FRA - Les Bleus loaded with quality

PARIS (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - This could be the year that France make it to the top of the podium at a men's EuroBasket.

The 24-team event that serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off 4 September in Slovenia, and France's nemesis over the years, Spain, will not have their talisman Pau Gasol.

The EuroBasket 2011 MVP, shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, is also a huge doubt for the Spanish team after a year in which he was plagued by injuries.

At bare minimum, France coach Vincent Collet will be looking to qualify his team for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with six spots on offer at the EuroBasket.

The veteran tactician has announced a 17-man preliminary squad for this summer, one that includes eight members of last year's Olympic roster.

Tony Parker, Ronny Turiaf, Nicolas Batum, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Mickael Gelabale, Florent Pietrus and Yannick Bokolo all played at the London Games and will try to build on that experience in Slovenia.

Parker, Diaw and De Colo just finished their NBA campaigns as members of the San Antonio Spurs, who lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

France, who finished runners-up to Spain in 2011 in Lithuania and lost to them again in the Quarter-Finals in London, have French league standouts Edwin Jackson of ASVEL and Alexis Ajinca of Strasbourg in the preliminary squad.

Jackson was the Pro A MVP while Ajinca was second in the voting.

Another former national team standout whose career has been disrupted by injuries, point guard Antoine Diot of Coupe de France winners Paris-Levallois, is in the squad.

Collet has recognized the terrific seasons by Partizan Belgrade duo Leo Westermann and Joffrey Lauvergne by including both in the 17.

The two helped Partizan win the Adriatic League, and the Serbian Championship.

Evan Fournier had a solid rookie season in the NBA with the Dnver Nuggets and now has an opportunity to represent France.

Le Mans forward Charles Kahudi, an important member of the silver-medal winning side at EuroBasket 2011 who was left off the Olympic roster, is in the preliminary roster along with Laboral Kutxa (Baskonia) guard Thomas Heurtel and Spanish-based big man Kim Tillie (Murcia).

One player who seemed a lock to make the team after his performances with Baskonia, explosive scorer Fabien Causeur, decided to withdraw from consideration for the team because of an ankle injury.

Kevin Seraphin and Ali Traore also decided to take a break from national team duty this summer.

Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls played for France in 2011 but didn’t recover from injuries and missed the Olympics and he is currently trying to overcome a plantar fascia problem so won’t take part.

Collet said: “The absence of Noah is an opportunity for Alexis Ajinca, who will have to confirm his progress the context of Pro A, and for our young people like Joffrey Lauvergne and Kim Tillie, who will supplement Ronny Turiaf.

“I hope they make the most of this opportunity to help their careers.”

Andrew Albicy, Rudy Gobert, Livio Jean-Charles, Adrien Moerman and Jeremy Leloup are on standby.

France will play in Group A at the EuroBasket against Germany, Great Britain, Ukraine, Israel and Belgium.

FIBA