MIAMI (United States) – With the final window of the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers kicking off this week, many teams are still fighting for a spot in the 2022 AmeriCup.

There will be many new faces on the court, including former NBA star Joe Johnson for Team USA and NBA champion J.J. Barea for Puerto Rico, vying for their spot and opportunity to star at one of the largest international basketball stages. Other stars to watch include Brazil’s Caio Pachecho and Colombia’s Braian Angola.

Thus, here are three exciting matchups of this next qualifying window in Colombia and Puerto Rico:

Puerto Rico v. U.S.

While Team USA already solidified its position in next year’s AmeriCup, it will be exciting to see this new USA roster matchup against Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is definitely the underdog in this matchup but with new additions like former Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea will still be a must-watch game. On the other side, Team USA will feature former Atlanta Hawk Joe Johnson, who played 18 seasons in the NBA, and former NBA All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas. While Puerto Rico’s guards struggled in the previous qualifying window, Barea may be able to make the matchup a bit closer than anticipated.

Colombia v. Venezuela

Despite leaving the previous qualifying window winless, Colombia should not be overlooked. Back in November, the team nearly took down Venezuela, coming up just four points short. In the previous matchup, Colombia was led by shooting guard Braian Angola who tallied 19 points on 6 for 10 shooting and small forward Mitchell Jackson who contributed 15 points and 4 rebounds. The game will come down to if Colombia can respond to Venezuela’s Michael Carrera and Nestor Comenarea Important pieces for Venezuela in this matchup will be forward Michael Carrera who is averaging 18.8 points per game and Nestor Comenarea or "La Bestia" dominating the paint and the boards.

Uruguay v. Panama

Both Uruguay and Panama are fighting for qualification behind Brazil in Group B. These 2-2 teams met in November where Uruguay edged out Panama 74-67. When Panama is not struggling turning the ball over, its offense looks dominant thanks to Trevor Gaskins, Akil Mitchell and Tony Bishop Jr. Both teams had struggled in the turnover department with 20 turnovers apiece. The difference makers were Uruguay’s point guards Marcos Cabot and Luciano Parodi from beyond the arc and free-throw line while Uruguay power forward Kiril Wachsmann dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. This matchup will come down to the team who can better protect the basketball and limit their turnovers.

FIBA