KAZAN (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - As everyone waits for Greece to announce the name of their national team coach for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, there are a couple of certainties: Kostas Kaimakoglou and Nikos Zisis will play again if selected.

Kaimakoglou, the bearded forward whose role with the Greeks has grown in importance each summer since his debut senior team appearance in 2009, has told FIBA.com: "They have to announce the coach first of all, but if I'm healthy and the coach wants me to play, I'm always a soldier of the national team and it would be a really big honor for me to participate in another championship."

Zisis first played for the senior team in the qualifying round for EuroBasket 2003 and has not missed a summer since.

He is excited about the prospect of returning to the country where he once played for Bilbao Basket.

"You know it's an important summer and it's going to be a great tournament in Spain," Zisis said.

"I have been in Spain and I know that they are very good to host big tournaments.

"We'll see. I hope we're going to be ready to make a good run."

Greece will play in Group B against Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Croatia and Senegal.

The games will be in Sevilla.

"The World Cup is a great event with teams coming from all over the world to gather in a very nice country with many wonderful cities," said the 31-year-old Kaimakoglou.

"I know there will be very good organization because Spain knows how to make good organization for these types of tournaments."

Though Greece needed a wild card to take part in this year's 24-team event, they will nevertheless arrive with a FIBA Ranking Men of No. 5.

Nearly everyone expects them to advance from the Group Phase.

"Because of the last two years we had some failures," Kaimakoglou said, "I think we need to build the team step by step and at the beginning set small goals.

"Then step by step, improve ourselves and see what we can do."

Both Zisis and Kaimakoglou play for Unics Kazan.

Kaimakoglou, a power forward, wasn't able to play in the recent Eurocup Finals against Valencia Basket due to injury and his absence was telling as the Russians lost decisively in both the away and home legs.

As for the coaching situation, fans should know soon the name of the national team coach.

Greece agreed to a two-year contract with Andrea Trinchieri, the Unics Kazan coach, before last year's EuroBasket in Slovenia.

The squad came up short of its aim to qualify directly for the World Cup and the country's basketball federation is expected to put someone else in charge in Spain.

Trinchieri revealed to FIBA.com that during the Eurocup Finals the Hellenic Basketball Federation had not been in contact with him since the end of EuroBasket 2013.

"I really don't believe I'll coach Greece," he said, "but I cannot say anything because to tell you the truth, maybe there is a problem with the satellite.

"We haven't had very good communication since the last day of the EuroBasket.

"I'm still waiting for communication."

Fotis Katsikaris, the former Bilbao Basket boss, is a leading candidate to take over.

FIBA