CANBERRA (Australia) - Australia have announced a preliminary 17-man squad in their preparations for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.

Among those called up for the initial roster are a host of bona fide NBA stars along with a number of the Boomers' top performers at the Asian Qualifiers.

"Our preparation as a squad starts in August and we embrace the challenge before us. We are excited about the team we will have in China for the FIBA World Cup and the opportunities that lie ahead."

Andrej Lemanis

Among the key names are Mitch Creek, Nick Kay, Mitch McCarron and Nathan Sobey, who represented Australia in most of their Asian Qualifiers fixtures, helping the Boomers finish as the top ranked team from FIBA Asia.

All four will compete for spots in the final 12-man team, and if ever they succeed, it would be their first time to play at the biggest stage of international basketball.

In contrast, a couple of NBA players - Aron Baynes and Joe Ingles - are looking to play in their third World Cup, while seasoned veteran big man Andrew Bogut may return to the World Cup for the first time after missing the last two editions.

 
"I always have a mixture of emotions when a squad is announced,” said head coach Andrej Lemanis. "No doubt, we have the opportunity to put a great team on the floor, and that’s exciting. Working with the best players in the country is such an honor and privilege – I feel extremely blessed to again have this opportunity."

Much of the attention, of course, will be focused on stars Ben Simmons and Patty Mills, both of whom have been among the most dependable players in their respective positions in the recent NBA season. They add considerable depth to an Australian side that is already brimming with so much talent.

"Opportunities often open up unexpectedly and this is where the luxury of depth and the wonderful attitude each and every player has to the Boomers, holds us in good stead," added Lemanis. "However, the depth of talent in Australian basketball means that some tough decisions are made at this point and some very good players miss out. It is especially true on this occasion given the heavy lifting done by so many NBL based players during the World Cup qualification system."

 
A total of nine NBA players are included in the squad, with the aforementioned Simmons, Baynes, Mills and Ingles headlining the group along with Bogut, Creek, Deng Adel, Jonah Bolden and Matthew Dellavedova.

There also seven holdovers from the team that finished among the top four at the 2016 Rio Olympics: Mills, Bogut, Ingles, Dellavedova, Baynes, Chris Goulding and Brock Motum.

 
The Boomers are set to have a four-game warm-up series in Perth and Melbourne, where they will face Canada and Team USA respectively. Before that, however, the squad will tip their training camp off in early August.

"Our preparation as a squad starts in August and we embrace the challenge before us," shared Lemanis. "We are excited about the team we will have in China for the FIBA World Cup and the opportunities that lie ahead."

FIBA