SLO - Pipan names 12-man Slovenia squad for Japan

MARIBOR (FIBA World Championship) - Slovenia coach Ales Pipan finalised his 12-man squad for the FIBA World Championship after Sunday's 87-72 victory over Canada in the Maribor Tournament.

Nebojsa Joksimovic, Miha Zupan and Domen Lorbek - the brother of national team power forward Erazem Lorbek - were all released.

Uros Slokar, the Benetton Treviso power forward/center who signed with the Toronto Raptors this summer, is in the group.

Erazem Lorbek, a key player in last year's team who this summer signed for Unicaja Malaga instead of beginning his NBA career (he was drafted by Indiana in 2005), ruled himself out of Slovenia's plans after his season with Climamio Bologna in Italy.

Doctors advised him to rest in a bid to recover from a foot injury.

There are eight players from last year's EuroBasket side who are headed to Japan, including captain Radoslav Nesterovic, Primoz Brezec. Jaka Lakovic, Sani Becirovic, Marko Milic, Bostjan Nachbar, Slokar and Goran Jurak.

Guard Nebojsa Joksimovic, Marko Maravic, Erazem Lorbek and Aleksandar Capin all played last summer but are not going to the Far East.

Newcomers are Sazo Ozbolt, Beno Udrih, Goran Dragic and Zeljko Zagorec.

Ozbolt and Udrih had been pencilled into last year's team but withdrew shortly before the start of the tournament through injury.

Slovenia will now travel to Singapore to take part in a four-team tournament with Argentina, Spain and Serbia & Montenegro.

Afterwards, they will leave for Japan where they are in FIBA World Championship Group D with Team USA, China, Senegal, Puerto Rico and Italy.

As for Sunday's victory over Canada, Slovenia seized a 28-12 first-quarter lead and never  turned back, recording an easy win.

Pipan said: "We played the last three games better than we did in Turkey (Efes World Cup) or against Poland in Koper.

"We have enough time before the World Championship in Japan to make our game even better."

Pipan says Slovenia would have been even better in recent games if he had not wanted to take longer looks at certain players.

"I have rotated a lot of  players in the last three games, that is why we made more mistakes in our game," he said. "I must add that I am happy because of the way the players took these preparations - we are working at full steam."

Slovenia squad: Radoslav Nesterovic (capt), Sani Becirovic, Primoz Brezec, Goran Dragic, Goran Jurak, Jaka Lakovic, Marko Milic, Bostjan Nachbar, Saso Ozbolt, Uros Slokar, Beno Udrih and Zelimir Zagorac.

By PA Sport
Exclusively for FIBA