TOKYO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Japan head coach Julio Lamas just released a trimmed down 14-man national pool for the Asian Qualifiers as his team gears for some payback.

Leading the Akatsuki Five's pool for their Group B games are explosive wingmen Yudai Baba, Makoto Hiejima and Daiki Tanaka together with speedster Yuki Togashi and sweet-shooting Naoto Tsuji. The frontline, meanwhile, will be held up by twin brothers Joji and Kosuke Takeuchi alongside veteran Atsuya Ota and naturalized forward Ira Brown.

Two men from Japan's FIBA Asia Cup 2017 roster did not make the cut this time around - Ryoma Hashimoto and Ryumo Ono. In addition to the ten holdovers from Japan's Asia Cup squad, the returnees and new names that Japanese fans will be aching to see don the Akatsuki Five's colors are Tsuji, Joji Takeuchi, Naoki Uto, Naoya Kumagae. Tsuji and Takeuchi both have extensive experience playing for the senior national team, while Uto and Kumagae are hoping to make the final 12 for the first time ever.

Coach Lamas is currently conducting training camp for the team at the Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo, and he is expected to announce his final choices for the 12-man roster against Gilas Pilipinas a day before their game.

This early, however, excitement has swelled for their first contest, with the Komazawa Gymnasium already being sold out. This, Joji Takeuchi believes, is a very good sign for the team and their program.

"Knowing that the tickets got sold out quickly, I can see a lot of people are paying attention to our game," he said. "The game against Philippines, our very first home game, will be very important in setting the tone for the rest of the Qualifiers."

Coach Lamas's crew is especially focused on their matchup with the Filipinos because the Japanese lost to Gilas twice in the FIBA Asia Cup 2015, and they would love nothing more than to exact revenge. One guy who remembers the losses and vows some measure of vengeance is Joji Takeuchi.

"We lost against them in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship," remembered Joji. "But we will surely get them back this time."

Japan are in Group B with the Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Australia. The Akatsuki Five tangle with nemesis the Philippines on 24 November and then travel to Adelaide to collide with the Boomers at the Titanium Arena on 27 November.

FIBA