Tyler Dorsey, Kostas Antetokounmpo featured in Greece's roster ahead of World Cup Qualifiers / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Media Credit FIBA Media

The Greek Basketball Federation announced the team's preliminary roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers game against Great Britain on June 30.

Kostas Antetokounmpo

Team:LDLC ASVEL VilleurbannePosition:PFAge:24Height:208 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Athens, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

Dimitris Itoudis, the newly-hired Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul bench boss, selected 24 players for the contest that will be held at 19:00 CEST in Larissa and will be Greece's last in the ongoing round of the qualifying phase.

Among the invites stand the names of Olympiacos Piraeus guard Tyler Dorsey, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne forward-center Kostas Antetokounmpo and Panathinaikos OPAP Athens forward Alexandros Samodurov.

For Dorsey, this call-up signals his return to the Greek NT after three years. The 26-year-old shooting guard previously played in the 2016 Olympic Qualifiers and the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers. Dorsey was also nominated for Greece's training camp for FIBA EuroBasket 2017 but backed out because of an ankle injury and then prepared for his rookie season in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks.

Kostas Antetokounmpo was present in last year's FIBA Olympic Qualifiers in Canada, where Greece lost to the Czech Republic in the tournament's final, while 17-year-old Samodurov (born in 2005) is expected to get a first taste of the squad.

Moreover, Giorgos Kalaitzakis, who finished his maiden NBA season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his brother Panagiotis, who comes off a breakout season with Lietkabelis Panevezys in Lithuania, are also on the squad. On the other hand, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother Thanasis are expected to join the team later in the offseason, probably in August.

All players included on the 24-man list are immediately available. Itoudis had a discussion with Olympiacos forward Giorgos Printezis about him possibly joining the national team, but the 37-year-old made clear that he's retired and won't play anymore.

Tyler Dorsey

MIN:24.17PTS:12.82 (51.67%)REB:2.34As:1.97ST:0.5BL:0.11TO:1.79GM:38ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

The list includes the following players:

Dimitris Agravanis (Promitheas Patras) Lefteris Bochoridis (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Nick Calathes (FC Barcelona) Nikos Chougkaz (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Tyler Dorsey (Olympiacos Piraeus) Nikos Gkikas (Promitheas Patras) Konstantinow Gontikas (Arges Pitesti) Dimitris Kaklamanakis (Lavrio Megabolt) Leonidas Kaselakis (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Vassilis Kavvadas (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Giannis Kouzeloglou (AEK Athens) Giannoulis Larentzakis (Olympiacos Piraeus) Michalis Lountzis (Olympiacos Piraeus) Dimitris Moraitis (Peristeri Vitabiotics) Vassilis Mouratos (Lavrio Megabolt) Giorgos Papagiannis (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Kostas Papanikolaou (Olympiacos Piraeus) Ioannis Papapetrou (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Alexandros Samodurov (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens) Kostas Sloukas (Olympiacos Piraeus) Giorgos Tsalbouris (Apollon Patras)

With a different set of players, Greece will begin the next round in late August, before the 2022 EuroBasket. After traveling to Milan, the schedule brings up Croatia, host Italy, Great Britain, Ukraine, and Estonia between 2 and 8 September. The national teams ranking in the top four will make the trip to Berlin and progress to the Round of 16.

The preparation of the national team will begin next Friday (June 24) from Peristeri's gym, where training sessions will take place until Sunday. On Monday morning (June 27), the 12-man squad selected by Itoudis will depart for Larissa where the preparation will continue.

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