MONTEVIDEO (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - Uruguay coach Adrian Capelli has named a 20-man preliminary squad for the FIBA Americas Championship.

After travelling to Europe and being told by Esteban Batista of Panathinaikos and Jayson Granger of Unicaja Malaga that the duo will be available for the tournament to be held in Mexico City from 31 August until 12 September, Capelli returned to South America and held a press conference to announce the names of the players that will battle for spots in the team.

Demian Alvarez, a 30-year-old who spent the 2014-15 campaign with Larre Borges, is one of the newcomers.

A 1.92m forward who averaged 19.9 points per game this past season, Alvarez will play for Aguada in 2015-16 campaign.

"I'm very happy," Alvarez said to basquetcaliente.com.

It's been a great year and now I have a chance to finish it by fighting for a place in the team. - Alvarez

"I can do whatever they need, whatever the coach wants."

Another to get the call was Brian Garcia, a 1.80m guard who plays for Goes.

The 25-year-old was a part of Uruguay's youth set-up, featuring at the 2007 U17 South American Championship.

He averaged 10.2 points per game this season for Goes, who beat Bigua in the opening round of the playoffs before falling in the quarter-finals to eventual champions Malvin.

"I'm surprised, but happy at the same time," Garcia said.

I don't know if I expected to be named, but I did dream about it. - Garcia

"I can do a little bit of everything."

Uruguay will have a training camp that tips off 15 June and a couple of friendlies will then be played against Argentina 5 July and 8 July.

Players expected at the camp from the start are Gustavo Barrera, Luciano Parodi, Santiago Vidal, Alvarez, Garcia, Alejandro Acosta, Maximiliano Sole, Octavio Medina, Marcel Souberbielle, Mathias Calfani, Reque Newsome, Hernando Caceres, Kiril Wachsmann, Gonzalo Iglesias and Ignacio Guerra.

Batista, Granger, Martin Osimani, Bruno Fitipaldo and Mauricio Aguiar are others that will link up with the side once their respective teams finish their post-season.

Granger's participation promises to be very important.

He was named to the Spanish Spanish Liga Endesa ideal quintet this season.

Granger has not played for Uruguay since the 2012 South American Championship but he delivered the good news to Capelli last week that he's ready to compete in Mexico City.

He and Batista are each in involved in play-off action and will link up with the team once that comes to an end.

Uruguay will be aiming for a top-five finish.

The teams that reach the Final will clinch spots in the Rio de Janeiro Games and the sides that end up third, fourth and fifth will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

"It's going to be a difficult, hard to qualify," Alvarez said, "but if the team is complete, it will have possibilities.

"First, we have to make it through the preliminary squad and then point to the Olympics."

Garcia added: "With the confirmation of Esteban Batista and Jayson Granger, and all of the Uruguayan players that are in good form, I believe that we have possibilities."

FIBA