URU - Jauri targeting a top five finish

MONTEVIDEO (FIBA Americas Championship) - Anticipation is growing ahead of the FIBA Americas Championship which will be played in Mar de Plata later this summer.

Ten teams will fight for two automatic tickets to the London Olympics next year, while three more will progress to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament.

The star-laden teams from Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Canada have been installed as the favourites by the bookmakers.

Uruguay may not have those big-name players amongst their number, but coach Gerardo Jauri told FIBA.com they have plenty of heart and pride and are not going to be there just to make up the numbers.

FIBA.com: How are preparations going for the FIBA Americas Championship?
Jauri: We start our training camp on July 20 and have a schedule of quality games before the Championship begins. We will play twice against Brazil, in a Super Four with Argentina "B" and two other teams, against the full Argentina team in Montevideo, and also in the Oscar Moglia Cup, which will involved Argentina "B", Venezuela and Cuba.

The challenge of these games is to reach an ideal level of preparation so we can meet our potential. We need to be well prepared because this is a most demanding tournament where everyone is out to do their best.

FIBA.com: What goals have you set for your team?
Jauri: In life you can have realistic goals, or you can have dreams that are not based in reality. Our dream is to qualify for the Olympics directly, but looking at it more objectively, it will be very difficult against teams like Argentina and Brazil, so our goal is to be among the top five.

But we must not get ahead of ourselves, we must take things step by step, making sure we get out of the group stage and then going from there. If we succeed and can get into the qualifying tournament, that would be a major achievement.

FIBA.com: You have been drawn in Group B with Puerto Rico, Panama, Argentina and Paraguay. How do you assess this group?
Jauri: It's a very tough group with difficult games. We have an off-day on the first day of play, and then have four games in a row without a break, which will be tough and require our maximum effort, starting against Argentina, then Puerto Rico, Panama and Paraguay.

The fixtures start with the hardest first, and we must find a way to deal with this. The last two games will be the key to our classification, so we must treat them like finals.

FIBA.com: You start against an Argentina team that will be playing at home, with their 'golden generation' of players determined to make history. How do you prepare for a game like that?
Jauri: It's a good question! Of course they are the favourites, but we have to do everything we know how to try and beat them. Argentina have good players at every position, it is not just about stopping (Manu) Ginobili and (Luis) Scola.

You can't even focus on one area of the court because they are a very balanced team, inside and outside. We will need to play a perfect game, taking our chances to score and making blocks. We will not hide, you have to try your best.

FIBA.com: How would you define Uruguay's playing style?
Jauri: We have had our style set for a long time. Defense always has to be the foundation, and we work very hard at it. We try to keep the score low and to control the game, never ceasing to be aggressive because we then have the offensive weapons who can hurt the opponent. Control of the game depends on playing hard defense to force errors from your opponent and make sure they cannot play their own game. We want to ensure the game is played at our pace.

FIBA.com: Perhaps your most dangerous player is Esteban Batista. How much does he bring to your team?
Jauri: Esteban has made important progress in recent years and today is a top player in European basketball. He is fundamental to the national team as he gives us essential presence inside, and he is someone who we have to exploit to the maximum and surround with the right pieces. But it is not just about Esteban, we have a spine of established players like Leandro Garcia-Morales, Mauricio Aguiar and Martin Ossimani.

Jauri is still finalising his roster for the tournament, and has not yet spoken to Estudiantes' Jayson Granger about his availability.

He remains conscious of both the strengths and weaknesses of his team as they move towards the tournament, but believes they have earned the right to go toe-to-toe with the best teams from the region.

"Uruguay has won respect," he said. However, he knows that only the results on the court will matter come September. "The final standings put you where you deserve to be," he said.

Diego Rivero

FIBA