SANTO DOMINGO (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The coaches of the Dominican Republic have firmly declared that there is something far more important than putting too much focus on the names of the team's Group C opponents at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

What the Dominican side needs to do is to remain true to its identity.

On 30 August, the opening day of the 24-team event, the Dominicans will square off against the Mike Fratello-coached Ukraine in Bilbao, Spain.

They will then take on New Zealand, Finland, defending champions USA and the side that finished runners-up to the Americans at the 2010 event, Turkey.

"We are going to concentrate on continuing with the same philosophy that is already in place," head coach Orlando Antigua said this week.

"To play together, to defend, to run and to use our skills."

His assistant, Jose Mercedes, offered similar words.

"We are going to continue to go with the profile of the team: (play) fast, good defense, half-court offense and not have a fear of the international stage."

Spain will represent an entirely new experience for the Dominican team.

The country last featured at a FIBA World Championship in 1978.

Ivan Mieses, Francisco Prats, Vinicio Munoz, Winston Royal and Evaristo Perez were all key players in that side that finished 12th (out of 14) some 36 years ago.

Antigua was just five years old at the time.

The Dominican Republic nearly reached the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey but came in fifth at the previous year's FIBA Americas Championship, with only the top four sides advancing.

They have been getting better year after year.

The side nearly reached the 2012 Olympics in London but lost to Nigeria the last game of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela.

Last year, by clinching a top-four spot in the FIBA Americas Championship in Venezuela, the Dominicans met their aim of reaching the World Cup.

The country's basketball federation held a press conference this week to shed light on the team's preparations for both the CentroBasket in Mexico and the World Cup in Spain.

Mercedes will coach the team at the Centrobasket in Tepic, Mexico, in early August.

To get ready for that tournament, 25 players have been named for a training camp that gets underway 14 July.

Among important national team players in the past who are among the 25 are guards Juan Coronado and Edgar Sosa.

Antigua will gather 1 August in Tampa, Florida, with Jack Michael Martinez, Francisco Garcia, Eulis Baez, Ronald Ramon and James Feldeine - all players expected to be at the World Cup who will not play at the Centrobasket - and the group will remain there until 18 August.

In addition to practices, the Dominicans will scrimmage the University of Kentucky, fellow World Cup side Puerto Rico and Mexican outfit Pioneros de Cancun.

Antigua was an assistant coach at Kentucky under John Calipari (his predecessor as Dominican coach) before recently accepting an offer to move to Tampa to coach South Florida.

The Dominicans will fly to Madison Square Garden to face the USA in a friendly 20 August.

Then, after traveling to Madrid, Spain, the Dominicans will go up against Egypt, Iran and the Philippines in warm-up games.

On 28 August, the Dominican side will travel to Bilbao for its Group C games.

FIBA