MADRID (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Spain coach Sergio Scariolo gave a better indication early Wednesday afternoon as to the make-up of the country's roster for its FIBA EuroBasket title defense.

The Italian boss announced the names of 27 players, including 16 that will attend a first phase of training on July 16 in Benahavis, Malaga, and 11 more that will start at a training camp in Madrid on July 28.

Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez, Felipe Reys and Victor Claver were in last year's Olympic team but are not involved. Calderon retired from the national team after the Rio de Janeiro Games while Fernandez and Reyes are taking the summer off. Claver was injured in the Liga Endesa play-offs and needs to work on his recovery.

16 players for training in Malaga (July 16-23)
Alberto Abalde	Victor Arteaga	Quino Colom	Alberto Diaz
Dani Diez	Ilimane Diop	Jaime Fernandez	Ruben Guerrero
Nacho Llovet	Pierre Oriola	Oriol Pauli	Xavi Rabaseda
Pau Ribas	Sebas Saiz	Joan Sastre	Guillem Vives

Referring to the 16 players that will train from July 16, Scariolo said: "We would have liked for Pablo Aguilar to be there but he has asked us for a summer off to train and prepare well. The idea is for these players to work for a week and after that we will have two friendlies against Israel (July 22 in Benahavis and July 23 in Estepona).

"Five or six of them will then join a more reduced team of 11 that will begin training in Madrid."

11 players starting training camp in Madrid (July 28)
Alex Abrines	Marc Gasol	Pau Gasol	Juancho Hernangomez
Willy Hernangomez	Sergio Llull	Nikola Mirotic	Juan Carlos Navarro
Sergio Rodriguez	Ricky Rubio	Fernando San Emeterio

As for the 11 players that will start in the second phase, there are two sets of brothers - Pau and Marc Gasol, and Willy and Juancho Hernangomez.

All of them are in the NBA, with Pau on the books of San Antonio, Marc with Memphis, Willy with New York and Juancho with Denver. The Hernangomez brothers just finished their rookie seasons in the league.

Pau Gasol, the MVP of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006 in Japan and, is arguably the most famous player in the history of his country. At 36 years of age, he remains in top physical condition and a linchpin in the national side.

Pau was the MVP of EuroBasket 2015 and Spain's leader in Rio while Marc was absent from both events. He skipped the EuroBasket two years ago because of a new contract he was signing with the Memphis Grizzlies and last year, he wanted to play but was recovering from injury.

"The best news is Marc Gasol's return," Scariolo said. "His enthusiasm has been important."

Also in that 11 for the second phase of training is Juan Carlos Navarro of Barcelona, who has been included despite an injury-plagued year.

Navarro plays his best in the big games

"Juan Carlos is our captain," Scariolo said. "When he hasn't been here, we have missed him. He adds to the chemistry of the team, he is at the level in the challenging times on the court.

"He has always had a big weight in the locker room, makes the coach's job easier to get unity within the team that has allowed us to overcome hurdles."

Nikola Mirotic is in the naturalized spot for a third straight summer and joins for the second phase.

"This is going to be the most challenging EuroBasket since I've been in charge, by the quality of the rivals and the number of teams that can challenge for the title."Scariolo

Just because the group of 11 players are the more established ones, however, does not mean they have the inside track to spots on the EuroBasket roster.

"This is not the EuroBasket list," Scariolo said. "I don't want any misunderstanding. Those 11 players are not fixed and it's not a case of those 11 and then we will have to add another name."

Spain will play in Group C at the EuroBasket, in Cluj-Napoca, against Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Montenegro and hosts Romania.

The Final Phase will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. The last time Scariolo coached Spain in that city was at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010. Spain lost in the Quarter-Finals that year to Serbia.

"This is going to be the most challenging EuroBasket since I've been in charge," Scariolo said, "by the quality of the rivals and the number of teams that can challenge for the title. We have ambition but our aim is to achieve a medal in order to maintain the national team in that cycle of continued success and the circle of excellence."

While the absences of Reyes and especially Fernandez, a member of the national team every year since 2004, are big, Scariolo insisted: "I'm convinced that those that will join will be up to the task. We have one third of the team that won the Olympic medal, not available.

"Rudy Fernandez will not be there as he has asked for a rest this summer to work and prepare for next season, just as veteran Felipe Reyes."

In Scariolo's first summer with Spain, he coached the team to the FIBA EuroBasket 2009 title in Poland with Pau Gasol the MVP. Navarro scooped the MVP honor after leading the side to the top of the podium in 2011 in Lithuania.

At FIBA EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia and without Pau Gasol and Navarro, Spain finished third while two years ago, the team made it through a difficult Group Phase campaign in Berlin and then stormed to the championship in France.

Scariolo will not have Rudy Fernandez at FIBA EuroBasket 2017

After the EuroBasket, Scariolo will turn all of his attention to the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, which get underway in November. Spain will play in Group A against Slovenia, Montenegro and a team that survives from the World Cup European Pre-Qualifiers. 

"It's a special day today because we are beginning a new adventure," Scariolo said. "Because of the new rules of competition, we decided to expand the group."

FIBA