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31 August, 2017
17 September
5 Sam VAN ROSSOM (Belgium)
04/05/2017
News
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Van Rossom, Lojeski and Hervelle back in the mix for Belgium

BRUSSELS (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Belgium will be looking for just the right blend of experience and youth ahead of FIBA EuroBasket 2017 after supplementing the returning core of veterans with an influx of talented up-and-comers.

Having gone through the Qualifying Round without the likes of Sam Van Rossom, Matt Lojeski and Axel Hervelle, coach Eddy Casteels should have the star power back at his disposal, with all the big names featured on the team's preliminary 24-man roster for the upcoming campaign.

The players who shared the grunt of the load during the Qualifiers, namely Bilbao combo guard Jonathan Tabu, Telenet Oostende swingman Jean Salumu and Oldenburg big man Maxime De Zeeuw, are also on the well-rounded list of candidates.

In the absence of a number of central figures in the Qualifying Round, coach Casteels wasted no time last summer, giving a number of younger members in the squad their first taste of senior-level international basketball, which should greatly benefit the likes of Retin Obasohan, Hans Vanwijn and Vincent Kesteloot this year.

Belgium beat out Iceland, Switzerland and Cyprus for a place in the Final Round.

Belgium preliminary 24-player roster for FIBA EuroBasket 2017

Thomas Akyazili Ismael Bako Khalid Boukichou Maxime De Zeeuw Pierre-Antoine Gillet
Amaury Gorgemans Axel Hervelle Ioann Iarochevitch Vincent Kesteloot Elias  Lasisi
Manu Lecomte Matt Lojeski Dorian Marchant Niels Marnegrave Jean-Marc Mwema
Retin Obasohan Jean Salumu Loic Schwartz Quentin Serron Jonathan Tabu
Olivier Troisfontaines Kevin Tumba Sam Van Rossom Hans Vanwijn  


During the selection process, the Belgian national team will take on Iceland, Germany, Tunisia, Spain, Italy, France and Montenegro in exhibition games in preparation for what awaits them come August and September.

The Lions have been drawn to the Istanbul-based Group D, which also includes Great Britain, Latvia, Russia, Serbia and the hosts Turkey.

It will be the fourth consecutive Final Round of the FIBA EuroBasket that the Belgian side have qualified for under coach Casteels, who has been in charge of the national team program since 2005.

FIBA