SANTO DOMINGO (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - The Dominican Republic's Basketball Federation unveiled senior men's national team coach Kenny Atkinson at a press conference earlier this week.

The event was also used to present a detailed preparation schedule, a preliminary list of 32 players to work with for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship and express the hope of having Al Horford as the team captain.

Atkinson, an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, exuded confidence in his first appearance in the country, while detailing the kind of team he expects to coach in the summer.

"I'm excited to start because I know the Dominican players will adapt to the defensively aggressive and fast team that I want to coach," he said.

"I like teams that run, but with good ball movement and creating space. It's not about running just to run, winning is the most important thing and then it's about playing great basketball, leaving a mark."

The team will then play exhibition games against the Basque Country from 14-16 August and then against Argentina, Brazil, Canada and hosts Puerto Rico in the Tuto Marchand Cup from 23-27 August prior to the continental championship tipping off in Mexico City just four days later.

Atkinson also revealed the list of players being evaluated for the team, with Horford, Francisco Garcia, Karl-Anthony Towns and Charlie Villanueva as main attractions. The latter had not been invited to the team since 2011.

"Al has to talk with his agent and the team [the Hawks]. He had a big, but long season in the NBA, playing a lot of minutes in the playoffs, but we are counting on him.

"We want to have Charlie [Villanueva] in the camp. There should be a respect for what he has done for this national team in the past and what he did this season in the NBA. I have to talk to him in the coming days to see if he is interested in playing."

"Our staff is going to give all its passion and heart really to helping the Dominican players get better on the national team," Atkinson went on.

"I really believe the results will follow if we give them every chance to succeed and we are passionate on a day-to-day basis in terms of helping them improve.

"I’m new as a head coach to the international scene, but I’m a student of the game and I’m confident in the work we are going to put in to make this a success and qualify to the Olympic Games.”, he concluded.

The 2015 FIBA Americas Championship will be played in Mexico City at the Palacio de los Deportes from 31 August to 12 September.

At the tournament, Dominican Republic will compete in Group A with hosts Mexico, Brazil, Panama and Uruguay.

The top four sides will take on the four teams that emerge from a Group A which has Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

The two finalists will claim tickets to next year's Rio de Janeiro Games, while the third-, fourth- and fifth-place teams will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

This would be the first-ever participation of the Dominican Republic in the Olympic Games.

Dominican Republic preliminary squad for 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: Jonathan Araujo, Eulis Baez, Juan Coronado, Angel Luis Delgado, James Feldeine, Andres Feliz, Manuel Fortuna, Brandone Francis, Francisco Garcia, Manuel Guzman, Al Horford, Victor Liz, Jack Michael Martinez, Jerry Matos, Rigoberto Mendoza, Luis David Montero, Angel Nunez, Dagoberto Pena, Kelvin Pena, Richard Polanco, Manny Quezada, Ronald Ramon, Ronald Roberts, Alejandro Salas, Orlando Sanchez, Edward Santana, Edgar Sosa, Gerardo Suero, Juan Miguel Suero, Karl-Anthony Towns, Eloy Vargas, Charlie Villanueva.

Go to fiba.com/Americas2015 for complete coverage of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA