CANBERRA (2016 FIBA U17 World Championship) - Australia appear ready to rely mostly on the same team from last summer's FIBA Oceania U16 Championship as they nominated a 16-man preliminary squad for the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Head coach Mark Watkins selected 10 players from the team that knocked off New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania U16 Championship Final in Wellington last summer.

"We will play the Australian style of play which has been successful at international junior level for many years," said Watkins, who was the coach when Australia grabbed their second straight second place at the FIBA U17 Worlds in 2014.

There will be plenty of depth in each position and players can be moved around if need be. - Watkins

Australia have been drawn in Group C at the 2016 FIBA U17 Worlds along with Canada, China and Finland.

The team's top seven scorers from last year's continental tournament appear set to return, including Dragan Elkaz, Patrick Bines, Sam Froling and Tom Fullarton, who all averaged more than 12 points per game at the FIBA Oceania U16 Championship.

Watkins also nominated his top assist man from the tournament in Lachlan Dent, who will be one of eight 2000-born players invited to the training camp starting on April 30 along with Froling and Ben Fakira.

This will be a young group who will play an exciting style of play up the floor and use their energy and effort to disrupt the opposition. - Watkins

The other 1999-born players getting a return call from last year are Mate Colina, Matthew Johns, Alexander Mudronja and Kyle Zunic.

The other 2000-born invites are Kyle Bowen, Callum Dalton, Sean Macdonald, Kody Stattmann and Nicholas Stoddart.

Watkins has not shied away from bringing under-class players to the tournament as he included three bottom-aged players in his squad at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Two of the 2000-born players have already seen high level competition this year as Froling and Dalton were included on the Australian team at the 2016 Albert Schweitzer Tournament. Colina, Fullarton and Zunic were also on the team that finished seventh at the U18 event with a 3-4 record.

Watkins is excited about what he has in the group.

From what I saw at U18 Nationals, this group will play very hard and have many leaders who will lead in different ways. - Watkins

After selecting a 12-man team, Watkins will take the group to China for some preparation games from 11-25 May, and there will be a preliminary tournament in Toulouse, France from 13-19 June before moving onto Zaragoza.

Australia 16-player preliminary squad for 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship: Patrick Bines, Kyle Bowen, Mate Colina, Callum Dalton, Lachlan Dent, Dragan Elkaz, Ben Fakira, Sam Froling, Tom Fullarton, Jason Gregg, Matthew Johns, Sean Macdonald, Alexander Mudronja, Nicholas Stoddart, Kody Stattmann and Kyle Zunic.

FIBA