
The announcement of the extended squad follows the official draw which took place on Saturday, April 29, confirming Australia will take on host nation Japan, Finland and Germany in Group E.
