Zdovc adds eight players to Slovenia's preliminary roster
LJUBLJANA (EuroBasket 2015) - Eight players have been called up by Slovenia coach Jure Zdovc and will join the 11 men on the original preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2015.
Slovenia's training camp tips off on 18 July.
Seven of the call-ups, namely Miha Lapornik, Blaz Mahkovic, Mitja Nikolic, Luka Rupnik, Boban Tomic, Luka Voncina and Sasa Zagorac were members of the Slovenia B team that competed in the Universiade.
Jure Zdovc je na priprave #junaki povabil še 8 košarkarjev! http://t.co/M4jaEH9UXh @WeAreSlovenia pic.twitter.com/aMB8fzgotm
— Košarkarska zveza SL (@kzs_si) July 2, 2015
"This year we are starting preparations for the EuroBasket a little earlier," coach Zdovc explained.
"I will use the opportunity to get to know better some of those players who were already on my broader list or earned a chance through their performance in games and their approach to practice sessions with the B Team, or have been recommended by the B Team's coaching staff, with Rado Trifunovic at the helm.
"During the first few days of preparations, therefore, we will take maximum advantage to test these players and we may give them more opportunities in the first warm-up games, against New Zealand and Australia."
The eighth player to be added on Thursday was 20-year-old guard Aleksej Nikolic, who will join the senior team at training camp after 20 July, when the U20 European Championship in Italy concludes.
Nikolic had followed a similar process last summer, as he first competed at the U20 European Championship in Greece and was then invited to the senior national team's preparations.
He ended up earning a spot on the Slovenia side that played at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.
Three of the 11 players who were on the original preliminary squad in Alen Omic, Gasper Vidmar and Zoran Dragic have received permission by coach Zdovc to arrive at training camp after 1 August in order to facilitate their participation in the NBA Summer League.
The KZS has also announced that there have been no developments in the case of American-born center Bryant Dunston, whom Zdovc had included on his preliminary list.
The application for Slovenian citizenship of the former Olympiacos player, who signed for Anadolu Efes this week, is still being processed by the country's ministry of interior.
Meanwhile, no definitive announcement has been made on the status of Goran Dragic with regards to Slovenia's EuroBasket squad. The 29-year-old guard has agreed terms to re-sign with the Miami Heat on a five-year deal worth a reported $90 million.
Slovenia preliminary squad for EuroBasket 2015: Jure Balazic, Jaka Blazic, Ziga Dimec, Zoran Dragic, Bryant Dunston, Nebojša Joksimovic, Jaka Klobucar, Miha Lapornik, Blaz Mahkovic, Alexei Nikolic, Mitja Nikolic, Alen Omic, Klemen Prepelic, Luka Rupnik, Boban Tomic, Uros Slokar, Gasper Vidmar, Luka Voncina and Sasa Zagorac.
Go to eurobasket2015.org for complete coverage of EuroBasket 2015.
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