RUS - Voronov, Vyaltsev last to go for Blatt

MOSCOW (EuroBasket 2011) - Russia coach David Blatt has decided to go into the EuroBasket without shooting guards Evgeny Voronov and Egor Vyaltsev.

Voronov played for Blatt's squad last summer at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey, averaging more than 16 minutes per game.

One of the big surprises for Russia is the inclusion of 22-year-old power forward Semen Antonov.

Blatt liked what he has seen from the youngster who averaged just under 11 minutes per game last season in the EuroChallenge for Nizhny Novgorod.

Returning for the first time since the Beijing Games is Andrei Kirilenko.

Russia, who are competing in Group D at the EuroBasket with Slovenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belgium and Bulgaria, are hoping to reach the Final and qualify for the London Games.

Should they finish third, fourth, fifth or sixth, the Russians would be invited to 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where three more places for London will be up for grabs.

Russia squad: Sergey Bykov, Andrey Vorontsevich, Viktor Khryapa, Andrei Kirilenko, Timofey Mozgov, Sergey Monya, Anton Ponkrashov, Vitaly Fridzon, Alexey Shved, Semen Antonov, Nikita Shabalkin and Dmitry Khvostov.

FIBA