USA - Defending champs face tough warm-ups before heading to Bilbao

COLORADO SPRINGS (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The United States will have plenty of tough games to play at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The defending champions will also have some formidable opposition in the build-up to the 24-team hoops extravaganza in Spain.

USA Basketball have announced that the squad is to go up against Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Slovenia before traveling to Bilbao, Spain, to play in Group C of the World Cup.

USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose side went up against the Brazilians and Slovenians at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and won both games, expects some hard friendly encounters.

He says the warm-up period will be good to help the players develop team chemistry, and face different styles of play.

In Spain 2014's Group C, the USA will square off against the Dominican Republic, Ukraine, Finland, Turkey and New Zealand.

"The 2014 USA national team tour will offer our players and coaches the opportunity to get familiar with each other and to gain critical international game experience against a variety of differing styles," said Krzyzewski.

"Playing games at the Thomas & Mack Center, the United Center, Madison Square Garden and in Gran Canaria will be memorable for fans and valuable preparation for our team prior to competing in the FIBA World Cup."

After coming together for training in Las Vegas from 28-31 July, the USA will have a Blue-White exhibition on 1 August at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Following a 12-day break, the next training camp will take place in Chicago on 14-15 August, with a game against Brazil on 16 August on the home court of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, the United Center.

Krzyzewski will then take his squad to New York City for more training from 17-22 August, and games at Madison Square Garden.

In the world famous arena, the USA will meet the Dominican Republic on 20 August and then Puerto Rico on 22 August.

The squad will at last travel to Gran Canaria, where the Group D games of the FIBA Basketball World Cup are to be staged.

The Americans will hold workouts there on 24-25 August before a final tune-up game with Slovenia in the Gran Canaria Arena on 26 August.

Jerry Colangelo, the USA Basketball chairman and national team managing director, stressed the importance of the warm-up period.

"Our training sessions and our exhibition games are vital in our preparations for defending our gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup," he said.

"We have again scheduled a challenging lineup of exhibition opponents for our USA men's national team.

"We're excited to give USA fans and basketball fans in general the opportunity to see their USA national team play in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Gran Canaria."

Krzyzewski has suffered just one loss as coach of the USA, against Greece in the Semi-Finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

He has led the USA to victories over Spain in the Gold Medal Game at the Beijing Olympics and London Olympics, and over Turkey in the 2010 FIBA World Championship Final, and knows the preparations are key in terms of team chemistry.

FIBA