DAKAR (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Senegal head coach Cheikh Sarr has announced his 22-man preliminary squad for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and made sure to include rising star Pape Diatta.

The 19-year-old forward led Senegal in scoring at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship with 14.3 points per game, and is currently rated as one of the top prospects in the country.

In that tournament held in Prague last summer, Senegal finished last out of 16 teams, but Diatta made sure to showcase his talent, finishing with a game-high 24 points against a Dante Exum-led Australian team.
 
Diatta - one of five youngsters playing college basketball in the United States to be included in the squad - will have to battle it out for a place in the 12-man final roster that will play in Sevilla's Group B along with Argentina, Croatia, Greece, the Philippines and Puerto Rico at Spain 2014.

Sarr named all 12 players who helped Senegal finish third at last year's AfroBasket, and added Xane D'Almeida and Babacar Toure - a duo that featured at AfroBasket 2011.

Center Gorgui Dieng's tremendous end of season form for the Minnesota Timberwolves did not go unnoticed to Sarr, and point guard Thierno Niang - who plays at Milwaukee University - is also part of the team.

Senegal will open their preparations for Spain 2014 with a 10-day training camp in Dakar starting on 20 July, followed by a 24-day stay in the Spanish city of Malaga.

Senegal 22-man preliminary squad for FIBA Basketball World Cup: Thierno Niang, Xane D'Almeida, Pape Sadiaw Diatta, Abdoulaye Djibril Thiam, Babacar Toure, Maurice Daly Ndour, Gorgui Dieng, Ibrahima Diop, Ibrahima Niang, Adama Lo, Louis Adams, Pape Malick Gadiaga, Mamadou Ndoye, Malick Ndiaye, Ibrahima Mbengue, Maleye Ndoye, Mouhammad Faye, Ibrahima Thomas, Hamady Ndiaye, Saer Sene, Muhammad Diop and Pape Abdou Badji.

FIBA