SEOUL (2015 FIBA U19 World Championship) - New Korea coach Kim Seung Gi has made two changes to his 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship team compared to the side that played at the 2014 FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

Kim has already named his 12-man roster for the tournament taking place from 27 June-5 July in Heraklion (Crete), Greece, where the Koreans have been drawn into Group D with Dominican Republic, Greece and Serbia.

The coach takes over from Kim Seung Hwan, who had led the national team to a third-place finish at last summer's Asia U18s in Doha, Qatar and then decided to coach a KBL team.

Kim Seung Gi swapped two players from last year's team, bringing in guard Kim Hun and center Yang Hong Suk in place of Kim Yun Hwan and Pack Won Jong, respectively. Both of the players out of the team were only role players last summer.

The leaders of the team will most likely be the same as in 2014, with Jeon Hyun Woo leading the way. The 1.95m forward was the top scorer for the U18 team last summer. He also has World Championship experience, having played at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.

Jeon's biggest help may come from point guard Byeon Jun Heong, who also played at the 2013 U19 Worlds. Byeon, who led the Koreans in assists last summer, took a big step forward this season in the Korean university system, playing a superb first season at the level, averaging more than 12 points and nearly three assists per game.

Also back and expected to have a leadership role is Kim Kyung Won, who was second in scoring at the U18s and the team's leading rebounder. Both Kim Kyung Won and Song Kyo Chang had strong seasons at the high school level and will be important for the Asians to have any success in Heraklion/Crete, Greece.

Korea preliminary squad for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship: Byeon Jun Heong, Jang Tai Bin, Jeon Hyun Woo, Kim Hun, Kim Kyung Won, Kwon Hyeok Joon, Lee Youn Su, Park Jun Young, Song Kyo Chang, Yang Hong Suk, Yang Jae Hyuk, Yoo Hyeon Jun.

FIBA