PODGORICA (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Montenegro have made the declaration that naturalized point guard Tyrese Rice is happy to be in the squad for the first time since 2013 and is looking forward to competing at this year's FIBA EuroBasket.

There has been media speculation that Rice, who hasn't played for Montenegro since FIBA EuroBasket 2013, was not eager to be with the team again but the Federation has published a statement on their website to set the record straight.

The Federation said that coach Bogdan Tanjevic had spoken with the point guard about this summer's preparations and that Rice was excited about the opportunity with the national team. He will link up with the squad on July 21 - almost six weeks before Montenegro's first Group C game in Cluj-Napoca against Spain.

The Federation also said that Barcelona playmaker Rice spoke with Montenegro captain Bojan Dubljevic of Valencia Basket when the two clubs squared off in the opening round of the Spanish Liga Endesa Play-Offs and was fired up about putting on the national team shirt.

The Federation says Rice, named in the squad last week, has not made any demands related to his participation.

Rice received a passport to play for the Balkan nation at FIBA EuroBasket 2013 and was one of the Group Phase's most explosive players, averaging a team-high 16.8 points per contest.

Rice was an explosive scorer at FIBA EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia

In a balanced Group B that was played in Jesenice, Slovenia, Montenegro did not advance. They won two of their five games and finished fifth behind Serbia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina (all 3-2), but ahead of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who were 1-5.

FIBA