DOM – Villanueva back as Dominicans go for Centrobasket title

SANTO DOMINGO (Centrobasket Championship) – It’s a new summer for the Dominican Republic, but forgetting the last one is going to take some doing.
 
Heading into last year’s FIBA Americas Championship in San Juan, the Dominicans looked good bets to claim a top-four finish and qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship but a costly defeat to Canada late in the competition ended their hopes of playing in Turkey.
 
One way to get rid of the hangover will be to guarantee their place at next year’s FIBA Americas Championship in Argentina.
 
The Dominicans are hosting the Centrobasket Championship, which tips off today and runs until July 11.
 
The top four sides at the tournament clinch places for next year’s Olympic qualifying event in Mar del Plata.
 
As expected, NBA forward Charlie Villanueva is in the Dominican Republic’s 12-man squad.
 
The rest of the players in the group are Jack Michael Martínez, Kelvin Peña, Amaury Filión, Ronald Ramón, Franklin Western, Carlos Morban, Manuel Fortuna, Carlos Paniagua, Joel Ramírez, Juan Pablo Montas and Manuel Guzmán.
 
Former Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings boss Eric Musselman is coaching the Dominican Republic this summer.
 
His last coaching job in the NBA was the 2006-07 campaign with the Kings.
 
Musselman, who has been a television pundit in basketball, was appointed coach of the Dominicans in May.
 
"The reason I'm coaching the Dominican team is that I couldn't wait to get back on the floor," Musselman said.
 
"It's good because basically, all you do is go and coach the players.
 
“The team works on putting the roster together so as a coach, all your time and energy is just focused on drills.
 
“I think it'll be good for somebody like me because I'm looking forward to experimenting and trying a few new things that I've always wanted to do, and this will give me an opportunity to do that."
 
At the Centrobasket, they are in Group A along with the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Panama and the US Virgin Islands.
 
Puerto Rico are favorites to win Group B, which also has Belize, Cuba, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.
 
FIBA