LTU – Lithuania to bring 10 European Champions to Latvia

PANEVEZYS (Global Games | FIBA U19 World Championship) – Lithuania announced the final 12-man roster for the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia. There will be only two new faces comparing to last year’s squad that won the FIBA Europe U18 Championship at home in Vilnius.

Having avoided any personnel losses, Lithuania will bring the core of last year’s team to Latvia. The side will once again be centred around big man Jonas Valanciunas and will feature the same helping cast, namely – Vytenis Cizauskas, Deividas Pukis and Dovydas Redikas.

The coaching staff had made the decision about which three players were going to leave the team already on Saturday, but wanted to inform the players first, therefore keeping it a secret until Sunday morning.

After announcing the final roster, it became clear that Paulius Sorokas, Deividas Anuzis and Paulius Vaitiekunas will not travel with the team to Latvia.

“It was harder than ever to choose the final squad this year, because there we had very good players in all positions. In our view, we made the best possible decision,” Lithuanian coach Kazys Maksvytis explained.

The World Championship in Latvia will be an international debut for Arnas Butkevicius and Rokas Giedraitis, the son of assistant coach Robertas Giedraitis, for whom it will also be the first time working with a Lithuanian national team.

Lithuanians will play in the Liepaja-based Group C of the FIBA U19 World Championship, which will also consist of Croatia, Canada and South Korea.

Lithuania 12-man roster:

Vytenis Cizauskas, Renaldas Simanavicius, Rokas Giedraitis, Dovydas Redikas, Deividas Pukis, Edgaras Ulanovas, Arnas Butkevicius, Rolandas Jakstas, Tautyvdas Sabonis, Zygimantas Skucas, Jonas Valanciunas and Egidijus Mockevicius.
 
FIBA