MONTEVIDEO (FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers 2019) - After initiating three weeks ago to prepare for the fifth window in the Road to China 2019, the Puerto Rico national team are facing a new challenge in their aspirations of participating in another FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Currently in a qualifying spot, the Caribbean squad is third in Group E of the Americas Qualifiers, a place they will defend as visitors in demanding games at Montevideo and Panama City.

The side coached by Eddie Casiano started their training at the start of November, with players that are not currently active in leagues overseas. But it won’t be until this week that the former national team member will have available the thirteen men that were finally summoned for this window.

The island team spent 20 days in training on in Puerto Rico and since Monday they are on Uruguayan soil for their first duel against the South American country for the first game of the Qualifiers, next Thursday at Antel Arena.

For this window, the Puerto Ricans cannot count on their spearhead José Juan Barea (NBA - Dallas Mavericks), nor shooting guard John Holland, nor center Tyler Davis, nor injured forward Ramón Clemente. The quintet all their bets on their continuity, since 11 of their 13 players have already wore the Boricua jersey at some point in the Qualifiers.

Puerto Rico will present Ángel Rodríguez, Gary Browne and Eduardo “Javy” González as point guards. As for the shooting guard position, it will be occupied Gian Clavell and veterans David Huertas and David Mojica. Meanwhile, Ángel Vassallo and Alex Franklin will serve as small forwards, and forwards Luis “Pelacoco” Hernández, Devon Collier and Ricardo Sánchez will do their part. Playing as centers are Jorge Bryan Díaz and Carlos “Yao” López. Of this group, González and Hernández will be playing their debut Qualifiers.

From the selection made by Casiano, four players have been in all previous windows: Sánchez, Clavell, Díaz and Rodríguez. Huertas Collier and Browne have been present in six of the first eight encounters.

As for González, the point guard was part of the team that played at the FIBA Américas at Mexico City in 2015 and was part of the squad that won gold in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla. Hernández was able to play his first minutes with the traditional 5x5 team after being part of the 3x3 that competed in the World Cup in Nantes in 2017.

“The decisions were taken strictly based on the pairings and combinations we will face against Uruguay and Panama. Besides, due to players that were in better shape and had better rhythm. We also tried to incorporate new players to this window that hadn’t seen any action in the other windows and that could contribute to bring us closer to qualifying to the World Cup,” said Casiano in a press release provided by the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation (FBPUR, for its Spanish acronym).

Puerto Rico and Uruguay both have the same 5-3 record, but the former have a better point-difference average. The Caribbean and South American teams will meet once again in Puerto Rico in the last qualifying window on February 25, 2019.

After this Thursday’s game, Puerto Rico will be in Panama to face the Central Americans, who they overcame this past September (82-73).

With four games left in agenda to conclude the Qualifiers, Puerto Rico have their destiny in their own hands.

If they win three of the four encounters, specifically the two against Uruguay and the visit to Panama, Puerto Rico would qualify to their fourteenth FIBA Basketball World Cup. Puerto Rico have been present in the last eight World Cup events, including Japan 2006, where they did not qualify on their own, but rather participated thanks to a wild-card invitation.

The last time that Puerto Rico did not participate in a World Cup was in Colombia 1982.

FIBA