MIAMI (United States) - Mexico head coach Omar Quintero hopes to repeat the success of round one FIBA 2023 World Cup qualifying by not diverting from what worked so well last November.

Quintero announced his pre-selection roster on Tuesday with a familiar staff as well as a majority of returning players that will represent Mexico in round two of the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers on February 24 versus Cuba in Havana’s Coliseo de La Cuidad Deportiva and in Washington DC against Americas rival, the United States, on February 27 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. Throughout these events the continued goal is to be one of the seven countries to advance out of 16 Americas teams to the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

The pre-selection list features players whose performances in round one led Mexico to an unblemished 2-0 record in Group D with impressive wins over Puerto Rico and the United States in Chihuahua City, Mexico. Veterans Paul Stoll, Orlando Mendez, Gabriel Giron Jr., Fabian Jaimes and Daniel Amigo are included as well as young players Santiago Camacho, Ivan Bernal, Josue Lara, Victor Valdes plus Gael Bonilla. Camacho and Valdes helped Mexico to a second-place finish in the FIBA U-17 CentroBasket tournament in December qualifying for the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championships in June.

The national team also named players currently in Europe aside from Stoll and Bonilla in Alex Perez, Edgar Garibay and Paco Cruz with the hopes that the round two dates will allow for their participation.

As part of Quintero’s national team strategy naming the most talented players Mexico has and to highlight the honor of being selected to represent your country, he also included Juan Toscano and Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the list of 25 but neither is expected to play for El Tri due to commitments with the NBA for Toscano and NCAA college basketball in the United States with UCLA for Jaquez Jr.

Mexico pe-selection roster:

Alex Perez (Turk Telecom – Turkey), Jorge Gutierrez (Astros de Jalisco– Mexico),  Orlando Mendez (Mineros of LNBP – Mexico), Juan Toscano (Golden State Warriors – NBA), Irwin Avalos (Libertadores de Querétaro – Mexico), Paco Cruz (Tofaş – Turkey), Paul Stoll (Metropolitans 92 – France), Fabian Jaimes (Mexico City Capitanes – NBA G-League), Edgar Garibay (Peja - Kosovo), Moises Andriassi (Mexico City Capitanes – NBA G-League), Josue Lara (Soles de Mexicali – Mexico), Daniel Amigo (Soles de Mexicali – Mexico), Israel Gutierrez (Astros de Jalisco– Mexico), Jorge Camacho (Libertadores de Querétaro- Mexico), Gael Bonilla (FC Barcelona II – Spain),  Jonatan Machado (Astros de Jalisco– Mexico), Gabriel Giron Jr. (CD Valdivia - Chile), Kohl Meyer (Lenadores de Durango – Mexico), Santiago Camacho (Mexico U-18), Jose Estrada (Soles de Mexicali – Mexico), Ivan Bernal, Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA – NCAA basketball United States), Eduardo Giron (Lenadores de Durango – Mexico), Victor Valdes (Mexico U-18), Kelvin Jones ( Fuerza Regia – Mexico).

Quintero and staff are expected to name their final roster on February 14.

FIBA