MADRID (2015 FIBA U19 World Championship) - Joaquin Prado has been handed the reins of the Spanish team for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship and has brought back eight players from the U18 side last summer.

Prado, who served as an assistant coach to Jose Ramon Cuspinera during the 2014 U18 European Championship, took over as Spain's main man for the upcoming tournament (27 June-5 July) in Heraklion (Crete), Greece.

And the 39-year-old coach seems keen to keep the main core of the team together, with more than half of the side that came in fifth in Koyna, Turkey among the preliminary 14-man roster for the U19 Worlds, including guards Francisco Alonso and Marc Garcia, forwards Diego Gallardo, Jose Alberto Jimenez, Xabi Oroz and Jacobo Diaz and centers Yankuba Sima and Jaume Sorolla.

Prado also recognised the talent from the 1997-born generation, which finished fourth at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship. The coach invited six players from that team - guards Pablo Perez and Sergi Garcia, forward Xabi Lopez and centers Ramon Vila, Samuel Rodriguez and Sorolla, the latter who played at both tournaments.

The other player nominated by Prado was center Marc Bauza, who played at the 2012 U16 European Championship and 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship but missed the U18 Euros last summer due to an injury during the preparations.

Missing from the U19 team is a trio of 1997-born Real Madrid players, who could have added a major punch to the side.

Santiago Yusta, Jonathan Barreiro and Andres Rico were instead all called to Spain’s U18 team for this summer.

Perez, Sergi Garcia, Lopez, Vila, Rodriguez and Sorolla meanwhile were also listed on Spain’s preliminary 14-man roster for the 2015 U18 European Championship.

The U19 team will meet for a training camp on 7 June in Logrono and play three games against Canada (13 June), Australia (14 June) and Croatia (15 June). The Spanish then move to Bilbao and have games on 20 and 23 June against Dominican Republic and 21 June versus Argentina.

Spain were drawn in Group B and will take on Argentina, China and Turkey in Heraklion.

Spain preliminary squad for the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship: Francisco Alonso, Marc Bauza, Jacobo Diaz, Diego Gallardo, Marc Garcia, Sergi Garcia, Jose Alberto Jimenez, Xabi Lopez, Xabi Oroz, Pablo Perez, Samuel Rodriguez, Yankuba Sima, Jaume Sorolla, Ramon Vila.

FIBA