TOKYO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Japan national team head coach Julio Lamas has named former NBA player Yuta Tabuse to the pool of players for the second Asian Qualifiers window.

The 5ft 8in (1.73m) Tabuse will turn 38 this year, and he will be the most seasoned player in the national pool alongside 35-year-old naturalized player Ira Brown. They join most of the players who saw action in the first window of the Asian Qualifiers, with the exception of veteran big man Kosuke Takeuchi, who will be resting in the second window.

The Akatsuki Five's top performers in the first window - Brown, Makoto Hiejima and Yudai Baba - are all back to spearhead their charge as they still look for their breakthrough first win. Backcourt stalwarts Yuki Togashi, Ryusei Shinoyama and Takatoshi Furukawa are expected to make an impact, and likewise is true for frontliners Joji Takeuchi, Atsuya Ota and Tenketsu Harimoto.

Several players from Japan's deep pool of youth talent have also been included, most notably 6ft 9in (2.07m) Hyu Watanabe (also known as Hugh Hogland) from the University of Portland. Watanabe will add much needed size and rim protection to Japan's interior. Other noteworthy teenage additions are 1999-born Yudai Nishida and 2002-born Chikara Tanaka. Both are explosive guards who are tagged as foundations of the national team's bright future.

Japan will aim for their first win when they tangle with Chinese Taipei at the Yokohama International Arena on 22 February, and the Akatsuki Five will have a shot at payback against the Philippines at the Mall of Asia Arena on 25 February.

FIBA