Lamas names veteran-laden Japan selection for Asian Qualifiers
TOKYO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Julio Lamas has released the 24-man national pool that will spearhead Japan's cause at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers.
代表:【リリース】平成29年度バスケットボール男子日本代表チーム「FIBAバスケットボールワールドカップ2019 アジア地区 1次予選」日本代表候補選手発表🏀✨https://t.co/wUgi3bHhDo#FIBAWC #JPN #AkatsukiFive pic.twitter.com/wgPFwpUIzD
— 日本バスケットボール協会(JBA) (@JAPANBASKETBALL) October 11, 2017
A cursory look at the list reveals Lamas's preference for veteran presence in the national side. More than half of the pool is made up of players aged 27 years or older, with naturalized player Ira Brown the eldest at 35. Big men Atsuya Ota, Kosuke Takeuchi and Joji Takeuchi round out the 30-year-olds in the pool together with the returning Takuya Kawamura, who last saw action at the continental level in 2011.
Japan 24-man national pool for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers | |||
Seiya Ando | Yudai Baba | Ira Brown | Yusuke Endo |
Tenketsu Harimoto | Ryoma Hashimoto | Makoto Hiejima | Gen Hiraiwa |
Kosuke Kanamaru | Takuya Kawamura | Naoya Kumagae | Yuya Nagayoshi |
Ryota Nakanishi | Yudai Nishida | Kengo Nomoto | Ryumo Ono |
Atsuya Ota | Ryusei Shinoyama | Daiki Tanaka | Joji Takeuchi |
Kosuke Takeuchi | Yuki Togashi | Naoto Tsuji | Naoki Uto |
Aside from Kawamura another returnee to the national pool is deadshot Kosuke Kanamaru, who last played for the Akatsuki Five in 2014. The biggest names, of course, are guards Yuki Togashi, Daiki Tanaka and Makoto Hiejima, while rising stars Yudai Baba and Tenketsu Harimoto are surely a couple to watch. With the exception of Takatoshi Furukawa, all the players of the national team that saw action at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 made have been called up anew.
Curious omissions are superbly athletic standouts Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe, although their availability (or lack thereof) was probably the critical factor in their exclusion.
Among the most interesting call-ups are former youth team stars Gen Hiraiwa and Yudai Nishida. Hiraiwa was impressive for Japan in their Jones Cup 2017 stint a few months ago, while Nishida has been perhaps the country's most dominant youth player of the past few years. Many see him as the second coming of legendary shooter Takehiko Orimo.
Japan are in Group B of the Asian Qualifiers together with Australia, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei. The Japanese host the Filipinos on 24 November at the Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Ground Gymnasium before traveling to Adelaide and facing the Boomers at the Titanium Arena on 27 November.
FIBA