- Tyson Pérez, Rubén Guerrero and Ehigiator, great news from the first list
- The first two meetings of Spain will be against Romania (outside) and Poland (home)
Spanish basketball coach Sergio Scariolo announced on Tuesday the list of 17 players called for the first 'window' of qualification for Eurobasket 2021, where Javi Beirán and Xabi Rabaseda are the only world champions and where debutants Osas Ehigitor appear and Tyson Pérez.
The Spanish basketball team will open its way to the next European championship at home in Cluj Napoca, where it will be measured with Romania (Thursday, February 20, 17.00 Spanish time), and later in Zaragoza against Poland (Sunday 23, 18.00).
As happened in the qualifying phase for the World Cup, Scariolo, who has ruled out his presence in the NBA's 'All Star' to prepare this 'window' with guarantees, will not be able to count on players from the US league or the Euroleague . Thus, all the summoned belong to Spanish clubs that do not dispute the maximum European competition except Sebas Saiz, who plays in the Japanese Shibuya Sunrockers.
Rabaseda, the most represented with 32 matches in the selection, will be the captain of this first 'window' that includes two players who have never played with the absolute, Osas Ehigitor (Montakit Fuenlabrada) and Tyson Pérez (Morabanc Andorra), both with experience in the lower categories of the national team.
The World Cups Beirán and Rabaseda, together with the Unicaja players Jaime Fernández, who was in the final preselection for China, and Darío Brizuela, are called to lead this team, which also highlights the return six years after Dani Díez, who has played seven friendly with the national team, but that has not yet debuted in the official game, as well as the aforementioned debutants and Rubén Guerrero.
The selection will begin its concentration on Monday 17 at noon in Guadalajara, in whose Multipurpose Pavilion Aguas Vivas will conduct its first three training sessions before flying on Wednesday 19 heading to Romania. After the match in Cluj Napoca, the team will return early Friday morning and arrive at noon in Zaragoza, where on Sunday 23 will face Poland as the closing of this first 'window', as detailed by the FEB.
For this first pre-Eurobasket rally, Scariolo will have a technical team consisting of Luis Guil, Joaquín Prado, Jorge Lorenzo, Manolo Aller, Alberto Lorenzo (assistant coaches), Enrique Salinas, Javier Bello (physical trainers), Carlos Salas (doctor) , José Antonio Fernández, Jordan Sospedra (physiotherapists), Alberto Pérez (delegate) and David Ortega (utillero).
LIST OF CALLED
BASES: Rodrigo San Miguel (Casademont Zaragoza), Carlos Alocén (Casademont Zaragoza) and Alberto Díaz (Unicaja).
EXTERIORS: Javier Beirán (Herbalife Gran Canaria), Xavi Rabaseda (Herbalife Gran Canaria), Darío Brizuela (Unicaja), Jaime Fernández (Unicaja), Johathan Barreiro (Casademont Zaragoza), Dani Díez (Iberostar Tenerife), Santi Yusta (Ibertostar Tenerife) and Xabi López-Arostegui (Joventut).
INTERIORS: Sebas Saiz (Shibuya Sunrockers), Víctor Arteaga (Movistar Students), Osas Ehigitor (Montakit Fuenlabrada), Rubén Guerrero (Unicaja), Nacho Llovet (Morabanc Andorra), Tyson Pérez (Morabanc Andorra).