LOUISVILLE (2015 FIBA ​​Americas Championship) - Maurice Harkless is on course to make his FIBA Americas Championship bow for Puerto Rico after being included on the list of players for a training camp in Louisville, Kentucky.

Coach Rick Pitino has the 22-year-old small forward in his 16-man group, as well as Renaldo Balkman, one of the stars of the Boricuas' team in 2013 that qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Harkless will link up with the national team just a couple of weeks after being acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers from the Orlando Magic.

The Puerto Ricans will train in Louisville, where Pitino coaches American college basketball's Cardinals, until 10 August.

Once the national side wraps up its practice sessions there, it will return to Puerto Rico to compete in friendly games before taking part in the Jenaro "Tuto" Marchand from 23-27 August, a continental tournament that also has Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Dominican Republic taking part.

The team will then travel to Mexico City for the FIBA Americas Championship (31 August-12 September).

Puerto Rico will place in Group B against Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela and Canada, with the top four sides progressing to the next phase.

The two finalists in Mexico City will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games, and the sides that end up third, fourth and fifth will reach the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

Puerto Rico preliminary squad for 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: Jose Barea, Ramon Clemente, Devon Collier, Richard Chaney, Renaldo Balkman, Kevin Young, Mike Rosario, Angel Daniel Vassallo, Luis Villafane, Isaac Sosa, Jorge Bryan Diaz, Carlos Rivera, Guillermo Diaz, Larry Ayuso, John Holland and Maurice Harkless.

Go to fiba.com/Americas2015 for more coverage of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA