VILNIUS (Lithuania) - The Lithuanian 2000-born generation will get back a major leader for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 as Martynas Arlauskas will be one of four players not on the team that finished fifth at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018.

Arlauskas averaged 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016, where Lithuania lost to Spain in the Final to finish second. But the 6ft 7in (2.00m) guard missed the U18 continental championship last summer with a stress fracture in his foot.

Also new to the team will be Nojus Mineikis, Justinas Ramanauskas and Matas Vaitkus - all making their debut with the national team.

Head coach Gediminas Petrauskas has already gotten a feel for what his team looks like, especially since it is missing Deividas Sirvydis, who was selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. Lithuania have played six preparation games, splitting two games against Latvia, beating the Lithuanian U20 team, dropping to Russia and Australia before cruising past China.

"The friendly games always help to prepare for the tournaments. We have identified what we need to fix ... Results weren't our priority, but we would like to avoid some of these bumps in the main event. It's also important that we played against teams with different styles - Russia, Australia, China," Petrauskas said.

Lithuania will take on Senegal, United States and New Zealand in Group A in Heraklion. The Baltic side is dreaming of winning its second U19 World Cup crown following 2011.

FIBA