MNE – NBA draftee Vucevic in NT preliminary squad

PODGORICA (EuroBasket 2011) – Montenegro have been causing a stir at the EuroBasket Women with Miodrag Baletic’s side still unbeaten going into their Quarter-Final meeting with Turkey on Thursday in Lodz, Poland.

Later this summer, the Montenegro men will be resuming their quest for a spot in the London Games when competing at the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

Montenegro have announced their 16-man preliminary squad for the event.

Among those included are Nikola Vucevic, the 20-year-old who was just taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers out of the University of Southern California.

Omar Cook, coming off an outstanding season at Power Electronics Valencia, remains the naturalized player in the group.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (pictured), coming off his rookie season in the NBA, is also named.

There is also still a place in the group for 35-year-old guard Vlado Scepanovic, a member of Yugoslavia’s gold-medal winning side at the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

Under coach Dusko Vujosevic, Montenegro went unbeaten in Division B to clinch promotion at the first attempt and then last summer, they finished top of their Division A group to qualify for the EuroBasket.

Vujosevic stepped as coach with his assistant Dejan Radonjic taking the reins, but Vujosevic has agreed to served as an advisor to this summer’s team.

Montenegro will play in Group C at the EuroBasket against Greece, Croatia, F.Y.R. of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the two sides that comes the Additional Qualifying Round - Hungary, Finland or Portugal.

Montenegro preliminary squad: Omar Cook, Goran Jeretin, Vladimir Mihailovic, Bojan Bakic, Boris Bakic, Vlado Scepanovic, Sead Sehovic, Sead Sehovic, Vladimir Dasic, Milos Borisov, Milko Bjelica, Vladimir Dragicevic, Nikola Vucevic, Nikola Pekovic, Slavko Vranes and Vladimir Golubovic.

FIBA