LTU - Preliminary roster of Lithuania features 14 European champions

VILNIUS (2011 FIBA U19 World Championship) - Head coach Kazys Maksvytis has selected 24 players to the preliminary roster of the Lithuanian U19 National team that will compete in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship.

Lithuania is drawn in Group C in Liepaja together with Croatia, Korea and Canada.

Basketball is the number one sport in Lithuania. Just look at FIBA's official youth team ranking and you will find the Lithuanians sitting only one place below the USA. Lithuania won bronze medals in the first three Olympics to feature NBA players - in 1992, 1996, and 2000, and finished fourth in 2004 and 2008, while they exceeded expectations with a bronze medal last year in Turkey.

Lithuania's preliminary squad features 14 European champions. In 2008, Lithuania won their first ever gold medal in the U16 European Championship. Vytenis Cizauskas was the top scorer in the gold medal game against Czech Republic and Jonas Valanciunas was named the tournament MVP. Evaldas Aniulis, Tautvydas Sabonis, Dovydas Redikas, Edgaras Ulanovas, Deividas Pukis, Taurantas Tamošiu-nas, Rolandas Jakštas and Tomas Urbonas also made their part of contribution.

Two years later eight of them reached the podium again, celebrating U18 European Championship triumph in the front of 13 000 supporters at the Siemens Arena in Vilnius. Renaldas Simanavic(ius, Tadas Maželis, Žygimantas Skucas and Egidijus Mockevic(ius earned their first European titles.

Lithuania U19 preliminary squad:

Vytenis C(ižauskas, Ke.dainiu; „Neve.žis“
Renaldas Simanavic(ius, Kauno „Kaunas“
Evaldas Aniulis, Wasatch Academy Tigers, USA
Deividas Anužis, Klaipe.dos „Nafta-Universitetas“
Lukas Kazlauskas, Anykšc(iu; „Puntukas-Dussman Service“
Rokas Giedraitis, Šiauliu; „Saule.-Aukštabalis“
Dovydas Redikas, Vilniaus „Perlas“
Deividas Pukis, Christian Life Center Academy, USA
Taurantas Tamošiu-nas, Kauno „LKKA-Atletas“
Tadas Maželis, Klaipe.dos „Nafta-Universitetas“
Modestas Masiulionis, St. Xavier University, USA
Edgaras Ulanovas, Kauno „Žalgiris-Sabonio mokykla“
Arnas Butkevic(ius, Vilniaus „Sakalai“
Eigirdas Žukauskas, Anykšc(iu; „Puntukas-Dussman Service“
Paulius Sorokas, Kauno „Žalgiris-Sabonio mokykla“
Rolandas Jakštas, Kauno „Kaunas“
Paulius Vaitieku-nas, Jonavos „Triobet“
Tautvydas Sabonis, „Clinicas Rincon“, Spain
Ronaldas Rutkauskas, Stockholm „Human Rights 08“, Sweden
Žygimantas Skuc(as, Kauno „Žalgiris-Sabonio mokykla“
Jonas Valanc(iu-nas, Vilniaus „Lietuvos rytas“
Tomas Urbonas, Kauno „LKKA-Atletas“
Egidijus Mockevic(ius, Vilniaus „Akademija“
Nerijus Barauskas, Kauno „Erelita-KTU“